My brain today: mostly cloudy with a chance of sun
Today I am: still sitting under my pergola in the backyard
Current CNN news headline: The 115-year-old Supreme Court opinion that could determine rights during a pandemic
As of late I have been spending a lot more time outside enjoying my freshly manicured backyard which I must say is a very welcomed change to my life. I used to spend a lot of time back here enjoying the view but I can say with utmost certainty that I have sat in this previously white and now faded, wooden (and I’m not 100% sure fully stable) adirondack chair once over the past year.
This time of quarantine and social distancing can definitely be lonely, trying and at times depressing but it has also brought with it moments of pure joy that have filled my home with genuine and affectionate laughter once again. I have become a believer that this pandemic has to have a bigger purpose for us all. As a culture (mostly North American culture) we have grown to believe that in order to be perceived as successful we must always be seen as ‘busy’ - whether it be busy working or busy socializing - we have been SO busy being SO busy. The outcome I hope for us all (…and trust me I am the first one to admit I was so busy being so busy) is that we can refocus priorities and 100% realize the chaotic world we’ve created will not implode if we aren’t working 26/8 (and no, that is not a typo).
As I step down from my makeshift rickety soap box I will step back into my slightly overcast reality. As I sit here amongst my favorite plants on this windy, cloudy Florida day I can’t help but focus on the lanky, liver spotted fur ball laying on the hot concrete pavers in front of me. Over the past two weeks the weird bond I share with my rescued mutt has grown so strong once again. Luke’s (or Lucas, Jelly Bean, Booka, and whatever else I affectionately call him) personality has always been larger than his fifty pound, mostly legs, but all attitude body. When I met Luke four years ago his quirky personality sparked the idea of a children’s book series - much like my favorite oversized red dog from childhood. Well, last night I poured myself a glass of silky cabernet and came out to my favorite faded adirondack chair with a sketchbook and pen and before I could even take a sip of wine I had the basic outline of Luke’s first book. WelI… here's hoping this means I have begun to lay the mortar to rebuild that wall I was talking about yesterday…