travel
Taken for a client at Lake Greenwood, SC.
Sometimes I feel like I can finally see the clearing in the forest. The trees spread out, and the edge of the heavy, dark woods starts to disappear.
Then, like a blindfolded hostage, I am led back to the woods - to a new place - and left standing there trying to find my way back to the edge once again.
He's back.
Gone for 5 days and what felt like an eternity on a school trip to Washington D.C., my little man is back - safe and sound. Sleeping well and just as ornery and surly as he ever was.
I wouldn't trade it for the world. The sass. The drama. The tween attitude. I really wouldn't. I am so happy for all of it here at home...sleeping soundly in bed with heavy covers over him and a battle of the wills from the moment he wakes up these days. He is safe. And he is home. And he is with me. And I couldn't ask for more.
You see, just before this trip, Graham lost a classmate unexpectedly. She was only 13 years old - far too soon to be gone. Far too soon for her parents to bury her in the ground already. We are all mourning this loss and her absence. It is a tragedy I cannot even imagine...a parent's worst nightmare altogether.
So when I say I don't mind the sass and the drama - I am not kidding. I am thinking of Lucy - her parents and her family and her classmates. I don't care about laundry or stinky feet or someone climbing in bed with me at 3 AM because they don't feel good. I don't care about the hardships that come with tweens or the struggles ahead with teenage drinking or bad grades or whatever our story may be. I don't really care about anything but this foot in my bed - safe, happy, loved, here.
So I am glad. He is back. He is here with us today. And that is something I will never take for granted.
"You must scatter the seeds. Love the seeds. Have complete faith in the seeds. Only then, will they become all that you hope for." Unknown
Mr. Lettuce - getting his bath.
Today, I got to spend a little time on my friend Jim's farm. We are working on a project together and it makes my soul sing for many reasons that I won't go into here. I have always loved a bit of gardening. But the fantasy of having my very own small scale farm is something I have dreamed about ever since I transplanted various seedlings in the forest behind my house growing up.
I have spent some time with Jim before. Documenting him, his plantings, and parts of his life in his new venture. But, today I really got it. I mean - it clicked on a level I can't express in words. The care he has for his plants and the love he has for this craft is no joke. I can assure you that every single seed is planted with care. Every crop harvested is done meticulously by hand. Every plant is processed with love. There are no pesticides. There are no chemicals in site. Just a few guinea fowl and a lot of mushroom compost and mulch.
To give you and example, each of the farm shares he has are harvested by hand. They are then INDIVIDUALLY bathed in a gentle water bath and precariously placed in coolers until delivery - which is typically the next day. This is not done for just the lettuce, but the bok choy, the carrots, the early garlic, the herbs, the potatoes, the kale, the onions, the spinach and the rest of the share. Each share is packaged immaculately and delivered TO YOUR DOORSTEP each week.
Not only is it remarkable that they grow delicious, fresh, wholesome produce from seed and deliver it to your doorstep each week. But the process of harvesting and packaging each item is done with such care you actually can tell the difference. I promise - you can taste it in the butter lettuce and the Russian River Kale. Each bite is a unique experience that takes you beyond the refrigerated aisles of your local Publix.
So next time you reach for that bag of packaged spinach - think again. Where did it come from? Who has handled it? Was it loved? Was it treated with gentle care? Who grew it? Do they really love this food? Do they actually care about what is going into this?
Get to know that farmer. I promise, it'll be the best thing you ever did.
Yesterday we went to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia for a quick Spring Break road trip. We had a fantastic time and the weather was picture perfect. Cool breezes and sunshine made up for the crowds and long lines.
There really was a lot of interesting exhibits, but I love the giraffes the most. Something about these creatures fascinates me - they are an interesting study in evolution. I chatted with the exhibit curator for a while in the back while others paid a few dollars to feed them leafy greens and pet their heads all while dodging their extremely long tongues! We talked mostly about their nature and personalities of the individual giraffes (apparently they are very kind and gentle, but not super bright animals overall).
As we strolled around the zoo, our group talked about how amazing it is that life takes on such unique forms and how these creatures all adapt to their surroundings. Elephants use their huge ears to cool off in the hot deserts of Africa. Sea anemone and the clown fish have a symbiotic relationship and protect each other. Long necks allow those giraffe to eat those top leaves on the trees so they don't go hungry out in the plains. It's really amazing what evolution produces if you think about it.
I normally hate zoos and aquariums and anything that exploits animals for our own personal entertainment or use. But, yesterday I was grateful I had the opportunity to see these creatures up close and personal. I will probably never have the chance again in my life to touch a giraffe. Or see an elephant that closely. And many of these animals have been born in captivity or would have otherwise perished at the hands of people who were far more irresponsible than the keepers at this zoo.
What about you? Do you hate zoos? Love them? What have you been up to this week?
All of life is just passing us by in a moment - whizzing around me at top speeds as we wind our way up the glorious summit. And all I want to do is stop the car, smell the fresh air, pick some wildflowers and watch some of the clouds wander aimlessly by. All I want to do is slow it down.
When I started off on my own path, I looked for the clearly lines of a well worn trail in front of me. I think we are trained to believe this is the way of The Game of Life from the time we are teeny, impressionable, normalcy-seeking children looking for clear rules and a well-defined path. So early on, I always wanted to be lead directly to my Destination, marked with descriptive signs and no indication of any messy undergrowth. The signs would say "GO THIS WAY" making sure I didn't miss anything important to The Game along the way - husband, 2.5 kids, mortgage, cars and a white picket fence.
Apparently, I don't like to play by the rules.
So, with no certain path, I jumped tracks and found nothing but blurry lines. The one where I wasn't 100% sure where I would end up. It's scary some days. And I am never sure what I am truly doing. But what I have come to find out is that I love that I have the power to rewrite the ending every single day no matter what those Rule Makers had in mind for me in the beginning.
The thing is, I really don't think any of the lines are clearly defined in life after all. Sure some paths are marked a little better than others, but there are always obstacles and challenges along the way. There are twists and turns and uphill climbs and treacherous downhill slopes. There are also easy, flat paths to cruise calmly along. But things change and don't always go as planned. Life requires us to compromise a little and learn how to lean into the discomfort. Most of life is a big, blurry, messy pile.
So I will keep marching along this path - blurred lines and all. And be delighted at the things I pick up along the way, focusing in on them long enough to appreciate where we are in the present since that's the only real thing I can see anyhow.
"I search for the realness, the real feeling of a subject, all the texture around it... I always want to see the third dimension of something... I want to come alive with the object." - Andrew Wyeth
I love to travel. I love to see the world and witness the details - large and small - that make the place unique. The new and different landscape, varied people, and even the architecture leave me awestruck...like a child on there first trip to a candy story. Every turn leads to a new discovery that paints a picture for me of new and distinct and varied culture of each new place.
Recently, I was lucky enough to spend a week in Mexico on the Mayan Riveria. The fabric of Mexico is rich in texture and alive with color and culture. I could have stayed months wandering around little pueblos, breathing into the spaces of their real, authentic, everyday life. To me, the best parts are where the people really are living their every day lives - shopping, eating, or simply sitting around, watching the days go by...and simply lingering in the fabric of the place they call home.
Selling her goods.
Catching a lift.
Layers and layers.
I love the plant life. It amazes me.
Chichén Itzá.
The local barber. Closed for Siesta.
Our pool. Azul.
So many tiny details.
Coconut trees. Everywhere.
The colors of the sea made me want to redecorate my house.
These bikes. This sign. :)
The architecture was incredible. I could have studied it for hours.
Beach cabana.
The colors. Everywhere. So vivid and bright.
