Wow, I have some catching up to do! We've been out and about quite a bit lately. Visits to see family and other outings have taken over the 'normal' schedule. It's a welcomed distraction, actually. It happened to be absolutely beautiful for a day at the beach while in Delaware, so it was fun to let the kids run free and explore the sand and water a bit.
I grew up at the beach and salt air will always be part of who I am. There just isn't anything like standing in front of the ocean, taking in the cool, salty air and being lulled by the constant roar of waves crashing. I remember with absolute clarity going to bed as a child and listening to the sound of the waves. Lying my head on my pillow in a dark room - you can't see, but you can hear the constant movement of the water. So soothing and natural a sound.
I truly longed for Young Man to have the same love for the ocean. I know it's different because he didn't grow up there, it wasn't a way of life for him. Yet still, we visit my family there and we did live close to the shore for a few years. Long enough for him to really have an appreciation for the water now. Don't get me wrong, he loves water as far as swimming or boating is concerned, and he loves ALL things ocean-life related. But I still wanted to be able to share with him how magnificent the ocean is, the boats, the bays and waterways. Oh, if only he could have grown up where I did. That boy would have LOVED it. Boating and crabbing every day, finding clams with his feet as he swam. Going out in the front yard and coming home with dinner. How fortunate was I? It was the best.
Now it's Sweet P.'s turn to experience the beauty and wonder of it all. She' s off to a good start, I tell ya. She fears nothing. Period. It's all about keeping her safe. The water was still too cold for anyone to stand, but she gave it a good shot. She enjoyed the warm sand and throwing it as much as she could. She had fun with her shadow, too. I love to watch little ones experience new things and learn.
Back to the house in the woods where it's all about shade and woodsy type critters. This is the essence of Young Man.
We have called him the Bird Whisperer, but clearly he and the frogs have a good understanding of one another, too. We were walking around Savannah one day a couple years back and he said, "Mom, I'm gonna catch that bird." He did. Twice.
I'm used to it now. Well, it still amazes me sometimes, so maybe I'm not actually 'used to it', but I do expect it. Last week he was handling a 'dead' black widow spider and checking out the red hourglass up close. When he was done, it uncurled it's legs and walked away. I'm definitely NOT over that yet! But spiders are a totally different topic here. A topic I am certainly not happy about.
So it's rained a TON lately. The garden is only half planted, but coming along. It seems we can only plant when there is a break in showers. We put our boots on and run out there and hoe a row or 2 or 5... Throw in some corn and basil or whatever seeds I grabbed on the way out the door... It's kind of a haphazard gardening situation just now, but I'm ok with that. Succession planting - naturally this year. Things are growing, that's the important part. I'll be back with some pictures of that later.
I have managed to work in a tiny bit of alone time, no kids, no hubby, not even the dog. A L O N E.
I'm going to sit and play with my yarn for a while, for as long as I can. Uninterrupted.
I have so many projects swirling in my head, but I'm so focused on finishing current ones first. I hate to have too many going on at once. I like to contain my excitement to one thing at a time. I'll be back to share!
xo
