I’ve felt very fragile since we dropped our son off at college. I’ve had trouble sleeping, and I feel jittery and strung out. Work has been hectic, which has been hard. My team lead encouraged me to be gentle with myself in the coming weeks because she knew this would be an emotional time for … Continue reading Gentle
I live in a ridiculously nice place. Our son had friends over last night to watch Hamilton, and my husband and I didn’t want to eat pizza, which we ordered for them, so we got out of the house for dinner. We went to a little restaurant, Gillie’s, in downtown Blacksburg, and sat at a … Continue reading Grateful
We drove along redbud-lined roads under a brilliant blue sky to hike not to the top of a mountain, but lower down, in a valley, where we hoped it’d be green and protected from wind. In spots where the sun shone on the trail, the air smelled like warm, golden pine needles. I heard bumblebees … Continue reading Spring wildflower hike
Today’s the last day of my at-home vacation. Since it’s too cold to sit outside and watch the garden grow, I opted to use my final day off to go hiking with my husband. When he asked this morning, from under the covers, before the sun came up, “Do you still want to go?”, I … Continue reading Mountain top in cold and wind
Yesterday, I knew snow was coming. It was Friday afternoon, and the sun shone bright and warm on the flowers that have already started blooming. After work I grabbed my camera, and I went for a walk; I didn’t even need a jacket. As I type this, the world outside is cold and grey, and … Continue reading Pre-snow flowers around the neighborhood
In February, first come the snowdrops, then the crocuses. Then, when all the other deciduous trees are still stripped bare, there’s one that blazes forth in bright sunshine yellow. With its saffron strands, the witch hazel announces itself against the bleak grey-brown of the winter landscape. It tells me, it’s not just the ground flowers … Continue reading Witch hazel
Butterfly Mind 