Seeking beauty and joy

I have been feeling off kilter for the last month. I'm getting a great deal of work done, yet I am grumpy and listless. While the rain certainly is effecting this, I realized that I have been ignoring my natural rhythms.
I am a creature of habit, and my spring has not been the "season of renewal" that it normal is for me.

We usually take mid-May through the end of June to relax and center ourselves. This year is seemed like a race from one event to another. We even tried a few field trips, but they felt as if they were squeezed between doctor's visits and obligatory duties. You just can't force relaxation!

You begin to get a little philosophical and wonder then, where we are all rushing off to that we miss the beauty and joy that surrounds us? How can we possibly maintain such a pace, when even our "off" time is scheduled so heavily? When does our soul get to breathe?

Enough was enough. I sat down and made a wish list for summer. I want to do something creative and beautiful. I want to enjoy my friends in leisure, instead of situations where work or homeschooling are the focus. I want to read by the pool and on the beach, and not worry about sun damage to my skin. I want to make homemade salsa, play in the garden, and try new recipes. I want to stay up late watching movies and drinking margueritas and playing games.

I stepped back from my calendar, and whited out all the activities that were not necessary and felt obligatory on some level. Instead, I picked up my phone and made some calls and some plans. I asked Honey to make her own list, and we happily had some of the same items. We made a few more calls and more plans. One of the most important lessons I can teach her is that we can seek out and find our own joy.

This week has been quite successful in this quest. On Monday, I had my best friend over for a day of sewing. We had ordered some charm packs and fabric from Moda, and I set up a second sewing machine (borrowed from the co-op) for her. We chatted away all day as we sewed the top of our lap quilts. Honey had listed "sleeping in as long as possible after a night of all-night reading" on her list, which worked perfectly with our plans. We will get together again next week to finish the border and quilt them together. This inspired me to start looking at some other projects. Sewing is very relaxing, and much quicker than other fiber arts.

We zipped up to other friends to enjoy the sunshine by their pool yesterday. These friends are especially dear to us lately, as they just found out they are relocating to Florida at the end of summer. Honey & their daughters have been friends since age 4, and have gotten especially close over the last year. The girls are determined to make lots of memories this summer. Next week: a day trip to the beach together.

Today Honey is to get her wisdom teeth removed, so we have planned a few days of nothing much at all. Maybe some movies, but mostly napping. Ahhh...I feel the renewal coming on already!