angelbirdflies

Where were we this weekend?  We were camping near Sylvan Lake , at a fabulous site in the National Forest that seemed like a million miles away from the busy human world.  Each night we were serenaded to sleep by the silent sound of a starry sky circling overhead.  For breakfast we enjoyed our favorite gustatory delight, yogurt with fresh fruit and granola. Bodhi invented a new smores...burnt marshmallows and saltine crackers....mmmmYUCK. At the visitor's center we watched the playful dance of a dozen hummingbirds drunk on nectar and greedy for more.  Yet another beautiful weekend in paradise.  On the way home we stopped by the Red Canyon Cafe in Eagle.  They had GLUTEN FREE BREAD. So the whole family loitered about enjoying tea, coffee, juice and sandwiches before our long drive home.

A few days ago, my brother asked our 99 year old grandmother if she believed in dragons and she responded emphatically 'YES!' ... He then asked her boldly if she believed in Unicorns and she said 'NO', without any doubt or hesitation.  When he asked her why, she replied,  "Because if you ask a Unicorn if it exists it will always say that it does not." ... My Grande is getting ready to leave.

We spent Sunday at Eldorado Springs pool in Eldorado Canyon.  What a fabulous spot, reminiscent of something out of the 50's. Upon arrival, we ran into Cole's family and found ourselves having a remarkably GOOD time.  And Bodhi was wild about the slide- dunking, splashing and swimming with enthusiasm. It was another great day in Colorado paradise.

In the dugout... "Hey batter, batter...swing batter, swing" a ground ball to centerfield... he runs to first base... wait, wait...and home.... and here he is looking for a catch. Honestly, it was thrilling watching him out on that field, grinning ear to ear and enjoying the game.  I don't even like sports and I was ecstatic...and then my life flashed before my eyes...weekends filled with games, games, games and more games...I swallowed hard and smiled so as not to show my mounting terror.

A few weeks ago, I sat holding a sunflower seed in my hand, just prior to the mouth popping, mastication phase, when it's perfect elegance floored me.  I stared in awe at the tiny seed nestled in my palm and saw it, in all of it's possibility, for the first time.  A flower, a million seeds, a million flowers.  Each unique, each the same.  And suddenly I was dumbfounded by the arrogance of human. A small seed, with no big beefy brain to catalogue, categorize, prioritize, conceptualize, quantify, qualify, justify and deify, had within it the flower it could become.  Dissect the seed and there's no  flower, nor any glimmer of the life that will unfold when the seed surrenders to soil, light, water. I wondered. What arrogant assuming is it, to think, with our over indulged brains and narcissistic lens of "self", that we need "do", "think", "struggle", "fight", "hustle", "cajole" and otherwise dance our way...

The day is ripe, rich, full. Birdsong, Conversation in branches. Green grass, wet from last nights storm, Cool carpet beneath my feet. A gentle breeze rustles, leaves sway. Dappled sunlight on my face. Butterflies meet in ardent embrace, wings aflutter. Tea, hot and steaming, beside my foot. I lounge, peaceful in blue hammock, no need for words. A savored Silence. Hollyhocks stretch above window frames, white skirts unfurl. A garden brags of lettuce and squash, green herbs and ripening tomatoes. Wind chimes tinkle. I had planned "doing" something today. I had "planned" art and sewing and cleaning and work, But "not doing" seemed more important. Laying lazy on a hammock, watching storm clouds approach, Serenaded by birdsong and breeze, Embraced in warm air and cool grass. Summer.

 

 The following photos depict a recent visit from my beloved elder brother (no children were injured in the filming of this post, though mother was often nail biting on the periphery).