A beautiful day

     When I was younger I didn't live so much in the moment - always worrying about choices, relationships - the good ones and the bad ones, finances or lack of them, my young family's safety, health, the list goes on and on. While I'm still and always will be a chronic worrier,  ( Heck, I just stopped having "I didn't do my homework" dreams about five years ago)  I have learned with age to live far more of my life in the moment.  And... I don't give as much of a f*ck about trying to please everyone all the time, or even if someone likes me.  I have finally come to that place where I know in my heart of hearts I am a decent soul and I like me... maybe even love me.  Sounds silly, but that knowledge comes hard to some of us, and maybe you know the woe.  This was a day when I sat completely comfortable with myself and content with my life's direction. 

    Yesterday it seems everyone in New England was out and about, enjoying the beautiful 🌺SPRING🌸  day - temps reached 61 degrees!   On the road, some of my fellow Jeepers had their tops off and down at Stella, island folks were beginning the Spring ritual of opening up and airing out their cottages.  My daughter and I spent some time at the show barn with Leah - and I got to take her for a spin around the block a few times myself. 

  As I watched my daughter go 'round the ring practicing for the first show of the season, the warm sun beaming down on our faces, I was reminded again of all she has overcome, how lucky we are to have these experiences after all.   

    After time well spent at the barn, I headed down to the cottage where the Mr. was working with two of his crew to replace the split railing we initially installed at the waterfront.  When sitting on the blue stone patio, what greeted  seated folks at eye level were  clunky cedar beams.  It was a nice rustic look but took away from the water views.  So we've installed wire which will keep people from falling over but doesn't block the view.  It's almost invisible. as you can see in this photo. 

   We were so pleased with the effect, we decided to take the waterfront railing section  of the deck out and replace it with the same wire.  We have a lot of summer meals up on that little deck and the view now when seated will be a much fuller waterfront scene. That deck comes in handy as a "playpen" for Frasier and Sally as well - they are safe up there with a gate at the stairs, and someday the same will be true when and if we're blessed with grandchildren. 

     We brought some dirt from the farm down to the shore - we'll spread it in the waterfront part of the little yard to fortify the grass and level the footing some.  If you can believe it,  M wants to plant a little vegetable garden down there as well as the one I keep here on the farm.  The bunnies are prolific on the island-really-a-peninsula,  he'll have to put a little fencing up if we are to eat any of that produce. 

   

Frasier, Sally and I took a walk  after inspecting the new fencing... we are on a cove in the Long Island Sound - which you can see in the distance here.  The crocus have arrived!   And they tell me the peepers too, and while I can't hear the actual thing, I hear peepers 24/7 with the tinnitus and hearing loss, go figure - 😂

  I can usually find at least one piece of seaglass on each walk.  This one was a very pale blue, my favorite color.

The water hasn't been turned on yet so the cottage can't be given a thorough Spring cleaning, bed linens aren't re-washed or beds made  until April 15th or so, when the water is turned back on.   We don't spend too much time here until then, no toilets!   The new gas stove does a fantastic job of heating up the space when the nip in the air needs tucking.   Sally approves. 

    When the chill came in off the water with the setting sun I came home to feed the horses and chickens and clean the new chicks water for the tenth time.  Have I mentioned how piggy chicks are?  All doing well, by the way.  The  good weather had us all in high spirits, and it was evident in the people we encountered throughout the day, too.   I always hope that kindred spirit spreads far and wide. Wouldn't it be awesome to have a blanket of good will to cover this entire planet - think of all the problems we could solve, what a wonderful world this could be if only.   It was a restorative kind of day that I sorely needed.   Today I'm wishing the same for  you - 

 Till soon - 

Karen 🌷