Three Hundred and Sixty Degrees of Breathtaking

 

The tree house and swing at the edge of the woods with the purple redbuds behind. Don't you love green fuzz of new leaves beginning to swell on the trees?

         With all the beauty of spring time in the mountains, it is impossible not to smile at the deep satisfying goodness of life. The forsythia and flowering pear may be fading, but the lilacs, redbud, and apple blossoms are taking over. Oh, and my apologies to the dogwood. How could I forget you, sweet things?! The landscape is a new riot of pink and purple with strong hints of green. I mowed the lawn for the first time this season and the aroma of cut grass was intoxicating. I continued mowing a perimeter around the field because Henri enjoys his walks there and the field grass is quickly getting too tall. All this tromping and riding around the property helps me to observe and take stock of the things that need tending. The list grows ever longer and includes moving the swing to a higher branch, transplanting the daisies to a better location, getting rid of the diseased peonies, and installing flashing on the horse shed. The list is much, much longer but I don't want to overwhelm Steve if he reads this : )
     I'm also seeing the home and property from a grandparent's perspective nowadays. The children love to play outside when they visit hence, the swing, tree house, and fields will be playgrounds once again. It seems like it was only a short while ago that our own daughters were running through these same fields, jumping from hay bales, and galloping the horse up the hill. I'm glad this home place wasn't quiet for too long between the generations. There's much more enjoyment still to come and we'll keep the bonfires burning and the marshmallows handy as long as we're fit and able. My hope is for Nonni and Pop's house to be a place the grandchildren enjoy visiting. I won't try out the swing before we move it because I know for a fact the branch isn't safe, but I may climb up into the tree house to be sure all is in order there. I might just take a book and pillow up there and stay a while.
     I had a day's worth of bookkeeping to do this morning and I had been at it for a couple of hours when I rummaged through my inbox and stumbled across a letter my mom had penned a few months ago. It broke my heart to see her handwriting. She couldn't see and therefore struggled to write. Grief ebbs and flows at the drop of a hat, the sound of a tune, or the appearance of a letter. A good cry later and I took Henri outside where we both benefited from the fresh air. It truly is a beautiful day even with the chill and breeze. My heart swells with gratitude for nature's beauty and the healing properties with which God has imbued it.  

When I photographed the lilac I noticed the dogwood up on the hill behind it. Perfect!

We had visitors today. They came into our field and their presence taunted Henri to no end! They are the cutest things to watch, waddling in formation.