July 5: Daily Walks

The outdoors are my sweet spot and being able to go for walks and visit gardens and parks has been one of the best parts of my post-hip replacement world.  With the arrival of Summer Break and its relaxed schedule, I’ve made a daily commitment to walks outside.  Sometimes that’s a stroll around my town.  Often, it’s a trip to the familiar landscape of my beloved Colonial Park.

Or a walk in the quiet of Pleasant Valley Park. 

 I’ve also made it a point to find some new places.  For all that it’s small and densely populated, New Jersey has the very best little pockets of beauty, with woodlands and gardens hidden in corners of quiet and sunshine.  I’ve discovered the gem that is the Reed-Reeves Arboretum. 

Just up the hill from my house is the Leonard Buck Garden.  

Being able to go for daily walks and then adding variety to them has been a treat for me, a reminder that being outside is a sure way to bring me the peace and tranquility that feeds happiness.

Among the Trees: October 5

As I wait for hip surgery, my ability to walk in the woods is somewhat limited.  That’s disappointing, of course, though I am doing my best to consider it a temporary setback.  Once I’ve got a new hip, I’ll be back to my frequent walks in the woods.  Until then, I still find ways to admire trees.  One of those ways is daily recess duty. 

My middle school students have outdoor recess after lunch; the principal and I supervise.  We’re out on the school’s turf field, surrounded by trees and sunshine and some of these afternoons have been downright glorious.  The trees are mostly still green; Fall colors have just begun.  So I know that there will be some lovely Fall color-filled days ahead of me.  

That’s happy!

Cooking Journal: Snack Tray Supper

May brings all the gloriousness of Spring in full bloom, usually with with enough warm weather to reliably plan suppers on the back deck.  At Sassafras House, that often means firing up the charcoal grill for burgers or chicken.  Just as often, back deck supper is a plate of cheeses, salted meats, crackers, nuts, grapes, carrots or marinated veg, some kind of jam (three cheers for fig jam, by the way)….whatever I have on hand, set on a plate or wooden board and enjoyed with a chilled glass of wine.  I know that the Internet calls this kind of thing a charcuterie board but for me it’s snack tray supper and it’s delicious. 

I’ve been known to enjoy a snack tray year round but somehow May’s arrival makes it so much better.  A snack tray on the back deck is not just good supper, it’s a meal that’s meant to be savored while we sit outside with laughter and the ease of a warm evening.   

Preparing

Since I switched jobs, I am on a 12-month contract.  Though there is still plenty of time off, I don’t have the three months of summer vacation that I enjoyed as a teacher.  That is not to say that summer is all work and no play.  In fact, summer days at a school without students is an easy pace.  Though my to-do list is rather long, I get a lot of things done a great deal more quickly.  

The work day is shorter, no work comes home for the evenings or weekends, and I take days (even weeks) off.  But the loss of 3 months of seemingly endless time that was summer vacation meant making a transition in my own thinking.  Rather than assume relaxation would just happen, I make intentional time for it.   The month of May is filled with the expectant spirit of a well-earned break in the offing.

Life outdoors and my cheerful front porch is the center of summer relaxation for me.  For my summer schedule, I’ve established a morning tradition of sitting on the front porch reading a book while I enjoy my first cup of coffee.  The porch becomes a sanctuary on summer mornings and in May I plant the flowers and clean the porch so that it is fresh and welcoming for the summer that lies ahead.

I enjoy getting the porch ready for summer and it provides two benefits in the busy month of May.  First, I get some time outside to plant flowers and otherwise embrace nature.  There will be plenty of that in the summer as well, but after a long winter and in the midst of the frenetic pace of the end of the school year, the time outside is a pleasure.  The second benefit of my summer preparation is a reminder to live in the moment.  May is beautiful around here and it’s good to stop and enjoy its blooms and blessings.

Time for a Walk

During the school year, JT’s after-school sports obligations keep us at school until after 5:30.  Since the time change, that means we arrive home in the darkness.  The sights of my neighborhood are lost to me in these long days and I’ve found that I miss them.  Over my much-needed winter break I’ve had time to actually go for a walk in town.  Add in the unusually mild weather and I’ve been drawn outside, finding any excuse to take a walk down the familiar sidewalks.

On those walks, I’m reminded of the value of slowing life down, if only for a half hour.  I see my neighborhood’s holiday decorations, smell the trees and plants, and get a chance to look more closely at the gardens around me.  Yesterday, I walked down the sidewalks of a street just two blocks away and saw some tired dandelions in the grass, a reminder that we haven’t yet sunk into winter’s hard freeze.

I’m well aware that these walks have been more enjoyable because of the warmer temperatures in the past week.  Winter’s cold has made a return today but I plan to bundle up and take a walk anyway.  That’s happy!

Camp Home

Last week, we made our annual trip to Cape Cod.  We've been joining the R-K family at camp for eight years now and the trip is a combination of new adventures and familiar routines.  For most of the time we've been making the trip, we've camped in the same set of camp sites.  Our tent bedroom affords views of the piney forest.

The dining room room is (mostly) bug-free.

The living room provides shady comfort with great views.

This year, DRK made a lovely, mossy art project.

Once little boys are now far larger than their shovels, though they still enjoy the planning that goes into digging a big hole on the beach.

Camping is a reminder of the simple beauty of nature and the pleasures of the outdoors.  The return home is a reminder of the many comforts of our first-world existence.  And the trip is one of the best parts of our summer.

Summer Beckons

I've just a few more school-related chores to complete and then I will be footloose and fancy-free for the summer.  My grocery list for the week features foods for the grill and I've turned my mind to the pickles and jams that T and I will preserve later this month.  I picture more plates like this in my immediate future.

The livin' is about to get real easy.

Danger Zone

For the past few days, JT's sticks have been carefully arranged in the yard. It's not entirely clear what's going on here, but the neighbors should probably be concerned. For my part, I intend to placate the restless native with a steady supply of fudgsicles. Let's hope that it works.

Outside, Mama, Outside?

Until JT was two and a half years old, we lived in a house with a screened in front porch located just across the street from a park. The boy loved that park and spent a lot of time on the porch, looking out the windows and calling to me, "outside, mama, outside?"

We were often to be found at the park. And when we moved to New Jersey, the first thing JT and I explored were neighborhood parks. Within a few weeks of arriving in New Jersey, I had identified a half dozen parks for our enjoyment. In New Jersey, we've found parks with trails, parks with climbing equipment, parks with swings, and parks with sandboxes. We love them all. Because I am the sort of mama who will stay at a park for hours at a time, over the years we've explored them completely. That's good, because my boy loves to play outside. At school, JT is most happy when he gets "outside recess." And if outside recess is combined with outdoor gym class, that's the JT money-shot.

For hours at a time, he also plays outside in our yard, running back and forth engaged in imaginary games. He keeps a cache of stick weaponry to facilitate these games. Bad guys are always vanquished at Sassafras House.

In the winter, JT continues to play outside whenever possible. Gym and recess are more often held indoors (because most children—not to mention their teachers --- don't find freezing temperatures enjoyable). And the weeks of early sunset make it difficult for him to get enough outdoor daylight playtime. And so it is that by this time of year JT is absolutely yearning to be outdoors. On a sunny day, he experiences the triumph of hope over good sense and heads outside, convinced that appearances are not deceiving.

These pictures were taken last Saturday morning, which looked lovely, though the bright sky was deceptive as it was only 30 degrees outside and there was a bit of a breeze. He lasted an hour, my outdoor boy, and then he came inside with cold cheeks and a bright smile. He was triumphantly optimistic as he explained to me, "Spring is coming, Mama, I can just tell."