restful summer days

well, it's been a toasty summer here. some may say that's a bit of an understatement. others relish in the heat, soaking it all in. while i've certainly enjoyed the summers heat, i have to say, being a shore girl at heart, i do miss the salt air and the usual breeze to which it gently (and sometimes not so gently) delivers. but alas, we must accept what mother earth has placed upon us. soon, the days will become shorter, the air cooler and for me, work will call my name. so, i accept the sleepless nights and overheated gardens. it's forcing me to sleep more and embrace the rest with which i've desperately needed over the past several weeks.  

i've been working hard lately on reframing my thoughts around the difference between resting and being lazy. i've been programmed to believe that when i am not "doing", then i am being lazy. this is something that i believe has been handed down (from both sides of my family) for generations. an old way of thinking perhaps and one that has embedded itself in the very depths of my mind and belief systems (to which i am realizing, there are many). i've been extremely mindful this summer and have noticed just how much i say "oh, i'm having a lazy day". yet, in that lazy day, i've managed to clean up some of the garage, throw in a load of laundry or two, water the garden, read, do the dishes, cuddle the cats (they need love too!), respond to emails, check on the finances, rearrange some cupboards, and catch up with my sister in africa. usually things such as this are done throughout a day with intermittent "rests" on the couch, perhaps watching one of our six channels (we barely watch tv), maybe catching up ramdomly on "days of our lives"....which even though i haven't watched it in years, i can still follow it. you know how those shows are. admit it. you succomb to them too, now and then....a little mindless tv has never hurt anyone. and so i've realized, that this is the first summer of many (i can't recall when, perhaps when i was 7?) that i have had time to be "lazy". i am not moving a home or a classroom, i have not sat in a classroom for 6 hours a day monday to friday learning and unlearning, i'm not planning a wedding (but oh, how that was so much fun!). i've simply been enjoying summer and have been thankful for all the time i've had to myself, to spend with family, friends and other loved ones.   

do you need to claim your words? reframe your thoughts? reflect on these questions for a moment and see where they take you..... 

as summer winds down, i find my mind slowly (and i mean, slowly) slipping back into what i like to call "routine" mode. soon, my sleep-in days, late breakfasts on the deck, followed by some light reading and asking myself what i might do with my day will come to an end and be replaced with alarm clocks, 6am wake-ups, buzzers and bells. like most years though, i'm ready for it. i look forward to changing with the seasons and slipping into pumpkin season, corn maze delusions, fuzzy sweaters, the sweet smell of fallen leaves and the comforting, crunching sounds they make underfoot on a brisk morning walk.  for now though, i have a book to finish! 

x femme