I follow a certain ritual almost every morning, finding a spiritual, mental and physical balance that goes completely out of whack the rest of the day...
I begin at the kitchen table, enjoying a first cup of coffee and my healthy cereal (topped with blueberries and Greek yogurt) while reading something inspirational.
Right now it's Hope For Each Day by Billy Graham, a small book of daily readings I snagged at a garage sale.
As night's shadow lifts, I can make out Belle's silhouette through the French doors, full of hope, waiting patiently for our walk to begin. As soon as it's light enough to see the road, I give in.
On my way out the door, I grab my camera to get my daily photography fix, usually repeats of the same old shots... puppy dogs, dirt roads, fence posts, dusty flowers, clouds, bugs... mostly puppy dogs... just captured from a different angle, in a different season...
While walking and snapping photos, I pray the Rosary.
...Multitasking at its best.
Back home, I trade the camera for the dogs' food bowls and meet them on the back porch. While they eat their breakfast, I rock in my chair, sip on another cup of coffee, and gaze at the Hollow, savoring the quiet of the morning a bit more before the rush of the day begins.
Either before or after our walk, and before I can talk myself out of it, I squeeze in a physical work out, alternating cardio and free weights.... very important (I stress to myself when I protest) because the rest of the day I sit (sit, sit, sit, hour after hour...) in front of a computer.
Is it any wonder that mornings are my favorite part of the day?
What are your mornings like?
Share! Share!
And now for my week of Sweet! moments...
Saturday: Manual labor ... muscles straining, sweating dripping from your nose - a wonderful change from sitting, sitting, sitting in front of a computer.
(Yes, I really do enjoy it! Every once in a while, anyway. Tom, Daniel and I spent a few hours clearing the brush out of the dry creek. They cut and sawed while I dragged and tossed. Belle and Haley supervised from spots in the shade. Max hid in the cool doghouse.)
Sunday: Celebrating a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice with barbecue and a slideshow depicting scenes from 80+ years.
(Our priest, Father Joe, is retiring this month. At 84, he deserves the break, but it's still bittersweet for me.);
Sunday Sweet! #2: Rescuing a Blotched Water Snake.
(Well, Tom rescued it by yelling at Max to drop it before he "played" with it to death. It had a small cut, so we kept it in a terrarium for a few days, then he released it down by the creekbed.)
Monday: A walk at dusk, first into a blue and pink pastel sunset, then back along an empty dirt road glowing from moonlight (blogged here.)
Tuesday: Your sister released to walk again three months after her hip surgery (#2) Sitting on the back deck near the splash of a full moon, listening to music with loved ones and sipping a glass of pinot noir.
Wednesday: Glancing out the kitchen window just in time to see two great blue herons fly past.
Thursday: Standing in a small clearing before the sun strikes full force... just you, a towering granddaddy oak and the melody of birdsong. And goofy dogs, of course.
Friday: A breeze so strong on the back deck that when you close your eyes, you can imagine you're sitting on a condo balcony above the beach in Port Aransas instead of above a dry creek in drought-cursed Central Texas.
What was your favorite Sweet! moment this week?
(This post is my contribution to the Focus52 linkup at TwoScoopz - the theme this week is "Morning.")
