Sometimes you just have one of those perfect days off. Not very often where the stars align and you get to do what you want, how you want, when you want and when it happens I feel like I should stop and take note. Take note to appreciate the day.
What does your perfect day look like? Mine can differ, sometimes it is an early get up to go after some sort of physical challenge and other times it is a slow morning “hurkle durkling”. Don’t know what that is? Basically you stay in your jammies, drink your coffee in bed, snuggle the dog, maybe read a bit, maybe journal something, or just do the New York Times puzzles. Whatever it is, it is slow and intentional.
After I’m done hurkle durkling, I lean into cooking a good breakfast. Breakfast not only is the most important meal of the day, but is also my favorite.Usually more savory than sweet, so leaning into a good egg dish of sorts with greens from the garden and some tomatoes, a slice of sourdough with some avocado on it, maybe a scoop of cottage cheese as well to get a bit more protein. If I am at the retreat I usually like to sit outside either on the deck or the porch listening to the ramblings of NPR. If I’ve timed it just right, an episode of Wait, Wait, Don’t tell me.
Once I’ve finished eating breakie I try to get Savy out for a jaunt. It use to be a run, then it became a hike, and now we are into a walk mode. Her sweet lab legs just aren’t what they use to be. If you’ve ever had a dog through the course of it’s life you know what I’m talking about. Somedays she is slower than others and some days she goes a bit further or has more of a pep in her step. She does enjoy the fresh air and so do I once I can wrangle her off the bed. When we get back from the walk she joins me out on the deck while I partake in my morning yoga practice. Usually she falls asleep but it is so peaceful to have her next to me.
If I am at the retreat I have a round of chores to take care of between cleaning the cat litter and checking in with the chicks and Phil. On this particular day off I decided to tackle making the labels for the garden out of corks. I know here we are mid August and I’m just getting to this. Better late than never! Once I finish those up, I took a drive to clip some basil from my plot at the community garden. It was so quiet, only a couple others were there but I was in and out with the basil I needed for a salad I was making to take to a party the next day.
I had some time to get in a swim and made the best discovery! The pool is a single lap lane and from previous years of training I really prefer a big 50 meter pool. The less I have to flip turn the better and for whatever reason in my mind the work out goes by quicker. This sounds very privledged first world problem I recognize. So, the single lap lane pool I have access to is great but small and lots of flipping, maybe only 25 yards at best. The discovery, at one end of the pool there was this weird thing in the wall which I thought had something to to with the ADA chair but no, it was a pool jet! When turned on it creates a current you can swim against. Goodbye flip turns to a mimic of an open water swim in a pool. I was VERY excited to say the least. After swimming for about 45 min, I sat and read a few chapters in the sun. It was a nice post workout reward.
I got cleaned up post swim and had to get busy cooking dinner. I was making salmon and a new potato recipe. Definitely eventized this, as I do, and put on some music and poured a tasty beverage while I chopped some veggies. The dinner was tasty and we closed out the evening with a round of various games. All of which I lost and earned some naked laps. (I’ll explain in a later article, maybe ; )
It really was a great day doing all of the things I am enjoying lately. I lived life at such a quick pace, some called it “leader pace”, for so long from the raising of four kids to being a guide it really is nice to be intentional in even the most mundane of activities. It has brought a lot of perspective and appreciation for all that has gotten me to this very moment. I feel like this is what this back 50 of life is all about for me. Like I said some days are better than others and this one was really nice!
So Hum,
T