Good Monday morning to you! I hope you had a marvelous weekend where you are. We spent ours with old and dear friends visiting, popping out of doors - into the pasture, into the woods - whenever the sun appeared to warm the chilly April air, and just generally enjoying home. It was one of those weekends I felt keenly aware of the fleeting nature of this time in our family life. It won't be forever - it won't be for much longer, even - that all seven of us are able or wanting to spend so much time together at home, with relative peace, joy and togetherness. With my boys hovering on their teenage years, with their calendars appropriately filling up, and the phone line increasingly occupied.....and with my baby just a season away from leaving diapers and naps and safety gates behind for all of us for good, I feel things changing. It is good change, an exciting change, watching everyone grow. But noticing it all happening, I want more than ever to feel my feet firmly planted on the ground, watching and loving what is right now.
I spent much of my weekend with a new camera in my hands. Having made the jump over to Canon, I'm finding the transition a little clumsy, but very exciting nonetheless. I feel like a beginner in the best ways of that word - it feels so good to be inspired to create by a tool that can do so much more than I even know yet. And so, with spring on my side, there are many opportunities to play with it.
Before too much time goes by, I wanted to stop for a minute to say thank you. It has been at the front my mind particularly since the wonderful discussion that grew out of the comments of last Wednesday's post. I didn't post on Thursday to let them linger a day longer, and so that I could jump in to join the conversation too. For over eight years now, we've been gathering in this space - some of the same faces and so many lovely new ones too. The connection that happens in that comment space is very dear to me, and I hope to you too. I find a kindredness in the words there that inspires me, encourages me, and touches me deeply. It brings me great comfort and hope about the state of our world, honestly. And I feel honored - and sometimes pinch myself, really - that I get to host that conversation with you all here each day. Thanks for all you share.
And now, the sun is shining into my studio window and the weather reporter (Harper) has come in four times to tell me that this is the BEST DAY OF SPRING yet! The official weather report shows me a bright yellow sun on today with clouds to follow for all the days of the week to come. So I'm thinking I best shelve everything else I previously had planned on working, making and doing today to get out there and enjoy it while it is here.
I wish you a lovely day and a beautiful start to your week, friends.