Peace in the every day

This week is the first in a long time (several months at least) that I'm able to focus on a few meaty (regular) projects instead of darting around grasping at everything I can get my hands on. It's good to feel a little settled. To prepare for my week I spent most of yesterday doing the mundane things of life that sometimes hold great peace and contentment (notice I said "sometimes").

I feel as if I've stepped off the treadmill that had me running at increasing speeds and elevations. Time to slow it down a bit, head outside and set my own pace. I mentioned a while ago that whenever a deadline approaches, I clean my house. Yesterday was that kind of day. I just needed to empty my brain of the distractions and clutter that occasionally accumulate there so that I can face my week as clear-headed as possible.

So I did the mindless activities that can sometimes bring you a tiny bit of peace and contentment. Put clean sheets on all the beds, started (and actually finished!) the laundry and vacuumed my filthy car.

After the dismal rainy day that was Saturday, it was good to head outside and tackle my incredibly overgrown and weedy garden. My husband and I have always worked in great harmony in the yard. We don't really say much, but we don't really have to. He is one of those people I don't think will ever tire of his yard. You have to see him with his mower. For him, caring for his home is a large piece of his family life...all the things he ever dreamed of having as a kid. His face is very peaceful while he mows the wide expanse of our front yard, and it's probably for the same reasons mine is while mindlessly pulling weeds. It's a great way to keep your hands busy and productive while letting your mind wander, or maybe even go blank.

At the end of the afternoon we took our "walk around the grounds" as Danny likes to say to admire a day's worth of yardwork. It's looking pretty good. Everything in my garden is lush and green. Nothing is really blooming yet, but neither has it wilted from the dry heat of summer. It's at that perfect in-between stage, vibrant but not yet exploding with color. I just have to remember during the course of my week to head out and admire it and remember that it's always been a source of peace in my life.