The Phoenix: Epicuriousmothering Rising

Here's my view this morning . . . after I cleaned out the garage, mowed the lawn, chatted with my sister and did five loads of laundry.  I lay on the hammock and stared up at these leaves full of maple pods with the sun streaming through the green leaves, making me think of summers as a child.  I remember reaching up and pulling down the seed pods and carefully braking open the thick, sticky pod top and sticking them on my nose, my ears, and on my fingers.   I remember making dandelion chains for my hair and wrists and finding tiny buttercups and holding them under our chins to see if we loved butter.  I remember playing ring around the rosy over and over again and running as fast as I could everywhere I went just because I could.   I lay there, on the hammock, and let memories of my childhood wash over me and soak into my bones.  Everything relaxed; my body, my mind, my spirit.  How have I lost that ability to just be so pre...

For the last three days, I've felt like my life is enchanted. The weather has been stormy and calm, cloudy and full of sunshine and it seems to match my moods perfectly. I've honestly found myself thinking, Yes, God, finally I get weather to match me!  Thank you!  (Because, of course everything is about ME). The children are all happy. I am sleeping like a new born baby. I have time to both read AND visit and the people I want to be with have time to be with me and it's worked out. I'm not so worried about schedules or getting places or things done.  Mostly, I'm just happy letting life flow around me and letting what is, is. I've had energy to work out and don't feel too exhausted afterwards--in fact often, I find I have more energy than before. When I've gone to do my six errands in one hour, I've gotten every. single. one. done. Unheard of. And I was happy doing it.  Honestly, didn't run into one line that sidelined me. I...

While I was running in the pouring rain today, I kept thinking about writing.  In fact, when it was pouring pouring pouring and the temperature dropped like 10 degrees and I started losing feeling in my fingers, I began writing this post in my mind.  It was really really good.  I laughed and cried and thought Gees, you're such a great writer Mary! (Yes, I can in fact fool myself).  Only now . . . I can't really remember much I wrote in my mind.  Darn mind.  Speaking of minds, May turns mine to mush.  Between allergies (thank you beautiful budding trees . . . I lovingly Hate You) and the insane end of year recitals and school demands, I can't keep anything straight.  Everything is going sideways and I'm barely holding on.  I honestly think every single May, I am officially going crazy.  Then school ends, June comes cool and calm and there aren't really any demands and I get to remember how to breath. No joke, I actually honestly get s...