Home on the Range

For some reason, I have always had an aversion to going outside.  I didn't mind the sunshine - I actually love it.  Maybe I read too many books that spoke of "soft" grass. . .I never have sat in "soft" grass - it's always been prickly to me.  The bugs also bother me.  They seem to think that I am either their meal or a provider of one.  Anyway, whenever I went outside, I was normally disappointed.

One of the reasons I was happy to finally own a home was that I could have a garden (no point of having a garden in a rented home).  As soon as we were relatively settled, I was sifting through the classified ads looking for someone to till my garden.  There were lots of ups and downs to my first garden, but I found that on Saturday mornings when I went out to weed, there was a peace about it.  Just sitting in the mud, smelling like tomatoes, hearing the birds sing, and feeling the sun shining on my back was wonderful.  It was something to look forward to.

Once Daisy joined our family as a four-month-old puppy last September, I found myself going outside with her in the middle of the night.  At first, I dreaded the thought - then it became something I looked forward to.  There is something about the clear, clean night air (which could be because I don't live "in town" anymore).  Being outside for a few minutes in the middle of the night helped me to breathe a little easier and fall asleep faster.  The air is so refreshing.

Today, I was thinking about how much I now like to be outside.  I long for spring break when I can sit in my lawn chair for a few hours in the afternoon and soak up the sun.  I look forward to days that are at least 45 degrees and are not wet so that Daisy and I can take a walk. My anticipation over my garden grows by the minute.  I hope tomorrow is a beautiful day so that I can weed my flower bed.  I enjoy the "flower-of-the month" show that God  puts on here for us through the spring.  Currently, the flower is the daffodil.  They seem to grow wild.  Yesterday, Daisy and I were checking the mail, and I saw that the unoccupied house across the street had a puddle of daffodils.  The man who was working on the house said I could pick them.  I picked a nice bunch and put them in a glass of water on the kitchen table.  They are so cheery.