Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Surroundings

Throne, 2012
Things are different here, very different from the city.  I once lived just a few miles from this cottage, but I've learned that you cannot go back.  Each experience is different, its own, and I like it this way.

Everything seems more peaceful this time, inside and out.  I'm not sure if it is the place, or me. 

The natural landscape to residential buildings ratio is the reverse of what I am used to seeing.  As I sit here, in the tiny loft style bedroom, I look out the window at rolling straw colored hills and dark green trees swaying in the breeze.  The sky is pure blue today, not a cloud in sight.  A horse strolls past every so often and the birds sing with gusto.

When we lounge in the living room I often sit in the chair above, Chris calls it my throne.  He stretches out on the sofa.

There are bees and hummingbirds darting about our little yard.  We even managed to grill over charcoal in a sturdy Weber grill.  This is not something we do often.  We opened a nice bottle of wine.  Chris prepped vegetables.  I was the Grill Master.  And eventually, we ate outside.

One morning we took a nice drive to the coast, ate huevos rancheros, and then perched upon some rocks to look out at the ocean.  It was so soothing we almost fell asleep.

Visiting our favorite trail, we spotted a large orange and black snake, a small brown and yellow snake, and a little burrow filled with the sweetest baby mice.  Hopefully the snakes will not meet the mice, but I know these things do happen.  

The weekends are busier with tourists, but the weekdays are slow and easy.  There is no line for coffee or the post office, the bread is fabulous, and I've discovered a cafe with a very nice BLT.

Today we ate breakfast on a chilly front porch and listened to the neighboring chickens start their day.

Working in the same space is new for us.  We are finding our rhythms and feeling lucky to have planted ourselves in these inspiring surroundings.  Where you are does make a difference.

I'm considering a Sky Scarf

All of our seeds are in the ground, a few starts too.  Now we wait.

21 comments:

  1. Sounds like heaven. I feel relaxed by association :) Enjoy your cottage days!

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  2. I'm intrigued by the concept of a sky scarf. Your space and your hike sound wonderful. Enjoy!

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  3. such nice slow days. wish i was there: )

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  4. Sounds perfect to me! But then again, I live in an area that sounds just like you described.

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  5. it all sounds quite lovely. good luck to your seeds. and your throne is magnificent.

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  6. the sky scarf is appealing
    let us know if you participate.
    space is crazy important.
    I am very thankful we decided not to move.

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  7. What a wonderful way to spend some time, and create, relax and rejuvenate. I'm enjoying the little snippets of it!

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  8. I know I'd choose that chair too. As I type I watch a leaf spiral out of an empty sky space and it feels like you should be seeing it from your window...

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  9. The cottage and its surrounds sounds like a perfect place for both of you to spend some time to just breathe.

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  10. It sounds wonderful, Denise. I think it's good to live a life of contrasts, to immerse yourself in the slow-paced peace and let your thoughts catch up with you, and once you feel that the thoughts might overtake you, hightail it off back to the traffic jams and the opera for a while.

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    1. You just might have it all figured out, Mise. You're such a wise woman.

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  11. What a wonderfu life. I confess though, I secretly try to guess the name of the place.
    :-)

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  12. I so agree, "where you are does make a difference". I can attest to that. In fact, you can underscore it a ten times. That should do it.

    Listen to the birds, watch the seeds grow, enjoy the peace. xo

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  13. it does make a huge difference where you are. i often contemplate this, and then i long for something else, completely forsaking that what i do have. which reminds me of my train of thought, which is coloured in by me.
    which isn't always accurate.
    as said.
    it does make a difference though, without wanting to explain too much the difference, maybe.
    n♥

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  14. This sounds amazing Denise and now I too am dreaming of days filled with hummingbirds and bees. I'm sure you'll find this place inspiring, even if some things take a little getting used to. Oh and you are right about not going back; enjoy each moment for what it is and cherish those memories.

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  15. wonderful description of those surroundings. everything changes, the place, the time, you, and you are right to cherish a memory but look to creating new ones. I like your throne. I hope you knit a Sky Scarf.

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  16. So lovely to imagine the sights and sounds, flavours and feelings evoked by your words.

    Place makes a HUGE difference, I agree.

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  17. Just catching up ... did you move to PR?! We were just out there on Sunday (actually looked at a house in Inverness; we are dreamers - I don't think I could handle the commute just yet) and it was such a glorious day ...

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    1. We have not moved, but we are out here working, enjoying a short-term retreat of sorts. Moving was not something we were planning on doing in the near future, but life has its surprises, and it is starting to look like something that might happen this fall.

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  18. this way of living sounds divine. simply divine.

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  19. Oh how wonderful - have you escaped the city for the country? I've been so out of the loop. Could this be a permanent change...? Just reading your post made me yearn for a less urban existence...

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