Sunday, May 23, 2010

Evening Reveries

Dusk has settled, the sparrows have finished scuffling for their resting spots in the ivy, and the only sounds in the neighborhood are the sleepy notes of evening bird calls. I love this old porch and the cool seclusion it provides -- shaded by towering maples and the trellis of ivy. But, I especially love it in these evening hours, as I sit alone with my journal -- thinking back on the day that is quickly becoming night.

I rose early this morning, still a bit achy from my busy Saturday -- a day filled with lawn mowing, gardening, grocery shopping, and hours of office work. As I sipped my coffee and read the thick Sunday paper, I savored this gift of a lovely Sunday. Of course, there was cleaning and laundry to be done, and still more office work, but there was also time to water the garden and feed the birds, to rescue a beautiful old rocking horse from the attice for the grandbabies to discover tomorrow morning, and to enjoy Sunday lunch at a favorite restaurant.

We sat in the courtyard of Lanie's, under a cheerful yellow umbrella, beside a planter filled with flowers and herbs, as I sipped my wine and savored a delectable seafood chowder. My marinated swordfish sandwich with dilled mayonnaise and a side of tasty macaroni salad was perfect, and the leisurely hour enjoying the sunny May afternoon was a relaxing interlude. These past weeks have been filled with tremendous stresses and problems, and this quiet Sunday will be a treasured memory.

Now, darkness has fallen -- the bird calls have ceased, and the air is filled instead with the chirping of insects and perhaps a distant frog, as well as the contented clucks of my next-door chickens as they settle in for the night. Such a peaceful and lovely evening!

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day --