Posted on by ChatterLei

Morning!

What’s your favorite time of day?

Easy. Anyone who knows me very well knows I love mornings! The air is cool and crisp…well, not so crisp in the dog days of summer, but still cooler than midday in mid summer. 😎 

Mornings are when everything good happens, like the start of a trip,  a morning walk before breakfast, or….picture this….

A stay at the cabin on the 8th Crow Wing Lake in Northern Minnesota. It is early in the morning. You wake your family, grab your  lunch and fishing gear gathered the night before, and head from the cabin down to the lake.

The light is barely peaking through the cloudy sky. The steam is lifting from the lake, creating a misty appearance all around. The water is still and glass-like, the air so quiet that you can not avoid hearing the creeking sound of the wooden planks beneath the tip toes of your feet. The rocking as you step down inside the boat breaks the glassy appearance, forming the first mini waves across the water, and the quiet talking and laughter is an indication of a family fun day ahead.

Starting the motor cuts through the silence, deafening the tinkling of the lures dangling at the end of each fishing poles that are clanking while being secured for the chilly morning boat ride toward the perfect fishing spot near the lilly pads on the other side of the lake. (Because the lilly pads on this side of the lake are not good enough for fishing. One must always boat to the other side!) 😉

Crossing the misty lake, zipping my jacket all the way up, stretching the sleeves over to warm my hands, creating fresh wake behind the boat, I can’t help but smile a sleepy smile looking forward to a day of fishing with my family, each of us hoping to catch the first fish!

Yes! Morning is:  awaking to a fresh start, a new day, the beginning, the start of something great. It represents hope for good things to come. And if you are lucky, it starts with a beautiful sunrise!

Posted on by ChatterLei

Choose Your Hard

Leaving San Diego yesterday was not easy. It was the most beautiful day of the entire week. I wanted one more day. It was not to be. We need the extra day for traveling to the UofU on Monday where my husband has a follow-up appointment with the surgeon to check the progress on his knee since surgery.

My husband and I were not in a huge hurry to leave San Diego since our next destination was only six hours away. We awakened early, yawned and stretched, and decided to go on one last morning walk. He was ready before I was. Sitting in his wheelchair with a hoodie on and shorts, which were easier to fit over the leg brace he has had to wear since his knee surgery eight weeks ago, and his Fighting Irish lap blanket over his bare legs. He was ready to go! I hurriedly threw on my black yoga pants, layered on my gray tank top, pink stretchy tee, and black vest. I slipped my Brooks tennis shoes on, tied them, and we were ready to roll.

The morning sun had already crested. We missed the pre-dawn beauty and the feeling of anticipation waiting for the sun’s first sparkling beam to make its brilliant appearance. The full sun was visible and bright against the cloudless blue sky.

Our walk was peaceful. We talked about the possibility of buying a sailboat to habitate off the shoreline of Shelter Island. We met a woman the day before who was doing that very thing, living in one of the catamaran sailboats along the shoreline with several of her sailboat neighbors. She said that she and her husband have been living on their boat for the last eight years. She emphasized that it is a lot of work, but they have enjoyed it. She then carried her few bags of groceries through the misty rain across the sandy beach out to the dinghy that her husband had just rowed from their sailboat. He helped her in, then he rowed through the mist toward the sailboat they call home.

Maybe the sailboat life is not for us, after all.

We finished our walk along the bay, soaking in all the warmth from the sun and smells from the ocean that we could before leaving. On our way back to the hotel, we decided to walk behind the hotel along the marina. It was a cool walk in the morning shade.

I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be less work to park a sailboat in a slip at the marina and call that home. No dinghy needed!

Naaahhh. I like having a home to go to, I suppose. I guess we will take the snowy winters, sipping on hot chocolate by the fireplace after a couple hours of shoveling snow off of the driveway and sidewalks. It is hard work.

We all have to choose our hard in life. It’s all hard. Choose your hard. Then smile and make the best of it!

St George – A Favorite Stop

We stopped for the night at the Hampton in St George, Utah. The hotel and a gas station sit off the freeway a couple of miles from the border. It feels like it is in the middle of nowhere. Our view is of miles and miles of open sky. It is one of our favorite places to stay.

The view from our hotel room

After settling into the room following a delicious simple meal at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant, we decided to enjoy a soak in the hot tub. It was a welcome covering from the 40-degree temperature outside. Unlike my husband, who could spend hours in the hot water, 30 minutes was long enough for me. I exited the pool to dry off and warm up by the outdoor ring of fire. Despite the chill in the air, the fire was inviting and mesmerizing.

My mind was flooded with feelings of gratitude for this trip with my husband and the many blessings in my life.

Sleep came easy.

Posted on by ChatterLei · 1 Comment

Good Morning, San Diego!

What a beautiful morning for a sidewalk-stroll in the park across from our hotel on Shelter Island! Beams of sunshine from the rising sun dance and sparkle on the calm waters of San Diego Bay. The clear blue skies contradict the forecast of cloudy days the entire week of our stay. Feeling the warmth of the sunshine on my face is refreshing. Breaking through the crispness of the air, which envelopes my body as I push my husband in his wheelchair effortlessly, on our morning walk is invigorating.

This would be a lovely place to live and the tepid weather far healthier for our physical condition. We dream. However, all of our family lives up north in snow country where we are from. My parents, siblings, our children, and our grandchildren surround us. How could we leave? My wandering soul would love to experience all there is to experience in life. Yet, I feel a necessary tethering to those near and dear to my heart. As long as they need us nearby, we will stay up north, and our get-aways will bring us here to southern California for a rejuvenation of our minds and bodies. We can live with that. For now.