Tag: insects

A Sunshiny Day!

Photo by Clément Proust on Pexels.com

The day dawned bright and early. The three cats were in their element and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Easter or not, I would be at their beck and call as and when they wanted!

However, all of that changed when I looked outside and saw the sun trying to put a bright and beautiful spin on the day and it was succeeding. It’s supposed to get really nice and that is something to look forward to.

Easter is going to be a quiet one. My son is in Berlin and has been there for several days. Starting a new career demands focus and guts. Berlin is a big city and it requires courage to see what is out there and how to navigate the unsavory parts as well. Being the helicopter mom that I am, it was hard to let go. However, his first move was to Munich where he will be working. Berlin is just a short excursion, as Trump would call it, just being facetious! Anyway, it is not an excursion, it is part and parcel of his new job, Berlin being the headquarters.

I couldn’t believe it when he sent me pics of his hotel room. This kid, he is no longer one, he is a young man who is standing at the edge of a new life. His new company had booked the hotel, a nice one at that, and he was going to be there for 10 days. Ten long days for me. I worried about everything. Will he get there alright? Would he know what to do when he gets there? How will he get to work and back? Things mothers worry about, helicopter moms anyway. He made it there safely, took a taxi there, checked into the hotel like a pro and made it to work and back the next day. He has also been checking out different restaurants and ENJOYING Berlin’s nightlife! He says he loves Berlin and might even consider moving there if he gets an offer. Hmm…..not going to say anything.

Last night, I got a pic from him. He and a friend were at a bar wearing big smiles on their faces and with blurry eyes. It was late, almost midnight when I got the pic. My first thought, “What is he doing out there this late?” I kept it to myself. Then at around one in the morning, another message. “Walking back to hotel.” I wrote back, “You do know that Berlin is a big city don’t you? Be careful walking back.” No reply. At two in the morning, another message. “Back in hotel.” You could hear my sigh of relief from here all the way to the moon and back!

The thing is, he is making his own way. That’s not to say that I won’t worry about him. I will always be the mother who worries about her kid but I’m also the mother who brought him this far. I must have done something right.

Today is another day. He has plans but he is not telling. Meeting another friend is on the agenda and perhaps taking in the sights and sounds of Berlin. I wished him well, although there is twinge of “fear” within. Just a normal reaction I guess.

I will preoccupy myself with the cats. They are a lot of work but when needed they help to take my mind off things, which is a good thing. The sunshiny day is definitely helping and I am going to sit out back in the garden and enjoy the sights and sounds of a beautiful spring day, insects included!

Have a wonderful Easter folks.

Flip-Flop Days

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

My feet are shod in flip-flops today. The sun is already shining and it is supposed to be a glorious day. I stare down at my feet and my toenails in a darker shade of pink are staring back at me. They are happy I presume. The black flip-flops are comfortable, perhaps deceptively so, and a soft sigh of contentment escapes from my lips. It’s been months since my feet felt this kind of freedom having been encased in boots and when at home socks or fur-lined house shoes kept them warm during winter.

Now, it’s time to let freedom reign! It’s not quite summer yet but the warm days and lots of sunshine brings me back to another time and place. I was an island girl once a long time ago. I loved those carefree days of walking on the beach barefoot or feet in flip-flops as I looked for whatever treasures the ocean had dimmed fit to throw at my feet. Some days, I would sit on the sandy beach as close as I could get to the water and let it wash my feet as I leaned back on my elbows and dreamed of faraway places. Places I wanted to visit someday. Little did I know that that dream would come true one day.

The island girl mentality still shows up when the weather takes a turn for the better and my hands reach for those flip-flops! The days of carefree wonder still runs deep and is waiting just beneath the surface waiting to be rekindled again. Today is such a day.

I am dressed for comfort in a white t-shirt and dark blue linen pants. It is still cool in the garden so a grey sweat jacket completes the ensemble of understated and laid-back dressing. The flip-flops on my feet bring a smile to my face. I can picture myself on that beach again but only then I was running around in shorts and whatever t-shirt I could find. Clothes didn’t matter way back when my life was simpler and the ocean was my best friend.

I notice the quiet in the garden but I know that nature is hard at work. I see its handiwork in the clematis drapping over the green fence, their pink blossoms simply gorgeous. The scented rose bush is awash with blooms and the lovely scent, a cross between vanilla and something sweet is mesmerizing. I make a mental note to get the glass bowls out and get some potpourri going. The rose petals make the best potpourri and instead of letting them fall to the ground and wither away, I’ll put them to good use as I did last year.

I can feel the dew drops brush against my feet as I make my walk through the garden. It feels good. The apple tree has lost its sweet-scented flowers and little apples are starting to form and there are plenty of them. A bumper crop this year? Who knows? I’ll let it surprise me. The cherry tree has more than two cherries this year so everything speaks of abundance! The bees are moving from one flower to the next and a lone blackbird is singing from the roof-top. Its song is high-pitched but sweet nonetheless. Everything is touched with sunshine, not the sticky variety that shows up when summer is in full-swing but the kind that feels good on your skin and for now sitting outside with a hot cup of coffee is heaven in itself.

I snuggle back in the chaise lounge just as a huge bumble bee goes whizzing by oblivious to my presence. It too has work to do but my mind is on relaxing today. The sky is a bright blue, the birds are singing and I am at peace. Oh, and my feet are loving their freedom shod in flip-flops! It’s going to be a gorgeous day.

Have an amazing day.