I Feel Like Me Again

 After two days at the shore I feel like I had my first "real" day here.  The trip took forever this year, thanks to labor shortages at airports and increased travel by all of humanity this summer.  I did enjoy watching the U.S. Open in the Maple Leaf Lounge during my layover in Toronto...all of the Open!  I made it to the farmhouse by 4a.m., a mere 16 hours after leaving my home in Houston, I was finally in bed at 5!  I realized the last time I went to bed at 5 a.m. at the shore was after the annual barn party one year when my friend and I, after a long night of dancing, drinking, and socializing, sat out on the deck at the cottage, high on life, and watched the sunrise. It was an epic night...in a different way...and a lot more fun than being delayed for 7 hours in an airport.  Needless to say, on my first day here I felt similar to the one after the barn-party-sunrise night without the hours of fun and the hangover. Oh to be young again!  

My sweet set up for 5 quality hours in the Toronto airport.

Waking up to this....totally worth it!

Even if I did feel a bit "rode hard and put up wet", waking up to sunshine and this view kept me going all day until I could finally go to bed at a normal time and reset my internal clock.  I enjoyed walking around the property discovering what TJ had planted and where he planted it all.  He got here a month ago and has been living his best life!  One of his goals for retirement was always to come up here early, plant his garden and build whatever he decides is his project of the summer and not have to split time between the home office and the great outdoors.  His garden is a huge undertaking, beginning from seeds in coffee cups or seed trays and then finally graduating to the garden.  After being idle for 3 summers, the garden needed a good tilling!  Let's hope that dirt has been rejuvenated and is extremely fertile for this year's crops.  I also enjoyed seeing all of the flowers that are blooming right now.  My peonies are the size of my fist and bigger!  They are very prolific too!  Might have something to do with the fertilizer the gardener put on them!  What a novel concept.  I spent the day marveling at the lushness and bright colors of everything.  Quite the departure from Houston, where it was 100 degrees for several consecutive days and had not rained in a month, lush and green is not exactly how you would describe it.  My eyes were alive!

I can't even count the number of blooms on these plants!

Another observation after the first day or two is one that we both have every time we arrive.  I have said it before, and I will say it again, "life is a lot more physical here and everything takes longer".  I know it, I remember it, but it catches me every single time!  My house here is a lot bigger, a lot older and sits on a lot more land than my one at home.  Add to that the fact that it is 25 miles from the nearest town, not an easy 2 miles like at home.  I am forced, by nature, to slow down, prioritize, breath and take my time.

The last 3 months have taken a toll on me and I feel like coming up here is breathing life into my beaten body and soul.  This is the final piece of my therapy... mental and physical.  I never knew how much I needed this until I got here.  Being here makes me realize how hard I have been working to make my life bearable, my body heal and my attitude positive.  It was work, and I did it...but being here surrounded by people I know and love, with the promise of better things to come throughout the summer in the place that just breathing in the air makes my heart dance is just what the doctor ordered after the last 3 months!  I am pretty sure the last straw of the surgery, recovery, summer heat and humidity trifecta was getting Covid weeks before my departure.  Can I just say the last thing I needed after all those days spent on the couch recovering from knee surgery was being alone in my house for 2 weeks with Covid!?  Just when the knee was getting better it was such a smack down!  Let's just say "I am over it!"  and I feel like I can finally move on.

I love all of the potential in this photo!

 As I strolled around the yard yesterday, everywhere I looked I saw potential.  I love having hope...maybe it is the optimist in me.  The garden is full of baby plants promising many good meals with friends and family.  I look at the idle swing set and see the grandkids playing and laughing.  I look at TJ building the new deck and see morning coffee/tea time, evening barbeques and a staging area for s'mores at late night bonfires.  I see many plants growing fast enough that you can almost see it happen with the promise of beautiful flowers in the coming months.  The colors are so vivid they take my breath away.  For people who live here, maybe it is just the way life is.  For me, coming from Houston where the colors are not nearly as vivid and the seasons are not nearly as profound, this is a sensory treat!

Potential food and play!

Future salad!

Potatoes under construction

Today was a turning point.  I played golf again!  It has been 3 months since I played golf.  I knew golf was a big part of my life but never realized how big.  When you play 2 or 3 times a week, and most of your friends are "golf" friends, golf is a big part of your life.  Having it taken away left me scrambling for ways to spend my days.  I was not very creative, I confess.  I did not write my book, edit and organize all of my photos, read several books or cure cancer.  I did watch an obscene amount of TV and eat way more calories than I burned when I was not playing golf.  Happy to report those behaviors are now changing.  I hit that first drive on the first hole today and my mind and body jumped for joy!  Nothing hurt, the ball went straight...and far!!! After my inaugural 9 holes I came home and mowed the grass and all was right with the world.  I had a day when I felt like I was me again.  It has been a long time since I have felt like me!  

And one more sunset because, why not?!