I Am Happy

In the last few days I have found myself very happy. For awhile in the last few weeks, I had been feeling a restlessness that I couldn't control, which was in turn making me anxious and frustrated at sporadic moments. I now feel like Easter week has gifted me with newfound patience, which in turn has canceled out my frustration and has left me feeling quite carefree and happy.

In my many years living on a farmstead, I have found that depressed, gloomy and crabby moods are never able to stay around for long. Working hard, having purpose, caring for gentle spirited animals, and living in a slow environment with many opportunities for quiet relaxation, cause them to vanish quickly.

A few times this week, I've enjoyed sitting on the creek bank with Donna and lazily plunking pebbles into the current, much to her delight. The gentle gurgling sound of the creek, the rippled reflections of trees hanging overhead, the smile on Donna's face as she tried to imitate each sound her pebbles made breaking the surface of the water and the leisurely floating twigs and leaves drifting past on the surface all worked together to deeply relax me.

Yesterday, we started planting our potato patch. With our hoes, rakes and shovels flying, the sun grinning down on us as it warmed our shoulders, a gentle breeze carrying our laughter and silly conversations throughout the garden and the soft, freshly tilled (using mule power) soil cooling our bare feet, and our toes wiggling like the earthworms in the deliciousness of the newly worked soil on our first barefoot romp of the season, a person couldn't help but feel very happy!

Last night, the girls and I took a walk with Donna. One of those regular wonderful walks, full of laughter, smiles, hand-holding and piggyback rides. After Theresa soaked her shoes fetching Donna a blooming cattail head, she was dismayed to find her efforts quickly turned into a full blown cattail fight. When it was over, and the last of the cattail fluff had settled, we all felt quite proud of the 'mess' our fight had left on the road. It looked like a snowstorm, all white and fluffy, but better because it was far more spring-y.

Afterwards, we played volleyball with Dad and the boys and then Capture the Flag and Flashlight Tag until almost 11pm, when we all fell into bed with smiles and aching muscles and slept soundly.

'Twas a good day that left me sore and happy!

 :)