If we were having coffee: Gentle days edition

Morning sparkle.

People think kindness is a soft, weak, submissive influence when in reality is it the most potent, persuasive force in existence.

~ Richelle E. Goodrich

It is wonderful how attractive a gentle, pleasant manner is, and how much it wins hearts.

~ Francis de Sales

Golden glow.

If we were having coffee, I would be elated to see you again.  Hugs if you’re amenable to hugs.  A respectful nod or handshake if you’re not.  Come on in!  Let’s go to the kitchen, grab some drinks and something to nosh on, and have a seat out on the back porch (the three-season room).  Did you notice it was beginning to green up around here?  That the trees are budding?  The back porch will be a good place to appreciate all of that and more.

How are you?  What you have been doing lately?  Have you traveled anywhere or seen any new sights?  Discovered any nearby hidden gems to visit?  Have you taken any good walks or hikes?  Were you surprised by anything this week?  Have you watched any movies that made you cry or laugh?  Read any books that prompted a strong reaction?  Have a seat and let’s chat.

A soft arc.

If we were having coffee, tea, or some other beverage, I would tell you that I am currently reading Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.  It’s one of those fast reads and I should be finished with it soon.  There’s mystery to it, a whodunnit kind of thing.  Having read Gone Girl last year, I find myself wondering how Gillian Flynn invents her characters, the damaged and the damaging.  It’s interesting where a writer’s mind goes.  I wonder, sometimes, if worlds and characters are invented in our dreamscapes.  I wonder this because I have had some odd dreams lately, dreams that were long and involved and I wake up thinking, “I’d read that story if someone wrote a book about it.”

Flying away at sunrise.  (I know it’s a blurry image, but there is something about it I like.  The motion, perhaps, of birds and clouds and light.)

M and I have watched a few movies since your last visit, but the only one that comes to mind at the moment is The Theory of Everything about Stephen Hawking.  I didn’t realize he had been diagnosed with ALS so early in life.  I also didn’t know much about his personal life.  I read A Brief History of Time shortly after it came out in 1998, and I’ve seen a few interviews with Stephen Hawking over the years, but obviously not enough to tell me about his personal life.  At any rate, I did enjoy the movie, finding it informative (maybe — you never know how much “dramatic license” has been allowed) and entertaining.

Two near the pond.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that this week has been a gentle week in terms of weather and life.  There’s been nothing pressing or urgent.  No weather extremes although it has been unseasonably warm, or so they say.  I’m not sure anyone really knows anymore what “seasonably” means when it comes to temperatures given how the climate is changing.  Oh, I know about historical records and averages and what we typically should experience, and within our not-too-distant past there were swings (such as the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age that followed).  Still, we do seem to be warming up quickly as a whole so “seasonable” and “normal” may have to be reconsidered.

One of two floating gently in the morning light.

Our mornings this week, in particular, have been soft and mild.  I was going to add “and peaceful,” but that isn’t exactly true.  The birds have been singing and chattering like it’s already spring.  The spring peepers have been making quite a racket, too.  All kinds of small flowers are blossoming, the tulips, irises, and daylilies have shot up some leaves, and the daffodils should be blooming although I think our last cold snap might have put the kibosh on that.  I discovered two of the lupines I planted last year in the scrounger’s garden have survived the winter.  Just a few leaves waving an inch or two above the soil line let me know they are there and growing.  I accidentally pulled one out of the ground while clearing out weeds and the dead plants from last year.  I do hope it recovers from the yanking and replanting.

The new spring look.  This was taken with my new phone and I couldn’t get the colors to come out quite right.  My blondes are not that yellow and the blues are much more vibrant (a shade called Mermaid Blue that is turquoise).

If we were having coffee, tea, or something else to drink, I would tell you that I had some new colors put in my hair this week.  Andrea, the artist who colors my hair, was excited about trying out some new colors they had received, and I’m always game for something new.  As you can see in the above photo, I have a rainbow of colors in my hair now.

A regular visitor.

If we were having coffee or some other beverage, I would tell you that I got a small start on my spring cleaning yesterday.  Mostly gathering up blankets and other things that can be washed, dried, and put away.  Lately it has been too warm at night for the winter bedding, and a look at the long-range forecast shows it will likely continue that way until next autumn or winter.  It feels good to start airing out the house, and I know it will be lovely to have all the nooks and crannies in the house cleaned by the time spring officially arrives.

Yesterday’s sunset.

Once the spring cleaning is completed, it will be time to get back to the renovations.  JT, our amazing construction guy who built the addition that includes the back porch where we’re sitting, will be back on the ranch on Monday morning.  Knowing him, it will be very early on Monday morning.  He will be installing the new ceiling on the front porch.  We decided it should match the ceiling on the back porch, and JT has done such wonderful work that we hired him to do this small job for us.  If you’ve been following me for a while, you might remember that JT is someone who does his work with great joy, always smiling and singing and generally looking like he’s having a great time.  It will be good to see him again.

Turning turquoise.

If we were having coffee, tea, or something else, I would tell you that I went down to the Point for sunset yesterday, and was rewarded with a glorious evening show of oranges, yellows and a line of turquoise blue on the water near the horizon that eventually stretched forward towards us covering the surface of the water.  We don’t often see that shade of turquoise.  I think it’s very tropical looking, something I’m more likely to see in Florida than in Maryland.  It must be related to the angle of the sun this time of year.  Or maybe it’s the atmospheric conditions.  I have no idea.  I don’t really mind not knowing, either.  It’s enough to enjoy it.  I’ll leave the answers to others.

Ducks on the water. They made the coolest sound as they landed on the water, a pitter-patter of many duck feet splashing down.

If we were having coffee, I would suggest that it is time I turn the conversation over to you.  I’ve nattered on enough for one visit, and to be honest, I don’t have much on my mind today because it has been such a quiet and gentle week.  No drama to share or deep thoughts to gnaw on.

Gloaming.

Thank you so much for joining me for another coffee chat.  Your visits mean a lot to me.  If you have time, let’s go out for a walk.  It’s cloudy today, but relatively mild in terms of temperature.  It is not likely we’ll see a sunset, but you never know.  Hang around if you like and we’ll go out to the dock later if it looks like it’s worth the walk out there.  Well, it’s always worth the walk, but I mean in terms of seeing the sunset.  Sunset is scheduled for 6:07 PM.  It will be an hour later tomorrow since many of us are springing forward (setting our clocks ahead) tonight.  I’m not a fan of springing forward.  It always leaves me feeling tired for about a week or two after the switch.

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  🙂

Last night’s crescent moon.

This post is in response to Part Time Monster’s #WeekendCoffeeShare.  Thank you to Diana for hosting it.  Put the kettle on, start the coffee maker, open a bottle of wine, or whatever your preference is, and join us.  I’d love to hear all about what you were up to this week.