There are few things I enjoy more than sitting out on our deck, and today is no exception. It is just a mere 80 degrees out here and the air is moving nicely ......and the humidity has taken a little break. It is just wonderful!
What do I do when I am sitting on my deck? Welllll.....most times I have a book in hand. Sometimes it is my Bible, which I don't read nearly enough, a YA (Young Adult) novel, or just something recommended or something I've seen that catches my fancy.
Today I have my lap top with me.....oh yes, and my coffee, which I might add is much improved since getting a dripolator off Ebay. (I promise to do a post on that). As I sit here snooping around on the Internet....checking current events, weather reports, blogs, and email it occurs to me I have always liked being outside but my habits don't really reflect that truth.
When I was a very small child I remember being outside as much as possible. I played dolls on the large wrap around porch where we rented and rode my tricycle on the little path worn across the side yard......I made "mud" pies in the sandbox. In the winter I remember playing inside the igloo my father made for me and just loving to be out in the snow slipping and sliding every little place I found a slight incline.
As I got older my friends and I spent hours at the public pool. We swam, ate candy and chips, played cards, and just "hung out". We were outside and it was great. In the winter we went sled riding and skiing, plus living in a small town we walked places a good bit.
When I was in college I never had a car so I walked a lot....to the grocery store, to class, and out to eat. Plus we sat outside quite a bit....reading or sunning ourselves. In winter we were inside more, but I still had to get from place to place and thanks to my sturdy "chukka" boots bad weather didn't stop me.
But after Jim and I got married and I began to work....it seems I spent little time outside. When we lived in Illinois the summers were nearly as hot as they are here in Louisiana and the winters were much more brutal. I spent very little time outside other than a trip to the swimming pool, to hang out the clothes.....in Illinois with the strong winds it was great to hang out clothes....to play with Josh, but for the most part I became an inside person.....a cave dweller of sorts. I worked in an office each day and we (Jim, Josh and I) got home by about 6 PM and started making dinner. I walked to the bank during the days to make deposits or sometimes we ate our lunch on the bench in front of the office where I worked, but for the most part I was INSIDE all day.
Now that was in the 80's and people smoked in offices and I think of all the second hand smoke I ingested over those 8 years working there. Like I said, I did get out periodically and usually I did meet Jim for lunch some place, but other than that I was in the office from 8-5 each day. Jim also smoked, but as soon as Josh was born he began going outside to smoke. I am still thankful he agreed to that because I instinctively knew there shouldn't be cigarette smoke around Josh even though he did come into contact with smoke when we would take him to the bowling alley with us or go out to eat....and eating out for dinner was a very rare occurance. Thankfully we don't have to worry about second hand smoke as we once did.
Now I teach and I am inside the school building alllllll day and except for a few days before it gets pretty cold and a few days before the heat hits I keep the windows closed as not to waste the heat or to let out the air conditioning. I come out here on the deck Jim built for us every chance I get so I can breath air that is not constantly being recirculated by the heater or the air conditioner. Next thing you know I will be trying to drag a television out here, too. (I remember the neighbor who used to live next door when we first moved in. He had a TV going in his carport all the time. You couldn't come outside without hearing a game show or the news.) On second thought scrap that, I don't think I want the TV outside....unless it is Super Bowl Sunday or something. I enjoy hearing all those outside noises....the cicadas in the trees, the train whistle, the birds. Sometimes I feel like I live in some sort of aviary! We have birds, birds, birds! Sophie loves coming out here and listening, too. She watches......and watches....mostly for kitties, her arch enemies for some bizarre reason.
But being outside recharges my batteries somehow.....not sure how that works. As much as I enjoyed visiting NYC for a couple days, I am quite sure I would be missing my deck time if I lived in such and enviornment for very long. Enjoying the beautiful green surrounding the deck is a true blessing.
What do I do when I am sitting on my deck? Welllll.....most times I have a book in hand. Sometimes it is my Bible, which I don't read nearly enough, a YA (Young Adult) novel, or just something recommended or something I've seen that catches my fancy.
Today I have my lap top with me.....oh yes, and my coffee, which I might add is much improved since getting a dripolator off Ebay. (I promise to do a post on that). As I sit here snooping around on the Internet....checking current events, weather reports, blogs, and email it occurs to me I have always liked being outside but my habits don't really reflect that truth.
When I was a very small child I remember being outside as much as possible. I played dolls on the large wrap around porch where we rented and rode my tricycle on the little path worn across the side yard......I made "mud" pies in the sandbox. In the winter I remember playing inside the igloo my father made for me and just loving to be out in the snow slipping and sliding every little place I found a slight incline.
As I got older my friends and I spent hours at the public pool. We swam, ate candy and chips, played cards, and just "hung out". We were outside and it was great. In the winter we went sled riding and skiing, plus living in a small town we walked places a good bit.
When I was in college I never had a car so I walked a lot....to the grocery store, to class, and out to eat. Plus we sat outside quite a bit....reading or sunning ourselves. In winter we were inside more, but I still had to get from place to place and thanks to my sturdy "chukka" boots bad weather didn't stop me.
But after Jim and I got married and I began to work....it seems I spent little time outside. When we lived in Illinois the summers were nearly as hot as they are here in Louisiana and the winters were much more brutal. I spent very little time outside other than a trip to the swimming pool, to hang out the clothes.....in Illinois with the strong winds it was great to hang out clothes....to play with Josh, but for the most part I became an inside person.....a cave dweller of sorts. I worked in an office each day and we (Jim, Josh and I) got home by about 6 PM and started making dinner. I walked to the bank during the days to make deposits or sometimes we ate our lunch on the bench in front of the office where I worked, but for the most part I was INSIDE all day.
Now that was in the 80's and people smoked in offices and I think of all the second hand smoke I ingested over those 8 years working there. Like I said, I did get out periodically and usually I did meet Jim for lunch some place, but other than that I was in the office from 8-5 each day. Jim also smoked, but as soon as Josh was born he began going outside to smoke. I am still thankful he agreed to that because I instinctively knew there shouldn't be cigarette smoke around Josh even though he did come into contact with smoke when we would take him to the bowling alley with us or go out to eat....and eating out for dinner was a very rare occurance. Thankfully we don't have to worry about second hand smoke as we once did.
Now I teach and I am inside the school building alllllll day and except for a few days before it gets pretty cold and a few days before the heat hits I keep the windows closed as not to waste the heat or to let out the air conditioning. I come out here on the deck Jim built for us every chance I get so I can breath air that is not constantly being recirculated by the heater or the air conditioner. Next thing you know I will be trying to drag a television out here, too. (I remember the neighbor who used to live next door when we first moved in. He had a TV going in his carport all the time. You couldn't come outside without hearing a game show or the news.) On second thought scrap that, I don't think I want the TV outside....unless it is Super Bowl Sunday or something. I enjoy hearing all those outside noises....the cicadas in the trees, the train whistle, the birds. Sometimes I feel like I live in some sort of aviary! We have birds, birds, birds! Sophie loves coming out here and listening, too. She watches......and watches....mostly for kitties, her arch enemies for some bizarre reason.
But being outside recharges my batteries somehow.....not sure how that works. As much as I enjoyed visiting NYC for a couple days, I am quite sure I would be missing my deck time if I lived in such and enviornment for very long. Enjoying the beautiful green surrounding the deck is a true blessing.
I probably need to do other things outside....go walking and maybe I need to look into doing some gardening on a small scale. There are a few sunny spots in the yard which would be good for that ....for growing tomatoes, lettuce, onions and squash. Also, some spices would be nice. If we decide to do a garden we will have to wait for fall to try it. Jim and I will get some overalls and red bandanas....what do ya think?
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