Happy Independence Day! Wherever you are, however you are celebrating, I hope it is with gratitude and pride and some really good barbecue.

Today marks the first day of a three-week hiatus from work. I woke and took the time to do all the things I try to shoe-horn into a pre-commute morning but so often set aside, rush through or curtail.  And so this morning I arose slowly, put on comfortable clothes and meditated. I went out in the garden and watered the seedlings I planted yesterday. Deracinated from the garden for two summers, it felt good to reconnect body and spirit with this brown earth of ours. While out there I replaced the rotting plank by the spigot with a good sized slate pirated from a little-used path on the side of the garage. Now when pull the hose out, my foot connects with something solid; no more worries that my tread will disturb slumbering creepy crawlies who will swarm my foot indignantly. It feels good to give time to this, and other, details of self-care.

As work claims the majority of my creative juices, I am eager to dive into my stockpile of words, ideas and images. There is that novel, a contest to enter, a freelance assignment or two. Recommitting myself to blogging, which I so enjoy but have let dwindle, the blogger’s kiss of death. And so here I go … five, four, three, two, one….