It would appear that my malaise of several days ago was due to my habit of holding myself outside of an experience out of, I suppose, an inability to imagine that it will be better once I am inside it. Its like standing at the edge of the ocean, each new wave making your feet ache anew with cold. But once you are in and used to the frigid water, it actually brings your skin alive!
Last night I babysat for a nearby farm family. All the way home I reflected on these amazing children! Ben is I think 10 and Maura is 4. Ben can tell you anything you want to know about fishing, livestock, or biodiesel. I had a full tour of their family's operation. He held the gate for his sister and me and has promised to give me a bass next time he's fishing on the lake. Maura can take fly masks off horses twice as tall as she and jump a creek in her good shoes without falling in. These children are the most grounded people I have ever met in my life! It was a school night for Ben, so he had to go to bed after we played a cooperative cat and mouse board game. I think most ten year old boys might have found that game simple; so the cat catches the mouse, whatever. But he applied all his logic, which was more than mine to bring the game off perfectly. Words don't do justice to observing how he was able to think. After he was in bead, Maura and I must have read 25 books. We had a few good giggles too, not baby, peekaboo giggles but genuine, isn't-life-hilarious belly laughs. It was a totally enjoyable evening!
I have some brilliant observations from my day in the garden but I am hearing a far off barking that may be one of the dogs in my charge. She is given to wandering. I'll keep you posted!