Where Does the Time Go?

This time of year, there never seems to be enough time. My weekends have been completely and wholly eaten by my job, and it has left me both physically and mentally exhausted. My emotions are up and down and teeter with the slightest of change. It's not my job; it's the not having time for release, for processing, for me.

At my favorite of "nurseries", the Natural Gardener, they sell these neat things that I will call light catchers for lack of a better name. We would often venture down south and make a day of visiting the Natural Gardener, wandering through the labyrinth of native plant-life, pottery, and decor (often with our doglets), and then make a Mangieri's Pizza run (often with the in-laws). The last couple of times, they had decorated this arbor with dozens of these light catchers. A mixture of beads and mirrors, they twirl in the breeze bouncing light in the shaded and dark corners like butterflies or tiny fairies. It's actually quite breath-taking in the quantities they have on display. Roger and I commented on multiple occasions that those would be cool on our back patio, but the $18 price tag for a string of beads always brought out the cheapskate in me.
          We had made a Natural Gardener/family day the Saturday before. We didn't buy anything. I went for inspiration for the upcoming spring. The girls (doglets) were super excited to be out and about... so many things to sniff! It was particularly breezy that Saturday. When we came to the arbor, the light catchers were being tossed about in a way that made these balls of light almost look like fireworks! Surely two intelligent people like us could figure out how to make some of these ourselves for way cheaper than $18. We decided that would be Roger's task that week: go to Hobby Lobby, find the materials we'd need to make our own light catchers, and start cranking 'em out so that our patio could be decorated with light and novelty.

Obviously, our plan never came to fruition, but months later, I still like the idea of hanging several in the back yard. Here are my first two attempts at light catchers... and interestingly, since I didn't own any of the materials to begin with, they cost way more than $18/piece to make. :) I chose jewel tones for the one on the left and cobalt ceramic beads for the one on right - Roger's favorite color.

I'm also in the process of working on a project that we started months ago: paving part of the flower bed in the front entry way. The flower bed is HUGE... and unfortunately the section closest to the front door gets not enough sun for sun-loving plants, like the salvia that currently fills the bed, but also receives too much afternoon heat for shade plants. However, on summer mornings it is cool and protected from the sun (contrary to the back patio), and we always thought if there were just more space in the front it would be great for morning coffee. As you can see, I've managed to lay and level 4 stones... 4 of probably 10. We bought a really cool Texas stone that you can just see a part of in the picture that will be featured in the middle. Between the stones, I'm packing crushed granite that matches the brick. It will be just enough space for a little bistro set.

The great thing about working on my household projects is also one of the things I love about yoga: it gives me a chance to take a break from my thoughts. Never in my life have I wanted so much to just calm the voice inside of me; the voice that worries, that remembers, that wishes, that plans... that REplans... the voice that while steadfast, strong, and true doesn't always pick the best time to present itself. The mindless work that goes into digging in the garden, gluing mirrors, and leveling stone gives me a break from ME and helps the time to tick by a little quicker, which is nice sometimes. I was shocked to realize last Monday that three months have ticked by. That's absurd. But despite the absurdity, life is trucking on, and I have more beads to thread, more stones to lay, more pictures to take, and more life to live one tick at a time.