Simple pleasures

Rob has been home for the past two weeks on holiday and I have taken advantage of this time to do one of my favourite things.

I creep out of bed with coffee in hand and stroll out into the morning. I love this quiet time, this precious “alone time.”

I wander the property, just looking, listening and breathing it all in. My cats (all three of them) follow me like dogs. It is the first time I have been able to watch the magical transformation of winter into spring happening here.

In years past I would circle around my city gardens. Some of which were no bigger than a postage stamp. I’m certain that neighbours must have seen me out there, turning in circles and looking at the ground and thought I was nuts! But I have always been transfixed with how spring brings life. And each discovery of green sprouting out of the earth is exciting!

It is an entirely different experience here.

Everything is so much, well, bigger. Last Thanksgiving, my daughter Ava and I planted over 300 crocus bulbs in the orchard. It has become our tradition to plant bulbs together over the years.

As I stroll along the grounds, I see these beautiful little gifts of spring scattered about. It is so nice to see and it always, always makes me smile.

Yesterday we celebrated Easter. Just the five of us. It was the first time my youngest was able to really get excited about the holiday. He found his basket and proceeded to open every single piece of chocolate. Not to eat, just to open!

We sat down to a delicious traditional breakfast of waffles with fresh organic whipped cream and berries topped this year with maple syrup from the trees that the kids tapped a few weeks ago!

We set up our volleyball net and played a few rounds barefoot in the grass, for hours. When we got too hot we threw snowballs at each other from one of the last remaining patches of snow. We took a walk into the bush and I heard the first of the frogs croaking. We had a lemonade picnic under the ash tree, and watched Cal ride his new tricycle, just barely reaching the pedals by himself for the first time! We wrapped the night up with some wine and a late night Easter egg hunt.

It was a great day. And a reminder for me that it’s the simple things in life that bring true joy.