"The whole world was green with grass now; the yellow-green willow leaves were uncurling. Violets and buttercups were thick in the prairie hollows, and the sorrel's clover-like leaves were good to eat."
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek
*****
One of our favorite pastimes is spending time existing outside. This time of year life begins to rush very quickly and we have less and less time to just breathe. However, the little moments here and that we can catch between trips to appointments and errands and baseball games and all the mundane tasks of living we love to spend outside. It seems that, for us anyway, this clears the mind and rejuvenates the spirit.
So, after running a recent errand we stopped here to spend some time at this nature preserve a few miles from our home. It is one of our favorite places and we visit often, in all seasons. At first, I didn't mean to linger so long but the day was warm and pleasant and the air deliciously scented with all the good smells of spring. It was easy to lose track of time. The three little ones quickly discarded their shoes and spent a long time running over the grass, splashing in the big brown puddles left after the previous days rain and shrieking with laughter.
They ran as far as they dared, to the edge of the distant field, and back again. I took a more leisurely pace along the fringe of trees bordering the field and when the babies ran up, breathless and rosy-cheeked, they paused only to make sure I was watching before dashing off again.
We all came home with dirty feet and wet clothes and a heart full of gratefulness to the earth and her goodness. A few baths and clothes-changes later, the children were clean and presentable again - at least until they found their next mud puddle! 😂
*****
"Now I see the secret of making the best persons,
It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth."
~ Walt Whitman, Song of the Open Road
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