It's been a good couple of days; a good weekend, for that matter.
We didn't have a huge To-Do list to tackle and we certainly don't have a list of accomplishments to show for the last 48 hours, but we did have a lot of "us" time. Just the two of us, sleeping in, breakfast in bed (thank you, Phil), a whole lotta laying around and just..."be"-ing. Together. It's nice.
We decorated our tree earlier in the week, so we have been able to relax in a home lit only by the small, white, twinkly lights framing each window and wrapped around our artificial - yet beautiful - tree (live trees + curious kitty = vomitous puddles).
We light candles that smell of vanilla while playlists on Pandora stream through the speakers throughout our home.
We savor our low-maintenance, delicious dinners of leftovers because they sustain us and they are made with love, and we retreat to our "own" activities, but always in the same room with one another, because it's nice to be in one another's space, doing something and nothing...together.
And lest you think we are both lazy sloths and that our entire weekend was shot, we did get around to giving Grace a bath (which she did not appreciate, but she smells so yummy and citrus-y right now), we did attend an evening get-together last night to support some friends and I did make it to the gym today, where I ran 3-miles after taking 3-months off. And it felt great.
Tonight, I'm making a salmon dinner with roasted mushrooms and asparagus. The first actual "meal" I've cooked in over two weeks (I so love and appreciate The Hubs for voluntarily picking up the slack when it counts); I'm slowly getting back into the saddle of Life and finding joy in the mundane again.
* * *
Friends, I can't thank you enough for the lovely and supportive comments you have left me over the last week. I am trying to respond individually to each of you, but many of you have disabled the email feature in your Blogger profile and all I am left with is the "no-reply@blogger.com"...please know that I have read each and every comment and that I am deeply touched by your kind thoughts. For all the new visitors and first-time commenters, thank you for saying hello and introducing yourselves...it's nice to know you're out there and reading along. I love and appreciate each and every one of you!
Much Love & Aloha...xoxo.
I'm so glad for you...
ReplyDeleteThe salmon dinner sound yummy and I'm loving those starfish ornaments!
Also, sounds like you have a fantastic husband.
Your tree is ever so lovely! The cute starfish ornament made me smile. I have sand dollars on my counter in my kitchen which I keep laying there all year long. Maine is my favorite vacation spot and that is where they're from. Perhaps, I'll turn them into ornaments someday. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your home! :)
ReplyDeletexoxo
Kate
Your tree is beautiful! I love the starfish ornament.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower. I'm looking forward to reading more:)
I am your newest follower from the blog hop. Please follow me as well. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThe Disconnected Writer
http://thedisconnectedwriter.blogspot.com/
Beautiful post- love the tree and especially the starfish ornament! Hope you continue to find peace.
ReplyDeleteOur cats don't eat our tree, but they do climb it. Yeah for running!
ReplyDeleteHi, I linked over from More Love Monday and I'm following you. I'd love for you to follow me back!
http://nurturedfamilylife.blogpsot.com
Sounds like a fabulous weekend!!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is great! I look forward to coming to your island of Maui in a couple of weeks time. Maybe you could check out my site and leave me a comment on where I should visit on the island. My site is at http://painfullyoptomistic.com.
ReplyDeletethis was such a peaceful, lovely post. bravo for you, sweet friend, for branching out and looking for that exquisite joy that exists in everyday, mundane things. i agree wiht you that it doesn't matter what you and your husband are doing, even if it's completely separate things, just being together in the same room, sharing that same space, is sweet and beautiful. take your time dipping your toes back in, but know that when you do, you've got a million blogger friends following you and carrying you:) praying for you, dear!
ReplyDeletewell hello!! thank you so much for your comment! it made my day :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you and "the hubs" left the life you did for the "good life." Life is so full of fun and adventure and yet so many of us never experience it!
I actually grew up on Oahu...left when I was 14 and miss Hawaii dearly, but hey, we share the same ocean right!?
I'm sorry to hear about your brother...I know few words can comfort when something like this happens...so praying for continued strength for you and your family.
Aloha! Visiting from Across the pond (where i responded to your amazingly awesome comment)
ReplyDeleteI triple heart Hawaii...we did family vacas in maui every year for about 10 years when I was little. Being trapped in this ice box of a country makes me all the more envious of your beach lifestyle...sigh...
the husband and i were JUST talking about today how if we could be anywhere right now (to escape the frigid weather) it would be Hawaii.
xx
Meg
What a lovely post this was!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.. Life can be so beautiful, I am so proud of you for taking time for yourself and spending it with your man. I wish you all the best my sweet friend and you are in my thoughts and prayers for sure!
These pictures are gorgeous btw, your tree looks lovely!
Love the starfish. LOVE them. :) You are such a blessing.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, Your post today is just beyond lovely. What a wonderful reminder to savor all of life's simple, yet wonderful offerings. The magic of music, savory life-sustaining foods, nature, even life's current color.
ReplyDeleteYour email and comments on my blog are just heart warming and bring both tears of joy and sadness. Joy that we've connected and sadness that we share loss and that yours is so fresh. I also have to share with you that I had lunch with a very special friend of mine yesterday. She gives me an angel tree ornament every year and she had no idea that you and I had connected here in blogland. When I lifted her from the bag, tears began to well up in my eyes. She was a little Hawaiian Angel...She was wearing a little seashell necklace and Aloha Hawaii was written across her little grass skirt. Amazing what a small world we live in. May you continue to be blessed and lifted up on angel's wings, Janet
Hi Angie,
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and the photography is stunning... You have talent lady and don't let anyone tell you otherwise...
As per you not about insecurity, you know, we all have some and some are good at hiding it. No worries.Live your life! :-)
Stopping by/commenting back from your visit to my blog - Positive Kismet...Thank you!
I'm now a follower of your blog.
Have a Happy Holiday Season!
Best,
Elizabeth
Oops! The line in my previous comment was supposed to read:
ReplyDeleteAs per your note on my blog about insecurity, you know, we all have some and some are good at hiding it. No worries. Live your life! :-) I'm happy to be connected!
Cheers,
Elizabeth
Hi Angie!
ReplyDeleteIt is SOOO nice to meet you : ) Thank you for stopping by my blog and for your very sweet words. I just read your about me/about this blog...WOW. I absolutely love your story. I also love your creativity!
My husband and I are high school sweethearts (like you and your hub) and we are in love with Hawaii! We visited for a little over a week about 5 years ago. We still talk about moving there almost every day. There really is no place like Hawaii : )
I'm looking forward to following you and your blog as well. Merry Christmas and Aloha to you too, friend!
Much love,
Laura
Hurry for times of just 'two'. Left-overs ARE the best. Every day when I take our leftovers to work for lunch the next day I think about dinner the night before; how we talked, laughed and fell in love just a little bit more.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful, and the star fish made me smile.
Much love to you.
I am visiting you for the first time today and saddened for your loss. When I lost someone very close to me I received a sympathy card that read A sunset on earth is a sunrise in heaven, and that always comforted me.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear you are coping well, and have a wonderful husband supporting you.
I am visiting you back from last friday's hop, and am now following you.
I hope you enjoy your holiday.
I love tropical-like ornaments...I stocked up on them when I was in Florida.
ReplyDeleteYou managing to run 3 miles after taking 3 months off is incredibly impressive.
I'm glad to hear your having happy, content moments together. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas & New Year's. I'm sure there will be hard moments, but remind yourself of the good memories whenever you can. (((HUGS)))
Thanks for the follow, lady!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog :)
Have a great Christmas!
Hi Angie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting my blog last week and for leaving a very thoughtful comment. I really like your blog and I look forward to reading more. I read your previous posts, and I am really sorry to hear about your brother. I hope you are feeling a lot better now... You strike me as a very strong individual. On a lighter note, I must say that I really love your tree especially the starfish ornaments. I don't think I've seen it used on a tree before. I hope you and your family have a merry christmas! :)