Today I packed a lounge chair, book and a swimsuit clad kid in the car and headed to the nearest beach like location. It’s in a state park, along a river but it’s water, sand (or finely ground gravel…whatever) and sun. We were content. About half an hour after arriving a singular rain cloud blotted the sun and dripped on us. Everyone in the area simply shrugged and kept playing and the poor little rain cloud moved on quickly in defeat.

It doesn’t take TheKid long to make new acquaintences so I spent most of our time kicked back in the chair with a good book, glancing up occassionally to make sure one his new rock hunting buddies hadn’t drowned him. Two and half hours later we left – me rejuvenated, TheKid happy but exhausted.

I don’t tell you this to brag. I tell you because today was a momentous step. For once I didn’t have a to-do list. There was no schedule, no goals. There was simply an afternoon stretching out before me to enjoy.  It’s very rare that I can set aside my lists. Even those times when I do sit and read, I almost always have a time table running through the back of my mind, a commentary of places we need to be and things that still need to be done.  Jon implores me often to RELAX ALREADY. So when the siren’s song of water & sun called to me, I gladly answered.  The carpet still needs to be vaccuumed, the computer room table (aka the catch-all) needs organizing, the living room needs dusting but I guess it can wait until tomorrow. Or the next day. (gulp) I might just renew my love affair with the water & sun a few more times this summer.