Relax A Bit. . .

I love this time of year. The air becomes crisp and the sun sets a bit earlier allowing me the pleasure of lighting the tiki torches in the yard and turning on the little outdoor lights that seem to twinkle as the branches sway in the canyon breeze.  One of my favorite sights is making the bend towards home and seeing the lights on the side of the house through the garden gate.  It beckons me to the backyard  and urges me to forget chores that need attention.  Often I ignore its pleading and tend to the children's homework and finishing up dinner dishes.  But most evenings I try to find a moment or two to spend out back listening to the soft flowing water in the fountains.  In years past my husband has told stories to the children as they stretched out on the trampoline looking at the stars.  The backyard is our haven and has been the place of barbecue's,  football dinners, teenage parties, sandcastles and beach ball volleyball.  It's a place made and remade and has provided an arena to teach the children how to work.  It's a place filled with hard work and laughter and most recently a place where my 13 year old plays with his dog.  (That throws a whole new twist on the expectations for the yard.)

  It's a great time of year.  The hard work of grooming the yard is over, it's the time to relax and enjoy your efforts.  Sit out back and look at the stars, lay in the hammock, play with the children or tell them a story as you gaze at the stars. Enjoy the haven you have created.