friendship *

While I tend to be a bit of a hermit, this summer has reminded me how vital and necessary it is to spend quality time with friends.

Friends who have known you for so long, you cannot remember your life without them in it.

Friends with whom you are totally at ease, who encourage you to embrace your wildness.

Friends who inspire you to expand your boundaries, to experiment and play.

 
Friends who look after you, who always know exactly what would make the moment even sweeter.

Friends who drop everything, making time to see you.

Friends of yours who meet for the first time and immediately expand the circle of friendship.

 

Friends who never fail to astonish you with the beauty of their spirit, their souls.

This summer I've been on a friendship binge, as if I've been starved for too long. I think it is the effect of mourning, a descent into grief that has been solitary and private but now as I emerge from the cocoon of loss, I find myself racing towards the light of a familiar face, the sunshine of good and loving company.

In friendship I find myself rejuvenated and healed. Ready for the coming adventures.

It's been a good summer, wouldn't you agree?

 

off the grid

We slipped away for a family vacation ... dropping my phone prior to departure resulted in me being completely off the grid as it sometimes would work, but more often would not. Turned out to be the best gift ever.

While the global is always just a click away, I am aware that what is missing in my life is intimacy with what is local. My sense of the world is a fractured one. I am reminded of my experience living in London during a semester abroad: I was fluent in the Tube system and had a patchwork experience of the city. I knew areas around the tube stops, but my sense of how it all fit together was wonky at best. 

A week with just a suitcase of belongings, my camera and my loved ones was the perfect medicine to help me recalibrate. I am in that place of long-rambling in my head dialogues and am feeling the urge to let it all spill out upon the page. Time this summer for long stretches of writing and painting, soaking up sun and cooling breezes, and allowing a stillness to assist me in spiraling deeper within. 

Grateful to Hali Karla's Spectrum 2015 which kicked off in May and the guidance of Julie Daley in her contribution How to enter the Creative Unknown, Entering the Sacred Temple Within in which she offers the image of the labyrinth as a guide for entering into creative space. I cannot explain it; you have to experience it. But the image of the labyrinth has been a potent one for me and one which I am turning to in support of my own process of an inner spiritual/creative journey.  I am ready to surrender myself more fully to this process after a week of sea, sun, wild life and sacred time with my family.

We were greeted by the neighborhood iguana (often having to stop the car and wait for him to scurry across the road ... he was busy the entire week trying to woo a fetching femme fatale deep green iguana ... she didn't seem very impressed ...) 

While my Celtic heritage means I wilt in temperatures above 75, Cowgirl is pure Ocean Merchild, loving the warm water of the Florida Keys.

This was her first time snorkeling ... the Husband's gentle inquiry into her possible interest in learning to scuba dive.  The result? He has a very eager and willing dive student and partner.

 

I determined that while I enjoy the water, I am better on land. It was a rocky day on the boat and I was greener than the iguanas back on shore. I am proud to say, I got back on a boat the next day for some fishing (sorry, no pictures ... all on the Husband's camera which awaits downloading) and caught some snapper which we ate for dinner that night. I also caught a barracuda, a moment both horrifying and thrilling for they are ugly and mean looking fish!

We caught our own supper (Cowgirl landed the other half of our meal) 

 She gave the meal 2 thumbs up

Scenic dining was the norm all week long 

 

Love was definitely in the air ...

And wildlife all around ...

And these diminutive Key Deer were a treat to meet ...

Although we loved both the exotic and the domestic creatures that came our way.

We spent a steamy day in Key West, visiting the Hemingway house, home to fifty cats which trace their ancestry back to Hemingway's own cat, Snowball.

 Wouldn't you like your own writing studio with nearby pool and gardens?

 We wandered the city and took in the sights and some necessary refreshment

But what struck me was this new person in my life ...

When did she turn into this preteen creature? How did I miss this transformation?

Thankfully, she still is happy to hang out with her parents and is always up for an adventure.

Of course, no beach vacation would be complete without the usual but still always thrilling sunset shots ...

And while there were flashes of things to come and a girl with attitude, it was refreshing to see bubbles bring out the playfulness in us all.

Now that I am home, I am resting in the fullness of all that is This Life and so very grateful and determined to stay presence for each jewel-like moment.Off-the-grid and back into life ... that sounds like a good mantra, don't you think?