Escaping the Sun

It was a beautiful, sunny, typical summer day here yesterday.

After a morning at the market, we decided to very simply cook up some sausages, have them in bread with sauce.

Simple authentic and not over-thought.

To escape the sun, we rearranged the sheets over the clothes line to provide shelter and pulled up the picnic table. My daughter hung out the towels she had just washed and the reluctant, lazy breeze blowing through them created a cooling effect.

It reminded us all of making cubby houses and tents from blankets and chairs when we were little.

We were four at table

We sank deeper and deeper into relaxation, basking in simplicity.

The butterfly net made an appearance, and there was much good natured derision about my moth catching techniques.

We mixed up some washing up detergent and fashioned a loop with a piece of wire and tried to amuse the dogs with some bubble blowing.

But even they were feeling lazy.

My daughter found a block puzzle in the cubby house and she and Craig's son played with that for a bit, swapping stories of childhood memories.

Our makeshift tent and agenda-free afternoon took us back to a time of secrets and make believe games.

There was no fancy outdoor setting, no platters of speciality food, no trendy market umbrella....

We wanted for nothing this afternoon

We were experiencing pure joie de vivre in the most simplest of ways.

The world slowed it's frenetic pace as our tent sheets billowed and flapped.

Do you think sometimes we encumber ourselves with too much "stuff"?

Don't you think sometimes we over-think and complicate what should be the most beautiful and bountiful moments in our lives?

How about next weekend, you announce a picnic, just in your own backyard.

Limit yourself to a few food ingredients. Take one interesting book to share; it could even be a photo album.

A couple of jugs of ice cold water - there is nothing like pure cold water on a lazy hot afternoon.

I wonder what you'll all get to talking about.

Stop the world and step off for an afternoon and find the special in the simple.