20: Peonies

Today's CSA pick up included a pink peony: this, a specimen of my absolute most favorite flower.

Do you ever get bleary eyed, heart aching from gratitude? Lately I've felt this urge to weep, not out of sadness, but out of sheer luck, out of contentedness for where I am in my life. Last night, I was reading, actually enjoying the words on the page, the house was quiet and night had arrived, we were sated from another home cooked meal (I am sorry to admit these past few years have been rare for me to make adventures in the kitchen, but now I am making something new every night), the moon was out, Ryan's new laptop arrived, the dogs were curled at our feet. It was just one of those moments where I felt the welling in my chest, the absolute bliss at how lucky I have been.


"Onstage, the girl began to dance, slowly at first, bending at the knees, shifting her torso to each side, raising her arms higher with each pass until she began to wave them. Or better: until they began to wave themselves, for in the glow of the candles they seemed to float from her shoulders, defying the surgeons who would have one believe the arm is tethered to the body through an intricate rope of bone and tendon, muscle and vein. Such men have never seen an a-yein pwè."
-- Daniel Mason, The Piano Tuner, pg. 137

Also, this good thing: Saturdays are beautiful, not only because it is a day when we can stop by the farmer's market downtown (today: tiny strawberries), the day where we have our CSA pick up, but now, a new tradition, which will be a bit jaunty until my life falls back into routine and schedule again: yoga. The body, finding peace, and lately, my mind too.

Happy Summer Solstice!