Welcome to the second half of the AtoZChallenge! I’m looking forward to reading posts with the more exotic letters!
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We are creatures of nature. We may block that part out with air conditioning, processed foods, overwork, and more, but when we take a moment to stop and reconnect with the natural world, we are renewed. It’s no coincidence that we use the word “blossom” to describe that sense of renewal.
Richard Louv coined the phrase “nature deficit disorder” in his book, Last Child in the Woods. He has observed that children who spend time in nature are freer from problems such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety.
I’ve known for a long time that I need nature to be more front and center in my life…hence our move, a few years ago, to the Olympic Peninsula.
We have wooded footpaths throughout town with miles of hiking space. A short drive either east or west brings us to mountains. And, every day, we can look out over the water. Whenever I feel scattered or tired or unfocused, I head outside, and my head clears.
Whether we grow a pot of herbs on a windowsill or hike or just stand on a sidewalk looking at someone else’s garden, we owe it to ourselves to breathe in nature’s rhythms. We are happier when we do.
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I wrote this piece from an apartment in Queens, New York. We are visiting the Big Apple, far away from our home and my garden. Yet here, in the cozy neighborhood of Ridgewood, is our daughter. We have a son in Miami, a short(er) flight from New York.
On this trip, we realized that sometimes the nature we need is the nature of our families…so we have decided to spend late fall to early spring based in New York, with periodic jaunts to Miami.
Yet we are, at least for now, keeping the house and garden in Port Townsend. It may sound odd, to live in New York during the cold of winter, but we will do indoor activities (theater, museums), and then return home in time to get my hands in the soil and grow food. We are unwilling to give up the views and glorious nature of the Northwest in the summer.
We will also find ways to enjoy nature here in the city. I love the flowerboxes, the little plots of green here and there amidst the concrete and brick. Wherever I am, I will seek nature, even if it’s in the form of a snowdrift.
It’s a strange, thrilling adventure. Stay tuned as to how it turns out!
Like you I LOVE nature, but especially water… the ocean, bays, lakes, rivers. I body surfed, taught swimming, life-guarded, taught water safety, and did synchronized swimming in high school and college. So the water is DEAR to me. I have nearly always owned a home with at least a peek-a-boo view of the water. I need it to help me relax.
Goodness, living in New York is a considerable change from Port Townsend. Good luck with the change. I visited New York once. It was interesting, but I AM a small town girl.
You sound like a real water lover! My attraction to the PNW is more about the mountains, but hubby is a fan of water, so we love having both to look at.
It should be interesting! We lived for many years in Houston and have visited NYC since 2006, when our daughter started attending college there, so we’ve spent a lot of time in the city. Her neighborhood is in Queens, and it has a small-town feel to it, but it’s accessible by train to Manhattan and all the art and culture we love.
I’m sure New York must be a huge change to the PNW. Where I am is a strip of land about 2 miles deep sandwiched between the sea and the Sussex Downs, so has the best of both natural worlds – marine and country. What it doesn’t have much of is shopping, theatres, restaurants etc. Still, we only have to travel 20-50 miles and we can have all that, so I think on balance I’d rather live here than closer to the big smoke.
I lived for years in a large city (Houston), and we spend a lot of time in New York because our daughter lives there. That’s a big draw for us. We’re all so scattered!
I grew up on a farm house in the middle of a field and surrounded by trees. I loved exploring nature. It’s so beautiful.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee’s Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
How wonderful!
It’s officially the second half of A to Z. Time to catch that second wind, rest up on Sunday, then it’s that mad dash toward the finish line!
Stephen Tremp
A to Z Cohost
N is for Numerology
My soul says “aawwww!” every evening when I turn down our little road headed to the house and the pine boughs start to canopy over me. I am always so grateful and thankful for where we are blessed to live. – In another note, my DIL tells me they have found that kids who play outside and in dirt actually have better immune systems.
Oh, that sounds lovely! I’ve heard that about kids, too. I just love it when I see little kids helping out in local gardens.