Light Therapy

 There is this special moment

around 9:30 in the morning as I sit at my desk at work,

where the sun hits the blue glass windows of the building

across the street and reflects right on my face.

It’s a bright light.

But not one that makes you feel like you’ve died

and are moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

No, not that kind of light. 

It's more of a warm light that makes you think of Summer days

sitting in the sun and drinking iced tea or homemade lemonade.

It’s a beautiful way to start my work day.  

I usually try to catch it in action,

 and take a picture in attempts to capture the peace,

the beauty of the bright light against warm skin.

I take some time to revel in it.

Let my computer screen go to black, and look up to the source of all life.

I close my eyes and breathe a little deeper. . .

. . .until the sun moves along to another building,

where it will shine its light upon someone else’s face. . .

. . .traveling light therapy for the soul.

The New Year: An End, A Beginning

This New Year’s. . .

. . . unlike years past, we didn’t spend it partying like it was 1999.

In fact, we didn’t even stay up late enough to witness the clock turn midnight.

(Prince would be so disappointed.)

I think we were in bed by eleven.   

Instead, we spent the end of 2011 on a 

relaxing trip to one of our favorite places, Cambria.

I spent mornings taking long runs along the 

beautiful central coast, while Travis slept in.

(Travis isn't much into running. 

Biking, yes. Running, no. 

He is, however, into sleeping.)

We spent our days going to farmer’s markets. . .

. . .and making homemade chicken noodle soup.

Which I'm pretty sure was the best soup we ever made.

I'm sorry Campbell's, but we kicked your butt on this one. 

We spent it hiking in Big Sur.

Feet atop large granite boulders. . .

. . . and against the green slopes of cliffs that fell into the ocean's edge.

We spent it driving along meandering country roads,

 pretending this was our barn. . .

. . .our house with the horse, goat and chickens. . .

. . . our field of dreams. 

 Like Kevin Costner says, "If you build it, they will come." 
Er something like that. 

It was spent wine tasting in the early afternoons. . .

. . . trying various cheeses while chatting with the locals,
 and of course, taking some time to pet their cute pups.

 We stood in a field of yellow wildflowers among gray-barked trees
with branches that reached out to each other, and to the sky. . .

. . . my boots half lost in the tall grass,
my hair blowing wild in the wind.

We spent the end of 2011 gazing at coastal sunsets. . .

. . . with the sound of nothing but waves crashing on the shore,

the wind funneling into our ears,

 and the hum of promises to myself. 

And though it was the most laid back New Year's we'd ever had, 

I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Happy New Year.