Gratitude 136: Summer’s Green Leaves

Tuesdays are “Free for Seniors Day” at Holden Arboretum, so that is where you will find us on most Tuesdays. The problem is this summer is proving the hottest on record for a huge chunk of the US, and Cleveland is no exception. Walks, even along wooded trails, deplete our energy. Park benches placed throughout this world-class arboretum are wonderful spots to sit and cool down in this kind of weather. One of the rest stops on our most recent trip to the Arboretum was beside a lily pond shaded by large big leaf maple trees. The shaded areas under the trees were at least ten degrees cooler than in the open sun. As Richard and I rested, watched the pond and listened to the many sounds of nature, I looked up and couldn’t help but admire the canopy of green leaves that provided shelter and respite from the scorching heat. I am grateful for summer’s green leaves and the shade they give!

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Gratitude 135: Spontaneous drives to explore the unknown

Unpacked boxes still fill our basement. Odds and ends are chaotically strewn in odd places throughout the house. Sundays are our designated days to work toward order as we anxiously anticipate the day when everything has its place (and is in its designated place . . . or is that too much to ask???) We were both on task with that plan yesterday, that is until around 2pm when Richard asked me if I wanted to take a drive. Never being one to turn down a day trip with my husband, I dropped what I was doing, grabbed the camera and we hopped in the car and
headed down the road. When we reached Vermillion, OH, we decided to pull over and explore the area. Vermillion is a quaint great lake village with canals that act as roadways through portions of the town. Quaint shops, flowers hung from light poles, charming cottages and more, strongly suggest a slower, more relaxed pace of life reminiscent of days gone by. We had a delightful afternoon and when we returned home in the evening, both of us felt refreshed for having taken time off. I am grateful for a spontaneous drive to explore unknown places on a Sunday afternoon. 🙂