When I arrive home from school around 4 pm, the first thing I do is put the kettle on and make myself a mug of tea or hot chocolate. I sit and savour the drink, drawing warmth from sipping and from wrapping my hands around the mug. A little snack, like these gluten and dairy-free cookies is a nice treat, too.
I find I need a little bit of breathing time to transition into the busy-ness of making dinner and evening activities.
We've had a fair bit of rain lately, accompanied by pelting wind. When the sun does shine, it's for a short time and noticeable enough that students and teachers alike comment on it when coming into the library. The other day, around 4:30 pm, I noticed the long slant of shadows on my dining room wall making my plates into a mottled landscape.
Shadows of the last spikes of lavender drying in a vase cast themselves onto the wall in graceful arcs, reminding me of the pass of summer into autumn's ever-shorter days.
I admire my daughter-in-law who comes home from work every day and immediately begins caring for a hungry two-year-old. I consider myself lucky to be able to transition gradually from work to home-work.
How about you? Do you need a little breathing time between activities? How do you transition?
I need my routines or transition times to feel right at the end of the day. Love the shadow shots...
ReplyDeleteMy day is a gentle transition from one thing to another so unlike what working gals have to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThose cookies sound wonderful. I, too, have a friend who must eat gluten-free. I think she'd enjoy this. Sometimes she appreciates the efforts one takes as much as the item itself.
Lovely photos and shadows on the wall.
I like your breathing routine. I have a cup of tea in the afternoon and it slows me down. Yes, I am enjoying puttering a bit--finally!
ReplyDeleteIf I have had a busy day out, I like to take a few minutes to transition, usually with some reading...newspaper, magazine, book (although that can be dangerous time-wise!), or blogs. (Okay, blog reading can be dangerous too, also time-wise!)
ReplyDeleteAs a young mother, I also needed some transition time whenever my babies went down for the night. I could never just go to bed. I liked to unwind with some kind of quiet activity.
I love the slanted afternoon sun playing on your plate wall! I've never really thought about how I transition. I think I just dig right in to the next task...with a mug of coffee to keep my company.
ReplyDeleteI've just had the loveliest catch-up on your last few posts. Life has been a bit hectic these past two weeks and I often feel that I'm 'playing catch-up'. I don't often get home before 5:30 and unless I've prepared meals on the weekend I have to think about dinner right away. When I can, I make the transition by taking a walk with the dog or by reading the newspaper. The truth, though, is that there is rarely time to pause as I am ravenous by the time I get home!
ReplyDeleteLove the texture of the shadow play on your plate wall!
ReplyDeleteYou know I like my puttering time. . . . Like you, I often make transitions with a cup of tea, either reading or just looking out the window. No space for that this week, though, with our little visitor . . .
ReplyDeleteSuch pretty graceful shadows...
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