Filling Our Pockets

The ladies visit the historic railroad car in downtown Plainfield.

The ladies enjoy Spaghetti Monday on the back patio.

A warm Sunday passes us over, and we look ahead to the week that will be.  Audrey has passed her level 2 swimming courses, and will most likely be registered for level 3 next week.  This week, however, is truly a blank slate for us.  No swimming lessons, no training for my work, no trips to see friends and relatives….just open days.  Now, to some this seems like a heavenly gift.  Isn’t this is what summer is all about?  The “dog days” of summer?  

A & V play on another part of the historic railroad system.

Violet finds an old oil barrel for the train!

Personally, I am a goal-oriented person.  I like having timelines and deadlines and objectives to accomplish.  A week without plans is almost overwhelming to me.  It is a Zen-like challenge for me to wake-up and just figure it all out as we go.  

The ladies playing in Plainfield

The days starts like any other this summer, with cereal and a cartoon, maybe some reading and cleaning.  We make a trip to the library and both girls now have their own library cards and are excited to check-out books on their own account.  They each scan their books and put them into their own library bags.  They are growing up so quickly.  We have spent the rest of the morning and first part of the afternoon at home, making art and paintings, snacking on goldfish crackers, strawberries, and chocolate milk.  Now it is nap time, and Audrey is reading on her bed, and Violet is hopefully working her way into a warm, safe dream.

Crossing a bridge at Settler's Park in Plainfield

I get to take a rest in my own bed.  A few quiet moments to think and let my mind flow over whatever it may.  I am thinking about how people have many different “pockets” in their lifetime.  These pockets are not the kind found on a jacket or pants, but pockets woven into our lives.  We keep many different things in these pockets to remember our lives by, and to fill our needs.  Some pockets are used to collect memories of our families and loved ones.  Some pockets are reserved for life experiences or everyday routines.  And some pockets are secret for us, and we collect things that no one else knows about.  I think we all have pockets for ourselves.  Some pockets are deeper than others, and some are filled more often.  Sometimes, we only get one or two opportunities to put things (emotions, experiences, memories) into a particular pocket.  Other times we take for granted how easy it is to fill a certain pocket until its source is gone.  

Violet rocking out at the park.

Now it is Wednesday, and we find little things to do and take pleasure in. So as the days progress, and I search for things to do without a script this week, I will keep in mind my set of pockets and keep an eye out for items to fill them.

Audrey and Mommy at Brookfield Zoo Nights.

Violet the morning snuggle bunny in a pile of of blankets on the couch.

Audrey standing in front of a wall of ivy which is home to numerous finches.  We stop each time we pass this wall and watch silently as the finches move in and out of the ivy, chirping frantically.

TACO TUESDAY at the Orelove house!!!