It has been our favorite autumn weather all week - cool and crisp and sunny. Now that our landscaping is finished, we've gotten into the habit of leaving the windows open. Last night, the breeze carried a definite cow-manure smell into our house. The funny thing is, it didn't bother me. It made me smile.
I've never been one for city living with the noise and traffic and diesel fumes. When I was at Marquette I would try to escape the city as often as I could by running. I would race eastward on Wells St., then bound down the slope at Juneau Park and cross Lincoln Memorial Dr. to get to the lakefront. I wouldn't stop until I reached O'Donnell Point, a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan. Then I'd stretch my legs and just sit and breathe deeply. The water and the wind always calmed and refreshed me. It felt like my own private oasis.
Since moving to our home there has been a new peacefulness in my life. Its true the girls are independent enough to take care of their own basic needs and imaginative enough to play on their own. And then there's the fact that I no longer have a work cell phone ringing with prospective renters or complaints from a current tenant.
But more than that, we have somehow landed in this serene neighborhood. With the windows open, the only sounds we hear are the chattering of chipmunks and the chirping of birds. When Matt has the weekend off, we don't make any plans. He pulls out his bow and arrows and teaches our girls archery. Right in our very own backyard.
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