Birds, a Book, and Old Friends

We've been blessed with another windy March day. Unlike yesterday's westerly winds, today's are from the south, giving me an opportunity to burn the brush pile north of the house. All morning I picked up piles of leaves and sticks and carted them to the struggling fire which I had to restart several times with newspaper. But it was a lovely morning to be out, once I got moving fast enough to keep warm. Birds in the treetops kept me company with their chatter and songs. Robins, blackbirds, sparrows, juncos, and once in a while a crow, made themselves known. Later, on my walk to the mailbox, I saw a pair of unfamiliar birds----they looked similar to the killdeer which are numerous in our fields, but were a bit smaller----so I looked for them in the bird book when I got back to the house. Possibly they were "semipalmated plovers", making an early spring stop here on the way to their breeding grounds in Alaska and northern Canada. They have a long way to go yet. Wouldn't it be fun to join them!

This afternoon the wind has really picked up and I am glad to be in the house. The weather forecast is rain for tonight and tomorrow, possibly quite a bit of it.

During my time outdoors this morning, I was thinking about my blog post of yesterday. I had mentioned the importance of walking for a certain length of time to get the best mood benefits. I then remembered about a book I had read several years ago during the time when I started the regular walking habit. The intriguing title of it had jumped off the shelf at me at Barnes & Noble.....The Art of Laziness!! I no longer have the book, as I gave it to a pastor who had told me that his wife was tired and achy alot of the time. I don't remember the authors' names, but they were German physicians, a father and daughter. In the book, they were focusing on the importance of getting enough rest, because each of us has been given a finite amount of energy to use during our lifetimes. They weren't actually advocating laziness, of course, just slowing down, resting more, and reducing stress on our systems, in order to use our energy wisely. They recommended a daily 30 minute brisk walk, if possible, and they felt that the perfect time to get up in the morning is 7:20 a.m. For some reason, I remember that specifically. I would recommend the book to anyone, because I felt it contained helpful, practical, common sense advice.

This evening I'm meeting a couple old girlfriends for supper and chatting. We've known each other since kindergarten. There's something special about friendships that endure that long, and I feel fortunate to be in the vicinity of a few such friends. Husbands and children are wonderful, but old girlfriends are a treasure, too.

Keep in touch with an old friend today!