So Quiet Here

There has been a lot of quiet here of late. Maybe it was the tail end of the heat, there was a family death, a cancer diagnosis, it has been full, but quiet. I don't have cancer, it is a matriarch of the family, I have had the privilege of caring for her a few days a week. I get to cook for her, make her tea, sit up with her while she tries to fall asleep. She is a hoot. Really funny. I woke her one afternoon to give her her medicine. I whispered, " Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Without missing a beat, she replied, "Is my handsome prince on his way?"

Many of my mornings have been spent painting, sitting with the dog, tending to daily tasks like baking, laundering, gardening and tidying up. Quiet. Really quiet. Normally, I would be in the beginning intensity of a new school year. The quiet can be unnerving at times. Yet, I like it. 

Now the rain is falling here in Southern California. I am beyond delighted. I sigh every time I hear the trickle of the rain outside the window. Before the sun set, I would peek out the window and smile as I looked out over the garden. The garden is even more delighted with the rain than I am! It is perfect timing before winter planting. The ground will soak in this steady rain, deep and needed.

I love falling asleep to the rain. I love waking in the dark, damp night and hearing the drumming of the water over the earth. I find such comfort and contentment in rainy nights. I covered the down comforter with a handmade quilt, loved and laundered and used over many years. I feel enveloped by all the other rainy nights under these covers. In Hawaii, I would listen to the rain on the steel roof of the garage. Now that is a sweet sound.

So I am quiet here. It is okay for now. A time of few words.