breathe...just breathe...

It smells good here. Really...like all the time.

One of the first times I was up here (when we were learning about and considering this job), we realized it smelled like cinnamon. (Cue: "the cinnamon song" by the Decemberists for all our friends who have sung that song in full voice with us.) I still think I smell cinnamon sometimes. But, it almost always smells good (unless, of course, there has been a skunk trauma nearby...that's a different kind of smell).

It smells good and warm (and most often like cinnamon) in the sunshine. It smells good when it is about to rain, when it's raining, and especially just after it rains. It smells really good right now that it's getting cooler and all the smells seem to intensify. The Beast loves the smells...especially at night when it's getting cool. He is very excited about all the possibilities he smells in the meadow outside our house!

So, I find myself breathing deeply a lot...you kind of can't help yourself when it just smells so good! Apparently, breathing deeply is good for you. In crisis, in anger, in grief, in exercise...we're told to just remember to breathe. So, how much better must that be during times that aren't so emotionally or physically exhausting? We're even guided to breathe in prayer and meditation. We talk about the Holy Spirit being the breath of God.

So, then I start to think about song lyrics (like I do) about breathing...

...breathe, just breathe...
...breathe deep, breathe deep the breath of God...
...breathe on me, breathe of God...

I absolutely believe that God led us here, to this place...and it is a wonderful gift to have this time with little school, no required work, and lots of space and time. So, maybe this is good time to just breathe. Breathe and be. I'm not good at just being...so, it is good to remember that I don't have to be in crisis to take a deep breath...to just enjoy the rush of good air in my lungs...the good air that can refresh my soul as well as my body.

Breathing...just breathing...