#2860 3 things: EWF, a little magic, and a sad farewell

 

1. Happy Earth Wind and Fire Day! Do you remember / the 21st night of September?   I hope you took a minute today to wiggle your rump to the funky beat of the classic Earth Wind and Fire song, September. I did, and I invited my co-workers to join me. A couple of the women hopped out of their chairs and started to boogie. A couple of others raised their arms and swayed while singing along. The other two looked bemused. That's okay, though. It was fun for me. 

My favorite 21st of September memory happened at the Outer Banks. I came into the great room of the big ol' house we'd rented playing the song on my iPhone and dancing around a little. Most of the people in the room didn't know what the heck was going on. That's okay, though. I had fun.

2. A little garden magic. I went to Red Butte Garden this evening to record blooms. The weather was overcast and gloomy all day. It rained off and on. When I got up there around 5:30, it had stopped raining, but it was still cloudy and kind of cold. There was a wedding reception happening in the Orangerie, and the music was supplied by a lone violin player.  It was amazing to walk through the Garden tonight. The air was crisp and cool. The smell was clean and still slightly sweet from the rain earlier in the day. I could smell the dirt, the pine trees, and the plants that released more of their scent because of the water. The music from the violin floated up from the Orangerie to the Children's Garden where I walked around looking at flowers, making for an idyllic and dreamy scenario. I saw bunnies and squirrels moving through the bushes. Even when it started to rain, it was so gentle, I barely knew I was getting wet. As the rain got a little heavier, I made my way back down to the visitor center, making a voice note of the flowers I saw along the way so I could record them when I was inside the building. 

I don't know if there has been a time when I have gone to the Garden and not been delighted and satisfied in my soul. It certainly happened tonight.

3. RIP Aunt Bettie. ((sigh)) My aunt Bettie passed away peacefully surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren on Friday night. She'd been in the hospital since mid-July because she'd tripped and broken her femur right after MT and I left Dixon. When we saw her in August, she was in a convalescent facility, and though she was happy to see us - her eyes lit up and she laughed and chatted like always - I could see that she was hurting. She had more medical concerns than that broken femur, and by last week, her body was shutting down and she didn't want to be in pain anymore. I hope she can rest easy now. 

I would not have ever expected to lose my uncle and my aunt (they were brother and sister) within a couple of months of each other. It's been hard to grasp for me. I have cried for both of them, but in some ways, I don't feel like I have truly grieved or fully comprehended the loss, even though I am sort of smack in the middle of the business of the deaths. Maybe that is why I'm still kind of numb about it all. Or maybe I just don't let myself dwell on it all too much or I'd start crying and not stop for three days. I'm thankful I have medication to even out my anxieties and manage the low-level depression to which I am prone. It's been a hard summer. 

I need all the good vibes Earth Wind and Fire and Red Butte Garden have to give. I'd appreciate your kind thoughts, too.

xo