Daily Gnome: Design | Home | Family

  • about me
  • daily
  • home + projects
  • design
  • the fam
  • discoveries

Stop and Smell the Lavender

August 29, 2008 by dailygnome 3 Comments


It all started with a design magazine I was reading while nursing Hadley this morning. Halfway through an article I realized the home and garden featured was located right down the street from our house. Walking distance. I told myself maybe I’d check it out on my run this weekend or leave a little early to pick Carson up from school and drive by.

On with my day. I had my List of Things To Do.

Time has been passing way too fast lately. I feel like both the summer and these early precious newborn days are slipping away. Hadley has been a champion sleeper which led me to say Yes to projects when perhaps I should have said No, taken more time off and relished this special time. When I’m working I’m thinking about what’s still on The List and as items get crossed off I just keep adding more. And when I’m with the kids I find myself thinking about a client email or a mock-up that needs to be finalized.

Today I realized there will always be emails to return, work to do, laundry to fold and house projects to tackle. But sunny days won’t stick around and Miss Hadley is getting older by the hour.

So I did something I never do. After lunch I sat down in front of my computer and shut it down. Then I went upstairs and scooped up my girl from her bassinet, put her in the Moby and walked out the front door. While she was still sleeping. In the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday. When I should have been working. Or checking things off that never ending List of mine.

It really was a beautiful afternoon, much too nice to be cooped up in the basement sitting in front of a computer. A short 15 minute walk and I was standing in front of the house. I took my time admiring the amazing design and the years of hard work and planning that went into it. I found the owner trimming back bushes and we chatted for a bit. He bought the house right after the article was published and felt very fortunate to be able to live in such a lovely space without putting years of work into it.

Then I continued my walk to the coffeehouse, ordered an iced mocha and spent the next hour lounging on a couch reading the paper. With my girl all snuggled up cozy against my chest fast asleep. In the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday. When I had Things To Do.

It felt very good.

Related Posts:

  • I Could Live In A Small Town...
    I Could Live In A Small Town...
  • 100 Things
    100 Things
  • Packing His Lunch
    Packing His Lunch
  • Blueberry Mornings
    Blueberry Mornings

Filed Under: Mamahood, Work

Comments

  1. katalin says

    August 29, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    sounds wonderful πŸ™‚

    Reply
  2. Nana says

    September 2, 2008 at 2:28 am

    I admire your ability to do this without facing a crisis or growing old. Time slides away all too quickly… Thanks for sharing so much with us all. When I want to smile I check the blog.

    Reply
  3. bailey's place says

    September 3, 2008 at 5:30 am

    Thanks for making us think of the things we should do – stop and smell the flowers. πŸ™‚ xoxo

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

{ daily feed }

subscribe in a reader or email

Looking Back

My Filing Cabinet

{ daily quotes }

As long as you embrace struggle and mistakes, you can learn anything.
–Salman Kahn

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.
– Henry David Thoreau

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
– Hodding Carter, Jr.

{ daily chatter }

  • dailygnome on Portland Bungalow Remodel: Before and After Exterior
  • Gillian on Portland Bungalow Remodel: Before and After Exterior
  • dailygnome on 100 Things About Me
  • Sarah G. on 100 Things About Me

{ Daily Pics }

Daily Gnome | life. family. home | Website Design by SimplyFine Design