Green & Blue

I've realized recently that I am most at peace when I'm surrounded by green and blue. Trees, grass, sky, water. I'm not very athletic, G-d knows, but I love parks, picnics and outdoor markets. And I love just sitting outside, doing nothing, just being. And whenever I dream of having quality alone time, I always imagine sitting alone under an old oak tree on a grassy hill. And I've often thought I should be buried under a tree when I pass.


So perhaps dh's idea of relocating to NC (Charlotte area) in a year or two is something we should consider more seriously. Rumor has it there's plenty of green there. And mild temps. Change of seasons but very little snow. Hills. Trees. Hills. Trees. Sky. Lakes. Hmmm.

His argument for it is of course the change of seasons and milder summers, but also that it would be half way between my family and his, and a short enough distance that we could drive it in a day and have our car with us for the visit. Sounds reasonable. We'll see if it comes to pass.


We are presently living in a condo, which was a move intended to cut spending so that we could put the $ saved toward more important priorities. It was a big adjustment initially, as we downsized from a 4br house to a 2 br condo, but what we miss more than space is having our own outdoor gathering place. We do have a TINY screened patio out back here, but it's not comfortable for more than one person at a time, really. It's the one thing dh and I both complain about regularly. Otherwise our place has become cozy and comfortable enough. Our needs are met and the general location is good (next to a nice park, centrally located, etc.).


But while in NJ for our vacation recently, we stayed with dh's younger brother, D. D lives in a bungalow at the end of a dead-end street that backs up to a high school field. The perimiter of the school field is fenced and overgrown with trees, shrubs and vines, so he only has neighbors in front (across the street) and on one side. And even on the side there is a patch of green between his house and his neighbors. So, because he can, he chooses not to put curtains on the windows, except for sheers on the bedroom windows. And it's actually quite nice. Private, natural, and plenty of light.

While we were there we all got sick so we spent two full days hanging around D's house, infecting it will our coughs and sniffles. And it was actually very soothing. From his front porch we saw chipmunks, rabbits, squirrel, and birds. I almost expected Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs to knock on the door. :0) So, again, perhaps NC isn't such a bad idea, after all.