the long day

sunday was a day like those of your childhood, when the hours stretch out and out and out, a mysterious gift of space/time on a summer weekend. i'd prepared and eaten a huge breakfast, read a magazine before the baby woke up, finished the dishes, started some laundry, got the baby up, changed, and nursed, took a very long walk, weeded a bit in the garden, grazed for snacks, nursed again and put the baby down for a nap, and then realized it was only 1 o' clock! i haven't had a day like that since i was 10, but the memory and realization of it came back at once in a rush. such a nostalgic, unexpected joy!

the weather, too, was incredible for mid-July. clear, cloudless sky, crisp blue, with a breeze that rustled leaves and flowers, bringing the scent of my chocolate and orange mint into the screened porch. it couldn't have been 75 degrees when i got up, so i opened all the windows. after the thick blanket of days we'd had last week, saturday's rains really cleared the air.

cleared my mind, too, it turns out. and i needed it, because, without revealing identities or addresses, the party we attended saturday night at a most palatial (to me) home set high upon a hill in a very swanky ... um, village of the wealthy ... well, let's just say, when i discovered they were younger than us AND their half-bath was literally the size of our dining 'area,' i was brought to tears. not to mention the seething envy that seized me when i set eyes upon their walk-in kitchen pantry, with more storage and space than any one of our actual closets. i'm truly not usually one to envy the wealthy or desire Things that money can bring. but for some reason, in light of current financial ... um, uncertainties ... in our lives, this was too much. i felt so numb when we left the party.

but sunday's clear, long day, a pep talk from husband T, and a wonderful evening with friends Z and L did help. i found some gratitude for what we do have, gained a bit of perspective, and by the time i went to sleep last night, i was feeling sorry for the wealthy of the world ... always having to consume and dress well and throw parties with excessive coordinated themed decor. i can't imagine the pressure.