All around you...

"Well, there is magic all around you, if I do say so myself..."  Stevie Nicks, Rooms on Fire

 It was a week full of worries about loved ones facing medical challenges, feeling helpless to lend appropriate aid, fretting, and stewing. And still, the daily challenges of keeping hearth and home running, caring for animals, maintaining the regular work schedule, and trying to get fall chores done while the weather is fine. The pace was more hectic than usual, and I found myself sighing deeply often throughout the day. 

Yesterday, a new groomer friend and her sweet toddler came to visit for a bit while we worked.  I took them out to meet the goats when we had a lull. Something on my watering can caught my eye, a big praying mantis! I have been fascinated by these insects since I was a kid. My friends and I used to capture them and keep them as pets for a few days each. We would catch them crickets to eat and carry them about, even bringing them to school, keeping them in our desks during the day, and taking them out to recess on the playground to show them off to our classmates. 

This lovely lady was splendid in her green gown, and to my delight, I realized I'd found her in the process of laying her eggs! I paused for a moment amid a busy day to watch her abdomen pulsing as she went about creating her foamy nest.  

After admiring this little miracle, I took a few more steps and found something else wonderful in my garden. Clack cat had arranged himself adorably in a bucket. 

The visiting toddler enjoyed meeting the goats. I gave her a dandelion head, which she clutched firmly in her chubby fist before she and her sweet mama blew the seeds. She admired my baby chicks in their cozy coop and collected eggs from the big coop, still clutching the wilting weed. I gave her a dozen eggs to take home. 

As we walked back inside, a long-time customer arrived to pick up his dog. He asked me about some flowers in my garden and admired my rose bush, laden with blossoms. He looked me hard in the eye and said, "You are so lucky. This place is magic." It is true. Our home is my anchor when waves of concern keep crashing. If I stop sighing long enough to look, there is magic all around me.