I know I complain a lot.
I'm cynical.
Kinda grouchy sometimes.
Twist events just a tad
in order to make for a good blog.
But, in reality,
I'm actually a very positive person.
That's why today I'm not going to
gripe about how horribly hot it's been.
Or how I've worked my fingers to the bone
stacking firewood.
Or how every insect on the planet
has had a taste of my blood.
(I'm just lucky there aren't vampires in Missouri.
Or else I'd be a walking,
shape-shifting bat zombie
with a hillbilly coffin.)
I'm not going to tell you
how hard the mattress is at the cabin.
Or that my stupid pillow
is just a glorified maxi-pad.
Or that I've fallen in love with
Benadryl,
Calamine Lotion,
Deep Woods Off
and fly swatters.
I'm not here today to mention
how crunchy my laundry has been
because we have to line dry it.
Or that- to make matters worse-
some insect laid eggs on every single
piece of clothing while in dried
in the scorching summer sun.
I won't tell you
how I miss the computer
and the internet
and a coffee pot that doesn't leak.
It's been a trying two months.
But it has been worth every sting
and scratch
and sleepless itchy night.
My husband and I have spent the
evenings at the cabin
playing Scrabble
and Mancala
and reading books.
We never read.
We never play board games together.
At least not in our real world.
But, at the cabin,
we connect differently.
We enjoy the silence.
We appreciate nature.
We smile more.
And one special thing
that makes my heart warm-
we have Popsicle breaks.
After an afternoon of sweating
and hard labor,
we sit in the shade on our lawn chairs
and share a double Popsicle.
We don't even talk.
We just stare out into the woods
and the big, blue sky
and rest our minds.
I look over at my husband-
with wood chips in his sweaty hair,
paint splatters on his torn tee shirt,
graying, unshaven whiskers
and blistered hands-
eating a melting Popsicle-
and I suddenly see
the most handsome man in the world.
So, at the end of the day
I really can't complain.
I am blessed beyond measure.
