October 14, 2008

Warmth

When I spend a long weekend in the mountain with my friends, each day ends with all of us gathered by the fire. Sometimes we dance. Sometimes we give each other massages or reiki. Always we talk. Quilt Artist will stitch bright bits of fabric, LovesCats will knit, and we all bring books and journals. We had a full moon ceremony one year, out on the porch, and another year, we took a long walk in the dark. Sometimes we listen to music, and other times, the crackling of the fire and the faint sound of the wind chimes on the porch keeps us company. Nights end with intimate conversation, as I stay up late to confide in one of my friends.

I fall asleep on the floor in front of the fire, settled cosily in a sleeping bag. When I wake in the morning, the fire is gone, but often the coals are still warm.

Because we stay up late, we get a slow start to the morning. Sleepily, we stumble out of bed, one at a time. Gorgeous Eyes makes coffee, filling the room with that wonderful scent. I don't drink coffee, but I love the smell. I fill the tea kettle with water and put it on the stove. I find a warm place on the porch to sit with my tea, positioning myself so that the sun will touch me. One at a time, my friends join me, the screen door slamming gently shut as each woman arrives with a bowl of food or mug of coffe. Slowly, we drink hot liquid, let the sun warm our skin, and gaze out at the lake. A peaceful start to the day.

Morning coffee

That's a close-up of my friend Gorgeous Eyes.

5 comments:

Linda said...

I'm jealous that it's cool enough there to have a fire. We're still in the upper 70s here. Soon enough, I suppose.

BrightBoy said...

What I love about you is that you're someone who never truly grew up; you and all of your friends have retained the spark that makes life so interesting and worthwhile.

If there were more Jo(e)s, the world would be a much better place.

I'd also like to say that I second Linda's jealousy; it was about eighty degrees here today.

jo(e) said...

Thanks for the compliment, Blackened Boy.

Yes, the nights were quite cold. The fire felt great. I love sunny fall days when it's cold in the shade, but warm in the sun.

Gawdess said...

that peaceful, golden start is caught beautifully here

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you have a wonderful life.