Are You Happy?

In the past month or so many people have commented to me about happiness. "Are you as happy as you thought you'd be?". "Do you like it as much as you thought you would?"  "You seem so happy!"  "I have never seen you look so happy."  It seems to be a common thread in my encounters with people.

Let me tell you the answer to all of those questions. I have wanted this for almost forty years. Forty years!! It wasn't always in the forefront. My first love of the country and my first desire to live in the country is documented here. And now I am here. The place I always wanted to be.

Every day, every single day I look around in wonder and am so thankful that I have the privilege of living here.

Every day I have more work to do than I have ever done before and I love it.

Every day there are animals to tend to, compost to be fiddled with, dog poop to pick up, things to be built.

Every day I find more and more bruises and wonder where they came from. (I may need some safety boots as I set a pallet down right on top of my foot. Ouch.)

Every day I feed my family, tidy the house, do a little home school related planning.

Every day as I sit on my front porch and have my glass of wine I see a forest of trees. And as far as I can see, all those trees belong to me. Or I am a steward of them in reality.

Every day I hear the owls. See the moon. Listen to the coyotes. See the sun rise. Laugh at the hummingbirds trying to spear each other at the feeder. Listen to the grey catbird, the finches and the noisy blue jays.

Every day I watch Athena explore, catch frogs (and my are there a lot of frogs), laugh and play and almost every day at some point she says "I like life here."
Am I happy here? I couldn't be more!