Celebrating Summer and More
Happy Summer Solstice!
I hope you are celebrating the treasures of spring as we move into the long days of summer ahead! I am still basking in the gifts from this past week.
Last Wednesday, my husband, Rob, and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. We had originally planned do something big to celebrate. We spent our 10th anniversary in Niagara Falls, but weren’t able to visit the Canadian side because neither of us had our passports. I thought we might go back there for our 20th, passports in hand, and finally visit the Canadian side of the falls. Or maybe I would finally set my fear aside and agree to fly somewhere. I’ve always wanted to see the crater in Arizona or visit San Francisco.
But for reasons large and small, we agreed several months ago that this was not the year to do something grand. Instead, we celebrated our 20th anniversary in much the same way we fell in love in the first place - out in nature.
When my husband and I were dating neither of us had much money. We were both working jobs with strange hours, so one of our favorite things was to meet at local parks and hiking trails near each of our homes on weekdays when these spaces weren’t crowded.
Sometimes we took out Rob’s canoe. Other times we walked on trails. Once we even went 4-wheeling in my husband’s old Ford Bronco. The theme was always exploration and adventure. We got lost. We wondered how such large boulders ended up among a forest of trees. We saw turtles, blue heron, egrets, baby bunnies, and even a snake or two. We picnicked under shady trees. And we laughed.
Thinking back on our 20 years together, it is the moments we’ve enjoyed in nature that I treasure the most. So it felt right to celebrate outdoors. That’s just what we did.
First, my husband surprised me with a basket of purple and white petunias to add to our patio. They are so pretty!
Next, we went to a local bar and grill, called The Hideaway, and had dinner on the deck. The place is in the woodsy artist town of Mt. Gretna, so the deck is surrounded by trees. The weather was perfect! Next, a walk through Mt. Gretna and some browsing at the gift shop that sells all kinds of yard ornaments and gardening gear. It’s always a treat to check out the treasures from delicate wind chimes and frog statues to repurposed lanterns and walking sticks. And finally, ice cream at The Jigger Shop!
Our celebration continued on Friday with a morning bike ride on one of our favorite shady trails, followed by delicious pizza at a small pizzeria near the trail. I think one of the reasons we visit that trail as often as we do is the reward of the pizza after the ride.
We had a wonderful time and the time outdoors did wonders for my creative spirit. While we were in Mt. Gretna, I snapped a few pictures of some woodland greenery in decorative hanging baskets to inspire my work.
And, I realized something. My current pattern collection is evolving. It doesn’t want to be what I originally planned. The inspiration of those woodsy hanging baskets had me in my studio drawing up a storm on Saturday. I’m reconnecting with the magic of forest greenery and wild flowers. So while the plan was to create my next collection around broader, commercial themes, my art has other ideas. I am happily following where it leads. After all, I’ve learned that getting lost in love can be a very good thing in art and in life.