daily bliss: solstice

"we live in an old chaos of the sun..."

so writes Wallace Stevens in my favorite poem, "Sunday Morning."

and today is the day to celebrate all things sunny, and summer-ey, and magical.

if pagan celebrations at stonehenge are out of the question, you can consider celebrating as i have/plan to today:

awake to the sweet, sultry scent of peonies ever blossoming forth in a vase next to your bed...

decide to make the most of a quiet morning at your parents' home while they're away, visiting a friend in the hospital...

eat yogurt with honey and fresh, local strawberries outside, in your pajamas...

drive your mom's car to town, listening to the coffeehouse (acoustic singer songwriter, my *favorite* genre) and lithium (old school Seattle styled grunge)stations on her xm radio, with the sunroof open...

buy a bargain copy of Michael Perry's memoir Truck and Ralph Keyes The Courage to Write at Barnes and Noble...

order a medium skim cafe au lait and chocolate chip scone at your favorite local coffeeshop, and sit in the hot sun drinking, eating, and reading said Keyes book...

fill several journal pages with random musings, to-do-lists, and a little novel prose, after feeling inspired by Keyes to have courage to overcome (so many) fears...

walk along the muddy, swollen river, admiring a town that embraces wealthy Chicagolanders, gays, and Harley-ers equally and unconditionally...

browse artist galleries and think of color and flowers and dear, cherished landscapes...

finally write a blog entry you feel (mostly) happy to have written...

practice a few sun salutations on the shaded porch, until the mosquitos swarm...

don a bathing suit and head for the beach to walk, read, and sun...

wish your father and grandfathers a happy, happy father's day...

share a delicious meal and decadent dessert with your parents...

watch the sun slip over the horizon, over lake michigan, all the way to wisconsin, as the longest day of the year fades away...

gather your things, pack your bags, make a boat reservation, and prepare to leave one home for another...

listen to a few special songs, marvel at the cheery call of the whipporwill, drink in the fragrance of peonies, and drift off into sleep, dreaming of future goodness and more happy days to come...