August 27, 2026
This morning I awoke to completely new view out my window. I love that! Periodically, I crave traveling to new places and the opportunity to explore a landscape different from the one I enjoy in Richmond, Virginia. Yesterday I had my breakfast on the patio with our outdoor cat, Carlos, as I enjoyed watching the birds, squirrels and intensely green shade of my backyard. After my walk, I came home to pick some of my sweet one hundred tomatoes and the pink and black ones a teacher at Nick’s school grew from seed. I wished I knew their name. They are more of a typical cherry tomato flavor, but their coloring is exquisite! They start out green and black and then ripen deep pink and black. Of course, I had to pop a few into my mouth immediately. Yum! As I enjoyed a few moments in my well-tended yard, I tried to savor the lush foliage and humidity because I knew by nightfall the color pallet around me would be utterly changed.
All went smoothly as I flew to BWI and then Sky Harbor in Phoenix. It was very cloudy as we ascended in Baltimore and again our descent into Phoenix, and I was extremely grateful for the skilled pilot who navigated the turbulence smoothly. He kept warning us we might feel bumps, but it was not bad considering the volume of clouds. Just before we arrived at the airport there were some breaks in the clouds so that we could see a brilliant red sunset peeking through. On the ground the desert was less red and tan than I expected. My Uber driver explained that they had monsoon rains last week, so the desert was blooming in places it rarely does. Ah, I thought, that is why there were dark green plants on the mountain sides and more flowers than I would have expected in the valleys.
Cottonwood trees and mountains greeted me this morning as the sun rose. I opened my curtain to a view of the pool and a walking path beside the Gila River. The landscape was dusty tan, the trees a sage green and the sky grey and white where clouds dotted the blue sky. As the light increased, I could make out the red adobe of the conference hotel, pink started to tinge the grey clouds, and some outdoor seating beckoned to me from the courtyard below. Immediately, the path called to me to explore, but I determined a couple of cups of coffee and some yoga to stretch out my body from the flights needed to come first. Then, I gave myself the luxury of a long slow walk to savor the sights, sounds and smells of the area. The conference starts in several hours, so there is time for a mini-writing retreat and a spot of breakfast.
I am excited about the conference I am attending, but as much as anything I am looking forward to time and space to clear my head. Being surrounded by over 1000 peers who have lost a child will be healing and I hope to help me to find connection with others who are part of the club no one ever wants to join. Perhaps, I might be inspired by the landscape as well?
Mindful Musings 