The joy of a quiet moment and a cool breeze.

I bought my first home, a 2-BR/2-BA condo, the day after I turned 55--I know, late bloomer much? How many people can say that the first home they owned was their retirement home?!? I LOVE my place and I have had so much fun decorating it. One of my favorite spots is the veranda. It wraps around the back of my place in a big L shape, with sliding glass doors into the master bedroom, livingroom and dining room. When the weather is nice, as it has been this past week, I can open all the veranda windows and sliders and get an incredible breeze through most of the condo. To go a week without air conditioning in August is some kind of miracle for me! My place in the DC area had no cross ventilation so the AC was nearly always on in summer.

I've recently taken to sitting in a comfy chair in the back corner of my veranda in the late afternoon/early evening to read. Yesterday afternoon, I sat out there re-reading The Secret (something I've been meaning to do for a while) and highlighting passages that particularly resonated with me. I have a tiny little stereo out there and listened to Keali'i Reichel, a Hawaiian singer I discovered on my first trip to Hawai'i in 1997. His voice is so clear and pure--it always puts me in a relaxed and serene state--and, of course, because many of his songs are sung in his native language, listening to him reminds me of Hawai'i.

The combination of enjoyable reading, calming songs, strong breeze and the sounds of nature (birdsong, crickets and cicadas) made for a joyous moment of quiet reflection. I know that not everyone has the joy of solitude that I do. Many people are afraid to be alone with themselves and fill up every moment with family, friends and activities. But sitting there, alone, reading and taking in all of those sensations--that is pure joy to me. In fact, I had to force myself to not get in TOO relaxed a position while reading because I've fallen asleep out there a few times! After living in a place for 30 years that made it difficult to get much of a fresh breeze inside, I am finding that just sitting and revelling in the feel of a cool breeze on my skin is a joy in itself. It is like that sort of lazy stupor you get after you've spent the day at the beach--the combination of exertion, fresh air and sunshine.

If you'd like to check out Keali'i Reichel's work, try this link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_m?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=Reichel

The CDs of his I own are all outstanding:
Kawaipunahele
Melelana
Lei Hali'a