The No-Nap Painting

There's something about having a coffee in neat neighborhood cafe in a new city that makes you completely content with life; a perfect moment. In fact, that's common with any activity you do while traveling, something as simple as riding a bike or reading the paper on a bench becomes more vivid, more "interesting" than if you were doing the same thing at home. Your friends say "wow" when you tell them about the time you did the crossword overlooking some suspended bridge or water fountain.

I've had a long serie of these moments these last summer days; sucking on homemade popsicles, watching the kid play with the hose, sipping wine with the neighbors, seeing the salmon jump the hatchery ladder, painting a large canvas and many other deliciously simple activities. I've enjoyed these slower days and relish them just as if I were on vacation away.

Sometimes I regret, for a moment or two, especially on long weekends, not having planned something more extravagant: a road trip, a camping adventure, or a romantic getaway with my husband, but I quickly get distracted with daily trips to the park, having snacks with the belugas at the aquarium and having the kid's friends over for old fashioned bed jumping.

My no-nap painting

It's been a week since my son has decided that naps were not part of his daily repertoire of favorite activities, much to my exhausted dismay. "I no close my eyes" he says as I set him down in his bed for "quiet time". As he's spending a good hour talking in bed and inventing scenarios with his stuffed animals, I've been downstairs painting away. Clearly, my frustration with the no-nap situation was transferring itself onto my canvas, because I think I've changed the colors of these darn triangles at least a zillion times all the while hoping I wasn't nearing that "gesso it back to white" moment when you've gone too far and it has become a big puky mess.

So much to my delight, the boy has broken his no-nap pattern today, and I am here finally back to my blog, listening to piano on CBC and feeling the breeze on the patio. Another perfect peaceful summer moment at home.