With so many half-finished projects inside, we've been spending as much time outside as possible. We wake up to half-primed walls, give them a tip of the hat, then politely exit stage left, escaping to our beautiful gardens.

We're slowly getting to know them, these lush, green "walls" of ours. It seems we discover a new flower daily, a new insect hourly. 

When we first toured this house, it was the end of a long day of house hunting. We were tired. Hungry. Discouraged. As we drove to this house, we were resigned to rent for another year because nothing was working out for us - nothing felt right. We got here, climbed out of the car, grumpy as ever, and started to walk around. Like a balm for the soul, this place started to work its wonders immediately. Finn perked up and began to explore the many wonders of nature and hidden spaces. Patrick's furrowed brow relaxed. I immediately saw us here. Outside. 

There is always work to be done outside, as stewards of this plot of land. However, it's so much less weighty than inside work. If a plant grows wild, it is still beautiful. (If a sink leaks, the beauty is less ... umm ... striking.) If the grass grows too tall, it is a better playground for a cat. 

We love it out here.