Vitamin D and the view from down here

So far this Spring, we have had about 3 days of sun.
Pittsburgh and it's surrounding area is known for it's gray skies and rain...all year round. It's unfortunate, but true. And so..by the end of winter, beginning of Spring..I am feeling the lack of Vitamin D we get from the sun. Last week, we had our first day of sun in a long while. A sunny day that was warm enough to sit outside.

I was feeling rather sluggish and extremely lazy and depressed. I don't think I had any good reason for it...but that was my mood. I picked myself up off the couch, opened the front door, and sat on the front step of our house. Here's exactly what I remember.

The sun was on my face. I closed my eyes and pulled the elastic band from my pony tail and let my hair fall into the warmth of the sun. I took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of everything Spring: fresh cut grass and damp earth. I put my hands on the top of my head and felt the warmth. Hanging my head down, I rubbed my neck with my hands, opened my eyes and looked at my feet in my son's flip flops. I wondered if the concrete walkway was warm from the morning sun. I kicked off the flip flops and was pleasantly surprised to feel the warm, rough texture under my feet.

I lifted my face to the sky, my eyes still closed. Orange light permeated my eye lids. It felt kind of uncomfortable, the feeling you get when your eyes are closed, but you're facing right into the sun...but I didn't budge.

I could take it.

Ahhhh, the heat was dry and warm...almost hot. It felt so good, like heaven on earth.

The stagnant, unwelcome chill of winter slowly left my body. It's been hiding in me, in my bones, stiffening my joints...infiltrating my psyche. Be gone winter chill...leave me alone...I don't want you anymore! Summer sun is my new best friend.

While the front of my body was in the sun, my back was in the shade of the roof over my front step. Looking down at the concrete walkway, it was more than I could resist. I shifted my body and sat on the walkway, turned around, and faced my chilled back to the sun. Ahh, the heat from the sun slowly permeated my sweater right through to my skin. It felt so good!

Ok, didn't need the sweater anymore. Shed the sweater. Felt the soft warm breeze with just a light undertone of cool. The sun was on my shoulders. Hadn't felt that in a long time!



I sat awhile, taking in everything...dandelions and fresh, newly grown grass to my right, flat landscape rocks and a bush to my left. Teeny tiny ants zigging and zagging across the concrete. I was relaxed and warm and it felt good. The kids were at school and the husband at work..it was peaceful. I thought to myself, I wish I could just lay down on this sidewalk here, it would be so comfortable, laying in the sun, right here.



But, if someone saw me laying here on the ground in front of my house, what would they think? Look at that weird woman. Is she hurt? Is she dead? What is she doing?

I said to myself..why can't I just have this simple pleasurable moment right on my own property...who cares what they think and so what if there are teeny tiny ants, what could they possibly do to me anyway.

And so, I layed back on the warm concrete.
It was wonderful!
It felt good!
I was relaxed.
I looked up and I thought, what a pretty picture, I should take a picture.



Do I have to take a picture of everything?

Yes.

The sky was so tremendously blue.
The clouds were so tremendously white.
The sun was so tremendously beautiful and warm.

Beautiful in that way, that you can't really see...because you can't really look at the sun even though you really want to.

And so I did.
As best I could.
For a split second.



About 20 feet from where I was laying, I could hear the water from the creek trickling and flowing over rocks...winding it's way past our house. I love that sound...just about one of the most soothing sounds in nature.

I looked across the yard, just over the creek to the field beyond...a massive spray of dandelions peppered one particular area.



How pretty, I thought. That's pretty.

All was right with the world...
at that spot...
at that moment...
well, even more than just one moment.

moments {as in plural}
many moments

And so these were the photos I took to share with you.
to remember...how good it feels to sit in the sun
on the first warm day of Spring.

I hope you enjoy my photos.
It is what I saw
from where I was
a different perspective
from down there
laying on my back
on the concrete walkway

with people driving by
and my neighbors wondering if I was ok
or just plum crazy.

They probably never even saw me.