"Sunday @ the Lake"

I love writing "Sunday @ the Lake" in my journal on the weekends when we get to spend Saturday night and most of Sunday at our little lake cabin. After eight and a half years of working on Saturdays I'm still not used to not having a two day weekend, but I have learned to make the most of Saturday evening and Sunday. Buying this cabin was one of the smartest things we've done. (My husband says it is the most selfish thing we've ever done.) Only one hour from our home, it feels like we are a million miles from our real lives. The flat cotton fields fall into a deep canyon of stratified rock known as the Caprock Escarpment about 15 miles to the west our cabin. From our back porch deck we have a magnificent view of a lake. We have vacationed in many beautiful spots, but very few can rival the beauty of the canyon, the mesquite and cactus landscape and our lake view.

The entertainment here is phenomenal. Every evening we are treated to a live show. The cast may change, but the performances are award-winning. Last night as we sat next to the chiminea enjoying the warmth and pinon pine scent we watched as a herd of no less than a dozen deer grazed in the meadow between us and the lake. When it grew too dark to distinguish their tan shapes from the dormant winter grass they slowly and gracefully moved back to their hiding places. Later, lying in bed, I was struck by the silence. No sounds of traffic or sirens or the thud of some idiot teenager’s car stereo bass. I could hear nothing but the occasional reminder that the west Texas winds do blow.

Today there is no laundry to fold, no floor to sweep, no garden to tend. I am truly away from it all. I can forget about work - no reports to write, no phone calls to return, no programs to plan. I can read a book without guilt, I can stare at the lake view, I can do absolutely nothing if that is what I choose. This evening we will return to our real lives, and, as has become our custom, when we drive out of the canyon and are once again on flat ground we will pick up our cares and responsibilities as we head toward home. Knowing I will soon have another "Sunday @ the Lake" journal entry sustains me.