Family, Friends and Apples: A Day in the Life Sunday

A few weeks ago I wrote about my ideal day. Yesterday, although it didn't involve a a spa or a new look, was what I would call a close-to-ideal day. It was our duly-declared fall tradition of visiting the orchards in town.

Growing up, either I didn't have (or didn't visit) apple orchards in my hometown. Now it has come to be the one thing we look forward to each year as summer moves on and fall fills the air.

My inner noise was quiet surrounded by pumpkins, horses and the sounds of Paul Imholte stringing in the background at Collegeville Orchards. It stayed quiet as we moved on to the apple (and a few pear) trees at Hidden Cove Orchards, my favorite orchard in town with. We walked among the trees, enjoyed the landscape and left with homemade apple pies, blueberry pies, apple bars and Honey Crisps to die for. On our way to the corn maze the kid and I get lost in every year, we stopped by St. John's Arbotetum and took the 1.5 mile tour on the boardwalk loop.

Surrounded by family, friends and a ton of sunshine, the day was great.

Today, after I get out and run (because I have weight to lose), we're heading to the Millstream Arts Festival before we take the boat out for what may be our last time on the Mississippi this season.

How about you, what have you been up to this weekend?

My Ideal Day: A Day in the Life Sunday

Have you ever spent time thinking about what your ideal day would look like? Well, I had not until Becky Robinson asked me that very question. As part of a campaign with Jason Womack, author of Your Best Just Got Better, Becky is asking people to describe their ideal day.

I'm in. Are you?

My ideal day is a day without a plan. It begins with me waking up on my own. It's quiet inside the house and even quieter inside my head. Moleskine is hand, I write, capturing free-flowing unedited thoughts while observing how easily they connect if I stay out of their way.

I exercise. It could be a bike, run or hike but it is outside and my thoughts are on nothing other than the movement, the sounds and my strength.

By the time I finish, the family is awake and humming along. Breakfast is a must and an ideal weekend breakfast is brunch-like with oatmeal or French toast complete with nuts and fruit and coffee with Baileys. Oh, bread pudding! The fall in the air today has me remembering a Vermont maple farm brunch I read about but I could be just as happy at a local coffee shop with indie music and a great artisan bakery.

We eat, talk, read, watch TV, walk the dog - whatever. The activity, or lack of activity, is not important. What's important is that we are together, in the moment, with a quiet understanding and total acceptance of each other as individuals and as a family unit. 

My ideal day is not only about what I am doing, it is also about whom I am doing it with. My ideal day is about the state of my relationships and  being present for them by quieting my inner noise. Now . . . a day at the spa, a new look and a great dinner wouldn't ruin an ideal day either.

Photo credit: iStockphoto