Hill Country Retreat

I spent a few days at a cabin in the hill country last week. This was something I'd been looking forward to for a few months - a few days in the peace and quiet, with no to-do's, no schedules. The photo above is the view from our patio. We stayed at a wonderful little cabin that was fairly secluded.

The weather was a nice respite from the two months of 100 degree weather we had this summer. We even got our fire "fix" with the outdoor fireplace.

We brought a few DVDs, some games and lots to read. I was a little concerned that I would be bored. It's hard for me to spend a lot of time not "doing" anything. As it turned out, the time went by very fast. I spent most of the time outside on the patio. The view was great and there was a hummingbird feeder with a lot of action. I found that I really didn't read that much, I enjoyed watching the wildlife.

The time there reminded me how important nature is to my peace of mind. Although I love San Antonio, I miss the variety of natural areas we had in the Chicago suburbs. There were 5 different natural areas within a 10 minute drive of my apartment. Some were small, but they provided an oasis in the middle of the concrete suburbs. Here I have to drive 15-30 minutes to get to one of the parks. But this trip made me realize it is worth the time and effort to do so. Even 20 minutes in the woods can lighten my soul. So now, this week, as I get back to my schedules and to-do's, I feel a bit more contented, lighter and have a smile on my face.