I carefully made my way from the house over to my favorite spot on the whole property.  It was under the trees, of course just about all of my property in covered in trees, and next to the creek that flowed continuously throughout the year.  My husband and eldest son had made the place a bit of a haven for me and had cleaned up the large natural clearing and edged it in natural flagstone.  In the center was the fire pit where my friends and I would sit around a nice fire and discuss just about everything.  On the west end of the area was a glass top table and chairs, that's where I liked to sit and write or think or even just enjoy the natural world around me. 

It was still early in the morning but all of the animals had been fed and watered and I was free to spend a little time by myself.  I carefully carried my cup of coffee, didn't want to spill any of it on myself, and made my way past the goat pen.  The four goats joyfully ran up to me bleating and begging for treats.  Yes, these are pets for me also.  Various neighbors here in the country had pretty much just dropped them off, not wanting to be bothered with them.  They quickly became my four-legged lawn mowers and brush hogs, the darn things eat just about any kind of brush and undergrowth.  So, I have four goats in addition to the dogs and cats that populate my little farm.  I petted each of them and continued on my way to my haven.  The recent rains had made the ground marshy and I didn't want a repeat of yesterday where I had very ungracefully taken a fall after slipping in the mud.  No real damage, just lots of mud and my bruised ego. 

I stopped on the path for a moment, noticing the movement of water from the small wet weather streams that came down and connected to the creek a little ways off.  'Cannas,' I thought to myself, 'we need to plant cannas to stabilize this marshy area...'  I made a mental note to plant some in the coming week and continued on towards my haven.  I arrived at my table and set the coffee cup down along with the notebook and pen that I had carried under my arm.  The pillar candles were quickly emptied of the water that they held from the previous rains and were then lit.  I wiped off the chairs and made sure that they were dry and arranged one for me at the table.  I was finally able to sit down and get comfortable. 

After having lived for so many years in the heart of various large cities, I dearly love the peace and quiet of the country.  No traffic sounds, no sirens, no neighbors close enough to hear my conversations.  Nothing around me but trees for some distance.  I took a deep breath and let out a sigh of contentment, I was truly happy here.  After looking around for a few moments, I closed my eyes and centered myself.  I went through the mental exercises to slow down my breathing and expand my awareness to be a part of the natural world around me.  I could hear the birds and the waters flow and the movement of animals in the underbrush.  I even became aware of the hum of the earth beneath me and could feel the surge of energy that told me soon everything would be green again.  I stayed there, out in nature, for some time just being aware and feeling everything. 

Since my body had stopped working properly several years ago I found that I had to use the tools at hand, my mind.  I learned to do various mental exercises and this was one of my favorites.  It allowed me to quickly travel out into the world and being a part of nature was, to me, a gift that I didn't waste.   My life had been filled with moments of great sorrow and great joy and great excitement and challenge.  Now I found joy and happiness in moments of peace and contentment.  I thrilled at the sight of wildflowers growing at the edge of the trees, the sound of the wind and the cry of the Kestrel flying high above me.  I once again opened my eyes and smiled at the thought of new life surging beneath me.

I shifted my walking cane to another chair and opened up my notebook to begin writing.  A soft little 'meow' came from my feet and I looked down to see a small black fluffy kitten looking up at me.  I looked around and saw that several kittens of the most recent litter had followed me out to my haven.  I smiled as I saw them make their down the path, scampering and playing the whole way.  The little one before me was one of my favorites, she was smaller then her siblings and therefore I was always giving her extra food and attention.  Her large golden eyes were a beautiful contrast to her dark fluffy hair that stuck out at all angles.  She meowed at me again and then leapt up to grab a hold of my leg and clamber up into my lap.  Now, most would have yelped at this, she was using her claws to dig in and get good traction.  The one thing I didn't mind about having Multiple Sclerosis was that I never felt it, or any other pain in my legs.  The kitten quickly settled in and curled up into a ball, purring contentedly.  As I saw the others coming towards the table I closed the notebook, I knew that I wouldn't get any writing done this morning.  Soon the entire clearing was the center stage of a kitten dance and I laughed at their antics as they played and pounced and tumbled about.  Only in my haven could I enjoy such delights.