Seeking Calm? Maybe It's Blowing In The Wind...

 We found the outdoor umbrella at a yard sale several weeks ago. We were seeking refuge from the sun. 

Turns out, it's provides refuge of another sort...

It's darn soothing.

At our last home, our neighbor planted quaking aspen trees. Those trees have their good points and not so good points. I do not like the way the trees invade all the ground they surround. We did not prevent the trees from spreading and we had shoots popping up in our lawn.

But, I will always love the sound of wind rustling through the leaves on a quaking aspen tree.

We've moved to a--for the most part--treeless environment. It makes for spectacular views of clouds and sky, but I miss the sound of wind in the trees. 

Enter, the umbrella.

At first, I thought the plastic tassels to be "kitschy," but in a good way. It was different from all the other umbrellas...we thought it cool. The past couple of weeks we've found ourselves spending some time on the back patio in the mornings. The air is crisp and the breeze, almost perfect. The sound of the wind blowing over the umbrella is a great way to calm whatever ails a person. Something about that sound...I can't really explain it, it takes the edge off quite nicely.

Yes, we bought it because it looked fun. Glad it's more than that.