rainy winter wonderland

What to do outside in the New Year of 2013 when it's rainy and drizzly in Austin, TX, lucky us!
Really, I'm so thankful to be sequestered indoors with nothing to do but read books, cook cozy food, field rambunctious wild children while it rains, in any quantity the rain gods are willing to shower upon us.

BUT, for the garden, out there. Well, in my professional life we're still scooping up lots of leaves, cutting back now frozen melted planted (lightly), shaping up gangly, untamed greenery (hardly needed), and then, happily scooting ourselves back inside.
All has already been mulched with a thick layer of Texas hardwood and prepped for this time of quiet and stillness.

In my own garden at home, I'm doing a whole lot of nothing. I'm watching the leaves pile up and gently nudging them out of pathways, but allowing it to build up in the beds and do there thing--mulch the garden--keeping my plants just a tad cozier and allowing the leaves to break down when they're ready and return to the blessed Earth. And, hopefully, give a little bit of nutrients along the way.
Even with our several freezing temperatures, I have been embarrassingly lazy and hopeful these fellas outside of my home will just make it, please. And, to my happy surprise they have! My citrus, succulents and all have proven hearty enough. If we continue to get repetitive below freezing temps I will cover them then, I promise not to falter. But, right now, the warm enough drizzly nights keep me from running furiously out into the cold, freezing all extraneous parts of my body to numbness.

In both work and home, this is the time where I'm just allowing things to be. Move into their natural dormant state, as I am too. Slow down, tidy minimally or as needed-- more so, with clients.
But, at home, I'm just giving myself permission to let it be. Now could be the time to think about Spring design plans, but still gently and generally, I think.
Spring energy comes quick and fast. That is when my creative energy matches my mind, heart and soul and bursts me into action. Now, I can linger and I love it so.

I love that the work I do out in the world matches all of the seasonal cycles of doing and being, preparing, acting, and quietly planning. Amen.
Loving rest time.