Memorial Day 2020 found me afternoon sleeping in the hammock. I admit I slept because I was so relaxed that I’d drooled – which I discovered when I awoke. Feeling safe enough to fall asleep outside, in a hammock is a testament to feeling at home. Calm, quiet, restful times are associated with home. (Noisy, playful times are too.)
For twenty years I’ve enjoyed hammock time. Camping. Evening sky-watching before going to bed and still feeling the sway when crawling into bed. Think rubber-legs after roller-skating. Backyard minutes and sometimes an hour bring refreshment. Inside hammocks hung in a child’s bedroom between two walls have created moments of calm.
Heading into summer, some of you will say “patio time” or “happy hour” or “river rafting” is your equivalent hammock time. Here’s the key: any time you feel relaxed and happy could be hammock time.
For me, the hammock itself is important because of how it makes me feel.
The swing and sway. There is no other feeling like the swing and sway of a hammock. Yes, I’ve tried upright swings, sky-chairs and glider chairs. Nothing compares. Not even laying across the hammock so I can kick off the ground with me feet. The calm I feel when lengthwise in a hammock is comforting.
Sky-viewing. No matter the weather, time for watching the sky is available when in the hammock. Clouds. Sunlight. Sunrays through the trees. Storms rolling in. Clouds in recognizable-object shapes. Sunlight obscured by clouds. Helicopters. Airplanes and contrails. Birds. Bees and insects. The moon and stars.
Bird sightings. Mourning doves. American Goldfinches. Crows. Ducks. Geese. Each has its own altitude. Sparrows fly low on their way to the birdfeeders. The whoosh of wings within feet of my head brings joy every time. The whistle of a duck’s wings in flight brings a smile. On Memorial Day, a heron flew over – far above, but still over the hammock.
Breeze catching. Under the shade of the seventy-year-old (or more) apple tree, the breeze catching is delightful. Look at the photo. Can you feel the breeze? Smell the apple blossoms that are forming this year’s crop?
Wind-chime music. The apple tree hosts two windchimes. Fun looking and easy listening in afternoon breezes, the wind-chimes provide balm to city-tired ears.
When hammock time is not hospitable, I like to curl up with a book in a splash of sunlight. On the bedroom or living room floor. In a chair, with my legs tucked up beneath me.
What’s your favorite “hammock time”?
Are you alone or with others?
Nesting is about the objects and experiences that create a sense of home. Without home, it is difficult to maintain health, find joy, or to be productive. Enjoy the Nesting series of blogs on your search for and creation of a deep sense of home. –Jana