TIME WELL SPENT / OUTDOOR LIVING
Happy Monday, y'all -
I hope you all had a great weekend! I apologize for my short stint of radio silence last week, but as most of you know from instagram, we had a rough couple of days. I am such a routine person and this time of year, my days start and end outdoors. Whether we're having coffee on the porch in the mornings, I'm watering all of our plants around 9AM, planting in the late afternoons once the sun starts to set, or grilling dinner on the back deck - our happy place is outside. That's one reason we take so much pride in how our outdoor space looks + feels because we live in it just as much as we do our house. As my mother in law has always said, 'your front porch is just another room of your home and your guests first impression'.
After last week's unfortunate turn of events, my happy place became so incredibly sad. Each night when J got home from work, rather than entertaining and cooking in, we spent countless hours making sure our coop and our remaining three babes were safe. We cleaned the chicken coop from top to bottom, reconfigured our current set up, and set traps to do everything in our power from allowing an intruder in again. And in order to distract ourselves from that, we also threw ourselves into a couple of projects. I joked on instagram a few days ago that my new 'happy hour' is staying home with a glass of rosè, a terra-cotta pot, and a bag of potting soil every day around 5PM. After a day full of emails, staring at a laptop for hours, working out, and cleaning the house, there's nothing better than escaping outside and planting something. J and I like to call it 'instant gratification'.
A lot of you watched my instagram stories about this old bucket, and as crazy as it seems, it's my new favorite addition to our backyard. J's dad has a work space/garage in their backyard and that's where the magic happens. Most of you know that when J and his dad get together to build something, it's always amazing. There are so many beautiful things that fill our home, both indoor and out, that are a result from the countless hours they've spent in that garage together. It's probably J's favorite time to spent with his dad, learning and creating. Aside from the woodworking that happens in that space, it's also filled with countless odds and ends that he's held on to for years, just in case. Apparently, just in case your daughter in law texts you and asks if you have an old galvanized bucket.
Typically after we eat a good 'ole, southern meal at my in-laws house, we grab four cups of coffee and spend the rest of the evening outside under the pergola. (I think we get our love for outdoor living from them.) That specific night, J's dad pulled out at least 10 different buckets for me to choose from. All different shapes and sizes, some old, some new. The first that caught my eye was obviously old, had white paint stains dripping down the outer edges, and signs of black tar on the inside. William, John's dad, started to explain a little about each one, but when he got to the one I had my eye on, the story was longer. He continued to tell us that his dad took that bucket with him to work every day, used it as a paint bucket at home when they repainted things around his childhood home, and William even washed his dad's feet in it when he became older and needed a little extra help here and there. I knew I was drawn to it for a reason.
Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet Giles, the soul of the family + famous grandpa that all the Runion stories are centered around, but I know he was a lot like my father in law - giving to a fault, can do or fix anything with his own two hands, prays hard and loves harder than anyone I know.
Even something as small as his old bucket, that would be passed to a granddaughter he never even met, is one of the greatest gifts I'll ever receive.
I planted in it almost immediately after bringing it home and love the way it stands out beside all of the aged terra-cotta in our backyard. Each and every morning I water it, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for a man I never knew, but played such at role in me becoming a Runion. Because of the way Giles raised William, and in turn William raised John, they both innately shaped the man that makes all of my days better. The man that gave me that last name and chose me to do life with.
It's the little things in life that mean the most and last week, as I took a step back from the blog + social media to take a little time for myself, I was reminded to focus on feeding my soul. Simply sitting in the place you find peace and feel the most content can change everything. Taking a deep breath and feeling grateful for small things, big things, and everything in between. Doing something you love and unplugging from that chaos for a bit. Never underestimate the power of doing what's good for you.
Or an old, galvanized bucket with an amazing story to tell.
Thanks so much for stopping by, xx.
M E G