Good Friday?

Good Friday was actually a great Friday! It was one of those days when everything was perfect. The sky was cloudless, the air was warm and still, and because it was a holiday, it seemed much quieter than usual. We opened the patio doors to the balcony to let the warm fresh air in. I'm sure I've never really noticed spring's arrival like I have this year - I feel like I'm witnessing an explosion in slow motion, every plant seems to be bursting!

We dragged our two reluctant teenagers out and went for a walk along the river. We passed joggers, people walking dogs, cyclists and children on skates along the way. It reminded me of Sunday's in England before the shops were allowed to open (everything shuts here on Sundays and holidays). On the way back we took a detour up a very steep road. There were a couple of roofs visible from the road but as we got to the top and turned the corner we were in a tiny village. The first building was bathed in reflective light and had plants growing all over it. It was begging to be photographed and I had no camera! And as I looked left to the other buildings (two very grand houses, an old barn, a vineyard and some smaller houses) my heart sank - this was just beautiful! The shuttered windows, the doors, the decorative railings, the plants growing in the old brickwork, cobbled pavements - and the light was perfect! Talk about the agony and the ecstasy! Curse that camera!

Do you ever think about what day you might want to repeat if you had the chance? Would it be a day when you did something out of the ordinary or significant? For me it is those very ordinary days when the family are relaxing and just 'being'. I remember another such day when I was watching Mark playing with the boys in the garden in Dubai. (My perfect days seem to include blue skies quite often!) Strange that those days are more easily forgotten than, say, birthdays and anniversaries.

I was also thinking that maybe my broken camera is trying to tell me something - that I should be sketching more. I collected some leaves and flowers that had fallen to take home and draw. I want to remember this day! After dinner, I took them out onto the balcony and drew them until the light faded. Good Friday? Oh yes!