A Cup of Coffee in Paradise

I've sipped a cup of Kona coffee overlooking the ocean from the balcony of a multi-million dollar hotel in Wailea, Maui, Hawaii.  And that was an amazing way to start the day - but this post is not about Maui.

I live about three and one half hours from my parents and the home where I grew up.  Three and one half hours and a WHOLE WORLD AWAY.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to live there, but if you want to de-stress and disconnect from the world it's a pretty good place to go.

Growing up a lot of kids I knew had Dads that worked away from home for weeks or months at a time.  My Dad, fortunately, was able to live on his farm in the country and hold a good job for the local electric cooperative.  He had vacation, insurance, retirement AND his country life, but mostly importantly he was home with his family.  When I married my husband we lived in the area for a while but eventually the search for a job with a decent salary and benefits for our growing family took us away to first one big city, then another. (and fortunately a few small towns in between)

I AM not a city girl, I will NEVER be a city girl, the desire to be a city girl isn't even in my genes.  But I'm somewhat adaptable so most days I can tolerate living in close quarters with thousands of people.  Some days I just NEED to go home.  When you get up in the morning at my Mom's house it's usually because she's rattling pots around in the kitchen. Their house is old and if anyone is awake you can hear it all over the house.  But you can also smell the coffee brewing, anticipate breakfast cooked by Mom and know that your day is going to be full of hugs and unconditional love and acceptance.

So you get up and you pour a cup (if Mom doesn't beat you to it) and you go out the front door and you sit on the steps that run all the way across the front porch and you just breathe.  You breathe in the fresh air, the misty morning, the quiet.  You watch a few cows grazing and in the distance you can see the two lane highway, a car goes by now and then.  And while you sit this is your view.

I'm telling you the truth - all the tension drains right out of your body and you feel your mind and body begin to relax.  So you just sit and listen and breathe
and drink your coffee.

And there are always cars in the driveway because my parents have four kids, four kid-in-laws, twelve grandkids, a bunch of great-grandkids and more friends than I can count.

A lot of people don't realize that Oklahoma looks like this.  They have an image in their mind of Oklahoma from the movies and TV.  This is my Oklahoma.




There are lakes and beautiful sunsets



and rivers



water sports (and family)

 













(almost) mountains

 


really big rocks

 


beauty

 

I'm from Oklahoma and proud of it.  It will always be home to me.  And sittin' on the front porch in the early mornin' with a cup of coffee brewed by Mom will always be a slice of paradise to this country Okie gal.

Live, Love, Laugh, and just Breathe,

Laura