Note to self: Invite more house guests to stay over.

My family (well, some of my family) came to my house for the fourth. Picnic food, frisbee, chat, chat, chat, chat, chat. The college put on a fireworks display 100 yards away from my house so we moved our chairs on over to the end of the lawn and watched. How awesome is that?

Yesterday, we took my sister and brother-in-law to the zoo. Because we've been there a hundred times, we tend to move pretty quickly through it. But Kath and Jim took time to experience the zoo. And so did we. It was beautiful outside--80's and no humidity for the first time in weeks. The zoo itself is a gracious place--plenty of space for the animals, lots of greenery and flowers. And I was truly mindful during our time there. Just wandering, and attending to whatever was near. Even the bazillions of Canada geese and mallard ducks were worthy creatures in my eyes.

When guests come, one drops everything to attend to the visitors. Hours usually spent on work, or worrying, or accomplishing tasks a, b, c, and d, get tossed out the window. Time is spent on conversing or playing. Mindfulness. There you go.