Outside v. Inside

I am an outside kind of gal.  Even as a bookish child, my preferred reading spot was on a wooden seat nailed high up in a maple tree in front of our house.  When that maple tree died, I mourned and was racked with guilt, thinking that my little bench had hastened its demise (which it probably did).

I like to walk outside, soak up the sunshine and read a book, and play in the dirt.  Winter is tough for me.  When I lived in Africa I loved that the majority of life was spent outdoors.  My "mama" there would just haul the table and chairs outside, and we would eat our lunch and have out tea under the shade of the avocado tree.  It was absolutely lovely, and something that I need to incorporate into my fluorescent lit life more often.

Apparently my daughter is her mother's child.  Yesterday evening, while Hubs was out of town for work, Miss Priss, as is her wont when I am alone, was having a fussy day.  Lord! That child was either eating, sleeping or crying!  I tried to get her to sleep.  I fed her.  I rocked her.  I sang to her.  All to no avail.

Then, covered in spit-up, clad in shorts, a hoodie and my slippers (me- pretty much the same outfit as these pictures, but even rougher) and rather filthy footie (Miss Priss), I sat her down in my lap on the front stoop. Buddy sat by our side, and I sipped a cup of hot, sweet milky tea, like I drank in Tanzania.

We watched the honeybees zoom around my pansies, and talked about the cars driving by.  Buddy licked away some remaining tears, and protected his girls.  As I discussed with my daughter what I would plant in my front beds this spring, her fussiness dissolved into smiles.  She and I just relaxed, and my day went from tense to joyful.  It's amazing what a little fresh air will do.

This weekend I dressed her in one of my old dresses, soft from wear and just laid on a quilt under the shade of the blooming Bradford Pears.  Hubs joined us, and shaped away.  I would have put on some different clothes and some makeup if I had known, but Miss Priss looks too sweet not to share with y'all.

So are you an inside our an outside type?  I think Hubs is more inside, except for restaurant patios!  Haha- he will kill me for saying that!