Day 1108 Vision of Beauty

 

A clean sink is a small victory and a vision of beauty. Maybe it was the afternoon coffee I had, but I came home with enough energy to finish all the dishes, wipe down the kitchen counters, and sit back for a moment to enjoy the empty sink.

Don’t you just hate it when you’ve busted your ass to clean everything, only to have someone drop a dirty glass, dish, or piece of silverware right into your sparkling sink — especially when the dishwasher is empty? Since Tim was working late, I knew I’d get to enjoy my clean sink all night before he foils my vibe.

My chickens were thrilled to have me home for the evening. They love a night of free-ranging in the yard, scooping up all the bugs and worms, scratching around, and exploring. Once the sun sets, they instinctively find their way back into the henhouse to roost, so letting them out at night spares me the hassle of corralling them back inside.

I went back and forth between posting one of the many photos I’ve taken of my chickens or the clean sink, but the sink was just such a thing of beauty — I had to go with that one.

I'm still not sure if that late afternoon coffee was a good or bad idea. I had only tried it because I wasn’t sure if the new coffee pod would work in the Keurig. They’ve started making the pods without the plastic bottom, and when I saw it, I figured I had to test it. It worked! I love the idea of using less plastic, so I’m happy about the change. Now I can enjoy my single-serve coffee without the guilt of contributing more plastic waste.

Although, honestly, avoiding plastic altogether feels impossible these days. Everything seems to be packaged in it — or overpackaged. I bring our recycling to the transfer station a couple times a week and always try to round up all the plastic I can before each trip, hoping to save myself another run. But somehow, it seems to multiply when I’m not looking.

I can’t believe it’s already the last week before Labor Day weekend. The cool air each morning reminds me, even if I’m still trying to hold onto summer. My chickens love the fall, but the days are clearly getting shorter. I can already see it in their egg production — it’s starting to taper off. They’ll still lay through winter, just not as steadily.

As the seasons shift, I’m grateful for the small wins: an empty sink, happy chickens, and a warm cup of guilt-free coffee. Sometimes, those quiet little moments are what make a day feel complete.

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." — Robert Brault