#24 The Courtyard

This year, I'm going to spend 31 days writing about places.  In my profession, I talk about place-based writing quite a bit.  I frame it like this when I share:  We believe in the power of including spaces in the process of writing.  Place-based writing is the concept that the place where we write may influence our thinking, impacting the writer’s perspective, engagement, ownership, and/or purpose.  I'm really jazzed up, thinking about where I will spend time as a writer in 31 different spaces this month and how I can use each post to share a little slice of my day. 

Today, my courtyard.

In 2020, a house-flipper bought the house next door.  The previous owner had a very DIY kind of pond situation going on in the backyard.  The flipper intended to basically bury everything and sod the top.  My hubby interjected and asked if we could have all of the rocks, and they gladly gave them over.

He turned a very muddy area of our yard into what we now affectionately call the courtyard.  It's a corner of our yard that has honestly received the least love over the years, but I'm determined to make the summer of 2026 different.

I'm on spring break... which means I get to move a little slower, live a little more deliciously.  So, this morning, I made my favorite breakfast--breaded zucchini.  And I ate it in my courtyard.  Two birds visited the fish pond.  One took a bath.  The wind was chilly, but the sun was bright.  I was even in a good enough mood to share a few nibbles of breakfast with my pups.  It was a good start to a busy day.

Later today, I'm going to spray paint the little outdoor table and chairs I sat in and find more love for this place right outside my door.