Yesterday, my bare feet in the cool sand and sun filtering through the dunes, I learned against Walker and said I’d remember these hours as some of the best in Scotland. I’m telling you, I was giddy in the endless supply of sea air, the scent of warmed sand.

Our faces are a little pinker, our shoes silted with sand, and our lungs a little tired today after the fullness of yesterday. When the sun is shining in St Andrews, there is only one place to go, and we were there. The beach. We’re talking per-fect weather in the 60s with puffy winds and warm beams. We spent a good part of yesterday walking to the end, and then going home to get the picnic blanket for an evening sit.

Being the to-do list type, me sitting still and quiet in one place is reserved only for sleep. And the beach. With its kites, wet puppies, frisbees, and volleyball, I sat and watched little boys chasing each other down to throw globs of slimy seaweed at eat other, flirting couples foot-deep in the water kicking the water into fans at the other. There was a faint hint of cigarettes, of grilling that means the beach is full of life.

I felt the evening sun on my face and listened to crows slow flapping overhead, and with the waves moving out and people passing and passing by, I felt calm and safe and at peace. The beach does that: it takes all the flailing arms, the waddling babies, the landing of birds, and in the vast, vast openness with the background sounds of waves, it puts them in their place. It rolls over the talking and the whistles, the barks and crunches, and presents the day as a colorful present.

More than any other I can remember, this weekend we closed our computers and refreshed ourselves. We sat in the shadow of John Knox’s cathedral eating gourmet pizza and watched the hills behind the golf course turn navy and blues. We watched a cheesy movie and held onto each other a lot. And at the end of the weekend, we thanked Him for refreshment. It is good. And somehow, getting back to the computers and books today we have a bit more calm in our souls, a bit more energy for our routines.

Sometimes refreshment comes in the form of a calm beach day. It also came this weekend in the form of a fun parade. St Andrews Kate Kennedy Procession, a complicated St Andrews tradition that involves dozens of people elaborately dressed as historical characters from St Andrews' past walking through town, was Saturday. Bagpipes, horse-drawn carriages covered in fresh daffodils, fake beards, and religious characters were all spotted. Kids’ eyes were glued on the jester with candy, and it was a laugh and half.

There is a lot of excitement ahead, and per requested, and in anticipation of the Royal Wedding (just two weeks!), I wrote up a blip about Walker and I's St Andrews' romance over at Visit St Andrews. The sap attack is here.

And other weekend-warmed loves include cookie picnics,

the man who makes my days, who twirls me on the beach, who listens, calms me, sings to me, and fills me with good. I do, I do love him more each day.

Strawberries and cream.
In oatmeal, on rhubarb panna cotta, straight out of the fridge.

and, as foreshadowed in my last post, the blossoms are out in a wild and exuberant quantities everywhere in town.

There is so much loveliness here right now; my hands can't hold and my words can't tell it all. Sometimes I want to save it up for this week of tests and busyness, but, every morning, there are new instants of beauty peaking in our windows and waving us to come out and see. So we hold onto the instant at hand, and then let it go for another one, just as beautiful. But, nothing is ever lost. For the refreshing instants of this weekend, we were, and are still, filled.