monday meditation.


this weekend i had a real 'connecticut' kinda weekend.

patrick and i went to an incredible and delicious, refreshing and rejuvenating wine tasting just down the road at connecticut valley winery in new hartford.

oh my goodness the wines here are SO tasty!  i never really thought i was a 'fruity' girly wine drinker, but this place changed my mind!  ct valley winery has won so many awards and grows all it's own grapes on site.  each wine is totally fresh tasting, like it had just been harvested(and it probably was!).  i love a vintage dry wine, but i also can really appreciate a low acidity vibrant clean berry wine.  we bought a fantastic bottle of their chianti- it tastes like cherries! mmmm!  valley's wines are like amazing grape juice that makes you feel realllly good!  haha!

we feel good, can you tell?!

afterwords, with a nice healthy lil buzz on, we went to walk around a gorgeous abandoned farm down the road.

pat and i talked, daydreaming about what this farm was like 50 years ago.  we wondered what happened, why it went to ruin, and contemplated how the world is f-ed up.  to make a living these days as a small farmer has gotta be an uphill battle.  i mean it's so awesome that more and more people are becoming educated and want to buy local, but man those factory farms are so powerful.  and with rising food prices... what can consumers do?  we can try our best to make humane choices and support small businesses as often as possible.

we decided we're only going to buy local wine from now on.  it's convenient, a bit more expensive, but worth it.  $ is power, and everything we buy says 'this is my choice, and i choose to support this.'  i am learning to spend wisely...

another thing i reflected upon this weekend is balance.

i've said this before, but i can't stress enough how important it is to both work and play, hard!

when i take the weekends off from purusha, and say NO i will not work on anything.. i find i'm a better and a more productive worker come monday.  life is for pleasure just as much as it is for productivity.  i have to remind myself that i will be a happy hayley as long as i allow myself to take some time to completely turn off any thought of work.  i have to do this for my own health, and for the health of those around me.  and YOU should, too! hehe ;) it's easy!

wouldn't you love to lounge here?

the view from the farm.  this kinda pissed me and patrick off.  what an eye soar right?!  really, your church isn't enough, you need a pillar so all can see your beliefs?  ugh, sorry, but we're not all christians here!  hhmphh!!

so lovely here.

hope you all have a wonderous week with enough time to recharge and balance out your work!  one breath at  a time, and all is coming.... :)