Arrgghh. I've tried to answer you responses (to each response) on this thread TWICE now, and been thrown out (a whole page!). Not by FV, by my lovely wandering cursor that like to go up and X me out of everything! It's more than wander--it likes to hop around like a flea, and does it before I even see it. Grrrr.
Well--in summary (lol)....I agree with all you posted and more!
I have really gotten back in touch with nature...especially up here at the cabin. Love the birds singing at night, I used to be so busy and stressed, I didn't even notice stuff like that.
I LOVE staying home and reading or knitting, and used to have to run run run all the time to the kids' stuff--, school activities......I didn it for my kids and gladly.....but soooo glad to relax now.
The morning coffee! OMG, I had one sip before starting breakfast, breaking up fights, going up and down stiars several times to get teen boys up, and again to help dh find that one pair of pants that were hanging RIGHT THERE! LOL! Now he usually sleeps past when I wake, and I have a couple of hours ALL.....TO......MYSELF.
I love to hear kids too now...I don't have to break up the fights, feed them, raise them, make good citizens out of them, and send them to college. My new neighbor (at home) is SOO worried that her two boys (same as I had) are making too much noise or bothering me. I say NOOOO, you should have heard it here about 10 years ago! I LOVE to hear her boys playing, it takes me back to when mine were little.....
I appreciate--quiet, being alone, being with dh, coffee in peace, eating what I want when I want, sleeping in, slowing down, staying away from people (I am not antisocial, but I hate all of the static that being around people puts in my head.), adoring kids that aren't mine, uninterrupted conversations with dh, nature, birds singing, the breeze blowing, the ANTICIPATION of grandchildren--and then being able to hand them back to my kids when we're done 'playing'. (I get the play, YOU get the work, got it? )