Sleep-Standing

Although I was born in the snow, I am a Southern California gal.

Sun, Surf, and Sin...3 very good things in my opinion. 75 degrees makes me purr...80 and I will....well, suffice to say, 80 is better!

Where I live now, the sun makes brief appearances now and then....rarely now! And today was no different. Rain, and it was so cold, and windy. The snowboarders I know are all a flutter about skipping work, and the kids in school are trying to figure out a way not to get an unexcused absence for hitting the slopes on a school day!

We have had unrelenting rain and wind for days. Last week, for one day, and just 2 hours, the clouds cleared and the sun shone...amazingly strong, and warm. This was nothing short of miraculous.

Forecasters told us over and over, "heavy rains with no chance of sunshine for the next 3 days." Shows how much they know. I swear, the weather forecasters here could probably guess my weight (as at the county fair) than predict the weather correctly!

During the miracle of sunshine, I wound up outside, standing in my front yard. And I guess I was standing there a while cause the neighbor had walked by a couple of times-I didn't see him. Finally he stopped, interrupted and said, "Man, you must have missed the sun!"

It was then I realized that I was standing, facing the sun, with my eyes closed and my chin up, as I let the sun drench me. I had stood there long enough that I actually turned to my right to keep the sun directly on my face. And then I turned again to keep the sun directly on my face. And then, I turned again. And again. And again. I when the neighbor spoke to me, I awoke from a near dreamlike state of euphoria. I was actually "sleep-standing." I was oblivious to all around me: no one, no sounds, no movements. I had been standing there for over an hour. Without even knowing it. I knew I was in my yard, I knew I was in the sun. The minutiae of all else was lost to the encompassing warmth and light of the sun all over me.

Sleep-standing...sun worshipping...whatever. Try it. You will not regret the time spent.