I Went Down Deep...

Memorial Day weekend found me and my family traveling with friends.

Sounds lovely. Especially since my friend volunteered her 15 year old daughter to help watch my daughter.

I began picturing myself languishing about and alternately living it up like Don King.

Then Jean says, "Oh, and bring your machete."

WHAT?!! Where are these people taking me??!!

Turns out, we were headed deep into the woods of Alabama.

Creek behind Hezzy House
Hezzy House backview
Hezzy House frontview

No. My side is not hurting me. (Unless you count the machete

poking me in the ribs.)

BTW: That machete wouldn't cut hot butter. Nor would it bruise

the leaf of a briar bush.

But it pains me to think about it, apparently...
To be continued...

Sometimes, the Only Way to Go is to Stop

So I got sick this weekend.

It really wasn't a bad thing.

It just made it more of a challenge to work on Saturday.

But Sunday?

Oh, blessed Sunday.

It seemed sacrilege to stay home from church on Easter Sunday, but actually observing the Sabbath and having a day of rest did so much for my soul.

My girl and I read the paper (funnies first), had monkey bread, read all 4 Gospel accounts of the Resurrection (could you IMAGINE being Mary and suddenly recognizing someone who you thought was dead was now ALIVE and standing before you?!), we sat on the couch awhile watching a few videos, I read, I rested, we took a walk, we painted, we had mac and cheese for supper and called it a day.

And now-- it's spring break!

I still have to go to work, but not having to wake up a family and motivate them toward the door and the day....

makes me feel like I'M on VACATION!

Avenue of Oaks

St. Simon's Island, Georgia

One is the Loveliest Number...

I have spent my week in a fantastical daze.

 

In the midst of shampooing and blowdrying I've been fantasizing about today--my day off. Because for the first time in many a moon, I will spend this day off....

ALONE.

If you've read this blog at all, you know that  I love my family but am always craving (and never quite getting enough) time to myself.

This morning, I will wave goodbye to my dear ones as they leave to see his family for the weekend.  An antidote trip for the one I'm taking to New York on Saturday. 

They are leaving today. I'm leaving tomorrow.

*muffled scream*

I can do whatever I want.

 Eat whatever I want.

 Paint for hours.

Watch whatever I want on t.v.

Sew.

Read.

Lay on the grass and stare at the clouds.

I can do stuff I haven't even thought of yet.

And I'll do it alone.

 

Solitarily.

Solo.

Singly.

Unaided.

Unaccompanied.

Unassisted.

By myself.

It's Good for What Ails Ya.

If you have a touch of spring fever, I may have found a cure....
go visit Jane Coslick. She has restored several cottages on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Her designs just glow with vibrancy and cheer.

Only the sun shines brighter.

It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times...

I am so glad I'm home.

I had a great time visiting my in-laws (brother, sister, mother, nieces and nephew). They are the type people who are very easy to visit. They just absorb you into the family. We ate good food and played some games. Traded recipes. Visited a couple of thrift stores. I gave my sister-in-law a lesson in cutting her guy's hair. She didn't need much help, her hair cuts looked better than some licensed professional's I've seen!

The process of getting up there and back home however...there's just no quick way to do it. On the way up, we made it an hour and a half up the road before we stopped for lunch. Since it was Thanksgiving, Waffle House was the only choice. It's kind of difficult to eat that in the car. (I'm thinking specifically about a 5 year old with a wobbly styrofoam plate balanced on her legs in the back seat) So we opted to sit and eat. After leaving home at about 11 am, we finally arrived at 7 pm. I was pretty proud of my patience about the whole thing.

Coming home was a test of patience,and navigational cunning.

It was a gray, rainy day when we left Sunday. One of those days you wish you didn't have to go anywhere except to bed. With a book. But no. We had to drive umpteen hours home. About thirty minutes from their house traffic slowed to a crawl and stayed that way for a couple of hours. Everyone, it seems, thought it would be a good idea to return home from Thanksgiving holidays on Sunday. Go figure. An hour and a half from home we ran into some construction that made finding our exit a test of observation and reflexes. We missed our turn the first go round, found it the second and by some miracle (certainly not because of well-labeled exits) we landed on the road home.

I "felt" my way home from there as the fog was playing "peek-a-boo" with the car. While there was little traffic, the drive is dark and uninteresting. A great opportunity for road hypnosis and an over active imagination. (Did I just see something on the edge of the darkness?) Finally, we pulled into our driveway, where I attempted to surgically sever the bond between my bottom and the car seat.

But we are safe and I am thankful.

And now I've taken you on a virtual drive of my trip home.

Wore you out didn't it?

A Tiny Getaway

So shoot me.



I didn't go work out this morning.



I feel that scratchy, sore throat again. (What is the deal?) I so did not want to go out in the cold raining night/morning. I know I'll have to leave eventually to go to work, but I couldn't leave my warm cocoon. Not yet.



I did one of my "during the day get-a-ways" yesterday. Went to the library to load up on some books and took them to the "Grind" and ate a lesuirely lunch: baked potato soup, and their special chicken salad on a green salad with a pot of Earl Grey tea. I propped my feet up and perused a couple of my books. Bliss.

We booked our hotel room in Chicago. We'll be on Michigan Avenue and from what I understand, smack dab in the middle of shopping.

I'm just looking forward to a change of scenery. It's good to get a new perspective.

I had what I think is a great idea for a post, so stay tuned...I'm excited.