It usually takes three days to unwind, three days to finally feel that you are off. Often, even with three days, I still don’t get there. A real vacation doesn’t start until the fourth day for this reason. I usually work a half day on Thursday, so when I have a Friday off, my weekend starts on Thursday. This past Thursday, I had a dentist appointment. It was just a cleaning but I had a true sadist for a dentist as a child and while I no longer needed to be medicated to go to the dentist, I usually cry silently through the whole affair. This past Thursday was no different other than I didn’t finish all my work so I had to return to the office AFTER the dentist. I was Senora Grumpy Pants upon my return, mostly because I feel like such a loser for being afraid of getting my teeth scraped. After finishing at the office just to merge into rush hour (and after living in Gainesville for 17 years, yes we have a rush hour. It is a baby rush hour compared to Atlanta or Miami or DC, but it is our version of rush hour).
But I managed to get a lot done this weekend AND I managed to relax, really relax and unwind and as I sit here typing I want TOMORROW to be the start of a vacation. I bought my own beekeeper’s suit. I finished spreading the remainders of the 3 cubic yards of peanut hull mulch. I fiddled with my Picasa web albums and made my first blog post on Biddan Ridge’s blog. I went on a Ladies Lunch date with my best friend Leslie – who was also off work – and then we went to the new Ulta Beauty store and I found new perfume. Yeah me! I also bought a new Bosch 18V cordless drill with some of my housewarming money and hung all my bird feeders. I baked and cooked and started reading my friend Janis Owens’ new novel American Ghost and forcibly set it down sensing I wouldn’t move a nanometer until I had devoured the whole novel. It’s good! I watched episodes of Newsroom using the most awesome device, my Roku even though I promised my son I wouldn’t watch ahead. I went to the downtown art festival with my Big Sister and bought a pair of stained glass pieces to hang in the rear foyer. I was a busy little beaver but I found time and the leisurely state of mind to plop down on the sofa this afternoon and watch Love Actually, a sweet movie. I then gave Teacake a bath and a interior detailing.My sister saw a deer Saturday morning walk across the road, the first deer spotted in the last two years since I bought the land.
What I hope for this upcoming week is to hold onto the leisure and lingering, the peace of being still and being present. It helps to have good snacks. Like coconut shortbreads.