Not a Conscious Decision, but a Necessary One

Where are you? You haven't updated your blog in five days. It's not like you to go this long without an update. Hope you are all ok and getting some much needed decompression.

Yes. Yes. And yes again. I didn't really plan to take off five days, but life has a funny way of getting in the way of plans, doesn't it?

Two weeks ago, my husband told me that a friend of his had rented a beach house in the Outer Banks and invited us to come visit for the Labor Day weekend. He wasn't going to be able to take an entire weekend, but at least we could take two days - it would involve taking the kids out of school for that Friday, but because it was scheduled to be a half day, I thought it would work out ok.

We were scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon. Life and work for both of us got in the way and we found ourselves at 9:30, sitting in the parking lot of a gas station, staring at two crying kids, holding our sub sandwich dinners and facing a 2 hour drive - and I had a column due asap - and we knew that our home air conditioner was on the fritz and needed a repair to be functional. We decided to turn around, go back home and get a good nights sleep and start again the next morning.

Which worked out well. I was able to get my work completed, he was able to get with the repair man (at 7:30 in the morning, yikes!) and we left our house twelve hours after we started off the first time.

So we spent two days at the beach. I didn't open my computer - I answered a few emails on my phone, but other than that, I was offline. We played in the pool. We went to the beach at sunset

And marveled at all of the driftwood that had washed up, thanks to Hurricane Irene.

A little dark, but you can get the idea

I sat in the hot tub with my husband for two hours and we talked about a ton of stuff - really talked, like we haven't been able to do with everyone pulling at us/pressing at us/NEEDING us.

And when we came home, I decided to take my own advice and get stuff done, already.

I rearranged the little girls room, removing the rocker, the easy reader books, the dress up cubbies. We moved the beds away from each other and solved the "She won't turn out the lights and stop reading so I can sleeeeeeppppp!" drama that occurs every.stinking.night. The room is now a big girls room - and while I'd be lying if I wasn't a teeny bit angsty about it - I'm glad I did it. Chapter books that are appropriate for each girl have been loaded onto their own individual bookshelf, and anything deemed too easy - well, it's in a bag for donation.

We cleaned out the movie cabinet. The playroom got a thorough going over. The kitchen was emptied as well, and I found a coat for my niece's boy and got rid of several cluttering-up-the-main-area items. There's a car load going out today, of that you can be certain. I washed every piece of clothing, many sets of bedding and freshened up many, but not all, parts of the house.

There's always more to do.

I found a terrific table on Craigslist for my office and my hubby left work Monday night to go pick it up for me. When I woke Tuesday, I saw that he'd moved the new table into my office space, moving the dining table out and rearranging things to set it up for me - all while I slept.

It's coming together.

I still need to paint - both the walls and the table. I need to hang pictures. I need to organize the many piles of stuff that I'm finding throughout the house that I want in my office - but I can see how it will be in a couple of weeks, and I am delighted.

Monday I continued with the being offline and I made peach butter. For the first time in my life, I canned by myself - and it WORKED. Oh, whoa, is this stuff delicious.

I made bread and cookies, chicken piccata and frozen vanilla yogurt.  I wrote a post for the Parenting Connection - but I did nothing else. (Psst - would LOVE some love on that post, if you don't mind.)  I set up a give away. I did a Crossfit workout that left open blisters on my hands. I've missed that - it's been almost the entire summer since I worked out with this particular group and my body is showing it.

And, mostly, I tried to find me. I'm not there yet, not where I want to be - but it's on the horizon.

Comments

[Katherine]

Where were you? That looks like our beach.... were you in Corolla? Did I pass you about a hundred times?

[Sabz]

What a fun weekend! I will try the peach butter. It looks and sounds delish.

[addy]

Good for you Carmen!

[Laura H.]

Sounds wonderful. So glad you had the time to connect with your husband!

[Shelly]

Because of you, I am getting things done that need to be done. However, I don't have the help/support of a husband to help. Oh I have one, he says it isn't in his job description to help me. With or without, I will get it done. Hopefully sooner than later.

[Ann Woodruff]

Sometimes just a big change in the routine for 48 hours can set a whole new perspective...good for you, Carmen!!

[Pat]

I might like that peach butter if I were more fond of peaches. I might just use the recipe for the crabapple butter I make.

[Brandy]

Sounds like unplugging, at least for a little while, was beneficial. Good for you!

[Sandra]

sometimes we need to unplug from our lives. it's like you have a nice long holiday weekend.

[Jennifer]

Wow! Good for you! I've wanted to can and make preserves and am so scared of poisoning myself!
I can't way to see pics if your new space. Every Chief Executive needs her own space. :)

[Mary @ A Simple Twist of Faith]

I completely understand and applaud your decision, I bet it felt great!

[UKCraftySal]

So glad you did this - took some time out - and hope you can do it again before too long. But it's nice to have you back!