Day of Rest

Whatever that means... the kids were away last week and when this happens I am never at a loss for these awe-inspiring visions of getting all of these big projects done, and then it doesn't seem to happen. This stems from getting too ambitious and focusing too much on the big picture while losing sight of all that actually gets done. While it's nice to dream big, it's also important to appreciate all the little things that get taken care of.

Case in point, my first day off from parenting duties. The fact that I didn't have to cook any meals or clean up afterward was a promising start to my day, not to mention a week of from poster-boy duties, but then I tried to get so many things done that I was not able to devote as much time and energy to the big projects. That meant that at first glance I failed in my mission, but in reality, many other things were addressed. Of course I'm going to describe them to you in excruciating detail.

First thing in the morning I took mom's car in to have the tires rotated at Tip Top, which they do for free when you buy the tires from them. I love that place. Then I stopped at the college to upgrade the memory (4 GB to 16 GB-quite a jump) in N's computer, which they happen to install for free as well when you buy it from them. Does it get any better than that? From there I went to library to return/check-out books, then over to W. Leb to Joe's for chainsaw/lawnmower stuff and finally to LaValley's for some paint. I managed to get home before lunch and get some actual painting done on the house (one of my big projects), and then mowed the lawn (a "sort-of" big project). It's important to bear in mind that I can't possibly finish a lot of the big projects in one day, they are all ongoing, so when I do find time to work on them, it's at most an hour or two. This means it will take me all summer to finish them, but that's fine with me.

With the kids away, mom and I had to take advantage of our time off, so we planned on meeting at the hill for a hike to the top. We picked up some simple picnic stuff, mainly bread, goat cheese, and olives, and had a nice (albeit smaller) supper on the summit, watching the sunrise. When we got home we watched our latest movie obsession, The Paradise, and then went to bed. So while I wasn't anywhere close to finishing the big projects, I at least got them started, and I was able to take care of the all the small logistical things that will open up more time for me to tackle said big projects. I love when that happens.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to David Spencer for the pic.