Posts Tagged ‘relaxation’

I don’t know about you, but my yesterday was a very busy one, starting off with a 2.2 mile walk home in 95F degree weather at 7 am after dropping off the van for an oil change. Then it was on to working on things for my parents’ estate and so on. Suffice it to say it was a busy morning and early afternoon. So let’s sit down for a moment for some coffee, or tea if you prefer, at on of La Colombe’s Philadelpia locations. You won’t find any frou frou drinks here (think frappuccinos), just really good coffee and basic coffee/espresso drinks. Of course there are treats as well and the even better news is that the high for Philly was only about 84F rather than 115 here! So we can enjoy a sit-down and hot drink.

The day ended beautifully as I glanced out the back windows after hearing thunder and saw this. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any rain but it certainly looked like someplace did, so that’s good news.

My day tomorrow includes grocery shopping and finding some papers for estate business, possibly some cleaning and starting to pack for my trip to Wyoming. But I’ll work in some reading and certainly a pot of tea. What’s going on in your Tuesday?

Although this video was taken at Tohono Chul some weeks ago, it’s a perfect representation of how I feel after a break of just one day.

We had the best Christmas possible under Covid, Zooming with family who would have been here and sharing time with family we haven’t spent Christmas with in years. Tonight we’ll be FaceTime-ing with friends from Illinois, then tomorrow is not only another day, but another year, something I know we’ve all been waiting for.

Our daughter had some time off and slipped out of California to visit us, although her husband had to stay home and work. So yesterday we drove to Queen Creek Olive Mill for some coffee and mother-daughter time before she headed back to the west coast.

The outdoor area is in an olive grove shaded by olive trees and where there are several Christmas tree-shaped trees guarded by two lions. The trees are decorated for Christmas, the lion thankfully not. But this lion doesn’t look too happy, probably because…

…with post-dawn temperatures in the upper 30’s it’s not exactly the African savanna and it’s a bit chilly sitting outside even with a hot mocha. These gas fires are very cheerful and look nice and warm, but we found that they really aren’t, so we sat on the covered patio which had standing heaters as well as heaters above us. It was so toasty we were able to take of our jackets and just enjoy our drinks. It was lovely.

Yes, the trees have olives, but don’t eat one off the tree. Until they’re cured and fermented, they’re very bitter as my husband discovered in Provence years ago when his sister gave him an olive right off the tree. Siblings!

Since meals and snacks are served here, there are crumbs and where there are crumbs, there are those who try to help clean them up, whether or not they’re being paid.

Relaxing in the sunshine (with additional heat as needed), enjoying time with my daughter while sipping a mocha topped with whipped cream, surrounded by cute little birds and stone lions, admiring the bougainvillea…life is good. Let’s pray that 2021 will be the same.

for One Word Sunday

Although I’d be seeing snow if I were sitting here right now (and I’d be bundled up against the cold), it’s time for the annual drive to Wyoming’s Big Horn mountains. This will be the last time I take the route that’s been part of my life for more years than we’ve been married (35 this September.) Driving from Arizona next year will show us new vistas and places to replace the ones I’ll miss.

As we have no phone service and very little internet, I’ll be enjoying the relaxation that comes from not being available all the time and online sometimes too much. I’ll miss you, but of course you’ll hear and see all about it when I get back.

See you in July and may you have a blessed rest of June.

Nope, nothing about Aaaanold today, just notice that I’m taking a bit of time off this upcoming week.  Besides it being Holy Week with three church services and praise team practice, I have a fairly full work schedule, taxes to organize and get sent off, a house that might need cleaning, the new Donna Leon book, and so on and so on.  You get the idea.  I can’t do justice to my life let alone my blog and yours with all that going on, so as Aaaanold says,  “I’ll be back.”

I wish those of you who celebrate Easter a happy and blessed one.  To those of you who don’t, I pray for you a happy and blessed time, too.  🙂  I’ll miss you but as “they” say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  Enjoy and I’ll see you soon.

© janet m. webb

I enjoyed having all of you along for the trip to Wyoming and our stop in the Badlands on the way home.  We never did finish our trip to France, so I’ll be going back to that soon.  Here’s a video I took while on our way into the mountains, where we had so much fog the first day. My s-i-l let the dogs out for a short break and I took photos and enjoyed the sound of the stream.  This is in the Forêt de la Bresse or forest of Bresse.

Turn the sound up and spend half a minute just relaxing.

 

Today I’m trying something I’ve never done during the five years I’ve been blogging. (My fifth anniversary was just after the beginning of the new year.)  I hope you’re sitting dow when I tell you that…

I’m going to take a cyber break.

Whaaaaaaat?

© janet m. webb 2016

Yes, it’s true.  I’m leaving today for Arizona to spend ten days with my parents, who don’t have internet.  While I’m there, I usually head over to the library every day to do my blog, read other blogs, check email, etc. as quickly as possible. This year, I’m going to not do most of those things. Although I’ll check (and delete most) email, I’m not going to be blogging or reading blogs during that time.  I will respond to any comments, however.

I anticipate it will be very difficult, because I haven’t missed a blogging day in five years and I enjoy it.  I also enjoy reading everyone’s blogs.  But I also anticipate that it will be both freeing and relaxing and that it’s something I need the discipline to do.

So TTFN.  I’m already longing to see y’all on the 31st.  In the meantime, all the best and don’t spend too much time online!

In the words from a book I read many, many, many years ago:

Don’t make a stranger of yourself.  Don’t forget me.  ‘Bye.