I was not sure this blog post would go up. My laptop refused to start up yesterday afternoon. I hit the reset button and nothing happened. Fortunately, after I let it sit for 2 hours, it managed to revive. So I guess I could savor a working computer?
I don’t think I’ll call that my daily vacation though! This week, I’m doing the Daily Vacation exercise that I mention in Off the Clock. (My most recent book — which makes a decent beach read! You can get the electronic copy and read it on your phone if you’d like). Each day, I choose some small activity I really enjoy. I notice that I’m enjoying it, and document it afterwards. This can stretch the experience of time.
Last night, we got the little kids in bed around 8:45 p.m., and I took a nice glass of white wine (from Simi, which we visited on the Napa trip years ago) out on the 3rd floor balcony. I read Middlemarch for an hour as the sky darkened. I was only interrupted a few times. It was quite nice! It’s actually a pretty good book (even if almost no one reads it who isn’t assigned it in their British literature class). It’s just very long, so I’m working on savoring the length.
Then this morning I went for an almost 6-mile run along the boardwalk. I thought I might only do 3-4, but then I decided to walk for a bit, lingering in the morning sun and wind, looking at the ocean. It was so nice I decided to keep running. I was pretty sweaty by the end, but hey.
What Daily Vacation have you built into your life today?
Note: I’ll do a podcast post later today – since I’m trying to make all the podcast posts searchable I try not to combine them with other things.
Today I made a cup of hot tea (even though it’s a BILLION degrees in Phoenix) and sipped it while I sat on my rocking chair. Putting away electronics and savoring the tea was so relaxing and energizing, at the same time. I swear, so many good ideas come while I’m on the rocking chair and thinking.
(You have my fervent admiration for reading Middlemarch. I gave it a try last year and the convoluted language made me so mad I took it back to the library in a huff.)
@Eva – glad you liked the tea! And re Middlemarch – it gets better. Per my Kindle, I read 4% and then let it be for a long time. Then I was stuck on a plane for HOURS and picked it up again. I started getting much more into it.
I view it somewhat as feminist work – I should read long works by women writers – particularly those who wrote in times where that was not the normal order of things. And it really does get better – I mean downright funny – after a fashion.
Laura,
I’d be interested in your thoughts on something. Or maybe this would make a good podcast question? At the end of the day, I want to sit down and read my book and relax after family dinner, chores, baths, etc. My kids are up later in the summer and it often turns into “mom, will you play with me?” and “mom, what are you doing? chatter chatter chatter about whatever”. Should I feel guilty for saying “go entertain yourselves, this is mommy’s time?” Or maybe you have a good balanced suggestion? Thanks! Jennifer (mom to aged 9 and 8 year old girls who I love but please let me have introvert time)
@Jennifer- I think this is a great question – one we may address on the podcast soon! I get this. In summer my kids are definitely pushing to stay up later, but I kind of feel like after 9 p.m. I am DONE on the parenting front. Like not just you’re watching a TV show and I’m reading – I don’t want anyone even potentially bothering me.
My mum always had a phrase when me and my siblings were growing up “evenings are for grown-ups”! Now I’ve got 2 kids of my own (3rd one ‘cooking’) I totally get where she was coming from. In Southern Europe kids often stay up later (?maybe because they siesta till they’re older) while o think this is quite nice to see I really can’t face it even when on holiday with my own! (Live in the UK). I do my best all day, but evenings are for grownups!
I had a glass of wine and watched my favorite baseball team win.
@Joy – the wine is good regardless, but it’s far easier to savor when they win vs. lose!
I sat on my front porch and watched the sunset colors develop!
@Ruth – I love watching the sunset! A perfect thing to savor.
My daily vacation last night was taking my restless baby to bed, playing with him for a bit turning the light on and off, soaking in his smiles, and then enjoying his quiet embrace as I switched the light off and he leaned on my shoulder in the dark. It felt like leaping into heaven.
@Natalia – when babies sleep it is always worth savoring! I just wish mine would be quicker about it!
Catching up on this. I enjoyed listening to a podcast and really listening to it.