My staycation has been … peaceful. Relaxing. Stress-free, even.
As much as I love to travel (and I do!), there is something grounding about being able to stay home, follow my own schedule, do what I want to do around the house – when I want to do it.
I’ve spent the past couple of days puttering around in the gardens, deadheading and weeding and such, and it’s been wonderful to just enjoy our landscape without feeling rushed. (In other words, I don’t have to think – “I must water the pots because I have to leave for work in 5 minutes!”)
I also went for a walk/run on my own time each day … and didn’t have to fit it in during my lunch break or before supper when I get home. (On a side note, the running is feeling better … my tennis elbow still persists but it has vastly improved since April, thanks to two+ solid months of occupational therapy.)
I’m trying to be relatively unplugged from email and work – it’s actually something I’m pretty good at it. I think it’s really important to be unconnected on vacation. I’m not perfect, of course, but I’m not too bad.
I can’t reiterate enough the need to take a complete break from work. It’s okay to do so. My office and projects will be waiting for me when I return. And in the meantime, I know have competent coworkers who will hold down the fort in my absence. I’m lucky that way.
Tomorrow is only Wednesday so I have a few more days – thankfully! – to enjoy at home. I plan to take full advantage of it.
In the meantime, here are few photos from the weekend/week so far … enjoy!
xoxo – Lara
Joe, my mom and I were waiting on Saturday for the Corn Chaff Days parade to start in my hometown, Hector, MN!
The line of vintage tractors … a must in any small town parade!
See that Hector Bulldogs flag above me? That’s the mascot of my high school … or it was until the fall after I graduated in 1987. I was in the last graduating class of Hector High School – go Bulldogs!
My mom and Teacher Man attended the All-School Reunion as former teachers … how cute is this photo of them? (And no, they didn’t plan their outfits out together!)
My alma mater … Hector High School.
My morning today consisted of a reading this fantastic book on our patio … I am thoroughly enjoying Minnesota native Amy Thielen’s memoir.
Later I picked yellow beans … I have a bumper crop this year and can’t keep up!
My ‘Bobo’ Hydrangea is looking beautiful in the front of the house.
I spotted a caterpillar on my lantana – can you see it?
My ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea blooms are HUGE this year!
And another favorite of mine … this pretty zinnia is a ‘Profusion’ variety (double salmon, I think? but I need to check my seed packets) … it’s the first bloom in the pot so I can’t wait to see how it develops.
These ‘Swizzle Cherry’ Zinnias are stunning!
Even the simple yellow daylilies that I’ve had in my landscape for probably 15 years are so pretty!
And finally … cooking dinner tonight, with my prerequisite glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I am on vacation, after all. 😉