Monday, January 2, 2012

And So It Goes ...

This morning is the last day of my five-day "mini vacation" -- five days without the daily care of my grandchildren.  How wonderful it has been to wake slowly each day, sit quietly in my cozy old robe and ponder the day ahead.  I have always been a putterer.  Long vacations spent lazing on the beach are not my style.  When  I have time to myself, I prefer to putter away at little chores.  In an old house there is always something which needs tending, and I am the inveterate "tender".  Unless I am reading or writing, my hands must be busy.  How I have enjoyed my little vacation this week.  To be able to savor the moment -- to work at something slowly and with concentration is a pleasure. 

As I packed away my Christmas decorations and redecorated my house to its much simpler, soothing wintertime mood, I was unhurried and calm.  There was time to search for just the right pieces to grace the old sideboard, and to choose family photos in lovely frames for the hall table.  There has been time to carefully store away my beautiful Christmas tablecloths as well as to tackle the more mundane chores of cleaning the stove and polishing silver. 

There is solace in these simple tasks -- after a few hours of mindless chores, my spirit is renewed and calmed.  

These few days have been a gift.  While I have spent much of my time on these solitary pursuits, I have also enjoyed the company of family and friends -- lunch at a favorite restaurant with my husband, an evening with special cousins, New Years' Eve dinner at my sister-in-law's lovely home, a surprise breakfast with a neighbor, a simple soup & bread lunch on New Years' Day with my father-in-law and brother-in-law. 

And now, I have one day left.  There are still several little items on my "to-do" list.  The bird feeders need replenishing; my desk needs organizing, and my bedroom closet and dressing table could use a bit of attention.  First, though, after I leave my cozy chair and get dressed, I will put a pot of soup on to simmer, and savor the process -- the chopping, the sauteeing, the stirring.  Then I will enjoy its musky aroma all day as I putter along -- the perfect ending to a lovely little vacation and a warm and happy Christmas season.