The (Difficult) Art of Relaxation

Brian and I went away this weekend - actually, the place where we went is only about 3 miles from our house, but whenever we're there it feels like we're in another state.

The place we stayed at is called Moondance B&B, and it's right in Fond du Lac.  Our friend Sue owns it - it's actually a one-bedroom house on her property.  What's great about Moondance (besides the gorgeous decor and the view!) is that guests are left to their own devices - there's a full kitchen and it's stocked with whatever is requested.  For us, that meant Thomas English muffins.  :D  Sue always leaves little treats, too - this time we were greeted by a plate of muffins and a mni pie from the Little Farmer, an orchard/farm that makes incredible pies, muffins and other fall treats.  This was our second time staying at Moondance - the first time was in January, for our 4th wedding anniversary.  It was wonderfully relaxing, when I was able to relax.

Which brings me to the actual post - why is it so hard to relax and do nothing?  Is this weird?  Do any of you reading this have a similar problem?

It always baffles me when people tell me that they went to some wonderful all-inclusive resort somewhere and did nothing but lay by the pool and drink margaritas - I'm a little envious, too.  I would have a hard time doing that.  I can handle the pool for about an hour and then I have to do something else.  If I have a book along I may be able to eek out another hour, but it would have to be an engaging book.  No, I would much rather be exploring what the city has to offer (museums, attractions, etc.) and learning something.

In my "normal" life, during the week, I'm always busy.  If I'm not writing in my blog or updating the many facebook pages I administer, I'm in the studio or visiting friends or attending meetings in between running errands and cooking dinner. But you'll never catch me just reading, and the TV is never on during the day.  To me, that would be "cheating".  I feel like I have to be productive all the time.

I wonder where this notion came from - kids certainly don't feel this way!  As an adult I've felt like this since I can remember, but I think it got worse when I quit my 9-5 job in January.  Now that my job consists of me being creative, I'll admit that I feel a little guilty about having so much fun and getting paid for it.  It still blows my mind that I get to do what I love for a living.  Maybe I'm worried that if I fully relax on the weekends, people will either think I'm a spoiled princess or a total slacker, either of which would be upsetting.

I was sick a couple of weeks ago and spent two days in bed.  I did nothing, and I was okay with it, but I didn't feel well.  Maybe that's why we get sick - it's our body's way of telling us that we can slow down and the universe won't stop spinning if we're not a part of it for a couple days.  Now if I could only do that when I'm feeling good, I'd be all set.  :D

Cooking and Baking (but no Candlestick-making - YET)

I've just passed the 2-month mark on my new stay-at-home art venture.  In a way, the time has flown; yet in an altogether different way, it feels as though I've been in this line for years.  This was brought home to me last Thursday when I went to one of my former co-worker's retirement party.  I got to see a lot of my work friends and it was wonderful, but I'm starting to forget my day-to-day activities that were such an enormous part of my life for five years.  That's odd.

What I don't miss is the so-busy-I-can't-keep-up pace I used to endure.  But I have discovered that I do indeed enjoy having something to do all day.  And when I'm not making art, more and more this translates to being in the kitchen.

When Brian and I began this full-time art adventure (I include Brian because he's as much a part of it as I am, if only for the immense support), one of the things we agreed upon was that I also become the home economist, saving money in as many ways as we could.  I soon realized that it's far less expensive to bake from scratch - you can really stretch a box of Bisquick!  I've also discovered the joys of kitchen creativity spilling over into my artwork - chemistry is a big part of cooking and art, after all!

In the last two months I've cooked more than in the last eight years total.  I've expanded my recipe repertoire a hundredfold, and I'm having a marvelous time in the process.  Call me a geek, but I adore my Sunday night ritual of planning the week's menu and its corresponding grocery list.  Much of what I make is dictated by what's on sale and in coupons that week, thus saving us even more money and allowing me to get even more creative.  I've also been buying local when I can, shopping at places like Eden Meat Market (and soon, the weekend farmers' market!) where I know the meat and produce is the freshest possible.  Because of some creative web searches and scouring the Sunday papers, along with doing our own cooking, I am saving an average of $92/week on our grocery bill.  It's thrilling.

I've also been doing quite a bit of baking.  Now, anyone who worked with me at the Reporter may remember that when it was a "Food Day", I would NEVER bring in baked goods; I would stop by the bakery on the way into work.  Baking was never something I enjoyed, until now.  I made a batch of brownies yesterday because my sister Jen and her family were coming to pick up their doggie after their vacation, and it made my day when they all scarfed down the pan (Jen and her husband Mike are both excellent chefs in their own right). 

These days, with the Internet as your guide, you can find a recipe for nearly any dish you could dream up.  What I love is that you can type in one ingredient and work from that.  Sites like recipes.com and Epicurious are wonderful tools to have at one's disposal, and I've consulted them often.  Many of you reading already know this, I'm sure; I am certainly a latecomer to this fun way of eating!

It is my sincerest wish that I will always have this balance between my art and having enough time to make dinner every night.  Brian loves it, I love it, and even when my art projects are being stubborn I feel good knowing that I've accomplished a delicious dinner at the end of the day.