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Health & Fitness

Just A Day Or An Hour

Taking time for ourselves. Getting out with friends. Meeting for coffee.

Some days, it's just fifteen minutes. When I'm lucky, the stars and the moon align. Nothing can stop me. I arrange a day with a friend, or solo, to take a break from life's pesky old routines. Life is good, I'm grateful to be home but it's wonderful to skip out the door knowing the laundry will wait, the kitchen floor will wait, the kids will wait and the dogs will still be wagging when I get home.

It's may not be the Caribbean, it may be just a drive to Fairfield and that can fill my need for breath. Wandering down the Post Road there's always something that tickles my fancy whether it's a new coffee stop, lunch spot or an antique store.

I'll admit it, I'm happy to get as far as Old Lyme! If I do get to Old Lyme, I'll surely go to The Florence Griswold Museum. We used to go on Sundays when the kids were small. We'd stop in the art barn where they would give us paints, paintbrushes, pails of water and a smock to go outside and paint en plain air as they did at the turn of the century. It's for all ages. I need to plan a day like that with friends...or solo.

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The Daydream: Me....sunshine...blue skies...turquoise water...beautiful beach....comfy beach chair...great book...cold lemonade.

Reality: Me...maybe with a friend...car...full tank of gas...cup of coffee...drive...destination somewhere within a radius 50 miles...or maybe 15.

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Whatever. Does it really matter once I'm out? Nope. Destination anywhere. I'll admit sometimes I get as far as Scranton Library to leisurely flip through magazines, looking at pictures of white beaches, turquoise water...checking out the latest best sellers at R.J.Julia...a hair appointment or a manicure. Some days I'm thrilled that I had time to get as far as Bishop's Orchards. I love the fresh fruit, choices of cheese, the pasta dinners in the freezer section AND the pies. Time and schedules are the challenge. It helps to plan.

Last week's mom getaway destination: Westport. Country Curtains to exchange curtains. Weeeeeeee! It was wonderful...drive with coffee...chatting...catching up with my friend...strolling through the store...taking in the perfect displays of rooms showing no wear or any hint of real life of family or Golden Retrievers. Then after overloading on perfection as if we had inhaled too much sugar, we drove off.

Next stop: Norwalk. Stew Leonard's. That used to be a regular destination when our kids were small, like Disney of Fairfield County for our family. Talking cows, singing bears and live animals outside. Without small children, we see it differently. It's a food fest of tasty treats being served throughout the store. We had planned on stopping for lunch but our taste tests turned out to be lunch! We laughed as we realized we were Stew Leonard's marketing dream, picking up each of the items they shared with us. Delicious. New ideas. Updated recipes. Great prices. Cha-ching. We were delighted that we had actually accomplished the task of grocery shopping.

Next stop: Goodwill. Westport. Amazing to see the license plates from New York in the parking lot. We wandered through the store filled with shoppers looking for a great deal. High end designer shoes, clothing and even linens. 

Our time was up. Yikes! We had to get home to our real life...the kids, the schedules, the dogs and family dinner. Just a little getaway. A change. Sometimes we just have to schedule time for ourselves.

I think I'm writing this as a reminder to myself. I have scheduled time for myself and cancelled it due to one glitch or another that complicates things. Life. This week, I planned a coffee for a bunch of moms and had to cancel because I didn't give enough time in advance. I think it's all in the planning and scheduling...maybe if I had a personal assistant....I have to be my own. Now if I could just find my calendar...

 

http://www.scrantonlibrary.org/

http://www.bishopsorchards.com/

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