Time to breath, Please!!

Why didn't anybody say anything??
Am I supposed to keep an eye all by myself?
Hm....
Some things never change, and one of those is Christmas.
I love Christmas.
When I was a kid, a year felt like 10 years, I thought someone should decide that holding Christmas more often should become mandatory.
Now I know why it's only ones a year (well, besides for the obvious reason that Jesus was only born ones), but also so that we as parents only have to deal with the madness ones a year!!
It always sneaks up on me.
Just as I have turned around to put away the beachtowels for the last time of they year, I notice something on my calendar, and it spells "November".  What????
How does it happen EVERY year??

This time I have to confess that I've been thrown on an extra loop.
Losing a baby, just as November decided to roll around, didn't make it any easier to grasp that
"Wow, in a matter of a month or so, EVERYTHING has to be DUNZKI!!"
I've made a promise to myself this time thou.
And this promise is named:
"Scale back and give yourself a break, dear lady!"
I'm sorry, but for the 1st time in many years, I will NOT be sending over 100 Christmas cards.
I will not plan 3-4 big activities to take place, at our home, in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
(I'd LOVE to have a "girl's nite" for our daughters and their friends, as well as a ladies nite for me and mine, and one for all the great young, single people that I know around here...)
But this time, I will allow myself to be a party pooper, and save my energy.

We went for our little weekend getaway this last Friday.
We had a great time, and came home just in time to get the kids ready for bed Saturday evening.
Sunday morning came way too soon, and I did not feel like getting up.
When I got up I had that restless "I've been staying in bed too long, and now I have to do a million things fast or I will go a little bonkers!" feeling.
After getting a lot done, fast.  I felt pooped.
So from one extreme to another, I ended up in a pile on the couch for a while..

I think I have to learn to pace myself!
Maybe that's part of the lesson I need to learn from losing Star??
I always search for reasons why things happen, not because I can't accept that it was meant to be, but I like to learn from my trials and experiences.
I think the message I'm getting is "Slow down!"

I have to remember that God didn't create the world in one day.
And he did take time to rest.
I have to remember that the same rules apply to me.
I have a few very intense years behind me, and I think my goal for the next little while will be to turn my attention inward.
To me and mine.
To take some time to rest, and recover...
Although my "to do list" is long as usual, I will try to be happy even if I only get a few things checked off each day. 
And allow myself some days "off" as needed.

So, wish me good luck, as this is NOT a thing I'm good at!
But... I'll try my best.

What a mess!!!

This is the follow up to my last blog.  Last night I went to this little Bed and Breakfast, where they also offer a "mud sauna treatment".  I didn't bring my camera (I forgot) and I don't know how we'd been able to take pictures anyway, since we were deeeep in the dirt! 

This experience might sound a bit "different" to anyone who did not grow up with a traditional sauna culture.
We were a group of 5 ladies, I knew one of them from before.  This was not held at some posh resort type of SPA, but in a house that consisted of a big room with a few couches (changing room), a bathroom, shower room and a woodburning sauna.  On the coffee table there were pitchers of water and a little jar with seasalt (we all took a few pieces and let them dissolve under our tounges to help get fluids out of our systems), then we drank a lot of water.  Before entering the sauna, everybody only in their birthdaysuits of course, we poured seawater all over ourselves, and then went in to the sauna to get warmed up.  After about 5 minutes, we went back into the shower room where we all had our own bowl with mud.  This we smeared allover ourselves (except the eyes, nose and mouth), even in the hair!  When we were done we all went back in the sauna and let the mud do its trick.  It's supposed to help cleans your body and get rid of extra fluids, and it smoothens your skin.

We spent about 20 minutes in there, before showering it all off.  I still have some stuck under my nails and my hair feels a bit funny.  We didn't use any shampoo or soap at all.  After sitting with only towles wrapped around us, cooling off on the couches, we got dressed and went to the main house for a nice evening snack, consisting of herbal tea, steamed veggies, rye and spelt breadrolls (made at the BnB), covered in garlicspread.... Yummmm....
No entertainment, no loud anything.  Just the 5 of us quietly visiting, in this old loghouse.... Very laidback very relaxing.  I don't really care what the mud did or did not do, I just truly enjoyed this evening out!  And yes, I did feel very rejuvenated and very very tired....  Coming home I laid down on the couch, and Little Guy joined me and fell asleep on my stomach.... mmmmm..... Life is good.