How I spent my summer vacation

I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want. 

-- Muhammad Ali

I don't take a lot of time off. I am serious about showing up and doing my job. I am responsible and dependable. I haven't actually taken a "vacation" in a year, however before that it was more like 20 years. Uh huh, you are reading that right: Twenty Years.  But as I was heading into spring this year,  I heard my self saying "I need a vacation." Then I heard my self saying "I really need a vacation." So I decided when, and I took it. I didn't want to go anywhere, or do anything. Well, no, that's not quite right: I didn't want to go anywhere ( couldn't afford it ) but I had tons of stuff to do at home. I did not want to see anyone or deal with visiting. I just wanted to work on projects. Last weeks' post mentioned how I had too many unfinished projects,  and that is some of what I did this past weekend when I had five days off in a row. I would work, and wander, and work, and wander. I could take the time to finish some little thing. I could afford the luxury of going back and forth between 5 projects. 

I could clean the garage, reorganize the garage, finally park my car in the garage. I could go back upstairs to put something from the garage in a more suitable place and spend time reorganizing and cleaning my studio for as long as it took to assemble a box of trash then go back downstairs, dump the box of trash and work on the garage again. I took the time to unwrap a bunch of old frames stored in the garage,  in the process finding one really gorgeous, ornate gold one that I put above the fireplace. Then I got a brain storm and put a framed Egyptian painting on papyrus inside the gold frame. I really like the effect.  Then I did a whole wall of  empty frames with other empty frames, and some with artwork. I actually looks cool. The frames are all warped or funky from being down in the garage through a couple of floods. Up high, but moisture damaged non-the-less. I did laundry. I mopped the floor. I did this, and that, and the other thing.  

What's the point? I let myself do what ever. One thing lead to another, and back to the original, then down a side path, and that was just the most relaxing and satisfying thing ever. I let my self work until I was tired. I slept until I woke up. NO Alarms-!! I feel great! It has been so long since I could just not care. No schedule, no interruptions, no worries, no homework. ( I had some to do, I just chose not to do it ) I didn't care about where I was supposed to be, or what anyone thought about what I was doing or how I was using my time and I got a LOT done. I played a lot of Ball with the dog. I saw two people - my landlords. I talked to one friend on the phone. This was just bliss!  Best vacation ever.