Oops! Did I Forget to Mention I Was Taking a Little Break?

It’s not usually my style to lead with an apology, but since a couple of you have contacted me this week expressing concern regarding my suddenly dormant blog, let me start by saying all is well. Better than well, great really. And I’m sorry for dropping out of sight without warning. I’ll confess, I was sort of surprised anyone even noticed. But in hindsight, I suppose the proper thing would have been to announce that I was taking a brief hiatus. Lesson learned. The truth is I didn’t see it coming; which is a bit crazy because we have the same routine every summer. A steady stream of weekend guests starting around Memorial Day and peaking in July with several longer and sometimes overlapping visits. This summer, like every summer since we moved to the lake, we’re completely consumed by our innkeeper-type existence.

The summertime pace used to be more difficult to pull off because I was juggling our store or other business activities, but this year has been such joy. Focusing all my time and attention on the home-front has made a huge difference. I was even able to find a few quiet hours here and there through the end of June to blog. But I miss judged how little down time I would have once the busier July calendar kicked in. One thing I’ve learned over the past ten years is the better organized I am, and the more food I prepare in advance, the more I’m able to join in the fun when our guests arrive. I think that’s one of the reasons this year is so enjoyable, I’m not stuck in the kitchen as much, I’m out playing with everyone else.

And while there has been a little free time this month, sitting down at my MacBook to blog just hasn’t made the cut. I’ve thought about it plenty, and one night last week my Type-A-self sat up in bed in the middle of the night ready to trade a few hours of sleep so I could check a blog update off my to-do list. But the emerging slacker within me quickly pointed out that my blog could wait. How had it even become an obligation? Blogging is a hobby for cripes sake. A fundamental premise of my Chapter 3 was that I stop turning everything into work. Maybe I’m making progress because after only a few seconds of debating with myself I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Besides, writing seems a little too sedentary right now. I’m feeling fantastic, better than I have in years, and this summer has been all about perpetual motion. I find myself unable to sit still; if I’m awake, I’m moving. Long walks, short runs, swimming, kayaking, boating… the recreational activities lurking just a few steps out my back door are endless. I’m not about to ignore the active outdoor lake life I cherish when a few months from now when the weather turns, I’ll have all the time in the world to stay inside, sip hot tea and write.

Of course, the fun of living at the lake doesn’t always win out. There’s a lot of work to this lifestyle we enjoy…unending housework, mountains of laundry and dirty dishes, and constant shopping, cooking and baking…needless to say, it consumes most of my days. But again, it’s active and I never stop moving, so it seems to fit perfectly with this high-energy phase I’m in right now. I’ve come to love dropping into bed every night completely exhausted and physically spent. After so many years with mental exhaustion winning out, it’s almost like being a kid again.

I’m up early this morning marinating chicken and chopping veggies for tonight’s dinner. I just pulled a batch of brownies out of the oven and I’m finishing off the best cup of coffee I’ve had in a while. We have a couple more weeks of peak season and then we’ll start drifting through the last leg of summer with only occasional weekend visitors. Soon enough I’ll be looking for ways to fill my days and there will be ample time for blogging. I suspect I’ll even have time to start tackling some of the DIY projects I’ve been pinning to my boards all summer. But right now, I see the first rays of morning light stretching across the horizon, so I need to squeeze in a quick 5 miles and a shower before our weekend guests start arriving.

I hope you enjoy the next few weeks of summer, and I look forward to resuming a more regular blog schedule by the end of July!