Running Away From Home

I highly recommend it.  I think this will be my new annual tradition.

My husband drove me up to Idyllwild, CA on Friday afternoon.  We stopped at the delightful Aroma Cafe for lunch alfresco.  The food was delightful -- he had a veggie sandwich with delicious artisan bread and fresh sauteed vegetables, and I had a yellow squash gratin.  Plenty of leftovers to take home with me.  He then stopped at a boutique and picked me up a dozen hand made truffles.  Worth every calorie, the owner promised.  She did not, however, promise they were worth every penny -- at $2.50 a truffle, they were a trifle pricey.  But on a week-end like this, the splurge was worth it.

We then made our way to the cabin.  It was every bit as charming as the photos suggested.  My husband brought in my luggage, helped me mess up the covers on the bed, kissed me goodbye, and left me in bed for my afternoon rest.  With no fear of traumatizing the children, I walked around naked until dinner -- body image issues be damned.  (I don't believe anyone reading this will find that information titillating.  I am, after all, a 45 year mother of six children.)  When it cooled down enough for clothes, I put on my fuzzy jammies, ate quiche for dinner, and crocheted while watching an episode of Top Chef.

Ah, but you are wondering... Did I ever get any writing done?  Yes, yes, yes!  I wrote in the evening of my first day, the morning, afternoon, and evening of the second day, and the morning and afternoon of my final day.  My muse was on high alert, and I finished one flash fiction story and my short story rewrite.  The rewrite of my short story, "Wishes," was the most satisfying.  I knew I had some heavy lifting to do, writing in scenes that didn't yet exist.  I knew what I wanted to achieve, and by the end of the weekend,  felt I had achieved it.  The second to last scene made me outright cry.  I can't say everyone will react the same way to my story, but at that moment, I knew that I had pulled everything I had in me out onto the page, and I felt so satisfied, like I had really done it justice.  I couldn't stop grinning once it was finished.

I drank my Celestial Seasonings under the pines each morning, listening to the lyrical sounds of the birds and the creek running through the property.  I saw hummingbirds, butterflies, dragonflies, squirrels, trout, daisies, Indian paintbrush, and a couple of birds I couldn't identify.  The air was crisp, and it was so beautiful and peaceful.

My husband brought all the kids with him to pick me up Sunday afternoon.  I enjoyed showing them around the place and seeing how many people we could fit in the hammock.  It felt good to see them again, and I was happy to be home... but I can't wait to do this again next year!