While typing this blog post, I am in the first waking moments of my very long holiday weekend. It’s super cold outside, but the sun may rise soon and banish the very grey days we have been having. It isn’t going to be warm, so I am going to get a wrap and cozy quilt to snuggle under.

I am pondering the loose plan for day and I realize that I feel like I got a little ripped off over Christmas Day and New Year Day because they fell on a Saturday, and I couldn’t take those holidays hours off, during the week of the holiday, due to staffing issues. I have until the end of Feb. to take 2 “floating holiday” days off. I am adding an additional day off here on the long MLK weekend and next month the second day off is attached to President’s Day weekend. It was so crazy busy during the holidays on my job and that continued into the first of this year. So, I am really excited about a weekend of rest, relaxation and no formal plans of activities.

You read that right, a weekend of zero plans. No places to go, no timetables to meet. No list of things I need to do, although there are plenty. When I feel the energy to do those “to do’s ” I will do them. I have a couple things I would like to accomplish but it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get to them.

My body, mind and spirit are tired. So very tired. Work has been a grind. People are super grumpy in my contacts with them which wears on you. I want to recharge during this stay at home retreat and try to pull it together. Savor the gratitudes and let the rest of the shit go. I had a good think about what the deal was for this past week and I have a few theories.

The full moon is Tuesday Jan 18. Usually, the days leading up to the full moon is full of weirdness. Yes, I am one who totally believes in the full moon influence on folks during my nursing career. This past week was no different. Also next Monday is the third Monday in January and that has been labeled as Blue Monday or the most depressing day of the year. You know, the day light is short. Bills from the holidays are due, new deductibles have to be met, social activities are usually slow in January, and they are really slow again this year. I wanted to attend a paint and sip class, but Covid exposures cancelled it. I think this is all a sign that it is time to just stop moving a million miles an hour due to work and just rest.

I think this is my idea of resting for the next 4 days. Slowly clean and tidy the house by doing a chore a day. No makeup if I don’t feel like it. Take time to moisturize my super dry skin. Get my broken nail wrapped again. Sit and crochet. Sew a few seams, quilt a row or two on the long arm. Watch an entire movie. Leisurely drink my coffee in the am and tea the rest of the day. Play with my crafts and other projects. Row a few minutes on my machine in our garage gym. Plan a sauna. Dream about a quilt project. I want to make some stickers for my journal from the last watercolor and ink I made. Maybe record a podcast. All these things are chill and take a couple of minutes but no rushing and checking things off a list.

I am sticking to my 2022 resolution: 2022 is a year of no productivity goals but a year of getting through it better and stronger than I went in it.

I can’t tell you how much better I feel already by not having any plans, deadlines or stressors for the day. I may take a leisurely walk through a craft store later. Yes, the sun rose and it’s light is streaming through the windows. It’s a good day already.

Ahhhhhhh,

Vicki