Quiet time on purpose

I haven’t posted in a while, due in part to a short hospital scare and an un-vacation. The hospital situation is done and taken care of, but our vacation 2 days later was cancelled. We went on a few day trips instead, and were able to go to a vegetarian yoga retreat for 2 nights. The “stay-cation” idea was not as appealing to me, because I don’t want to eat out every meal in my own neighborhood, which means grocery shopping and cooking. I really tried to not do laundry for a week, but I don’t like looking at full hampers of dirty clothes, and I’d honestly rather just do the laundry instead of watching it pile up.

Jeff has been vegetarian for more than 6 months now, and it was a wonderful experience being somewhere that served only meat-free food. Most places are accommodating when Jeff asks for a dish without the meat, but we were very impressed with the creative foods served with the vegetables as the stars, not just the afterthoughts. It was a cell-phone free (gasp!!) kind of place- in public areas- so no photos of the food. No wifi, either, but our local phones let us check our email anyway…in the room only.

The yoga classes were very good, with the instructor from India teaching in German and accommodating the English speakers with instructions in our native language as well! The grounds were peaceful. There was a babbling brook, a breeze through the trees, happy birds, and the fragrance of lilacs. What a relief to go somewhere that encourages rest, quiet, and self-care. I’m grateful for the opportunity  to spend time a couple of hours away from home in a restorative environment.

Has anyone figured out a way to have a relaxing stay-cation without household chores on your mind?