The Sheila Variations

Mental health

Nothing like getting out of the land of concrete - even for just a day and a half.

I feel sun-baked (maybe a couple more freckles on my face) and lazy and relaxed. I slept 9 hours. This is unheard of. Swimming, and hammocks, and shrimp on the grill, and the outdoor shower, and star-gazing ... Nighttime was totally quiet except for the occasional splash of a jumping fish. I had a run-in with a daddy long-legs, and dealt with it calmly. (To be perfectly accurate: I had about three freaked-out run-ins with the terrifying buggers before I was able to deal with it calmly. But what a breakthrough to have the run-in go something like: "Oh, look, there's another one. So anyway, as I was saying ...") Sitting in the shade under the big umbrella-table, doing my homework for my writing class. I also read the Raymond Carver story "Cathedral" which I had never read. Holy CRAP. The guy is amazing. Windows to the lake. The most amazing maple tree - massive. A horse trail near the house ... watching the riders go by. Huge hills covered in trees. A lone woman doing the backstroke in the lake. Kids leaping off the blown-up trampoline in the water. Lazing about. Watermelon. A smoky fire at night. Major stars and also a glowing planet. Oh, and we went to a small cafe which sold:

1. Iced coffee
2. Used books.

Can we say: HEAVEN? I bought David McCullough's Truman for five bucks. Psyched.

Nice to get the hell out of here for even a day.

I think I'm gonna watch North by Northwest tonight.

You know ... the search for stress-release never ends for me:

Posted by sheila