Retreat: rest & relaxation

I was thinking...I don't have a full time job.  I have lots of free time.  And yet, I promise you, I needed a weekend away more than ever.  Too bad I couldn't leave my head at home.  Seemed like, as the week went on: more and more piled on my plate.  I may not have a paying job...but I'm still trying to run the house and keep up with the boys.  So, I definitely needed a get away to a non-testosterone zone!

By Friday, I was completely frazzled.  I just knew that I wouldn't get everything done before I left and I would forget something crucial.  I packed earlier in the week. And then repacked Thursday night, because of the weather.  It was supposed to be cold and rainy.  Thankfully it was just cool and sunny.  My clothes were just fine and if I forgot something...I have yet to remember what it would have been. Just a bunch of fussing for nothing.

So, I met the grills in Cullman for some thrift shopping.  First stop, Better than Before.  I found a pair of jean, a pair of denim capris, a dress and two pairs of sandals.  I was on a roll!!  Then we went antiquing.  I was half looking for items for the hoosier cabinet.  I only purchased a mug.  Not really an antique...but it was teal and brown. (blue and brown is currently my favorite color combination).

One store had taken old black metal lunchboxes and fastened them to the wall outside and made them into planters.  Might have to try that.
Then onto the retreat. The house is three levels overlooking Smith Lake.  There were only seven of us this year. B, J and D were upstairs doing their bookscrapping. I don't understand how they can scrap for twelve or thirteen hours straight. But I guess it is more about the fellowship. And accomplishing without husbands, kids and other day-to-day distractions. And then four of us were downstairs. M bookscrapped, but she also did other projects with us. S, V and I were in the paint zone! 

I painted the chairs on Friday night.  Not too bad.  I'm not completely happy with the chairs.  But as Leonardo DaVinci said "art is never finished, just abandoned".

One of the nicest things about the retreat is the food.  The meals are delicious!  The first night we had Beef Stroganoff.  Oh my!  Can't quite recall what all else.  I think roasted brocolli, homemade rolls.  It tastes much better when you don't have to cook it, or clean up afterwards!


Morning view from the porch.  Ahh, so nice to wake up with no responsibilites.  No errands, no laundry, no cooking, no cleaning...nothing but sipping coffee and watching the sunrise.  And eating,   of course.  Blueberry French Toast with blueberry syrup compote and bacon (no eggs for me).  Yum!

So much relaxation,  it was hard to get motivated. But S showed us how to do mixed media. It is wild and very free-ing. We started by gluing old book pages to a canvas. It can be just for texture or you can leave some of the words showing. Then painted over it with white. And then go color wild. You can do pastels or primary. I painted it on with a credit card. Then you use a variety of curlicues, stencils, stamps, textured paper, bubblewrap to make the desired picture. And when it is dry. We used antiquing glaze to mute the colors. M put her initial on hers. V wrote a saying. And I stenciled "believe".

I loved painting with a credit card.  Finally, a use for those crappy cards that come in the mail.  I would like to do a series of these: joy, hope, peace, love...  They remind me of a picture I saw a long time ago by Jackson Pollock.  He was more into splattering.  Hmm.  It would have to be an outside activity!

After lunch, back to my comfort zone...the beach in acrylics. I didn't like it at the time...but I think I captured the movement of the water onto the beach.