Taking “time out”

 

For quite awhile now life has been pretty busy, and when I look back, not just the last few months, but years, a lot has been “packed” into the time. And it’s not just the being busy, but also the emotional happenings, that wear us out. And I can’t see that things will be any different in the near future, so it was time to do something. And just a couple of days out of the routine was something I could do. A  friend and I decided it was time to spend a weekend doing what we wanted, and so we are having a “retreat” at my house, filling up our tanks!

We started Friday evening, set up the sewing machines, and the TV nearby, to watch DVD’s while we were sewing. Must admit I did not even turn on my machine, but I did decide on a project to work on, one on the many PHD’s I have stored in boxes. And I did sort out just where I was going with it and what I was going to do next. Feels so good to do this, all my unfinished “stuff” is heavy on my mind.

Saturday morning we attended a Breakfast by the Lake, an event organised by a local church that have a group called “Ladies Lovin’ Life” each month. It was a very chilly morning, but our lake it a great place for time out. A peaceful place listening to the birds and watching the ducks. The lake was made in the “hole” left by the earthworks when a new road was built to bypass our town, a few years ago when they built an overpass over the railway line. The hole was filled with water and we now have a lovely area, with a walking trail around it, and an island in the middle. Photos below.

Breakfast was yummy, fruit, yoghurt, cereals, toast, bacon and eggs and muffins, with coffee or tea. Was a wonderful morning of fellowship.

A lovely message from Nell was very inspiring, and something for us all to think about, and very fitting for my weekend of “timeout”. The following verse was the start of Nell’s talk…..

Next time a sunrise steals your breath, or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing, and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you”    (Max Lucado)

A great reminder to stop, slow down, and “smell the roses” and to really look at God’s great creation in the busyness of our lives.

And now a couple of photos of what’s happening. First is my messy work area, and second is Pauline’s tidy area. When she went to bed last night, it was all tidy and things put away, stuff in plastic bags and organised, compared to mine that was left just as it!

So, I have one more day, before I get back to the quilting machine. I am enjoying getting creative again. Lots of different threads, play with the stitches on my machine and spending time trying to decide which colour fabric to use.

I have even attacked a few spiders in the house, and wiped away some dust, and cleaned floors. And the gutter man has been and cleaned the gutters at The Sanctuary, and there is a bit of water in the tank! The weather is gloomy and there’s been some rain this morning. A good day to stay inside, with the wood fire going to keep warm, do some stitching and watch some DVD’s!

Hope you enjoy whatever you are doing today.

Blessings, From Jude