A bucket of flowers

Here are some shots of this week's flowers from our share at Picadilly Farm. They are gorgeous! The zinnias are unbelievable. The fields are filled with rows and rows of bright flowers.

I put them around the house and seeing them makes me feel civilized and bountiful.

Today, I'm heading to Wellspring House for a writer's retreat http://www.wellspringhouse.net/. I'll be there 3 days and 2 nights! I'm going to bring the laptop and write, sleep, eat and take walks.

Early in the summer Rob said, "I'm going to be doing cyclocross bicycle races every weekend in the fall; if you want some time to yourself, summer would be a good time."

I put it off. I didn't really want to leave him and the kids, but last month I mentioned it to a group of moms and they were appalled I hadn't planned something for myself. One of them said, "If my husband ever said I could take a break, the next thing you'd hear is the door closing behind me as I bolted! Do something! Are you crazy!?" They were right. I looked around. Before kids, I did Insight and Vipassana meditation retreats a couple times a year and loved them, but they were all booked and pretty expensive. I looked up Kripalu in Lenox but, again, way too pricey for my budget. I really just wanted to sleep and write alone, so someone suggested I go to a cheap hotel, but that seemed lonely. I didn't want to wake up at 4am and look out at my view of the parking lot.
Finally, I remembered, in the way- back of my memory; there was a place, nearby, in Ashfield Mass. I had heard it mentioned several times over the years. I googled and found Wellspring House. It was perfect! A quiet peaceful homey place to write and sleep. I can make my own meals, take walks and write. It is run by a married couple, who write. They created a place for fellow writers to go and do their work. It is in their lovely home and costs 45$ a night!
I leave in a few hours!

My mother is coming to watch the girls for two days and they are thrilled to have her come and sleep here. Rob is taking a vacation day at work to cover Friday. I can't believe it's really happening.

It sort of snuck up on us all. We've been busy getting Georgia back to school and gearing up for fall and my part time teaching job. Anyway, I've got to pack up, clean the stinky rat cage and put out the trash before I head out. Lily woke me with a note laid on my chest this morning.

"To Mama
I will miss you so
Don't go!
stay Georgia and I
will miss you so bad!"

It is difficult to leave them and the cozy nest of home but I feel a stirring of excitement at the idea of being alone and getting to write for more than just a stolen few minutes.

Wish me luck!