Means “back to the grind”… sigh. But rather than tackle the normality of Monday, I thought I’d share some highlights of our week in Erie!
We had such a delightful time away… it was a week of each new day striving to be better than the day before! We had “layer” weather, which I love. You know the kind… one where it is helpful to have layers so you can add or remove as needed. (I posted almost every day on IG…)
I knit the minutest amount… but I did start the October sock.
I stayed pretty up to date with my stitching.
But the greatest delight was my new journal. I painted every single day… mostly “thumbnails” but some full pages, some half pages… all of it incredibly delightful! They were all done in less than 30 minutes and I found this little act to really cement memories for me. I can look at these little paintings and remember exactly where I was… it is a better “memory keeper” than many of the photos I have taken!
I found it simply stunning that one day… the day of the full moon… the sun set and the moon rose at the exact same time (this astounding phenomenon will become two pages in my autumn stitch book).
We watched for a comet but never caught a glimpse… but we did watch a rather large flock of seagulls soaring in the orange skies of twilight on the night of the full moon. I like to think they were as in awe of the sunset/moonrise phenomenon as we were!
I even saw some “new-to-me” birds on our daily treks. We “stumbled upon” a group of deer on one walk… I am not sure who was more curious… us or them! They watched us for a very long time. We saw a plethora of turkeys… and we even spotted a solitary mink! We walked so much and it felt so very good! I did not take an abundance of photos but I think I found a good balance between being in nature and capturing nature! We ate out a few times and had some really lovely happy hours. But mostly… just an extraordinary amount of treasured vertical time!
We saw very few yards signs for you know who… and lots more signs for you know her! (dare I let my hope grow brighter??)
It was truly the best vacation… and despite not really wanting to get back to the grind, I am more than ready!
So happy Monday everyone, see you all back here on Wednesday!
That just sounds like a perfect vacation Kat! Your art work is gorgeous – what a great way to capture your time away. I like the yarn for your October sock – very pretty. Welcome Home!!
What a wonderful vacation you had! I love how you can go back to the same place and find new things to do and be inspired by. I love your October socks and your painting is stunning! I’m always happy to see signs for you know her. My newish neighbor has one and when I told him I was glad to see it, he said he was afraid I might be a supporter of that other guy. I assured him that was definitely not the case!
You sound refreshed & rejuvenated!! Welcome home!
Your photos on IG were so gorgeous and I could tell that you were having a fabulous time, but I love seeing all the paintings and knowing the moments of peace and contentment they created! I’m also chuckling a bit thinking of the deer you saw going back to their friends and saying, “You would not believe these people we saw!”
I am trying to be optimistic about the election, as much as I can be. I know I live in a pretty blue area, but I haven’t seen a single sign for that guy in the neighborhood and have seen tons for Kamala. I just hope people across the country are excited and get out to vote!
It’s a lot easier to face reality when you’ve had a great time away and I’m glad that’s how you’re feeling right now. I enjoyed your Instagram posts and look forward to more stories.
Welcome back. It sounds like such a rejuvenating break!
It sounds like the most perfect vacation, Kat! I know what you mean about making new discoveries in a familiar place. Every time we head up north to our cabin (a place we have gone so many times in our over 25 years up there), we STILL find new things and see with “new” eyes. Your paintings are lovely — and I’m so glad you’re getting so much joy from painting-your-life. XO Welcome back!
I envy your ability to capture the sights of your trip as miniature artwork. Well done.
oh my goodness! those daily paintings are a treasure!!! Looks like you had a great vacation.
Your paintings are absolutely beautiful. I wonder if sketching/painting helps one stop and really consider what you are seeing and experiencing. I’m glad you had such a lovely vacation.