Commence Operation Relaxation

Why do I feel guilty for taking a holiday?!

Hejsa!

The poppies are almost done in our garden. There are only a few common red ones left. I am going to miss them. And so are the bees! I’m glad I took (a lot) of pictures of the various poppies earlier in the season. Here is an excellent purple example. Isn’t it gorgeous?!

We are going on holiday in Denmark with my family next week and I am really looking forward to it. I have been for months. And I have been thinking about all the things I/we need to do before the trip for months too.

The other evening, I had gone to bed and fallen asleep but then Blake wanted in the garden and afterwards I lay in bed for an hour, unable to sleep. I was thinking about all the things that need to be done before the Denmark holiday.

In the end I decided to get up and go in the spare bedroom so I wouldn't wake up my husband. Once I had checked all the things I was thinking about, and added more tasks and things to my to do lists, I was still no closer to sleep.

I like to plan things and to know what needs to get done. Even if the things that need to get done before a trip tend to be the same every time, I still make lists for them.

And usually I make a list of the lists I need to make:

Things to do at home before the trip (usually cleaning, especially since we'll have someone staying in our house to look after Blake);

Things to do before the trip that is part of the trip (plane tickets, hotel, etc);

How to get to various places (Tony will be doing the driving but I take my co-pilot job very seriously and familiarise myself with routes and such);

Things to do on the holiday (although I have been informed that it's not necessary to plan every single minute, it is ok to do this thing called ‘relaxing’);

Things to make for the trip (various gifts because it is so rare that I see my whole family all together. Plus I’m making myself a dress for the trip.);

Things to pack;

Things to buy in Denmark (gotta bring home those Danish treat!) 

So many lists! But it's infinitely better to make the lists than feel like I am forgetting something… 

Am I the only list maker?

Well, despite my lists and trying to get it on paper instead of trying to remember everything, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed this week. And since overwhelm leads to stress and stress leads to the Dark Side, I have decided that my holiday starts now. Because something’s gotta give. Unless it’s some urgent task, all work stops right now. Newsletter/Substack, YouTube, blog posts etc, etc. It will all have to wait until I am back from Denmark.

Operation Relaxation starts now! 😀

I will see you at the beginning of August.

Have a lovely weekend!

x Carina

P.S. Since I had scheduled this already, do check out the fourth video in the Summer Slow Stitching series on YouTube.

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Some Things I Am Enjoying

Book: Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art* by Mary Gabriel. This is a very interesting book. I haven’t got very far into it yet. And it’s probably going to take me a while to get through it, the audio version is over 40 hours! But it will time well spent, I think. we need more books that focus on female artists! :-)

Watching: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. We watched this the other evening. It was ok! Not the best film ever but pretty good. Some funny moments and call backs to the previous films. I think what I enjoyed the most was that it seemed like the older cast members were enjoying getting the band back together again. :-)

Also watching: YouTube channels by people who live on narrowboats. A couple to check out: thistinylife and Kris Atomic.

Instagram: @charlottes_arts An artist and printmaker who also lives on a narrowboat and makes work inspired by that.

*bookshop.org affiliate link.

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