Weekend Wishes
It’s the weekend. Can we have a li’l chummy chat, Gentle Reader? I realize that you are juggling a number of plates at any given time, and one or two of them may even be on fire, but let’s talk about this. The weekend. Let’s talk about rest. Let’s talk about refreshment.
I know that you are important to many people, and that things where you are may even fall apart if you’re not there, but you know what? You need to not be there for a time, anyway. For an afternoon or an evening or maybe an entire day. For your good, you need to turn off the ‘pooter, (little Mack’s word for the computer) and that ‘phone that you look at a hundred times a day and forget about the inbox for a time.
Our Creator took an entire day off, you know, and it seems pretty obvious that we are designed to take time off, too, for our own benefit. We aren’t designed to work seven days a week, at top speed, even if we are capable of that. Our bodies and minds are clearly designed to need rest at some time or another.
So this is what I wish for you, my Gentle Reader, because I love you (I really do) and I care about you. Even if you have to go in to work or have something urgent that you have to attend to, I hope you take some weekend time. I wish for you some playtime without the timer clicking down the minutes left. A long afternoon nap, with a t-shirt thrown over the clock and the curtains drawn. Some time on the couch with a good book. A piece of cake with very thick frosting. Some excellent chocolate and some very good coffee. You need it. You know you do.
Here are some ideas for some “weekending.”
Take your shoes off. And your socks. You have time for a walk in the grass–it’s the weekend!
Spend time looking at something really beautiful. It’s all around us, you know. Especially–well, especially everywhere! Take the time.
It might be a good day to go to the zoo, hmm? It’s very nice to just sit and watch the gorilla.
A long walk with somebody you love is very refreshing, physically and emotionally. Take your camera along and snap, snap, snap (at a leisurely pace, natch’).
Kiss somebody you haven’t kissed in a while. Even if he doesn’t really want you to, and he just brought you a flower and an awesome stick, that’s all.
Bake some bread if that would be fun for you. It is for me, and eating it hot with the fam in the kitchen, butter melting into it and dripping down your fingers and everybody sighing with delight is fun, too. This is Anadama bread, and I’m going to teach you how to make it one day very soon. It’s so delicious, with crunchy cornmeal in it and sweetened with molasses. It has a very interesting story behind it, as well.
If somebody brings you an exquisite little tree frog to look at, really look at it. Sit down. That somebody will regard you kindly and he’ll absolutely know how much you love him, and he may even reach out to hold your hand while you watch the frog together.
See how much fun you can have when you turn your ‘phone off? When you unplug? When you live just for today?
Do something goofy. Dress-up party? Impromptu singing in awkward harmonies? Pulling out a game you haven’t played in a while? Yes, yes, and yes!
Hold a chicken. It’s very relaxing. Even if there is a big black dog nearby who is nudging you for attention and making the chicken a bit nervous. Nudge, nudge, nudge.
Pick flowers and then take the time to smell them, one by one. Be grateful for the beauty around us. God could have created the world all in shades of gray, you know. I am so thankful He didn’t. It would be a shame if He didn’t ever get any recognition for all the care He took in designing calendulas. Or poppies or bouncing Bettys or bachelor buttons or (gasp) baby’s breath! Have you ever looked at baby’s breath very, very closely?
It’s okay to be a tortoise for a few hours, my Gentle Reader. You don’t have to be a hare every day. And (I didn’t want to bring this up, but it is true) a few hours of being a tortoise will only make your productivity on Monday (as a hare) that much better. Really.
So those are my wishes for you. Some rest. Some fun. Time spent outside. A tame chicken (or not). Good food and of course some good people to share it all with.
Happy weekending, Gentle Reader.
- The time has come . . . for the Cornish to be OUTSIDE
- Wait–don’t throw those radish leaves away! Make soup, instead!
All being well with this lurking lurgie, I’ll be in the garden, albeit cleaning the chooks’ egglu! Although I fear it is destined to rain here in the UK where I am tomorrow, so will have to put the wellies on! Rain doesn’t necessarily stop play 🙂
I’m going to try to get my chicken coop cleaned out tomorrow, too, Sarah. My garden needs the manure. Have a great weekend, sweetie!
Your bunch of flowers photograph is delicious I want to sniff it and soak it up. But the one that I love most is the gorilla. When my mother was expecting me my parents decided on Gillian for a girl and Guy for a boy. My grandmother was mortified, it was just after Guy Burgess had defected to the USSR (giving my age away) and she announced that she would not have a grandchild named after a spy. My parents tried to soothe her worries by explaining that as they had spent so much time when they were courting visiting the gorilla enclosure at London Zoo they were naming her grandchild not after a spy but after Guy the Gorilla. I don’t think that helped.
I spent all my childhood visiting Guy, he was my special friend. There is a statue of him at the Zoo now but last time we went you had to pay to see it. That was so wrong. I took a photograph from a distance and blew a kiss.
Gillian, I love this story! It’s so funny that your parents were trying to convince your grandma that you were going to be named after a gorilla, not a spy! That’s hilarious! When my youngest sister, Mollie, was born, my maternal grandma apparently was a bit disappointed. Her name was Elna, my mom’s name was Elna also, but there wasn’t another Elna to carry on the name. I think she was hoping my baby sister would get the name. But Mom and Dad named her Mollie instead. My grandma, confused, said “The only thing in our family that was named Mollie was a mule . . . “
You make me want to run through the grass with bare feet. Examine a butterfly and soar on the wind. Thank you for sharing those delightful pictures.
You’re always so sweet, Francene. Thanks so much.
Oh, thank you, Sunshine – what a lovely reminder and such fabulous pictures to go along. You are such a gift to those of us who read what you have to say. Hugs!
Oh, Carrie, I’m still thinking about all those cute bug-related ideas on your blog this morning. You are such a gift to me!!
Beautiful pictures and beautiful post. God did design our bodies to need rest and relaxation. Thank you for the reminder.
Thanks so much, Shawn.
I love this post. I was only saying to Caro this afternoon that we hardly touch our ‘pooters after we have posted our UBC blogs. I am going to spend time with my family this weekend in the outdoors clearing the garage :-/ still it’s away from the phone and pooter. Who knows I might get to spend time in our garden too, I have massive plans for it. God bless and have a wonderful weekend too lovely Amy xx
Thanks so much, Anita-Clare. Cleaning the garage is something that I need to do , too. It’s on my Procrastination Project list. I agree with you, sometimes as long as it’s away from the ‘pooter and the phone, it’s all good. Have a lovely weekend, sweetie. 🙂
Such a lovely post of lovely wishes. Thank you for the gentle reminder of the wonderful things that await us if we just take the time to do them. Or notice them. I wish you the same this weekend, Amy. You certainly deserve it! 🙂
Thank you Suerae. I am planning on spending as much time as possible this weekend out in my garden–the weather is supposed to be warming up at last, and I do intend to enjoy it! Thanks again, chickie! I hope you have a lovely weekend, too!
The kiss someone and pick some flowers photos are my favorites! You should frame those! Also LOVE the photo of the tootsies!
Toni,
Thanks so much, Toni! As a matter of fact, I meant to give little Mack the credit for the toe-sies pic. He took it!
Thank you, Amy, for reminding us to take the time to stop and look at something other than a screen!
Good for you, Patricia! And you have so much beauty in those lovely littles of yours!
Love your photos Amy. Yes, I love the weekends. There has to be an emergency for me to work on them. My business coach and coaching clients often suggest that I offer workshops for coaching clients on weekends; however, I have resisted. I started my business so that I can have more freedom to ENJOY my life. Although I love my business, weekends are sacred.
Awesome notion, Rachel. Have a good one!
what a lovely prompt to enjoy life without looking at a screen!
I’ve long written about the importance of rest and recreation – not luxuries, but an important element to a healthy lifestyle!
Cheers,
Gordon
So true, Gordo!
Oh, I hope I can get some rest this weekend. I’ve been in a hypomanic episode since Tuesday and have probably only slept less than 6 hours total between then and now. Beautiful sentiments and right on target. Rest is essential and our bodies, minds, spirits, and souls require that downtime for healing and recharging, processing and growing.
Gorgeous pictures.
Blessings,
Kina
Kina,
I hope you get some rest this weekend! Blessings!
Bare feet are a daily occurrence around here, but just sitting back and reading a book hasn’t been since baby arrived nearly a year ago. I’m going to try to find time for that this weekend!
Oh, Katie, you’re a new mum? Congrats! And I hope you get a little rest and relaxation this weekend! Curl up with that baby and take a nap!
Mmmm …… what a wonderful way to remind us of the beauty of life and how to take time out and recharge our batteries! Thank you 🙂
Thanks Tamsin!
I love your weekend restful things to do! And I cannot wait for the Anadama bread!
Caro, Anadama is one of my favorites. THank you!
So incredibly true Amy. Especially loved the pix of the chicken and the young girl (daughter?) holding the flowers. Stunning. So tonight at least – no computer. Tomorrow work but then road trip with mom. Sunday – no computer. How about you?
I have my grandson coming to visit, so I’m going to be holding him and visiting with his ‘rents as much as possible! I’ll leave the ‘pooter off for most of the weekend!
Love your pictures of what we could do to take our fingers off the keypad. Great thought. I’m going to wander around my garden and smell the roses. In this overcast weather, the fragrance is devine.
For some unknown reason, our roses are having a lovely year this year, too, Francene. I’m glad that you are going to enjoy your garden this weekend!
This IS a lovely post. I thought so the first time I read it…
Caro, it’s so sweet of you to read it a second time! Thank you, my friend!
Right now I have to move slow (long story) so I will have some enforced down time tonight and maybe tomorrow. I wish I could hold a chicken in my lap, but my laptop (reading your blog,of course) will have to do. The smile on Little Mack’s face, of course, is priceless.
Thank you, Alana. Will you tell this “long story” sometime soon? I love stories. 🙂
Great suggestions…nice reminders. BTW are you old enough to have a grandchild—LOL …it’s that youthful outdoorsy down on the farm look. 😉
I know you will have tons of fun with Emmett! Enjoy! 🙂
I love this post so much, and second time around I fell in love again with the flowers and the gorilla. I’ve been working today and tomorrow is Sunday School and Messy Church but they don’t feel like work 🙂
Now I’ve got to ask, Gillie, what is “Messy Church”?
Well much of the above sounds like my day to day..I do enjoy moments with nature, fresh baked bread and perhaps a moment or two with my grandchildren. But I will try to add a bit more this weekend once the storm passes. I am already very good at taking naps, so that won’t count for sure.
Gosh i thought that gorilla was in your garden for a mo, I thought you have outdone me there LOL.
Nature is so wonderful, we need to get back to it, I hope the world hasn’t caught on too late, we are losing so much of it 🙁
x
Hi lovely Amy! *waves*
Thanks for this, darlin. I needed it today (even though you wrote it a while back). I’m gonna go take some pictures. Hope you’re doing well. Cheers!
Hi beautiful lady! *waves back* It’s so nice to hear from you, and I’m glad that post gave you a lift! Hope you have a lovely, lovely day!