Barb’s Personal Notes, 8/26/09
Summer Projects That Refreshed my Spirit
IN MY POST, “Refresh Your Spirit with a Staycation,” I talk about the benefits of taking time away from your business and the Internet to quietly ponder your life and goals. From time to time, we all must carve out some time for this kind of contemplation and planning, otherwise, we’ll be like a hamster in a cage, constantly running round and round in our little wheel of life, never getting anywhere.
I have been away from my business, my computer, and my websites for most of the time since May, as my lack of blog posts and Brabec Bulletins to my subscriber list proves. But I can’t tell you how much good it has done me to focus on personal projects for a change instead of spending twelve hours a day working in my office as has been my habit most of the time since my husband died. “After I’m gone, you’ll probably work all the time,” he once said. Alas, he was right.
I am and always have been a workaholic, but working all the time on personal projects that give us enormous pleasure is not the same thing as working all the time on a business that causes us stress. Without exception, we all need to periodically find a way to refresh and refill ourselves so we can continue our work with a renewed spirit.
What I Did This Summer
In April, I wrote about my house and yard projects and the garage sale I was then planning. (I’ve now added an update post with some pictures of the sale if you’d like to see how it turned out.)
Once the garage sale was over, I decided that I wanted to get my kitchen repainted with the help of my friend, Kirk, who does all the ladder work. Although I only cook for myself and an occasional guest these days, I really love cooking and being in my kitchen. Now the old yellow walls have been turned into a soft Granny Apple green that blends beautifully with the green of the outdoors I see through the kitchen windows (shuttered here to keep out the glare).
Barbara’s kitchen wall features handmade utensils and artwork made by artists and craftspeople she and husband Harry knew and worked with through the years.
It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint and some new colors can do for one’s spirits! I got so excited by the new paint in both the garage and kitchen that I soon decided I wanted to repaint the whole upstairs in the next few months – especially my office. That means many more days ahead in coming months when I won’t have time to be at my computer or post to my blog. But I know you’ll still be here, waiting for me when I get back, just as YOUR customers, clients, or Web followers will be waiting for you when you take a much needed vacation from the stress of your home business.
Yard Projects
A lot of my time this spring and summer was spent out in the yard working on one project after another with my friend Kirk, who I originally hired in 2008 at the recommendation of my yard man. He said Kirk was a landscaper by trade who did painting on the side. As we got acquainted during the house painting process, I began to talk about my dream of doing something with the back yard and my little flower patch to make it nicer. I wanted a place where I could sit outside and have lunch or breakfast, or read in the evening before dark.
Kirk encouraged me to sketch out my ideas, and then he began to give me his ideas on how he could implement them. I learned that the cost of materials was slight compared to labor costs, but that I could save a lot of money by doing what I could. So for the past two springs and summers, I’ve spent a lot of time in the yard doing physical work that was not only good for me, but satisfying to my spirit. What Kirk and I began then continues today because, once I got started, I found I was addicted to the idea of changing the whole yard, in the back, the front, and on both sides of the house. I’m now becoming quite knowledgeable about shade-loving perennials.
The before and after pictures below of just one small area of the back yard will give you a little idea of what can be down with hours of labor, but very little cost in materials.
BEFORE: I began with a folding chair under the Maple Tree, next to the overgrown bed of Lillies, added a little fountain and a pot of flowers in a stand. A couple of Peony bushes off to the right had given me pleasure for years.
AFTER: The Lilly patch was moved to the back of the yard and framed with a row of the concrete blocks that had once been a sidewalk along the side of the house. The whole area around and under the Maple Tree was planted with catmint, Hydrangias, ferns, and other perennials, and the whole area was framed with red crescent bricks.
I get as much pleasure from sitting in my little backyard patio as I do just looking at it every day from my bedroom and kitchen windows. I hope these pictures will inspire you to think about what you might do to your own back yard to make it more satisfying and relaxing. If you lack experience in this area, there’s a wealth of how-to info on the Web
Other Summer Pleasures
The one thing that did me more good than anything else this summer was visiting with my two sisters, Mary and Mollie, who came out from California in early July. We spent a laughter-filled week together cooking up gourmet meals for ourselves and friends, recovering the seats of my dining room chairs and making a matching table runner and new pillows for my newly reupholstered couch. We also caught a big band concert in the park and made a trip to Old Mill Creek, Illinois to see the famous Tempel Lipizzans at Tempel Farms.
Tempel Farms is home to the largest privately owned herd of Lipizzan hourses in the world. Harry and I were fortunate to have seen the Lipizzans perform in Austria back in the seventies, so this was a very special day for me. From participation in President Obama’s inaugural parade to their role in Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid, the Tempel Lipizzans continue to add to their storied history.
After my sisters left, I treated myself to a couple of day trips offered by the Naperville Park District, and finally got to ride the Nary Pier Ferris Wheel and visit the Shedd Aquarium again after nearly 50 years. Here I was amazed to see so many exhibits of corals “up close and personal” and learn of the Aquarium’s efforts to raise coral in captivity with the goal of repopulating many of the world’s depleted coral reefs. I am now looking forward to other day trips to the Chicago Botanic Gardens in September, and the Adler Planetarium in October, another place I haven’t visited since the 1980s.
When the harshness of winter comes this year, my feet may be cold, but my heart will be warmed by the memories of the Spring and Summer of 2009, one of my happiest years as a widow.
See also these related articles: “East Your Stress with a Staycation,” and “Barb’s Garage Sale Update.”
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Comments
So enjoyed reading about your Staycation and seeing your beautiful pictures. Reminded me of how much fun it was to share in sewing, cooking and just enjoying life. Instead of just remembering the “good old days” you are taking them and weaving them into good new days. Gave me some fresh ideas as well. Thanks for sharing and continuing to inspire us along life’s journey. Rainbow blessings, Joanne
Your yard is looking beautiful. Thanks again for the wise words and inspiration. In these challenging times its even more important than ever to keep perspective and remember the important things in life are not bought with $$$. Enjoy the Fall. I look forward to your next bulletin and all your news.
How beautiful it all looks, Barbara! Nice job. Painting your office sounds so admirable. I’d rather do about anything than move my stacks upon stacks of gathered goods. You have my vote for woman of the year!