Soooo, I missed my blog post last week. Sorry about that. But it was for good reason.

I had run away to my Reader's Escape! It was a bit short, but oh so lovely. While there, I realized this is the FIFTH one I have led! and I swear they just keep getting better and better. 

This was also my first FULL retreat. I had no available beds. Not only that, I still had people interested and will have another one in August!

I'm so tickled to see these become such a hit and to keep growing. 

There are certainly still things I'm learning since every retreat has different people and a different dynamic, but they are always just so good. 

As much as I love having a retreat that is super close, I don't know that I'll do one here again. 

I much prefer the house we used last September. 

At the same time... I've had an idea. An itch in the back of my mind that seems to be pushing it's way forward to become a reality.

As I've started thinking about next year's Escape, I realized that I will also be (FINALLY!) publishing Madamn in August.

Which might make it possible to make the Escape much more interesting. 

Em's chateau is currently used as a business retreat space. Who wants to go to France???

In the meantime, here are a few pics from the Escape:

Simple Pleasures

I've had a rough week. Except I think it has actually been a couple of weeks. It's hard to tell anymore. 

I've read studies about how stress can be addicting. I know people like that. There is always something and if there isn't, they find something small to stress over. 

However, I've decided a long time ago that I do not want a life like that. I want to life a life where I can deal with stressful situations, but still manage a peaceful life as much as possible. 

It is easy to get caught up in the stress and events as they happen.

Yesterday I got a bit of a slap in the face. I had tried to ship a t-shirt to a friend of mine. She lives in Peru, but was going to be in the United States (where I am) for a short window. 

So I made the design for the shirt, sent it to a place that does shirt printing, then a week later, learned they never received the design, so I had to resend it. No big, I just had to pay a bit extra in shipping. 

Which actually cost twice what the shirt cost. My mistake, so I'm still not stressed about it. 

What stressed me out was when the package claimed it was delivered and my friend didn't receive it. I spent the next 24 hours on the phone with the post office, with the hotel, doing anything I could to track down what happened to this package.

As time got closer to her checking out of the hotel, I started to feel the pressure of the time limit. 

I actually got so stressed that I mentioned to my husband that, "Now I have to call the police..."

While my husband is incredibly patient, understanding, and supportive, he knew where the line was. He stood up and told me that I would not be calling the police. It is a shirt. We can take the loss and we will be ok.

You know, it's funny, just 20 minutes after that moment, after some tears and me calming down...

I received a photo of this friend with a huge grin holding up her shirt. 

I've noticed from this incident that I have been working too hard and losing sight of the things that I do for the simple joy, pleasure, and fun. I haven't done that in a while.

The good news is that next weekend I have the first of two Reader's Escape events this year. 

Which is part of the problem ironically, next year there will only be one. 

But I'm so excited to run away and to simply read for the pure joy of it with people that I love. I can't wait!

Balancing Acts and Juggling Plates

I have a problem y'all. I have a tendency to get excited about things. Lots of things. Usually all at the same time. Then I feel myself getting stretched thin and have to become a bit of a recluse to follow through on commitments I've made and clear some of my bandwidth.

I was noticing last night that I have a lot going on right now. 

So much that things are getting forgotten and falling off to the side. Which is a shame because I was so excited about them when things first started. And I still want to do them, I just have to clean things up a bit. 

I mean that both physically and metaphorically. 

I had to move out of my cute office space that I loved so much (the building sold), so my office is currently in  boxes around my living room and in my car. 

There are so many exciting projects I want to do for my own business.

I'm beginning to realize that while I can say yes to all of these amazing things, they can't all be done and completed right now.

I have this awesome ability to see the end and love soaking up the rewards of a job well done.

Work is fun. I'm lucky like that.

However, there is the process of the actual work and the time it takes to complete a project. That is the part I forget at times.

When I get asked about a project or have an idea, I'm pretty good at stopping myself and saying, Is this something I want or something I want to do?

The hang up is that I'm always picturing the end result, and yes, I want those rewards and payouts. But it often leaves me juggling a lot of plates simultaneously.

Luckily, I have done this so often in my life that I've developed a bit of a talent for it. And apparently I love to stretch myself, so I keep adding more plates.

But there always comes a time when I get overwhelmed and drop a few plates as I'm scurrying to keep up. Guess where I'm at right now?

So for the next few days and/or weeks, I'll be simply trying to tie up loose ends and pull things off the spinning plates.

I'm needing closure and finishing energy if I want to keep moving forward without having a full meltdown.  

Summertime!

Y'all, I love summer so very much! It's kind of killing me to have a full time job right about now.

Not only do I love the warm weather and the sunshine, I love how green everything is and how everything is simply buzzing with life. 

I got to smell fresh lilac bushes today for the first time all year!

So maybe we are more into spring here, but still!

I got to also attend a local farmer's market and art festival. I love being around so many people. I feel a slight buzz myself (nope, no alcohol, thank you!). 

It's actually so much harder to sit and write because I am walking all over this festival, walking to the library, walking to this shop and that to prepare for the Reader's Escape coming up in just a few weeks (!), and trying to increase my own health and stamina while I'm at it.

It's been a rough year. Last year around this time I totaled my cute little red Ford Escape and I miss it so much.

Huh. I just realized how often this word escape keeps making it's way into my vocabulary. 

Isn't it interesting how all these things come together? 

In other news, my office building has sold and I have to move. It's incredibly tragic and I'm really upset about it. I ideally should have been out yesterday, but this week has just been a bit too intense, so we are just getting around to it. Meaning the sooner I'm out, the better. 

It's already so bare in here.

This has been my sanctuary for the past year I've been here. Here's to hoping my new place will be just as good. 

With those updates, I'm signing off for this week but I'll be sure to update you next week on how things are going!