I’m typing this early because this weekend I am going on a me-time retreat and it’s going to be awesome. There’ll be time to sew, to read, to pamper myself and to eat gorgeous food. My surroundings will be beautiful, and I shall be calm and live like my imaginary writer-self as I waft through the days.
Ah, the joys of being a writer because, you see, I am not actually going anywhere at all. I am simply declaring that next weekend I shall have two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon each day that are MINE. (Or maybe, MINE, MINE, MINE, if you care to imagine me as a dragon guarding her hoard and more than willing to breathe fire on anyone who makes it necessary.)
Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning my family, and I’m sure they won’t starve. I’ve simply taken advantage of the meal deals on offer at the supermarket who does my deliveries to pick some meals that are simple enough for me to cook in minutes, or for them to do if they’re feeling particularly kind and lovable. I’m moving all the usual weekend jobs to the weekdays and amusing myself as I do them by playing at making my Victorian House Near The Sea into the sort of place that I’d choose to go and stay. I’ve planned my wardrobe and it’s on my wardrobe doors on hangers, exactly as if I was going away for the weekend. I’ve treated myself to some intensive hair conditioner and a face mask and some lovely bath stuff while they were on special offer. I’ve looked at all the gorgeous books available either on Kindle Unlimited or free in the book newsletters I subscribe to and downloaded them. I’ve looked at the free magazines and downloaded those. And, most and hardest of all, I have reminded myself that I so totally deserve this little bit of time to myself and that my family will benefit from me being a calmer, happier and more relaxed person. They will not suffer if I have eight hours (eight whole hours, why that’s practically a day!) to myself, and I’m having as much fun planning it as I will have doing it. If the sun shines I shall be in the garden, if it doesn’t then I’ll catch up on all that TV I’ve been planning to watch. There will be tea in pretty china cups and saucers. There’s scone dough and clotted cream ready in the freezer for a cream tea. There will be croissants and posh jam for breakfast.
Don’t worry if you think I’m mad. Lots of people do. Or worse. But it will make me happy, it won’t make anyone else unhappy and it didn’t cost a lot. So why not give it a try? I’d like to think of us all in the sunshine in our own beautiful places, enjoying peace and happy times. Please let me know if you do, and here’s where I shall be retreating to…
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