The staycation is now a memory. I never did end up getting to Utrecht yesterday though we loved Rock Creek Park and the planetarium there and are making plans to go back to hike around there soon. We scrapped plans for a weekend in the Shenendoahs based on room configuration and thought even closer-to-home hiking an ideal and even more perfect idea. Have I mentioned how much we really love our own home - when keep your own house your home base you never miss your bed or the water pressure of your shower. And there is so much new-to-us stuff right in our own area that it would be a shame to not explore it further. Mike and I had a date night last night and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants (with some wine!) and then went to see Julie and Julia with some friends. A nice end to the week.
Today starts some time just me and my kids. Good stuff!! We're going to try to realistic in our expectations for this day. There is lots to do but we're going to try to service body and mind today and not get too crazy with long to-do lists. We have a bicycle ride planned around the lake, a few loads of laundry to tackle, and a closet to clean (Jessica's), and a bare refrigerator that needs some food (Wegman's, we'll be seeing you later, even though Monday is my least favorite day to go food shopping.... but Mike is now officially out of OJ and he gets cranky if he doesn't get his big tall glass of liquid happiness in the morning). If it's nice later and we have any time we will head to the pool because there are only two weeks left of it being open!
After the kids go to bed I fully plan on starting work on some additional content to my BPS Wellness class for the next time it runs (more on that another time).
I would also like to figure out what kind of easel configuration to get. There are a ton of options. I thought this was going to be easy. I even already had a french easel in my cart over at Dick Blick's (but then found the same one at Utrecht with a 40% off coupon there - hence the planned visit yesterday that never happened). But when we were driving home yesterday we pulled off onto one of those scenic overlook's where you could gaze out into the expanse of light blue sky that went on into infinity, see the boats floating on the Potomac and see the big houses that stick out of the Georgetown trees... and it turned out there was an art class gathering there. We started talking to the students and I asked them about their easels. The teacher told me he had gone through 7 Jullian french easels in 2 years (the kind I had in my shopping cart) but had his Mabef french easel for 8 and had no problems. But then I went online and saw pochade box easels (EasyL, Guerilla box, OpenM) which look so stinking cool and LIGHT so now I'm trying to figure out the advantages and disadvantages and which one would best suit my needs (which since I am just beginning my painting adventures I have no idea of my need! I just want something that will be light and easy to use and will allow me to paint more outside). I have to admit that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of it at the moment.
Well nothing a little bike ride can't take of! So that's where I'm off to.
