Retreating Away from Home

"Everyone needs a place to retreat; a spot where the world grows quiet enough for the soul to speak.

Angie Weiland- Crosby

Each year when the gardening season is over, I pack up my favorite things and my dog Riley and travel to a quiet place to get away. I recharge, rest and renew. I read, reflect, write, sleep, make delicious food, go for walks, sit by the fire, breathe, and whatever else feels right.

When I return home I am refreshed and ready to put the gardens to bed and prepare for what is ahead for the rest of the year.

I take time to take photos, do some self-care pampering, and cuddle with Riley. It is pure bliss. 

I start in the summer finding a vacation rental that is in the woods, affordable, not too far away, and is dog friendly. This year I found a perfect place close to Naples, Idaho off the beaten path.

I know when my time ends here I will be ready to return to civilization, but I will drag my feet a bit that last day.

A Perfect Retreat

The back door of my cabin with a place to grill and eat.

 Last week I spent four days at Sanctuary Farm south of Alberton, Montana. Sanctuary Farm is a working farm and my cabin was surrounded by chickens, roosters, one peacock, and goats in the woods. The owners turned a huge shop into a vacation rental. They also rent out a Yurt. I was only planning on staying three days, but as soon as I arrived I knew I wanted to stay longer.

Riley made himself at home.

Why would I go on a retreat? I love my sweet small home, my beautiful gardens, and my She Shed. Sometimes it is good to get away to read, write, think, and pray. I wasn't concerned about weeding or watering. I could just take a nap when I wanted, walk around the area if I wanted, and visit with the owners, their son, little kittens, and their dog Lucy. It was just what I needed.

The breakfast sandwich was bacon, eggs, and cheddar cheese placed between two sourdough waffles with syrup on the side.

The owner Liz is a chef. She sells breakfast sandwiches for renters. My oh my... the sandwich was a perfect way to start the day. Riley didn't know what to think of the chickens and decided he wasn't a bird dog. All he wanted to do was take walks off the property where he could run free. 

The name is perfect. It really is a sanctuary. I hope to return.

Time to Retreat

Last Christmas I received an amazing gift from my brother. It was a certificate that awarded me a night and two meals to a place of my choice for a retreat. I am going to use it the next three days. 

I found a vacation rental off the beaten path in Montana close to Alberton. My co-pilot Riley and I are packing good food, beverages, a journal, books, art supplies, our favorite blankets, and dog treats.

"Retreat is the act of giving up and withdrawing or a time away in a quiet and secluded place where you can relax.

A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security."

Road Trip to Independent Bookstores

 I love rainy days. Today was a day to reorganize bookshelves, decide if I need to part with any titles ( so hard for me to do), and reminisce about visiting an actual brick and mortar independent bookstore. I love bookstores and during the pandemic I just haven't visited independent bookstores in the Pacific Northwesr. My favorite bookstores are ones that offer both new and used books, or a bookstore that is just used books. My dream road trip would be to visit bookstores and plant nurseries all over the northwest. Today I am going to focus on favorite bookstores:

Powell's City of Books , Portland, Oregon. This is the best of the best. New books, used books, coffee shop, genres organized by color rooms, and a million books. I could spend three days there without seeing all the books. I have missed traveling there.

Aunties Bookstore, Spokane, Washington. I first loved this bookstore when it was called The Book and Game Company at the Flour Mill. Just when I relocated to northeastern Washington a bigger store opened in downtown Spokane. I love it for the mix of new and used, the staff picks display, the helpful staff, the authors that visit, the book clubs they promote, and the environment of the store.

Elliot Bay Bookstore, Seattle, Washington I haven't been here in years, but when I was there I loved it. I am pleased to see it is still open and I better add it to my list for the tour.

BookPeople, Moscow Idaho. This bookstore opened the year I was a freshman in college at University of Idaho and it is a place I visit most times when I return to Moscow. Excellent selection of books, knowledgeable staff, and great events.

Brused Books, Pullman, Washington I could spend a whole day here. 90,000 used books and they still use a card file for patron requests. I remember once spending two hours just in the cookbook section. I am always surprised at books I find here.

2nd Look Books, Spokane, Washington This bookstore has been located on the South Hill for thirty-five years. You can get great coffee at Forza Coffee next store and browse two levels, enjoy the reading room in the lower level and find great selections of books.

Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho  This is a close bookstore for me. I love it because it has a great selection of books, fun gifts, coffee, and goodies. What more do you need?

This is just a sampling of bookstores I love. Thrift stores are also an excellent place to find used books. What is your favorite independent bookstore?

I Am a Writer

 I am a writer. I have written in journals, in my head, on scraps of paper, at writing retreats, with my students, and on this blog. I have been on hiatus from posting on my blog.

 I am also a reader. I love to read poetry, newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, nonfiction, fiction, and much more.  

Starting today I am going to take all those thoughts, ideas, words, stories, and memories that have been swirling around in my head and heart and put them down here again.

 I love this advice from Billy Collins. I am off to find a yellow pencil.

Advice to Writers by Billy Collins

Even if it keeps you up all night,
wash down the walls and scrub the floor
of your study before composing a syllable.

Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way.
Spotlessness is the niece of inspiration.

The more you clean, the more brilliant
your writing will be, so do not hesitate to take
to the open fields to scour the undersides
of rocks or swab in the dark forest
upper branches, nests full of eggs.

When you find your way back home
and stow the sponges and brushes under the sink,
you will behold in the light of dawn
the immaculate altar of your desk,
a clean surface in the middle of a clean world.

From a small vase, sparkling blue, lift
a yellow pencil, the sharpest of the bouquet,
and cover pages with tiny sentences
like long rows of devoted ants
that followed you in from the woods.

The Shed Notebook: Hey Marie Kondo: Bookshelves Full of Books Can Spark Joy!

 When I read Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up right after it came out, I did what any thoughtful reader does. I took the information that mattered to me and used it. Kondo's method emerged in popularity again recently when her series began its run on Netflix. Her philosphy is this: if something sparks joy in your life, consider keeping it. If not, get rid of it. I haven't watched the series yet, but I have seen lots of photos on social media of people motivated to organize shelves, closets, and junk drawers.
One area of decluttering that hit a nerve with book collectors was her section on discarding books. Many book lovers went into panic mode online about paring down their book collections to thirty books. "I love my books. How can I get rid of them?"  "A library of books brings me comfort". "Why thirty books?"

part of my writing resource collection

I reread her section on getting rid of books. She said she would only keep thirty books. Besides, if Marie Kondo suggests you get rid of books, it is a suggestion. Keep those books you book collectors, The Spark Joy police is not coming to your house any time soon. I have more than forty cookbooks alone and I have pared down that collection. The ones I kept spark joy, If The Boxcar Children brings you joy by remembering your first grade teacher reading it to you, keep it! The photo at the top of the post are all books I saved from my mother's home library. Each of them brought her joy. Will I reread them?  Maybe not, but I love having them close.

part of my poetry collection

Now I didn't take all my books and put them in a pile like she suggested. Mine are spread all over the house and in the She Shed.  I did revisit my book shelves and found books that no longer sparked joy.  I had books I had read, but didn't need to keep. Also there were books that were outdated, worn out, or damaged, Did I throw all of them away? No. Did I tear out the pages that had parts I liked? No. I gave them away or donated them.

part of my cookbook collection

I am not a minimalist. I like books to surround me. I have books I use for reference, cookbooks I read and use all the time, a collection of poetry books I reread often, and books that have sentimental value. I also have the pile of books I plan to read soon or someday. Today I did revisit the shelves knowing I am going to the thrift store tomorrow. I found some titles that weren't sparking that Marie Kondo joy anymore. Another reader can enjoy them.

Her philosophy makes sense, but each person is unique in how they declutter. What sparks joy with one person may not with another. I do recommend her book and hope to watch the series, but I am still keeping my books. Every single one of them.

Do you have books you want to donate? This list has some good ideas. https://www.moneycrashers.com/where-donate-used-books/

The Shed Notebook: The Beginning

Now that we have The Shed, I hope to spend more time at my writing table composing this new feature on my blog. I will be honest and say I am not out there tonight, but am sitting at another desk in the warm house.
How did The Shed get started? We discovered shortly after we moved to 514 we needed another space. We had driven by many of those shed places around the area.

 We found one in Pinehurst that had been returned. It looked new to us, but it was a better price. The company somehow figured out how to plop it in the backyard right where we wanted it. At first the plan was to use it as a potting shed/greenhouse. I also thought about it being a craft shed. While we were deciding it became a holding spot for all the junk we couldn’t find a place for in the house. It also added beauty to the backyard landscape.

Last fall I got serious about researching sheds. Yes, many thought is should be a “She Shed”. Others thought is should be a “Man Cave”. I found a nice collection of books at the library and relied on Pinterest to inspire me with ideas for what we wanted. 

I knew I wanted a quiet place to read and write. I also knew I wanted a place for serving meals, since we took the table out of the house. JEJ was in agreement. I think his “Man Cave” is the garage right now. I moved the craft mess to the basement and am working on creating the craft room. We didn’t want to invest a huge amount of money We found a crew of two guys that installed electricity, painted the walls, and made it much more comfortable. We had all the furniture and some decor ready to move out there. When the weather warms up, plants may be added to The Shed. Certainly the books to inspire me about gardening will be housed there. It is finally finding a purpose. Oh... and it is a dog hangout also! 

Now that we have The Shed fixed in a way to use, I hope to spend more time at my writing table composing this new feature on my blog. I will be honest and say I am not out there tonight, but am sitting at another desk in the warm house.

Sibling Assignment #175: The Art of Waxing and Waning

Brother Bill gave the sibling assignment this week. "Write a piece of creative non-fiction that ends with this sentence (or a slight variation): "Suddenly, bittersweet vellichor filled my entire being."
I will post theirs when complete.

 I have a passion for words. I love the placement of words on paper, whether I am reading or writing those words. I love the sound of words from a paragraph of a book, the verse of a poem, or a stanza of a song. I love the mixture of images and sounds of words which create a script for a play, movie, or television show. All of these forms of the written word draw me in, capture my attention, put in a zone where everything else is mute, or keep me fascinated for hours and days, but not on a routine basis.

My passion doesn't follow a set routine. I realize many skilled readers and writers set goals of reading so many pages or writing so many words each day. It it also what I wished for my students and attempted to provide time and structure just for that in the classroom. I also wished it for myself. Being away from daily time with students in the classroom, it has made me realize that just doesn't work for me. I felt like a failure because  I wasn't reading a book or books, writing a blog post each day, keeping up with a journal, and/or watching an important film that everyone was talking about. When there was more time for myself after leaving teaching, I had a vision of doing it all. It hasn't worked that way.

My passion for words is all about waxing and waning. I can sit and never move until I read an entire book. I can then go three weeks without reading another. I can fill up ten pages with prose on a given morning, but not write again for a month. Sometimes all I do is listen to music. Other days I only listen to silence. I can decide I am going to watch all films starring Diane Keaton and do it for weeks. Then there is a dry period.

In our family we joke about our obsessions. I obsess over lists of books I want to read, prose I want to write, titles of films I want to see, music I want to listen to. I obsess to get through the lists, but then may set the lists aside. I immerse myself in my obsessions, then move away. Fortunately during the dry periods I do a lot of thinking and reflecting. Again, it is the art of waxing and waning.

I took a day recently and revisited my bookshelves, boxes of books from the move, stacks of journals, pieces of writing, and films waiting to be watched. I felt comfort in being surrounded by so many words.I found books to give away, others I wanted to share with friends and family.  I listened to music, I read my writing, I revisited my blog. I organized, plotted, planned, and set goals on how I might add more of my passion for words into my days. I also gave myself permission to wax and wane.

As the afternoon sun set behind the mountain out the window on that day, I took a deep breath and slowly scanned the room filled with papers, dusty books, spirals, composition books, file folders, brand new books, pens, an original i Pod, a granola bar wrapper, and a cold cup of coffee. Suddenly, bittersweet vellichor filled my entire being.

from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

vellichor

n. the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, 

which are somehow infused with the passage of 

time—filled with thousands of old books 

you’ll never have time to read, 

each of which is itself locked 

in its own era, bound and dated and papered over 

like an old room the author abandoned years ago, 

a hidden annex littered with thoughts. 

Time to Retreat

retreat: a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax.
             a period of seclusion for the purposes of prayer and meditation.


How rejuvenating to find time to retreat. Retreating can nourish the soul, provide rest and reflection, and allow a person to be still. A retreat provides a gift of time. It doesn't have to be miles away in a lodge somewhere with a bunch of people. It can be in a study, a quiet campsite, an easy chair. In the past I have loved attending writing retreats. The time was ours, but workshops were provided. I loved those gatherings because of the freedom of time, bonfires or readings in the evening, and the companionship of other writers sharing and learning.

Tomorrow my home will become a retreat for my sister and a friend. I am more than pleased to provide space, resources, unscheduled time, and support as they spend time on creative projects. I look forward to sharing meals, enjoying a fire in the gazebo, and being inspired myself. I may sneak off into a chair in the garden also to write and have my senses put in order.

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."    John Burroughs

Moving Into Winter

Our seasons have a natural rhythm that is determined more by temperature, length of days, and precipitation than the dates on a traditional calendar. When the days grow shorter I feel like winter is quickly approaching.

Moving into winter means not seeing the gardens during the week. It is dark when I leave and dark when I arrive home. Even if many plants are done blooming and the trees have lost their leaves, I like the stark beauty of the bones of the garden. It gives me something to look forward to on the week-ends. There are always images to capture on a cold winter day.

Moving into winter also means beginning a natural hibernation. I wrap up in warm blankets as the day moves into night. I take more naps.  Winter is the time to rest the gardens and rest the body and soul. We need winter like other animals for our own hibernation. We need our own sabbath.

Moving into winter also means sipping hot soups, craving comfort food like meatloaf and macaroni and cheese, and enjoying a warm drink at the day's end. Winter is pumpkins, squash, and apples saved from the tree mixed up into a homey crisp while sitting by the fire.

Moving into winter means tackling that pile of books that have been waiting to be read. It is time to find those writing inspirations in a journal lost during the fall, time to organize photos, and get things in order. Winter is wool socks, warm sweaters, flannel pajamas. Winter is cats each finding a spot to curl up and sleep and the dogs quietly snore in front of a fire.

Each season draws me in for different reasons. This year as winter is approaching, I am reminded to slow down, rest, reflect, revive myself, and be warm. 

Tied to Rest

Our school district scheduled a mid-winter break day which is tomorrow. I have much to do the next three days, but this evening I have devoted to just resting. I read a magazine, checked email, will watch the Zags, and read a book before bed. It is such a treat to be able to rest. Ahhhhhh!

Sibling Assignment #120: The Ties That Bind a Marriage

Isn't it only fitting that our sibling assignment on Valentine's Day would be related to marriage. Silver Valley Girl gave the assignment this week. "Write about the ties that bind you to your husband or wife. 


As I continue to enjoy a very pleasurable Valentine's Day, it was very easy to write this post. Today I was awakened to a warm fire, Reece's Peanut Butter hearts, a beautiful new watch that has a face and day/ date part I can see, and a touching valentine that brought tears to my eyes. After an inspiring church service and an afternoon nap, the two of us have settled into a quiet evening with our animals friends. It is my kind of day.

What are the ties that bind our marriage? 
We enjoy each other's company. Whether it is sitting on the deck, driving around the area, traveling to find a good restaurant, or walking the dogs, we enjoy each other's company.

We love to laugh. JEJ is a master clean joke teller. He can remember jokes that he heard once two months ago. I love to watch him tell a joke to a group of people. He finds pleasure in making people laugh. Yesterday when I put the turkey breast in the crock pot and discovered a few hours later I forgot to plug it in ( sibling insert.... vagueland) he just laughed with me when we realized we may not be eating until 8:00. Our dogs and cats entertain us. So do funny pictures and videos online. We are easily entertained and the laughter releases stress.

We don't dwell on the past. We both could have carried lots of  "baggage" into our marriage, but have worked hard on moving forward and not dwelling on what could have been, what could have been done differently, and comparing past relationships.

We forgive. I think our common beliefs with our faith keeps this one strong. I have followed JEJ's lead and worked at  apologizing, forgiving, and moving on. Holding in hurt and anger is not healthy. Fortunately we have not had monumental things that needed forgiveness. I think JEJ has forgiven me for  death of the dear Virginia Creeper from a few years ago. You just can't trust me with pruning shears.

We share similar interests. Gardening, photography, reading, watching the Zags, attending church together, spending time in nature, camping, and keeping up with current events are things we both are interested in. We also enjoy a delicious home cooked meal, a nice glass of red wine, a beautiful sunrise from the deck, and solitude.  It is enjoyable to spend time with family and friends, but we also love time spent with just each other.

I always admire couples that have been together for thirty or forty years and have a rich, happy marriage. We met each other later in life. We knew ourselves, but had to learn each other. After traveling a bumpy road for awhile I was glad the gravel road got smoother when I got acquainted with the guy across the road that stopped one day to fix my gate and bring me rose plants.

Happy Valentine's Day JEJ!