I've gotten a lot of productive officework and writing done; I've visited my neighbors and hosted a Zoom meeting. But mainly it's been a recovery time after months of marathon work with travel.

I've found that the subconscious likes to bring dusty old experiences down from the attic during quiet retreats like this. Thanks, subconscious. 🙄🤦‍♀️

On the plus side, this is the first day that I put on a nice sweater and fun earrings and started thinking like a business mouse again! I feel calmer and less panicky inside.

The rest and recovery time has worked its magic! ✨

I have to fly out again on Friday for a pet-sitting gig in Los Angeles; but I'm no longer dreading it. It will be one more week of quiet creative time, and then I'll be home on Christmas Day! 🎄

I have three goals between now and Friday:

🌟 Decorate for Christmas
🌟 Create at least five extra artworks for my inventory
🌟 Wash the stockpile of dirty dishes that I haven't prioritized the last few days 😅

This all sounds very positive. Good for you!

1. nice to meet you. 2. good luck with all the goals and travel!

good work with the recovering. Keep it up.

It's amazing you managed to have 2 weeks of quiet time. I don't get anywhere near that between crises.

Does decorating for Christmas include snow sculptures outdoors or is it all artificial stuff outdoors and/or possibly dragging some vegetation indoors to join more artificial stuff there too? The tree issue is typically contentious.

mimipal: It's nice to meet you too! ☺️

sef_lopod: I owe the quiet to my sis and brother-in-law - they wanted to have our folks stay with them for a long visit after Thanksgiving! 😅♥️

sef_lopod: I didn't think of snow sculptures!! 😱 I may need to make a mini snow person today 😂
The rest is all artificial - I was so tempted to get a tree-in-a-pot this year, but I wasn't as eager for the allergies 🤦‍♀️ I still may get a wreath for the lovely pine scent 🎄

previously made a whole set of mini snow people arranged under the cover of a school extension-hut classroom. In that shade, they actually survived long after the rest of the snow had melted (but also partly because school vandals are oblivious to such things).

That's fun! ☃️