simple gifts

Hi blog world, I’m taking a bit of an extended break from you for a little bit. I’m mostly just tired and I have a honeymoon scheduled to begin next weekend. I refuse to be online during my honeymoon. So it might be awhile before you hear too much from me.

All I’d like to say is… life is simple. And sometimes simple is good.  And sometimes simple is exactly what you need.
I never had a simple life. In elementary school, I played all the sports and took piano lessons and went on lots of bike rides with the neighborhood boys. In junior high, I took piano lessons, voice lessons, and was a cheerleader for football and basketball. I was part of the choir, the Quiz Bowl team, the Spell Bowl team, and the Community Service Club.  In high school, I loaded it up for my college application. President of the choir, captain of the Fine Arts academic team, Vice President of Thespian Society, National Honors Society, Quiz Bowl, History academic team, pom squad, voice lessons, Madrigal Society, Music Honors Society, Treehuggers club, theatre performances, and I did the morning announcements. You name it, I did it. In college, I multitasked some more… director of the Women’s Resource Center, student computing manager, intern for a U.S. Senator, student government commissioner, choir, theatre, Straight-Gay alliance, Feminists United, oh, and I wrote a 100 page thesis in a semester.

Oh, and I got an ulcer.

Life has never been simple for me. I worked my ass off as a camp counselor; alarm at 6am, lights out at 10pm, never a break until midnight. I worked my ass off as a campaigner; hour commute, 10 hour work days, 7 days a week, three months without ONE day off. I worked my ass off as an office manager; hour + 15 min. commute, no lunch break, Saturday events, angry angry angry phone calls.

Life has gotten simple. I got married. I work. I feed my cat. I cook dinner but sometimes suggest Chipotle. I drink wine. I read blogs. I watch the Food Network. I drink coffee. I try new recipes. I reupholster chairs and put IKEA furniture together. I day dream. I read.

That’s the biggest thing — I’ve been reading again. I hadn’t read a book since last summer, true story.

I don’t want anything to get in the way of the quality me-time I’ve had over the last couple of months. I’ve had drinks with friends in the middle of the afternoon. I’ve gone out for bagel sandwiches with my husband on lazy Sunday mornings. I’ve left my kitchen a mess and I haven’t cared. And I’ve spent time reading before bed.

It’s the simplicity that I’m enjoying, the simplicity that I didn’t know how badly I needed. I was choking for something and didn’t realize I was choking to do nothing.