retreat

My 24 hours of babe retreat were just what the doctor ordered.

Yesterday AM after the gym, a sauna, a mind blowing session with the psychic (don't say it!), a quick and woefully inadequate car de-junking, a stop by the rehab to visit my fave senior, I picked up B and wildmom. I tossed my recipe binder of dishes from magazines that I have prepared or want to prepare to B and she immediately chose the one dish I have been dying to try. I love decisiveness. Good omen! The three of us breezed through Whole Foods, picking up goodies, other ingredients, and sushi for lunch, got back into the car, ate sushi, made our way up to wildmom's place. I have to say that it was just a tiny bit difficult for me to go to someone else's special place when what I long to do is go to my special place. But I could not have been happier to be spending the next 24 hours with the people I love (right after the people who require me to wash their undies) most of all. Naturally we had heated debates over the most timely of political issues (does Posh Spice smile ever?), went in depth into global warming (are some thong underpants actually comfortable?), and shared our views on more personal issues like religion and if it has a place in our school system ( did you see the artificial looking woman who was all Michael Jackson in Whole Foods?). We are nothing if not deep thinkers.

I was so happy that it was still not raining and still light out when we pulled into wildmom's driveway. My internal kid awareness alarm (the one that doesn't let me nap past pick up time at school) went off and I started to miss my kids. I realized they should be getting home from school and after quick call to make sure they had all gotten home safely and that they did indeed indulge in the ice cream sundae making fiesta that the guilty feeling part of me left for them, I was back in the present and ready to explore.

We took a tour of the house and the property, got our stuff out of the car, did a bit of unpacking and set up camp in front of wildmom's fireplace. From where we sat (melted in the good tension releasing way) in front of wildmom's fireplace. It was a tough decision where to look because on the one hand there was the amazing wildmom created fire and on the other hand there was the awesome inspirational view from the two windows flanking the fireplace. Wildmom, who happens to be the most awesome fire builder ever, gave B and me lessons in building a beautiful, effective, and long lasting fireplace fire. We watched from our positions on the couch and from the recliner. It got warmer and cozier and we had appetizers and wine and more stimulating conversation and it couldn't have been dreamier.

Then we got up to prepare dinner. B and I chopped measured and mixed while wildmom got the table Martha Stewart cozy. We were done in no time and it was such a treat to have 1. competent 2. help in the kitchen. I have got to teach my kids how to cook.

Kitten and glory showed up and the five of us sat down to a tasty delicious dinner and more discussion. After dinner we moved to back to the fire, wildmom and glory carried in a couch from the adjoining room (cause all the babes are strong capable women) and we all snuggled up again. I hope you are recognizing that I had just done more much needed relaxing in one afternoon/evening at wildmom's than I have done total since last summer. There was some discussion of some kind of poker like game, but cards is not one of my strengths so I kind of gave my blank look expression and we never did play cards.

Now when we returned to the fire I made the critical mistake of taking one the super comfy recliners and before I knew it I felt my eyes struggling to stay in the front of my head. I noticed b looking pretty worn too, wondered which one of us would make it awake the longest and promptly nodded off. In my defense, it was after 11 which is technically over an hour after my usual goal bedtime and also I wake up before dawn every day, and I had a very full day. Also, I am a morning person, or at least I used to be a morning person, lately it seems I am neither a morning or a night person and am happy to sleep through either, but in the least, I am not now nor have I ever been a night person. But I just might have been one of losers you see on certain websites whose "friends" have stuck cigarettes in all of their orifices while they were passed out and then took photos and posted then on the web. Except my babes are better than that and no one smokes anyway.

They woke me up to go to bed, had a good chuckle over my recently awakened voice and we all went to bed.

I got to sleep with wildmom, which was the best because 1. she wears one of those sexy hot sleep apnea masks (and why I find that so attractive I do not know but I do) and also because 2. the view from the gigantic window at the foot of her bed=there is indeed a god. So when I woke up and I opened my eyes I got to see the inspirational view. And then as if lying there on a big super comfy bed with the acme supreme view right at my feet chatting with wildmom wasn't enough, b hops into bed too and I get to be in the middle! Then wildmom sneaks away and returns with 3 steaming hot mugs of fresh brewed morning clarity and the three of us sipped and chatted and looked at the trees blowing in the breeze for a while. Aaaahhh. Before long kitten and glory sneak in too and wildmom disappears to make us a big lumberjack breakfast. And we eat again. And we chat and chat and chat and no one needs us to referee a fight, and there is no dog barking in the back yard, and phones don't ring and laundry machines don't buzz and it was just great.

Then I had to shower and leave because all three of my kids were scheduled for their yearly check ups this afternoon. B, who might be looking for sainthood, volunteered to leave early with me and we only got lost once on the way home. And now, at the end of the busy long day even three hours in the pediatrician's office can't undo the goodness of a babes mini get away. I am still feeling quite zen.

Comments

[Jennifer]

i only have one word.

WOW.

[Jennifer]

okay, okay. you know me better than that... i have at least 120 words. lol
that is so freakin' awesome!! I am sooo envious!! I really need a girls night sleep over thing. I think the next time that my friends parents are out of town, yeah, my friends are all really young, well only like 6 or so years younger than me and since some are in college they live at home still, but anyway the next time her parents are out of town, we are going to do a girls slumber party at her house, or even if they are home, they wouldn't care, and her mom and dad and I get along really well probably b/c i'm almost their age too! lol not quite, but we do get along super well.
anyway, i'm so glad you enjoyed yourself and had a lovely time. i am picturing my own version of the view you saw from your friends window. :) by the way it is beautiful!! :)
i hope you are still feeling relaxed and stress free!!
much love! jenn

[jenny]

dude, I need a babes getaway. I just get to go over to my neighbor's house after the kids go to bed and drink wine. (She's a single mom and can't leave after her kids go to bed, so we sit on her couch and giggle. Its what I have. :)