Calgon, Take Me Away...

That used to be the advertising slogan for a brand of bath beads many years ago. A woman who had had a stressful day would get into a bathtub full of Calgon Bath Beads, and immediately she would feel as if she were somewhere far away and fun to be, all alone. Funny, it never worked that way for me. I just felt coated with oil when I tried it. I guess I just have to find other ways to get away.

Thus the picture. I went back to my favorite subject this week and did a watercolor. I do believe acrylic is my medium, but I think I need to branch out once in awhile. Just painting this idyllic scene relaxed me.

That doesn't mean, however, that I don't need a vacation. I really, really do. We live in a very small town about halfway between areas where there are shopping and entertainment venues. We have little of that in Lebanon Junction. When I want or need to do these things, the fastest way to get to where I want to be is by I-65, which is a major north-south artery. People from the north are headed to the beaches in the south, and people from the south are headed to the metropolis's in the north. There are ALWAYS vehicles from all kinds of states on the road, and it is even more crowded with travelers this time of year. This makes me very jealous. There is not an occasion when I get on that road in either direction that I would not like to just keep on going. I guess that, unlike Alissa and her dad, I was just born with the wanderlust, which it seems only Doug, the youngest, has inherited. It doesn't appear as if a long vacation is in the near future for me, and I understand why. However, I must admit to getting very restless at this time of year and wishing to go somewhere, anywhere.

Fortunately for me, our grandsons are having their annual birthday bash next week, and their grandfather wants to go. I have made reservations at a motel with a pool for two nights, and I am planning to make the best of them. We probably could get by with only staying one night, but Terry doesn't have all that much stamina yet, and I thought it would be hard for him to make the drive and the party in all one day. And this way, we get to see each of the boys on his very own birthday. This will be my summer vacation.

Not only that, I will get a short trip in the fall, too, as Chip and Shira are planning a destination wedding in Pigeon Forge, TN. This makes another weekend trip, since it is about 5 hours away. And the parents of the groom must be there, after all.

See, I just need to be patient. Even if I am not making the trip from Vancouver, B.C. all the way down the west coast to Ensenada, Mexico, this year, I am not giving up on it just yet. I probably should, but that's the trip I have always wanted to take, and maybe one of these days it will happen. Meanwhile, I will be content with short trips to Hopkinsville, KY and Pigeon Forge, TN and be grateful to the kids who are making this opportunity possible for me! Life is good...