back to reality (sort of)

My most excellent ten day vacation officially met its lazy end on Sunday. And it was Good. And I am mellow. And relaxed. Totally. At first, I wasn't sure an at-home holiday would work for me, given the frightening length of my household to-do list. But then I put the list in a special place — you know, the "mustn't lose this, so I'll put it here for safekeeping" place. Problem solved.

Most days began with a bit of a sleep-in (no alarm clocks allowed on vacation, either), and eased into action mode with a pot of Kona coffee followed by a leisurely swim or a walk along the lakeshore. Afternoons, I shopped a bit and rambled a lot, getting better acquainted with my new west Toronto neighbourhood. And after dark... time for movies! Mrs. Henderson Presents, Prime, Water, and RV — which (in order) made me laugh, made me smile, made me think, made me ... uh ... groan.

When it rained, I curled up with a Kate Collins mystery, Slay It With Flowers. This book made my gotta-have-it list back in May when my son gifted me with the first in the Flower Shop series (Mum's the Word) for my birthday. Now I'm hooked! Collins writes a satisfying mystery with plenty of humour and a great cast of characters. I've really enjoyed getting to know Marco all of them. Need more of a recommendation? I stopped off to buy books three and four, Dearly Depotted and Snipped in the Bud, on my way home from work yesterday. But I'd better pace myself because book five, Acts of Violets, won't be released until March of next year.

Midweek was time for my final Stratford Festival getaway of the season and, thanks to my convertible-driving friend, the trip was made in style. A tad chilly and oft rained upon...but definitely in style. Our play of the day was The Liar, by Pierre Corneille. We weren't at all sure what to expect from a comedy written in the 17th century by "the founder of French tragedy." What we got was a brilliant piece of modern theatre — lively, smart, and very, very funny. It runs until September 23rd at The Studio Theatre. See it if you can!

So, all told, it was a lovely, relaxing vacation. In fact, I'm still working on getting body and soul back into the waken-early-long-commute-work-a-day-commute-again groove. I'm also working on a new to-do list, 'cause I haven't a clue where I put the original "for safekeeping"....