Working Holiday

I'm on leave next week (YAY!!!) - but it's going to be no lay-around-the-house experience. My days are planned choc-a-block full.

Monday - shopping. I have no clothes for winter, and having recently sent an entire car-load of clothing to charity, can't go digging through my garage to re-wear what I've previously chucked out. There is a pair of boots I'm after, and I have a credit voucher to spend at Woolworths too (which, in South Africa, is more of an upmarket shop than the grocery-type you'd get elsewhere - and the prices are upmarket too!). I also want to get some nice new undies, and it's better to shop for those while the kid's in school than drag him into a lingerie store! :)

Tuesday - brief shopping expo to DeLaRey for paint and Timber City for wood. I am painting out my lounge/son's room area in a lovely neutral earth tone, which will make our small space look a lot larger. I may even do the whole house! Unfortunately, the maintenance lot refuse to pay for the paint (even though they should, as they have not painted inside my place in over 10 years), so I'll have to foot the bill. The wood is for toy boxes to replace the carboard boxes currently being used, and falling apart. I'm not sure what kind I'll use yet. I'd love to go the solid-wood pine route, but that's a bit costly. May end up with MDF and paint it. My first REAL woodwork project!

Wednesday - voting day. Local municipal elections, and now that I'm finally registered as a voter, I'm going to go do my thing at the polls. I was registered years ago in another area, but kept missing the dates provided to update my details, until this year. After voting, I'm thinking "block braai" with the neighbours, as it's been declared a public holiday. If not, more painting/woodwork, and a bit of house-clearing. I need to get my clutter onto freecycle as soon as possible, to make space for that serenity I'm always seeking.

Thursday - basically free. May go visit a friend, if available. If not - yup, you guessed it. Finish the painting and woodwork, and perhaps do a bit of sewing. I saw a marvellous tactile natural linen-type fabric recently that I'd love to make into slipcovers for the lounge suite, and my lounge curtains could do with replacing. I'm still using ones my mom passed on to me when they left for Australia years ago, and which I think she bought when we moved down from Zimbabwe in 1984! Time for a redo!

Friday - pamper day. I'm booking myself into a small spa type place at the mall for a bit of me-time in the morning. Either a 45 minute massage, or something they call a "multi-sensory spa experience" that takes 2 hours. I haven't spent cash on me in a long time. Next week I finally will (if I can bring myself to hand it over).

Yesterday I took the afternoon off, and while lying in bed post-afternoon-nap was thinking about all the stuff I hope to do. I got to wondering - why can't my daily job be as fun and anticipated as all the work I'll be doing on leave?

Why indeed? Perhaps I need to find a way to make a career of these things I love doing so much?

I finished reading "The Artists Way" recently, and was impressed by the plan to become a recovering artist, to incorporate creativity in the daily life and actually let it take over, instead of trying to squash it into free time. I'm hoping to order the book to go through more slowly, and follow the 12-week plan it outlines. I suspect that releasing my "inner artist", the kid that's been hushed so I can be a grown-up, may lead to a future that is as fun as next week's time off promises to be.