July 2022 Balance

July Sabbatical: I always wished I could go on Holiday in the summer as Europeans do.  They seem to have a better handle on work/life balance.  They take holidays in the summer, siestas in the afternoon, make time for friends, and do not overvalue being busy and working all the time.  I am writing from Pennsylvania where it is overcast and scheduled to rain today.  The National news covers the drought in Texas every morning at 7:10.  What is it about having a change of scenery that allows us to reset?  Recharge, rest, recover, and reconnect with ourselves and those that we care about.  I have enjoyed the greenery of Pennsylvania, meeting Nora the yak, donkey, and sheep that provide wool for my next knitting project.  I am learning how to spin.  My next knitting project will be gnomes.  Travel makes everything brighter, helps me to reset my goals, and find clarity.  I always feel inspired on summer trips.  As a child, I remember going to Denver and Loveland, Colorado to visit family and the lovely feeling of being connected and reset.  I could be inspired to read a book, sewing or knitting project, or cooking something new.  I remember visiting my grandmothers in the summer and going to the farm, milking a cow, and having a sandwich with fresh tomatoes every day for lunch.  I also remember rhubarb pie from fresh rhubarb in my grandmother's backyard.  All these sweet memories come flooding back as I sit in Washington Hall on the Carlisle Barracks.  Rocking chairs with pillows and window baskets full of flowers decorate the wrap around porch.  How are you enjoying your summer?  I will write this morning, catch up with an old friend, take a nap, and enjoy a night out.  Yesterday, I went trout fly fishing for the first time.  I can't wait to tie my own flies in all the colors.