Today I scheduled Abby for a full day thinking that I would get an enormous amount of work done and seeing that Travis has been on his business trip for 6 days, I thought I would need the break.

Well, I am really good at having the break, but not so great at the work part.

I should have gone to the coffee shop again…where my head could focus and there wouldn’t be anything to sidetrack me.  When I am at the house, all of a sudden cleaning, eating, reading, watering the garden…all of those things sound soooo much more important than sitting at a computer writing about how to use on-line mortgage calculators.  I know who wouldn’t want to write about such fascinating things…I really should get right to it!

But there is something so calming and seductive about a quiet house.  Once Abby loads up my precious cargo into her car and wisks them away for a day of fun, the house turns into my little haven.  Especially since even Travis is now absent…the quiet and unique sense of being alone lures me to stay here.  It isn’t very often that I am left alone, here to do as I please.  In my mind I think I should go out and do things I can’t do when the kids are with me…get my hair done, go shopping, sit by the water with my thoughts, etc…but, then the quiet just engulfs me and next thing I know I am convincing myself that being at home is where I need to be.

And, maybe this is where I need to be.  But, then I think that I should be productive.  Use this time to clean, work, organize, underwater basket weave…whatever.  Then, the lazy side of me says, “maybe you should read your book for awhile.  Then you can work.  Treat yourself.”

I do exactly that…I curl up in my favorite chair here and read my book.  My amazing, glorious book that I am now sad that I finished.  You know the kind of book you wish the author just kept on writing.  But, I read the whole thing and it was great and now it’s over.  And this is something I used to do before children.  I used to read for hours sometimes, or I would watch mindless t.v. while lying on the couch.  Those used to be my two favorite things to do when I got lazy.  Honestly, this is the first time I’ve read this long during the day, well in forever.

What did I read?  The Time Traveler’s Wife.  I know, how cliche of me…reading a book right before the movie comes out.  See, I bought it last year and never got around to reading it, so it sat on my shelf.  Then one day Abby asked me if I liked the book and I realized that I didn’t know, seeing that I forgot to read it.  And she only mentioned it because she knew the movie was coming out.  So, I decided that I should read it and then if I liked it, I would go and see the movie.

I loved it and since I finished today, I made plans to see the movie tonight.  I made a date with myself and a small bag of popcorn.  I know that the movie will not be like the book, I know that this is someone else’s version of their views on this book, so I am prepared.  I will share my views on the book and the movie after I see it.

Some people hate the sound of quiet.  They feel isolated and alone.  To me it is a well needed breather and a way to get in touch with my former self.  I am so lucky that once in awhile there is silence that surrounds me.