Jan 31, 2011

i said stop, and it feels good now...



maybe some of you have experienced  what seems to be a never-ending cycle of work, housework... monday to sunday, no break ?! it took me a little while to realize it was slowing taking me down to energy level : zero. i may not earn a salary but i still need weekends. my 52 weekends a year ! nothing to blame my husband for, this was a sort of self-committment to avoid guilt each time i saw a full laundry bag or a dishwasher to load, i couldn't ignore them. so, dear M. you might want to stay & rest at home from your week at work, but you see i need to get away from my work place, too, be it for a movie, a cup of tea or a long walk... not that i'm the one to write down long lists of resolutions, but this is one and it starts this january.




exploring some never explored (by us !) nearby (man-made) lake. cold healthy air & a beautiful sunset. and this song on my mind all weekend long...

one more month. longer days... i hope february is sweet, healthy and happy for you

33 comments:

  1. As a fellow stay at home mum I know exactally where you are coming from.

    So important to have some 'you'/'me' time!

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  2. I get this. Totally.

    And god your images are beautiful.

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  3. I feel the same. At the end of the week, everyone wants to be at home to relax, but I want to do something outside the home!

    Thanks for the heads up on the MILK magazine, I will go look at it tomorrow. I just bought the new Vogue Bambini, love that magazine.
    Hope you are well :)

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  4. You have very pretty right on. It does too little for himself, uses the time for the budget and forget that you also need time for themselves. To me it is unfortunately often the case, and I am always available, to change it.

    The song is so great. I've heard a few times.

    And your photos are just fantastic. So great. Especially the 1th the 3rd and the 4th. Perfect colors and the pictures radiate calm. Very nice.

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  5. Lovely lovely photos!! I work and still don't want to come home to the mess. I know how you feel!

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  6. Yes, yes, yes...I am right there with you, Valerie! There are no days off, no sick leave, no holidays. I still think it is the best job in the world, but a little escape every now and then is required :-) Wishing you and yours a blissfully happy and healthy February.

    B.
    -xo-

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  7. I am at home too, and finding the balance and allowing time for oneself is essential... VERY much understand your feelings shared here, Valerie. These photos sing of LOVE. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))

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  8. a change is as good as a rest..... :)
    and it seems, the more things change, the more they stay the same...."staying home" is no picnic...if one was paid a salary....no one could afford it!!!

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  9. Oh,I know exactly what you mean! And I feel the same way - I need some time off and little vacations just for me every now and then. And for me,a vacation can be just a day trip to another town. Or a visit at a flea market...or something like that. Without them I would be very very tired..being at home is a neverending job.
    So I hope you get your own time and can keep this resolution!
    And I just love these pictures..so pretty! Can't believe that you have that kind of views there when we have soooo much snow here:)

    P.S I'll send you some email soon..because I found something supernice from our mailbox today!! Thank you so much Valerie!

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  10. may february treat you and your lovelies just as good as you wish it us...
    my sweet valerie.
    your photos are simply breath taking. i love what you express through them. such a gift. ♥

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  11. I understant perfectly what you´re saying, because I notice the same thing in me all time. I hate the feeling, to feel bad when there is really no reason. We were just talking about this same topic with one finnish blog and everyone agreed that we don´t have feel that way. That we have a right to take time for ourselves. So let´s do that!

    I hope a beautiful and relaxing february to you Valerie!

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  12. oh yes, yes! i agree. you need your breaks, valerie! sometimes since i work at home, work seems never ending and i am always feeling slightly guilty when i'm not working. but i really need to just let go and take breaks. it's always fun to look forward to a weekend where nothing is planned and there's no work to do on the list!

    i am loving the extra bit of light and the slightly longer days!!

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  13. So very important to rest, to take time off. I'm glad you're taking steps to take good care of yourself. Happy February. xo

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  14. Totally agree - any job with no schedule, no hours, and a live-in work place has to have limits. That artificial nearby lake is such a good place to start with!

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  15. I know EXACTLY what you mean! I appreciate this (super beautiful) reminder. Working from home, my home is my work and my work is my home and there is very little line between anymore (is there any??). So happy you are taking some breaks to explore and to breathe when needed. Always so refreshing here Valerie xo

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  16. Happy february! a lovely blog, beautiful photos :)

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  17. Je m'arrête pur voir tes photographies magnifiques... et cela fait du bien... de ralentir, de rêver.

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  18. I love that you put this in words. No matter which job we hold, we need time to ourselves, and I admire you for being clear and conscious about it.

    Your photos are stunningly beautiful! Thank you for this wonderful post.

    (I have an award for you on my blog. If you're not into these things, I'll carry no hard feelings if you pass :-)

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  19. Isn't it so hard to recognize how important it is to take this time for yourself?! The idea is so universal... even a commandment in some religions! But it is so incredibly hard for a homemaker to have this time for rest. And just as you said, I usually don't get this time because of expectations that I have of myself! That's just dumb. I'm with you in taking back the weekend! Thanks for the reminder.

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  20. My grandfather used to say, when you own a home your work is never done. It's just one round of enjoyment after another!

    There needs to be a time for breaks, however, I agree!

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  21. These are simply stunning pictures Valerie! I came across your blog through Christine (we are fellow award winnes, you and I)and I am so glad she mentioned it, I will have to read my way through your archives.
    And I completely understand what you mention in your post. You will be so much happier if you actually manage to also take some time for yourself every once in a while. And with scenery like that surrounding you, how can you not??

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  22. D'accord avec toi... se garder des petits moments à soi, est indispensable pour garder le courage de faire TOUT le reste ! Moi, je bosse chez moi et je suis toujours la première à vouloir "m'aérer" ! Mais ce n'est pas toujours facile à faire....
    Elles sont belles tes photos ; j'adore la 1, 3 et la 4. Je perçois une atmosphère calme et mélancolique, j'aime bien.

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  23. Oui,je crois que c'est ça être raisonnable... Ne pas en faire trop !

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  24. thank you girls for the support !
    now i don't feel any guilt anymore :D

    melski & Monica : welcome !!

    Theresa : you grandmother was right ! just that maybe I wouldn't call it "enjoyment" all the time ;)

    woolf : I can't access to your blog anymore ?! have you changed some settings recently ?

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  25. good on you! we all need some time to re-load the batteries :)

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  26. Dear Valerie,
    hope you did something sweet for you? Ok, the lemon cake doesn't count ^-^ , maybe a bit ;-P
    I wish, I could say more stop...Now I have to, this is also the reason, why I wasn't few days online, hope you got my last e-mail? I had fever and I guess I wasn't really concentrating that day, I found out few friends didn't get few message from me...
    Hope you are doing well?
    Oh, I bake with stevia, too. But to get it in USA is easier. Do you know, that the German Goverment doesn't allow farmers to grow it here (just for personal gardening), because they have a contract with the "European bla bla", a political thing that allows just few countries like Spain... Pic 5 reminds me on the everglades,...
    Man, I'm writing a novel, sorry!

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  27. Oiy! That's all I can say as your words resonate with me as well. Gosh, you are so lucky to enjoy those gorgeous and serene places on earth. I hope all is well.
    xoxo

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  28. wahoo, je découvre ton blog et je suis subjuguée par tes photos
    elles sont superbes !

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  29. I just wanted to say that I love your blog and I'm awarding you a stylish blogger award (I know it's cheesy) - http://bedtimemonsters.blogspot.com/2011/02/things-to-do-win-award-yay-yay.html. Thanks for all the great inspiration!

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  30. Superbe série ...
    La première et la quatrième sont des haikus visuels ... Magnifique !!

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  31. l'Atelier : agreed ! did you get my mail ?! i have suspicions that some of them get lost :(

    mecamo : i didn't receive your last mail. sorry you've been sick. i sent you an etsy convo instead... hope you feel much better now

    lucy : we're all well thank you ! just got your chubby envelope on friday but couldn't email... you spoiled us +++ thank you so very much & see you in your mailbox in a few minutes

    côté dilettante : merci beaucoup c'est très gentil, et bienvenue :)

    Darcy : i'm honored you chose me for this award, i'll try to play along this week if my computer works... thank you so much !

    les loups : merci ! vu vos superbes photos, le joli compliment me va droit au coeur

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  32. Such beautiful pictures, as usual.

    Ah, time off... since becoming a mum just a trip to the supermarket can sometimes feel like a welcome break...

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  33. thank you, dear
    i don't even stroll through the supermarket alleys given that i order online and pick it up on the way to school (no school bus here) !

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