Getting Un-Stuck

in which I return from my summer sabbatical with new musings.

I am a learning specialist by profession, so summers tend to quiet down for me. I usually get excited for the prospect of this ‘free’ time.

I was amped up this June to dig into the stack of books and articles I’d been waiting to read, the furniture I’d been wanting to refinish, multiple outdoor projects I hadn’t had the time to get to, not to mention the literal pile of sewing projects I kept putting to the side.

Spoiler alert: It’s September 12th and I’ve read exactly 2.2 novels, and though I’ve finished sanding one bed, the painting of it never happened. I did get pretty deep into my sewing pile by darning a pair of socks and repairing a few overly loved items. I tackled some off-list items as well. I taught myself how to use a gas fueled lawnmower and I completed a woven headboard for my room upstate.

That said, the ‘free’ time feels barbed. The holes in my schedule, when kids are at camp or with family instead of my office, leave me unmoored. I tend to come to pieces, mentally and…