fragments of time away

the haziness of a long weekend traveling and visiting is slowly starting to lift as i settle back in to the mechanics of my usual life. there is also a heaviness of my heart which has me puzzled, and a heaviness of my eyelids which seem drowsier than when the weekend began. a combination of hours upon hours of driving, unfamiliar beds, children throwing up in the middle of the night, and walking a 10k all have left me fighting the urge to curl up in a ball and sleep away the afternoon.

some pieces of the weekend:

-i haven't picked up a book for ages. on a whim as i was headed out the door i picked up the memory keeper's daughter from my bookshelf. it has been a good companion for the stretches of highway linking our house to our destination. i ran across a passage that i felt moved to share,
"...she had been a fiancee, a young wife, and a mother, and she had discovered that these words were far too small to contain the experience."
i read this over and over again, struck with the simplicity of the statement that touches on the thoughts that are wrapped so tightly around my own heart. i also thought it appropriate for a weekend that celebrates the experience of mothers. happy mother's day.

-because we are so tight on money and worried how we would ever get our huge suv over 600 miles on $150, we took the friendly advice of our parents and drove s-l-o-w-l-y. it so worked. we got there on a half a tank of gas and averaged 28-30 mpg in a car that we are usually lucky to get 18. i grinned widely when chris declared "this is my new thing. i'm gonna drive slow everywhere now. why isn't everyone doing this?" why aren't they indeed! i was initially worried about driving 10-15 miles slower than usual with a car full of kids and the repercussions of making a long trip even longer. but, i will tell you it was by far the most enjoyable drive in our history of driving. there is something to be said for taking the slow road, meandering through small towns and enjoying the snapshots of a life lived a little slower. plus, we got there in about the same time it would have taken us driving like speed demons.

-cooking and scheming with my mother in law. there is no one i like sharing the kitchen with more. i just love to talk food with her, make food with her, and eat food with her. and i love her even when there is no food at all. i'm still thinking about our lemon cupcakes topped with lemon buttercream, lemon curd, and blueberry compote. mmmm mmmm.

-catching up with old friends. more to come on one amazing friend in particular........

-waking up early to go walk the mother's day 10k for the fourth year in a row. this year i noticed how yoga has really been changing my strength and endurance. i felt lighter and could breathe deeply for almost the entire time. i loved seeing my kids waiting for me at the finish line and my immediate reaction to start sprinting so i could show off my super mommy skills.

-learning to use my new sewing machine (thanks mom!) and learning some new knitting stitches.

-finally making it home and being enthusiastically greeted by our pups.


i breathe a sigh of relief and think that there really is no place quite like home.