Vacation...

has been defined as "...leisure time away from work, devoted to rest or pleasure". Everyone needs this; from the sleep-starved new Mommy who would LOVE a 45-minute nap to the guy putting in 20 hours of overtime who thinks longingly of his unused easy chair. I know that some people actually do take vacations for days and even weeks at a time.

Though some people never get the chance to do it; they simply don't know how to stop working long enough to take the time for rest, relaxation and enjoyment! Then there are those folks that take time off from their work; but only to do different kinds of work!

I am married to just such a guy. To him a holiday usually means a chance to replace another window or door and get caught up on yardwork, wood cutting and vehicle repairs. A once-a-year trip to the cabin usually turns into fixing boats and motors or performing other repairs. One year, since the motor wouldn't work, he ended up rowing the complete width of the lake. Now THAT is a chore! Please don't get me wrong! I am not complaining. His work ethic was one of the reasons I picked him in the first place. But I think that it is time for him to learn the meaning of the word "vacation" and discover leisure, rest and recreation. Heck, he doesn't even own an easy chair. Well, I am beginning to think it's now or never!
Being that I am almost as bad about staying late at school and bringing work home on weekends, I will need to be innovative and creative about re-discovering leisure. It might mean starting slowly; trying some small things; setting some work boundaries; and then planning for some "mini-vacations". When we start to change our thinking about work and put it in perspective there might be time for: an hour bike ride in the Kettle Moraine; a couple of hours at the zoo; a hike in the woods; a half-hour swaying in the porch swing; an afternoon at the art museum; a casual drive along the lake; or even a 45 minute excursion to the Lapham peak tower for taking in the panorama. How about it? Does anyone else need a vacation?