If you’re an avid reader of this blog, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve not posted anything in well over a month… maybe closing in on two months. I didn’t check and it doesn’t matter, because it’s been a while. It was becoming increasingly apparent that I needed to be on my vacation ASAP.

I get it, everyone’s lives are operating on high. We’re all “busy”, so all of my busy is different from other people’s busy and we’re all busy together, but separately. All my busy was building up exponentially and I was feeling the breaking down, plus all the stress eating and drinking. So, step away from the fridge and the bottles Sarah, because YOU honey-pie need to just get away from it all!

In brief, Mr. Muse and I headed to Alaska via Seattle, WA, for over two weeks. We took the Amtrak’s Empire Builder from here to Seattle, because – nothing like forced relaxation on a train for two days before your actual vacation! No, really. It was a very good idea to having nothing more to do than to look out the windows of the train for two days, eat, sleep, and maybe read a little.

Once we arrived in Seattle we did all-the-things, well, as much as we could do in the three two and half days we had before boarding the ms Westerdam to Alaska. It was then onto the ship for a week, where again, we relaxed (we bought the Hydro Pool Spa Package – we REALLY relaxed), enjoyed experiencing new places and adventures, ate some food, drank some wine (though in reasonable quantities for a change), and basically looked out the windows of the ship at the passing scenery. It was then back to Seattle where our friends departed via plane, and Mr. Muse and I stayed on for three more days, doing more of all-the-things before getting on the Empire Builder and heading back to Wisconsin. Two more days of forced relaxation was a great thing. Of course, if you’ve ever gone on vacation, you’re aware that you’re usually worn out from doing all-the-things.

But really, it was good. The house was still standing, the animals were all still alive (thanks to dad and pet sitter coming to give cat fluids). Sure, the house needed cleaning, the yard needed mowing, and the garden needed to be attended to, but I knew that’d be the case before we left. And still I was relaxed.

I took things easy. I cleaned the house. The post-vacation pile of laundry was tackled. The lawn got mowed. The garden was tended.

Bonus – my clothes fit better. Seriously. I didn’t GAIN weight on a cruise. HA!

And work?

But, what you really want to know is… my writing. Well,

I’ll write more about the vacation later!

Happy Friday!