So, How Was Your Holiday? (They Asked Me)

 That has been the sixty four thousand dollar question this week.  It has been coming at me from all directions it seems. hahahaha  I have to laugh because for me the question is not worth asking or answering.

"Our" holiday has been just what my husband has needed after a whole year of stress due to his sister's problems and the stress that continues as her funeral is still to come.  Other than our nine days away at the beginning of the month of holidays, we have not left this suite for so much as a day trip because my husband needed to rest and stay home to have some recovery time. His CFS has been terrible all summer and the best thing for him has been to do exactly what we HAVE done in regard to having local fun, taking day trips and seeing out of town friends:  in other words, NOTHING!

Having a staycation has been a time for him of reflecting on this past year and putting serious thought into the future of his public ministry, a time to gather what little energy he has and complete a few small house chores and projects that have been outstanding for a long time.  It has given me great joy to see him having time to do anything he wants or nothing at all.

However, the idea that I myself have had an actual vacation is quite ludicrous, although I do appreciate people taking enough interest in me (us) to ask about it.  

For me this vacation consisted of the three days we were in Lethbridge and Taber visiting friends. They were a marvellous three days, but they are the only actual vacation days I have had this year.  The other days we were away do not count as vacation because they were spent caring for my mother. They were wonderful days and I enjoyed every one of them, but they were not a vacation.  I cooked, cleaned, shopped, emptied garbage, recycled, did laundry and whatever else was necessary to make my mom's life easier. It was great to do those things, but it was not a vacation.

Since coming home from our time away I have continued to cook, clean, shop, empty the garbage, recycle, do laundry and whatever else is necessary to keep our lives easier.  I have not had a break from those daily chores apart from that wonderful three days in southern Alberta.  I have had no break from the same old, same old, daily humdrum, boring existence at any other time this month, apart from enjoying a handful of wonderful visits with friends...the same wonderful friends I have allowed myself to see throughout the safer times of the current pandemic.

I am not complaining, I am just stating facts.  The last time I had a real vacation was in June of 2018 when we went to New York City to visit our son for ten glorious days. THAT was a vacation!!  So it has been over three years since I have had a real break from being a housewife and "gettin' the job done" week after endless week after endless year.  It is just life, no biggie and I enjoy my life for the most part, boring as it is.

I will get one more day of vacation in September when we go to Alberta again.  First there will be three days of taking care of Mom, then a vacation day visiting several old friends north of Calgary, on our way to the funeral in Edmonton.  I am focusing on that day and I know it will be a fabulous day.  We have three couples to see that day and I can't wait!!!!  YAY!!  So, I DO have a vacation day coming that, for me, truly is a VACATION day!!  We will spend a night in a hotel and eat out. I am very excited about it.

So, how was my holiday this month of my husband being off work?  The actual holiday of three days was fabulous and that is the time I think of before I answer the question!