Can I Do It?

Here's what I'm thinking of doing. Taking the next three days starting tomorrow . . . that would be Friday, Saturday and Sunday . . . to hole up in my quilt studio to quilt. And quilt. And quilt.

Obviously, I'll come out to periodically eat, sleep and visit the bathroom. If I feel like it. I know there will be things that I'll have to tend to throughout the day but I'm going to try extremely hard to keep those things to a minimum. I want to feel free to spend as much guilt-free time in my quilt studio as I wish for the next three days.

I've been working toward that end by getting organized today. I've made a list of "convenience" foods in the freezer, stocked the refrig with staples that can be pulled together for easy meals, and spiffed up the house because I know I couldn't ignore the frolicking of dust bunnies and a cruddy-looking sink when I made passes through the house on the way to bedroom or bathroom.

Dear hubby supports me in this venture. Matter of fact, he'll be gone all of Saturday so that actually makes that whole day less complicated. And he just said tonight that he'll handle all the dish washing for the weekend. Praise be!

I'll no doubt need breaks to unkink parts of my body now and then so will get outside for short periods to breathe some fresh (cold!) air to invigorate and re-energize. I'll probably check e-mails and blogs now and then. With luck I might even have some new pictures to share of what's happenin' in the quilt studio.

This is a big deal for me. It's something I've never done before. I've gone to quilting retreats that have lasted three days, but putting all other responsibilities aside while still at home is extremely hard.

I know this sounds on the weird side for all you gals out there with an outside job and/or kiddlies still at home. I can hear you wondering why the heck, at this stage of my life, I'm not free to do exactly what I want each and every day of the week. Well, I've always been the kind of person who keeps working, working, working thinking I'll take "time off" when I get the To Do list finished. But as anybody with half a brain knows (duh), the To Do list will NEVER get done.

I'm trying to make some changes in my life. To quote again the words of Marie Beynon Ray that I wrote in this blog at the first of the year:

"Begin now doing what you want to do now.
We are not living in eternity. We have only this
Moment, sparkling like a star in our hand ---
And melting like a snowflake."

Can I do it? I don't know. I've never been able to take more than a few hours "off" right here at home. Too many things calling to me that "should" be done. But I have a felling I'll enjoy vacationing at home (it's a pretty nice place to be) if I can just learn how to do it. And I'll never know if I can do it . . . unless I try.