RETREAT AND RELAXATION

The last few days have been busy ones and out of our normal weekly routine.  For quite a few months,  I've been on the Planning Committee for the Ladies Retreat at church.  Evidently, this is an annual event (perhaps a twice-a-year event), and this year I was asked to help out on the committee.

The theme was  "Listening to Love and Living Blessed",  and our speaker was a Lutheran pastor, Emily Rova-Hegener, who is from Minnesota but is currently living in Oslo.  Through our life stories, we were reminded we've been created and blessed by God to be a blessing for others.  Emily was serious but fun, thoughtful but light-hearted.  It's been many years since I've been to a ladies event, and this was definitely a blessing for me as I am in this new stage of my life.  We didn't just sit and listen (which can be a little too much for me!!!), we had a song leader (she was wonderful too!), and Emily used some small group activities, reflection time (you could go for a walk outside, sit in the sanctuary etc.) and even little craft projects to illustrate the things we were hearing.

We served breakfast pastries, fruit and yogurt in the morning with coffee, tea and juices as ladies arrived.  Each participant was asked to bring a treat,  and I took care of purchasing the other items.  We had a table overloaded with all kinds of breads, baguettes, muffins....everything you can imagine.

Our decorating team did a great job of making the room where we spent the day pretty and cheerful.

Everything was cheerful and spring-like

In this picture, the table is ready for lunch with the napkins and placemats.  For the morning session, those, of course, were absent!  Our lunch was catered by my friend, Janine Springall, who catered Bloom's lunch last year (and will be doing it again this year) and also did my birthday party.  The food was delicious and was served to us by some of our men...including, of course, David!!

There were some choices given if necessary

We had spent Friday afternoon and evening setting up then the retreat was all day Saturday, so by Saturday evening I was tired!  And soooooo.......

Sunday we skipped (oh, noooooo!!!!!!) church!!!!!  Let me tell you.  David and I were talking about it and we rarely skip church.  The whole time our kids were growing up I think we only missed if one of them (or us) was sick which didn't happen very often.  Even without the kids, we rarely miss.  It's just what we've always done and what we always do on Sundays.  Anyway....

There was a book signing at The Red Wheelbarrow (the bookstore at last year's Bloom and coming back this year) by an author we didn't know, David Downie.  We checked out the book, and it sounded like one we would both like so we decided to spend our Sunday quietly...

On the way....

...to the Red Wheelbarrow!!  Our temps have gotten a little cooler (what happened to spring???) but we're prepared because, while we're over that way, we're going to stroll through Jardin de Luxembourg!

The bookstore is a little shop and, we were glad to see, was full of people.  We met David Downie and chatted a while while he signed my book then visited with Adrian Leeds, our realtor, who was also there (we knew about this event from her newsletter).  I've already begun reading the book and am enjoying it.  I'll be interested in checking out others by him...I know our library has some.

I do love "real" books!!

It was a little early for lunch so we strolled through the garden and watched the children with the sailboats in the fountain.  The flowers were beautiful and everyone seemed to be having a nice, relaxing time in the mild weather.

The flowers were prettier in person than in this picture..sun would have helped!

I can't wait to do this with some of our "littles" (who aren't so little anymore!!)

By then we were getting hungry but the cafe we had planned to go to was full (must be the Sunday place to be!), so we decided to head home.  As we got to the bus stop (one we seem to frequent), we decided to have lunch at a little cafe right there that we pass each time we're in that area.  So we both had a nice lunch and I ended mine with a cafe creme to warm my hands!!

Wish I had one of these right now!!

I don't advocate skipping church, but,  just this once,  it was a wonderful respite from the busy week and a time to relax and, yes, maybe even reflect....on how blessed we are to live, for now, in this beautiful city.