Friday, February 20, 2009

Friday Five: Time For a Break!

How fortuitous that this Friday Five should appear on my last Friday of (paid) work!

The question of the day: How would we choose to spend:

1. a 15 minute break A good cup of coffee and a quick read-through of the online New York Times.

2. an afternoon off
This will sound bizarre to those of you who hate grocery shopping, but one of my favorite ways of using up comp time is zipping down to our beloved food cooperative. The ambience of the place -- the music, the lighting, the aromas of ground coffee and herbs, the crunchy-granola-ness of place and people -- makes it relaxing and fun.
If all the people who angst in the crowded aisles, harsh lighting, blaring Muzak and general overstimulation of the average supermarket only knew they had an alternative...

3. an unexpected free day
At our house we like going on unprogrammed day trips. Oh, we might have some small goal in mind, but the journey is the thing, so to speak. Although, believe it or not, we have been cherishing unprogrammed days at home lately because they're giving us a chance to very slowly wrest order out of chaos at our house...shelf by shelf, box by box, room by room.

4. a week's vacation
A couple of days up north in the Leelanau, at Sleeping Bear Bed and Breakfast.

5. a sabbatical
That's a good question, since that's more or less what I'm doing now. I think the Benedictine work-and-prayer model is what I'm striving for, albeit work of a totally different kind than public-sector shillery. I'm thinkin' about the Indigo Girls' song about getting a hammer and nail and learning to use my hands, not just my head.

8 comments:

altar ego said...

I can so relate to your break time. I already spend time each morning doing number one. Wresting order out of chaos is a perennial event here, and Leelanau! I have spent some fabulous R&R at Glen Lake.

LutheranChik said...

Oh! Oh! Oh! Next time you're in Glen Lake, eat at Trattoria Funistrada. We had a lovely meal there. Next time we go up I think we're going to hit La Becasse across the street.

Anonymous said...

TGIF! Oh, you have much to celebrate on this Last Friday! Take an extra-long coffee break today, linger a bit over your online reading (whadda they gonna do-- fire ya?) enjoy an extra cruller or whatever! Make this a great day because.... there ain't no going back!

I am so eagerly awaiting what God will do with you in your 2nd (3rd? 4th?) career. It's gonna be amazing.

P.S. said...

Congratulations, bold traveler! What an exciting new step in life...at times nerve wracking I'm sure, but oh so life and faith affirming. If at any point you get a bit anxious about all this, I'll read Dr. Suess' "Oh, The Places You'll Go" to you!

LoieJ said...

Everyone sounds good to me. Congratulations on FREEDOM! Even if freedom gets to be too free, you can be glad to be rid of that job.

Auntie Knickers said...

Congratulations on leaving and best wishes on the next steps -- I know you will do some really good things.

Unknown said...

Blessings to you in this new phase of your life, LC! And I read the NYTimes online, too, when I have a little smidge of time.

Funky Grampa said...

Congratulations! I salute your courage and offer music for your dance into tomorrow.
“My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed;
I will sing and make melody.
Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp;
I myself will waken the dawn.
For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
So that those who are dear to you may be delivered,
save with your right hand and answer me.”
Psalm 108