Vacation from yelling

We went away for the weekend. Sometimes, on the hamster wheel that is my life, I have to just get off and get away! I needed to get away and focus on painting – to do something new and different. To get out my rut and de–stress. Spring fever has hit my triplets and my 3rd grader like a ton of bricks and they have been on high octane for a while now. So we dropped my four little precious bundles of joy at dear ole Mom’s and headed to Black Mountain near Asheville North Carolina!
Normally Black Mountain is a granola loving, mountain biking, Appalachian Trail hiking kind of town. But in April it is still a little too cool and rainy for all the outdoorizy types to come out. No problem for me. The shops do tend to close early on Saturdays and many are closed on Sunday. If your wallet is just on fire and you got money to burn, Asheville is just 15 mins away – a short but beautiful car ride away.

Stayed a little inn called the Monte Vista Hotel. Monte Vista is great – not the too close for comfort coziness of a bed and breakfast and not the clinical/ manufactured feel of chain hotels (which are not bad just not what you want in town like Asheville). The décor has not changed for probably twenty five years – the large lobby has worn Victorian settees and sofas and chairs in faded tapestry style fabric. There is a huge fireplace with a roaring fire in the evenings. Perfect for the cool nights in the mountains. Hard to explain why this place makes me relax but it does. Maybe because it is not pretentious or fancy, just an old inn with character. And the price is so right that not even David can complain. Not that he is a tightwad or anything like that. In fact it is quite the opposite. It is just that he just hates bed and breakfasts - says there is nothing romantic about staying at “Grandma’s house with 6 other strangers that you might or might not have to share a bathroom with” but for years I have been brainwashed into thinking if we are not staying at bed and breakfast, WELL! That is just not a romantic getaway. Which escalates into why doesn’t he love me enough. Which then involves a lot of glares and puzzled looks ( that translates into “did I know she was this crazy when I married her???”)
But after one very awkward breakfast at an Inn ( David was sleeping in) and it was just me at the breakfast table, I realized we are not B and B people; we are not the romantic type ( great marriage but not just the snookiewookie type), not the lets- talk-to-strangers-like-they- are -our – best- friends- despite-the-fact-we-have-never-met-nor-will-never-see each-other-again-after-this-weekend type. Heck most of the time we sleep in that we miss the whole breakfast part of the deal!
With all those factors I realized that maybe, just maybe, David was right. Just MAYBE a B and B does not make or break a weekend getaway. Not that I will ever EVER admit it.
The one problem with Black Mtn in the off season is that even some of the restaurants close early. But there is a wonderful bed and breakfast Red Rocker Inn that serves delicious 4 course meals. Within walking distance of the Monte Vista which is a good thing because after dinner at the Red Rocker Inn you are going to want to walk it off! And before you ask - yes they have red rockers everywhere.
Best part of the weekend…I finished 4 new paintings!

My daughter gets very upset when she knows that Mommy and Daddy are going away. “Why do you have to go?” she says between tear filled sniffs and whimpers.

My son Nicholas pipes up and said “Because Mommy needs a vacation from yelling.”

Ahem.

Disclaimer

Hot Shower

Disclaimer

I would like it on public record that I have never Never NEVER told any of my boys that it is OK to drop his drawers and pee while standing on a neighbor’s air conditioning unit.

SO...WHO KNEW???

Who Knew??

So, huh. Who knew that blogging would be this hard??? I thought I would be back posting much sooner but blah, blah, blah, blah and some yadda, yadda; it is now April.

As I am typing this and seeing the above paragraph, it actually surprises me that was what came out the keyboard (my keyboard, like my paintbrush has a mind of its own). My original intention was to give very good reasons why I have not been posting.

I volunteer twice a month in all four of my kids classes and teach art for 3 classes. Count them … that is like every other day. EVERY OTHER DAY!*

*And let me tell you… kindergartens are exhausting.

And those 3^rd grade projects are not so easy either!!! And even get me started on the homework!!!

*It was the holidays!!!! We host a lot!! All in involving Martha Stewart style entertaining (it’s true, I cannot do simple, it is just not in my vocabulary).

I was going thru a massive creative period and I did not want to lose that spark by blogging…………

Well the truth is I was not going thru a creative period, and yes it is the holidays (the Martha Stewart style part is true - but less crafty – more food and décor oriented) and yes I do volunteer like it is my real job instead of focusing on my art business. But the truth of the matter is as soon as it gets cold – which happened early this year for Knoxville - I check out - especially once the holidays end. I get into a funk. It is a bit more than a funk. I basically become catatonic. Does any one else get this way?? I would like to think so because I find myself shockingly normal. Whatever. Did not mean to take this to serious note but you know the keyboard….

It annoys the hubbie to no end. He is a workaholic on top of being an obsessive half – a** perfectionist (I will explain later). But after nearly 10 years of going thru this we have come to an understanding, he should not expect me to move until the temp is above 40 degrees.

Anyway by the time it was officially Spring, and all the annoying colds spell (70 on Sunday, snowing on Monday) and dismal rains spell subsided – well it was March. We hired two 2 employees/ assistants/ peeps – I never denied being high maintenance. I completely forgot how to even get on my blog. Kelly found my blog. So, huh. Here we are. Who knew how hard blogging would be??? I promise to post more.

I have new respect for Perez Hilton – hmmm.. no not really.

PS: OK when I mean active – it is not like exercise or anything drastic like that. Maybe creative is the right word. Yes Creative! I have painted A LOT – have close to 80 new paintings in the spring collection – should be posted on the website by the end of the month! CHECK IT OUT!