I have had a lovely few days, and spent most of the time exclaiming to Mr. PiN how wonderful they were. Thankfully, he agreed with me instead of getting sick of hearing me talk about it.
What really struck me was how simple my weekend was. I did not need to travel, or spend much extra money, or do anything complicated to feel fulfilled.
What was so wonderful about the last 3 days?
For starters, it’s Spring. I love Spring. The weather usually gets warmer, and the sun is out later. To be honest, it was cold for part of the weekend, which was actually a bonus: it meant I could stay indoors, and not feel guilty that I was wasting a warm and sunny day.
The other glorious start to my weekend was finishing work early. I was able to close my computer at 5:30 pm Friday without anything urgent left on my to-do list. That meant I could enjoy the evening without feeling like I had to check in “just one more time.”
Dinner was easy. I have discovered a local caterer who will deliver meals which are comparable in price–but far superior in nutrition–to our choices through Door Dash. We had an order delivered Friday, which meant Mr. PiN could return from a long afternoon working on his parents’ house, and sit down to a dinner that neither of us cooked or had to clean up after, except for clearing the table. We could just relax and enjoy watching tennis in the evening.
Saturday was sunny and relaxing. I worked out in the basement with my trainer, and then enjoyed the sun from indoors. I saw friends by video, spoke with my sister, and made my way through a library book I picked up last week. Periodically I did something constructive: washed and folded several loads of laundry, or worked on our taxes–nothing strenuous. In the evening, Mr. PiN again ate food we did not have to cook, and enjoyed a recorded tennis match. We could even fast forward through commercials! At bedtime, we enjoyed one of our favorite luxuries: freshly washed sheets.
Sunday started with coffee while surfing the internet, but was otherwise much the same as Saturday. It was warm enough for me to run some errands and take a walk, interspersed with my Sunday video meeting with friends.
To summarize:
- I actually got a break from work. No worries about undone tasks.
- Mr. PiN got a break from some of his usual chores. We got to try food with a different taste from our usual, and hardly any time was spent making dinner or cleaning up after it.
- I took the time to read a new-to-me book.
- I enjoyed some of my usual connections and my little luxuries: video calls with friends, chats with my sister, fresh sheets, coffee in the morning, watching TV.
- The weather was to my liking.
I can’t control the weather, but most of the items on that list are things I can arrange or manage.
Unless we want to start talking about the fractional costs of running an extra load of laundry, or daily cost of watching TV, the only real extra cost was having dinner delivered. For less than $100, we cut out several hours of work in the kitchen and allowed Mr. PiN and I to spend more time relaxing together.
We still want to travel together while we can, seeing the world and experiencing new things. I think it would be good to get out a bit more at home too, to see shows or concerts or friends.
And yet, this weekend was a reminder to me that I also need to appreciate some of the simpler joys in our life together. I note that I don’t need to retire to enjoy many of them.
What are some of your simple joys in life?
Sounds like a wonderful weekend. One of my simple joys is sitting outside with a good book and a cup of tea. Soon! (Or at least I hope it will be soon.)
Fingers crossed you will soon be outside (on your deck?) with a good book and a cup of tea.