Ask many different people about their idea of a perfect getaway and you will get many different answers. Some may dream of a quiet paradise with warm breezes, blue waters and white sand. Others may prefer the fresh air and brilliant colors of the mountains in the fall. There are those who yearn for the peace of solitude and others who wouldn’t be happy without their loved ones along. I have experienced all of these types of getaways, but twice a year if you ask me what my idea of the perfect retreat is, I have a very definite answer – a weekend crop. For those who are uninitiated to the paper crafts, a crop is not unlike the quilting bees of days past where women gathered together to piece and quilt fabrics into practical works of art. Except the scrapper’s medium of choice is paper and photographs and our finished products are scrapbooks of cherished memories. This past weekend was one of those getaways of choice for me. Twice a year a group of women who, like me, are addicted to all things “scrappy”, rent a cabin at the lakes and spend the weekend doing what we love best – scrapbooking. We arrive with vans and SUV’s loaded to the max with all the necessary supplies of our craft. We bring our favorite munchies and the ingredients to make potluck recipes to share with each other. We spend the weekend talking non-stop as we cut, arrange, glue and admire each other’s finished products. The attire of choice is comfy p.j.’s and outrageous slippers. Some of us stay up all night and crash in the mornings for a few hours of sleep before going at it again. We were young and old; married, widowed and single; employees, and stay at home moms. But as someone said this past weekend; it was about more than just completing pages or forgetting about diets and make-up; it was about sharing and encouraging, listening and advising; it was about making connections and de-stressing. A study done at Harvard Medical School – The Nurses Health Study – found that the more friendships a woman developed the healthier she became. This was confirmed by research done at the University of California at LA
http://damesbond.com/ucla_study.pdf
Whereas, men experience the fight-or-flight reaction when they encounter stressful situations, women use a “tend and befriend” response. All of this is supposedly influenced by the different types and amounts of hormones we have coursing through our systems. Whatever the scientific reasoning behind it, I had a very enjoyable, relaxing and productive weekend.
However, the getaway had a very stressful start and almost didn’t happen at all. Once again our unpredictable Kentucky weather decided to play games with us. Last Friday was our biggest snowstorm of the season. Driving was extremely hazardous with blizzard conditions; blowing snow caused whiteouts and drifts along the road. I am one of those drivers about which other drivers say, “People like that should stay off the road.” So I do everyone a favor and stay out from behind the wheel as much as possible especially in icy, slick conditions. If I had had to drive myself to the lakes, I wouldn’t have gone. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who laughs at dangerous snowflake accumulation and doesn’t mind hauling me and my stuff into the wilderness during a blizzard. Sarah, being the strong, pioneer type woman, that she is, also braved the weather to join all of us die-hard scrapbook enthusiasts. She drove down from Owensboro, which got even more snow than we did. It was wonderful to spend the entire weekend with her free of everyday responsibilities.
Our final snow total (measured on Saturday morning by the eldest member of our group, in her houseslippers, with a ruler) was 4 ½ inches. Further east and north of us, in Elizabethtown and Louisville, they received 9 and 12-inch snowfalls.
There is something about a heavy snowfall that brings out the childish side in all of us and we ladies were no exception. We built a snowman on the deck using buttons and ribbon for his face. With my hat on his head, he made quite a sight. Of course we all had our pictures made with him for future scrapbook page material. I went for a snowy walk down by the lake and watched the geese landing on the water. It was beautiful and peaceful. The sun came out brilliantly on Saturday and soon the snow and the snowman were melting. By the time Jeff came to pick me up on Sunday afternoon, there were hardly any traces of the treacherous conditions of the previous Friday. This week the temperatures are reaching the 60’s. Our weather is never boring!
Here are some of the snow scenes from my getaway weekend.
http://damesbond.com/ucla_study.pdf
Whereas, men experience the fight-or-flight reaction when they encounter stressful situations, women use a “tend and befriend” response. All of this is supposedly influenced by the different types and amounts of hormones we have coursing through our systems. Whatever the scientific reasoning behind it, I had a very enjoyable, relaxing and productive weekend.
However, the getaway had a very stressful start and almost didn’t happen at all. Once again our unpredictable Kentucky weather decided to play games with us. Last Friday was our biggest snowstorm of the season. Driving was extremely hazardous with blizzard conditions; blowing snow caused whiteouts and drifts along the road. I am one of those drivers about which other drivers say, “People like that should stay off the road.” So I do everyone a favor and stay out from behind the wheel as much as possible especially in icy, slick conditions. If I had had to drive myself to the lakes, I wouldn’t have gone. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who laughs at dangerous snowflake accumulation and doesn’t mind hauling me and my stuff into the wilderness during a blizzard. Sarah, being the strong, pioneer type woman, that she is, also braved the weather to join all of us die-hard scrapbook enthusiasts. She drove down from Owensboro, which got even more snow than we did. It was wonderful to spend the entire weekend with her free of everyday responsibilities.
Our final snow total (measured on Saturday morning by the eldest member of our group, in her houseslippers, with a ruler) was 4 ½ inches. Further east and north of us, in Elizabethtown and Louisville, they received 9 and 12-inch snowfalls.
There is something about a heavy snowfall that brings out the childish side in all of us and we ladies were no exception. We built a snowman on the deck using buttons and ribbon for his face. With my hat on his head, he made quite a sight. Of course we all had our pictures made with him for future scrapbook page material. I went for a snowy walk down by the lake and watched the geese landing on the water. It was beautiful and peaceful. The sun came out brilliantly on Saturday and soon the snow and the snowman were melting. By the time Jeff came to pick me up on Sunday afternoon, there were hardly any traces of the treacherous conditions of the previous Friday. This week the temperatures are reaching the 60’s. Our weather is never boring!
Here are some of the snow scenes from my getaway weekend.
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