Friday Five!
Cathy of the RevGalBlogPals ring asks:
Suppose you were told to pack some essentials for a trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Describe your location, in general or specific terms and....
1) What book(s) will you bring?
2) What music accompanies you?
3) What essentials of everyday living must you take (as in the health and beauty aids aisle variety)?
4) What technological gadgets if any, will you take with you or do you leave it all behind?
5) What culinary delights will you partake in while there?
As a bonus question, what makes for a perfect day on vacation for you?
Well, this one is near and dear to my heart. I’m up to my nose in stuff—I realized the other day that I have exactly three days in June with nothing scheduled—which means I’ll be using them for writing sermons. July is going to be even worse, I think, with my denomination’s conference the first week, three weddings, and our local Pride celebration (for which I am vice-chair) the rest of the month. I am so getting away in August.
Location: At the moment, I’m leaning towards my favourite retreat centre, GilChrist, in southern Michigan. I had a very fulfilling week there this past fall. On the other hand, that would be solitary, and while in some ways I will probably want a break from people, I’m not sure I want to be totally alone. On the other other hand, I don’t have a special someone to go anywhere with, so it may be a moot point. Maybe the ideal location would be one that offers opportunities for both socializing and solitary reflection.
Books: A mix of fun things I’d like to read and may even have started but haven’t been able to find enough me-time to read and those things I want to read for professional development or that are simply more serious. Are we looking for titles? Here are a few: Iliad, Dan Simmons; Praying Twice, Brian Wren; The History of Sexuality Michel Foucault; In Memory of Her, Elisabeth Schuessler Fiorenza; The Gospel and Science Fiction, Gabriel McKee; catching up with my New Yorkers.
Music: A mix of kd lang (of course), my meditation music,and Loreena McKennitt, with Brit Boy’s house music mixes (great for a workout), and some Bob Seger and Jimmy Buffett for road music.
Essentials: Shampoo. Toothpaste and brush, hairbrush. Soap. Deodorant. Razor. That’ll do it.
Technology: Well, if I had an iPod, I’d take that, but as it is, I’ll take a CD player (whether personal or portable), and my laptop. Even if there’s no Internet (maybe especially if there isn’t) since that’s how I now write—journals, letters, etc..
Food: The meals I enjoyed on my retreat last fall have set a pattern for me. Roast chicken, cheese, salad, fruit, crackers, eggs (a variety of ways). A few relishes and snacks—sweet gherkins, lime corn chips. Of course, that’s for a retreat where I’m doing the cooking. If I were at a hotel/resort/spa/B&B, I’d explore whatever is good locally—specialties, local wines/beers, fruits, etc.
Perfect day: sleep later (but not too late), journal on the deck/balcony over coffee, big breakfast, sight-seeing/shopping/seminar/galleries with a congenial companion in the morning, late lunch, back to home base for reading/writing/swim/walk, then with/after dinner conversation with a larger group. The rest depends on the company…!!
5 comments:
Great play! And now you've given me the idea of GilChrist...I'll have to look that up!
Wow--alot of good reading.I'd have to be away about 5 weeks to get through it all, but I'm willing to make the sacrifice ;)
QP
Silly me, I forgot I should deodorant with me where ever I go. :-)
And do read Praying Twice - I found a wonderful new hymn in it this week to celebrate our music minister.
Sounds like a wonderful getaway
And this sounds like a very fine getaway - the simplicity of the food sounds good too!
"The rest depends on the company..." that about says it all, doesn't it?
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