Fun Fact

Ketchup originated in China.

Customer Service Fails (and Wins)

Store #1:  "Can I help you?" the minute we enter, interrupting my conversation with Audrey. I finish my sentence. "Can I help you," repeated, this time with more urgency.

"No, just looking."

"We're closing at 4."  It's 3:50.

"Ok."

Store #2:  Walk into TINY store.  Not greeted, or acknowledged. Employee on the phone. Ok, fine - something important. Continue to browse, having actually come in to potentially treat myself to an item of overpriced goods. Daughter and I peruse the jewelry, fighting with a display that stubbornly insists on falling over. Minutes pass... apparently there is an issue with the credit card machine and the woman is desperately trying to iron things out. Unfortunately for her, that means stepping outside several times, because the reception in all the stores on our main street is terrible. On no pass is our presence acknowledged. (Did I mention how small this place is?)

Crisis averted. I notice that a ring is missing from a display, price tag beside it ... potentially bad news. I take it to the employee.

"I actually noticed that earlier," she says.

I ask about a specific type of item. "Oh, they're all over," she says. I feel very "Julia-Roberts-in-the-boutique" a la Pretty Woman.

Store #3: I am greeted immediately. I am chatted to and given several freebies. My child is spoken to by the owner, directly, and engaged in an actual, back-and-forth conversation, cheerfully, and in addition to the other customers in the store. I spend over $50.

Store #4: Greeted, chatted. Allowed a seat to rest, gather thoughts, respond to a text message. Child welcomed and allowed to play with the owner's own child's playthings. Engaged in random conversation.

Guess where I'll visit again?

I vow, in the presence of you, dear reader; I shall never again darken the door of Store #1 OR Store #2. Ever.

Fun Fact

The average American chews 190 sticks of gum, drinks 600 sodas and 800 gallons of water, and eats 135 pounds of sugar and 19 pounds of cereal per year.

Fun Fact

There are more than one hundred chemicals in one cup of coffee.

Retreat: When

When ... it was a bit ago. But you don't care about that, and neither do I, really. What matters, then, is when, in relation to life in general, I got away.

On the small, Maize timeline, and the larger, God's timing timeline. Where did my getaway fall in the grand scheme?

I may have mentioned before - I "asked" for a retreat before the "Trouble." It didn't happen, for a few reasons ... the biggest I think was my inability to communicate the urgency of my need. To an extrovert husband and two "moooooooooooooom-aged" kids ... it wasn't accepted understood. It wasn't feasible. Go away on a scrapbooking retreat weekend, sure; but don't ask to go off by yourself and do nothing for a few days. As my husband explained to me later, his thinking was, "I work hard, too, don't I deserve a vacation?" Yup. Only I have to refer to a previous post; my idea of vacation is "retreat" and not "attack a local theme park and/or ski slope."

So - we've established that I "wasn't supposed to" travel when I felt the desire to. Perhaps it wasn't yet a need... Enter: family trauma. Much stress and preoccupation. The only things that got billing were "eat, sleep, where are the kids, how is Ian today, did I send an update to everyone yet?" That routine completely filled 2-plus months. People brought food, did my laundry, fed the cat ... someone even came to clean once a month. I wouldn't really call it "allowing me to focus" on what mattered because truly, I didn't feel a lot of focus. I just WAS. Did the every day commute like it was my job ... because it was. Then ... the new normal; slow, at-home recovery. Adjusting to things with Ian home - the good and bad that comes with that. (no, I'm not ungrateful, just being honest).

So then it was August ... and it looked like a "now or never" window had appeared. Ian was comfortable doing the stairs alone. The kids weren't at school yet. The neighbors were around to help if needed.  It was hot; the perfect time to hole up inside in the AC ;)

I wanted to be gone more than 2 days; in my experience on other retreats, it takes me nearly a day to "settle in." But I didn't want to miss worship with my family. So that put us on weekdays.

Is there ever a good time to leave it all behind? Maybe. It's difficult for an overly-responsible personality to "ditch." Guilt inevitably comes. But you, dear friends, helped alleviate that guilt. You repeatedly reassured me that I "deserved" and needed a break. Thank you. Your support is incredibly important to me.

Fun Fact

Cranberry jelly is the only jelly flavor that comes from the real fruit, not artificial flavoring.

Retreat: WHAT

Second in the retreat series... Since my last blog entry, I have had some comments in person and on the web - all positive and affirming. Folks have said, "So glad you got to do that... you really needed it!" I'll go ahead and hope they're saying that because they appreciate that I needed a break and not that I was such a pill before I left that they were relieved to have me vacate! :)

So we've covered the "who(m)": Just little 'ol me. I mentioned the title: DOME (Don Oxygen Mask Escape/Extravaganza/Emerency/Egress ... whatever)

Now for the what; what exactly did I DO on my own for three days in God's country?

My agenda would bore you, but I will list some basics. I rose and retired when I wished (this did not mean greating the sun or burning the midnight oil. Just no boundaries on either end). I took along lots of notebook paper, a white board, my laptop, the Bible, and lots of books.

My main goals were to get a handle on my goals and priorities. Think: shake the etch-a-sketch. I did a brain dump, where I listed everything I could think of that needed to be planned, organized, cleaned, repaired, taken care of. I made my categories on paper, but discovered the joys of www.workflowy.com and added it all there.

Next I began a series of goal-setting videos (by Chalene Johnson, of Beach Body/ P90X fame). The purpose of the series is to cause the viewer to adopt habits based on personal goals and priorities; basically skipping over "file the medical records" in favor of "place an ad in three newspapers today" if, say, "Increasing My Family Income" is at the top of my life and goal priority list (it's not).

As a result of those videos, and cemented by the fact my cell phone had already given signs of epic fail, I deduced my NEED (not desire, really) for a smart phone. I need a nag. I need a push. I need something with me all day long that holds my priorities and goals and that I won't leave at home in my purse when I "step out;" because I need to assess if that "stepping out" is in line with my priorities!

I'm not going to gush here ... I do it on facebook and in person, but: I LERVE my iPhone.

Wait a second?! I thought this was a spiritual journey, this retreat??

I DID pray. I DID read scripture throughout the day. I also perused the variety of daily devotional books I brought along, attempting to choose one to use this year to keep me focused and in the Word. However, in my LISTENING, I felt a strong nudge for this other, seemingly non-spiritual stuff - to get my house in order. To carve out moments for myself, my marriage, my children, my friends. To get my daily todos in line with my monthly and yearly todos. In order to conquer my Martha-isms, I need to do some prep work. To give myself permission to Be Here Now (my personal mantra), I need to know what God wants me to be doing. To LISTEN to Him, I need to clear my mind.

I know ... it hurts the brain, no? But this kind of sustained thought and organization therof is exactly what I can't get done at home ... at least, I haven't been able to. And so: retreat. I didn't swim, get a pedicure, listen to the waves crashing (there are no waves in Columbiana, OH) -- I did sprawl out on a bed I didn't have to make and listen to the storms ... that was nice.

Headwork = stress relief = retreat for Rachel. Greatly needed.