Creative Minds Don't Think Alike

Last weekend I had the lovely opportunity to attend Purple Workbench's Winter Retreat in Orangeville and it was most definitely a treat.  This was Kelly's second time organizing such an event and I've already told her I'll be signing up for more.  After a challenging transition back into the workforce I welcomed with open arms the chance to spend a weekend with other creative young women who are also struggling to balance the demands of motherhood, a career, and a burning desire to express the beautiful, artistic, and whimsical ideas dancing in our heads.  

I took last Friday off to head up with Kelly and visit various markets to pick up food for the weekend.  We started by visiting Reid's Potato Farm which is an adorable little self-serve market with no one in sight.  Kelly writes all about it here so I won't go further into describing it.  

After two more stops for groceries we headed to the house and it was such a wonderful place to spend a weekend.

Walking down to the Nottawasaga River behind the property

We unpacked the car and then after a few minutes of oohing and ahhing about the house I went almost straight to work planning out an ambitious project that had been near the top of my sewing list for the last six months.  It wasn't long before we were joined by the other fabulous women, Meghan and Magda, each with their own boxes and bags of creative tools in tow.  

Everyone had something different in mind.  Over the course of the weekend Kelly would make a cute stretchy top for herself and a smart tie for her husband;  Meghan would carve out a beautiful nature scene and roll out prints for us admirers; Magda would sew a gorgeous baby quilt with a vintage quality to it; and I would design an impressive wool cape (I'll leave the details for my next post).  It was refreshing to be surrounded by such creativity, not to mention encouragement and just plain excitement to see each other finish our projects. 

Meghan takes out her carving tools

Here I am basting on a collar

The beginnings of Magda's new baby quilt

This paint will come off the glass table easily, right?

And somehow Kelly also managed to find the time to feed us like queens, starting with delicious chicken pot pies for dinner the first night.  It was a weekend of excellent food, charming company, joyful creation, and oh yes...(did I forget?)...loud singing to showtunes and finally a celebration of the men's hockey Olympic gold medal victory.

I would have taken more photos of the progress everyone was making but I was too busy enjoying all of it to remember!  Here are a few snapshots I did manage to take though.

Chicken and pancetta for the chicken pot pie

Vegetable pot pie filling

Pear, apple, raisin, and goat cheese salad

Kelly, Magda, and Meghan

Thistle prints by Meghan

Spreading out for inspection

You can't go wrong with waffles!

Guacamole, prosciutto, and red lentil soup

Dippers for Saturday night's cheese fondue dinner

Taking some time away from the cape to enjoy the wonderful outdoors

Happy Family Day!

Thank you Dalton McGuinty for adding a holiday to break up the miserably cold winter.  I grimace at the cold.  I slump my shoulders at the dark skies.  I sigh loudly at bundling Adam up just for a 5-min outing.  I don't quite know how much of my contempt over the last few weeks is aimed at Winter and how much is aimed at being back at work.  It's a blurry line.

My last post was on Adam's one-year birthday...and that was six whole weeks ago.  Since then I've been consumed with unpredictable and disappointing nanny issues (which we've finally sorted out), feeling disoriented or overwhelmed (or both) back at the office, and bitter about every day being go-go-go with no time to sit, breathe, enjoy.

I knew going back to work would be a tough transition but I didn't think it would be quite like this.  I certainly hadn't expected to be working overtime from home on weekends and evenings this early into my return from mat leave.  Bad timing.  Bad timing for schedules at work, bad timing for weather, and bad timing with Mike in San Francisco all of last week for a conference.  

Well Adam and I have survived. And the long weekend is my saviour.  Adam took his first steps without help only last Sunday (just half an hour before Mike left for the airport) and this weekend we took him to Ikea just to walk around and have some fun.  He loved it.  I loved it.  We also had my family over for dinner last night and I even caught a glimpse of the Sochi Olympics.  Four years ago I was glued to the screen when they were held in Vancouver but this year I've only heard updates on CBC radio on my marathon drives to and from work in the cold.

Starting tomorrow I am not going to do work overtime. I am not going to put Adam to bed at night and then stare at a computer screen until midnight or 1am.  I am going to create balance, and I am going to spend some time on myself. 

This coming weekend I am joining Kelly at her Winter Weekend retreat and we're going to eat delicious foods, create beautiful things, and enjoy the company of women.  And I'm going to ask her if she could maybe share some secrets for how to hold it all together.  It will be my first nights away from Adam but I think he'll understand.