It has been incredibly busy in my small part of the world.  A relatively new job that demands more than usual brain power as I adapt to the change, a list of projects that reach out past my arm and a of course the beautiful, sunny weather that demands that I make the most of it. I don’t mind work. In fact, if left to my own devices, I won’t stop.

Franklin said something to the affect never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.

That’s a word of advise that I and my husband have apparently taken a little too seriously.

That is when consciously taking a break comes in. My husband and I know that if we stay at home, we won’t be able to resist the sirens call from all the projects unfinished or unstarted lurking around our house. That’s just our nature. I like to think this personality trait means I’ll make a good farmer. We’ll see. But for now, our only hope is to force ourselves to step back and just relax.

That is what we did Saturday. Instead of the usual 6 am wake up call and rush to get to work. We slept in till 7, made a simple breakfast, fed the chickens, watered the garden and headed to the beach on Vashon Island. Going to Vashon means taking a ferry boat, which is just the barrier we need to keep ourselves from heading home earlier and getting to work.

To top it off, the day was divine. The weather was perfect – not too hot and not too cold. And our favorite beach was sparse with other humans – just the way we like it. We relaxed, made some excellent fresh pressed apple-ginger drinks and played frisbee when we got that urge to do something.

On Sunday, I had momentarily feelings of regret I wasted a good day to get work done. But the thoughts passed quickly. I just recognized the fleeting remorse and then reminded myself that it was a day well spent recharging and reviving my tired brain.

So for all those that find their nose has been to the grindstone too long. Recognize you need a break and take one without regret or shame. It may not produce the same tangible accomplishments as gardening or finishing a home project does, but it still is worth its weight in gold for what it does to the mind and body.