Tuesday, August 23, 2011

My Summer Staycation

During this lovely summer that we have been enjoying, my brain has become dormant and I have gone into seclusion mode. I think some folks call it vacation, but in my case it is called *staycation*. However, if I had a choice of anywhere to go right now, it would be to an English country cottage, cloistered away from the electronic world. My whole life seems to consist of computers, data bases, television, e-mail, Facebook, telephones, faxes ~~ communicate, communicate, communicate... Must . Communicate. All the time...

Do you ever feel the need to get away from the constant barrage of the sound of human voices? Does anyone remember what silence sounds like? Silence is the thing that nourishes our souls, and we don't get enough of it anymore. Imagine an English cottage in the countryside. There is no electronic buzz, just the sound of the birds and the wind, and perhaps the sound of a brook in the distance ~~ the music of nature.

These weeks of late August and early September are my favourite time of the year. Everything slows down and is sort of mellow, the light is golden ~~ a perfect time for a staycation. I have retreated to my little tree house for some peace and quiet. Soon things will be gearing up again, but for now I'm enjoying the sounds of silence.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

11 comments:

the walking man said...

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Pamela Kieffer said...

I don't live in an English cottage but I do live in a place that is silent with only sounds of nature through the week. Weekends we have the human sounds back, lawn mowers, chain saws, motor bikes and such. I love it.
Enjoy this beautiful season coming up.

Anonymous said...

Oh sigh... When you rent that English Cottage, please may I have a room in the back,upstairs? I'll bring lots of Champagne, for sipping. And I'll even sweep the floors. :-)

Oh sigh.... Having just finished reading "A Thatched Cottage" by Beverley Nichols... I really would love to stay in one. :-)))))

PhilipH said...

So right you are Jo. Most of us have to contend with constant noise, distraction and interuption for a large part of our lives.
I am lucky to live in a very old cottage in the borders of Scotland and England. Our small community of 11 cottages is surrounded by farm fields and is peaceful and clean. I could NEVER return to the madding crowd of town or city, having 'served my time' before retiring here. I have only just begun to live; before moving here I was merely existing.

DJan said...

The sounds of summer! A lawn mower in the distance, a chain saw somewhere nearby, a barking dog. It never seems to stop during the summer, does it?

This is my favorite time of the year, too. It's pretty darn wonderful in our part of the world.

Leslie: said...

Oh yes! An English country cottage! I'm coming with ya!

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Beam me up,Scotty. It sounds ideal.

Jo said...

Wow. Rarely do I feel this way, but I agree with every single word of this post.

Could I join you if I promise to be very, very quiet?

Linda Myers said...

I love this time of year. The Pacific Northwest's weather is almost always good, the days long, the birds busy.

My husband left for a four-day retreat. It's quiet in my house and the place feels different. Hopefully I'll sink into the difference rather than resisting it.

Unknown said...

Oh, me too, I'd love to be in an English cottage right now. I love the English countryside, it is sooo beautiful.

Paula Slade said...

A lovely English cottage sounds really nice and so does unplugging from all things that "correspond" to the outside world. I may have my wish granted as Hurricane Irene bears down on my neck of the woods. :)