July 15, 2012—the vacation

(Disclaimer: I actually wrote this last week, but due to my lack of technological expertise, I was unable to send it. Please forgive it’s late arrival.)

I am sitting on the porch of my second favorite place in the world, enjoying my second to the last sunrise (which I enjoyed mostly from the comfort of bed, but then reminded myself that there would only be one more, so up I hopped). My brother-in-law is the only other one stirring—wait, there is the squeaky door . . . my son appears with a bowl of cereal in his hand.

All week we have been enjoying what I call the excessive relaxation of vacation. Yes, it is relaxing to be away from the shop and the house, but sometimes it is a little excessive. The food and drink is definitely excessive—I am sure everyone is regretting my choice of a bikini for our time together. We are excessive in our attempts to squeeze-in so much togetherness (there are those among us who need their alone time, if you know what I’m saying). But all-in-all, I’d say it has been another banner vacation for the family.

With the last night of our time together drawing nigh, I am forced to acknowledge the limitations of our vacation. My sister, Nikki, is recovering from a recent surgery (-ies, actually) and, naturally, my father’s presence is sorely missed. Nik is doing her best to keep-up with us, inevitably overdoing it at times, but I think we’ve all done a good job of keeping her in check. Dad’s presence is all around us: the music he loved and his quotable quotes—usually declared by one of the grandchildren—are most frequent reminders and conjure happy memories. I do miss being able to turn to him as ask him: about the history of the river; to identify a fish, bird or plant; how to fix the broken box spring on one of the beds. As promised by all of my friends, however, time is taking away the hurt and helping smiles overtake the tears.

One thing Dad loved about coming to this new cabin is seeing the new, quirky decorations Robyn and Craig have chosen for their home-away-from-home. They have procured some of the most unique items to adorn their home on the “rivah,” and there is always something new. This year, they added papier mâchê figures, most about 3 – 4 feet in height, to the rafters of the main room. They are all representative of their love for country music and the blues. They told us they were able to purchase them from a restaurant that was redecorating.

Each time we visit, my sisters and I talk about what we would do if we were able to have a cabin to our own. It is one of our favorite things to do—plan fantasy homes and decorate them. We consider our favorite plan to be a compound of sorts with a central living and kitchen area and separate wings for each of the families. (I did mention this is a fantasy conception, right?)

Anyhoo, I think the décor in your home-away-from-home should be casual, but you still need to consider practicality and comfort. A large, well-planned kitchen is essential, as we must all be able to be in there at the same time. A large, screened porch with plenty of seating is wonderful. Beds are nice, too—at least one for each of us.

As for the décor, I think my place would look much the same as my house. Old, worn furniture—no pressure to be careful with finished surfaces. Everything would be washable. Hardwood floors are a must. I am sure I’d have the water themed toss pillows and painted signs such as, “What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin,” but I am thinking I’d have to issue a moratorium on additions to the décor without my prior approval. So, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, when you are invited to my fantasy cabin, please bring gifts of consumables—nothing I will feel obliged to display, please.

Paige Thomas King is owner of Hodgepodge, Where You Gather Your Home, at 125 Franklin St. Email her at paige@hodgepodge-home.com or visit her blog at www.hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com.

Jul 1, 2012—Vacation Packing

How do you pack for vacation? I think I pack very differently when I am packing for vacation, as compared to when I am packing for a business trip. I wonder if this is a widespread phenomenon or my unique, ill-prepared approach.

The cool thing about my job is that I give the appearance of having it “together” by virtue of the fact that I can arrange a mantel or create a coherent display in a window. All you have to do is peek over my front desk or behind the curtain into my backroom to know it is an illusion (not a very good illusion, at that). If messy desk is evidence of a creative mind—as those of us with messy desks are desperate to believe—then I am approaching the Einstein-esque genius! But we were packing . . . (Attention Deficit Disorder is something else altogether).

When I’m taking a business trip, I make a list—choosing outfits for each day, adjusting for maximum use of one or two pairs of shoes. I usually have it all ironed and ready to pack in the car or suitcase at least one day in advance. I think it’s more difficult to pack for vacation. I always have so much I want to “pack-in” during my time away (every bit of that pun was intended), I feel the pressure to make sure I have everything I could possibly need with me. Business trips are straight forward. Also, there’s less guilt in going away for business. Vacation time is just so dang self-indulgent!

As I compose this column, we are at t-minus 12 hours and I’ve only put a bathing suit in my suitcase! I will be here at work another 7 hours. There is laundry to do, last minute runs to the grocery store for en route supplies, and a refrigerator to clean! You do the math. No don’t . . . I’m stressed enough already.

What I always marvel at as we prepare for vacation trips is how the family divides-up the necessary chores. Now that the kids are of that somewhat useful age, I think I lull myself into a false sense of security that they’re taking care of the things I once did. They do their own packing, including the preparatory laundry. They no longer require entertainment devices the size of large coolers. Now, they’re happy with an IPod and a few books. They even pack their own snacks for the road.

We do have to remind them to grab the sunscreen, beach towels and other items for the “greater good,” but they do tend to their own needs pretty well. Our youngest is a planner. She has been packing in her mind for the past month. She will also be especially helpful in selecting approved outfits for her older brother; he, in exchange for her efforts, will promptly commence to mismatching or completely disregarding. Our eldest is responsible for making sure we have enough tie dying supplies to create unique apparel for each of our party of 15—one of our few pre-planned, organized activities. Oh, and in case you are wondering, it is my husband’s job to clean the car prior to the trip; the kids and I look at it as clean palette on which to create.

The truth is bathing suits will be the attire for the majority of the time. I really don’t plan to pack much more than that. I’ll be wearing my travel outfit, which should suffice for the required runs to the grocery store while there. So, I guess I’m really packed already—I just need to grab a few magazines, a book, my camera, my laptop . . .