Everytime I turn around, something needs to be charged - my ipad, my iphone, my laptop, my wireless speaker.  After this past week, I realize people need recharging as well.

For the past several years, I've fantasized about getting away for a week (or two) to a cabin in the woods and some solitude - just the obligation to keep a kettle on, and get in a daily walk with the dog and the camera.  The rest of my time in my sloppy clothes, a paintbrush in my hand with time to write, to paint, to breath deep and regroup.  This week my fantasy became reality.  

I've been thankful to be back under the sky of my home state in Nebraska, where I've spent time with friends and family and enough snuggling with the grandsons to carry their head colds back to Iowa with me.  The rest of the week I've wallowed in solitude, spending time completing some paintings, tying up loose ends in paperwork, and at the end of the day, carry a glass of wine outside to gaze at the changing sky as the sun paints color in the sky and falls behind the prairie.  

Solitude is what charges my battery, makes me ready to face what's out there and get excited about taking on new challenges.  Some get charged while on a stage, in front of a camera, at parties.  For me, it's in front of a canvas with a paintbrush and time to play with it or a quiet walk in the woods.  We all have different ways to recharge, but do we realize how important it is to take the time to do it?    My prayer is that you find your charging station, and know in doing so, it helps you live your best life.