I love my farm and my life, but I am really, really ready for a few days off.  We’ll head out Thursday afternoon, be back Sunday morning.

Things are coming together in a way that tells me the universe wants this to happen also.

My head is tired. I write a lot, a friend told me. Really? I answered.

I went to the gym today and my arms and chest and stomach are really tightening up. I’m getting stronger by the day.

Monday I begin the new one-hour regimen that’s supposed to leave me sweating and sore. We’ll see.

Tomorrow, my car is supposed to be ready towards the end of the day. Maria and I will rush out and drop off the rental car.

The $10,000 worth of repairs are supposed to be finished around noon.

I confess to still feeling jumpy when I drive by that ravine or whenever a car I’m in tilts even slightly. I am told it was a serious accident, and I should expect some tremors.

The car was heavily damaged when I swerved to avoid a van turning into my lane and I slid onto an icy, snowy hill, the car slid down the hill and ended up hanging over a ravine filled with icy water.

It took two tow trucks hours to get the car out, and they managed mangled every inch of the exterior.

I couldn’t get out of the car, three big strong first responders appeared, got the door open, and pulled me out as if I were a teddy bear. I thanked them, but they vanished and I don’t know who they are. If by chance any of you are reading this thank you.

I have to say I’m grateful to the pandemic for getting our favorite inn to offer a very irresistible weekend for less than half the usual cost.

After the accident, the trooper said it was the most difficult towing job he had ever seen.

My foot is fine, and I can take off my boot during our brief vacation. In April, I return to the podiatrist to get a scan and have some new orthotics made for my feet.

My heart is strong, I’ve been taking good care of it.

I will also have my first pedicure appointment, something I did not expect to do. I’m taking four books with me to the inn, we hope to do nothing but sleep and read and talk (and eat) for two-and-a-half days.

Tomorrow I’ll pack up my medicines and pick out my clothes. It’s a short trip, but precious to us.  I’m supposed to take it easy on my foot.

I am so lucky to have Maria in my life. We love every minute together, we never tire of each other, even when we fight, it’s kind of fun. It will be revelatory to just have nothing to do for a couple of days. And restful. I’ve had a full year.

I’m taking at least four books: Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in search of a Fulfilled Life; The Things They Carried, By Tim O’Brien; We Begin At This End, by Christ Whitaker; and The Committed, a novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

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P.S. I love this photo of an Amish car clopping past my study while I wrote. It was dusk. These carriages are a fixed point in our lives now, I know they are coming when the dogs bark and scramble to get my camera out and ready.

This one was especially evocative for me, I saw this beautiful horse head just popping into my window frame. A lovely addition to my life.