The ranch is ready for summer buyers and we were beyond exhausted after the renovations and shredding (mowing grass on a farm-scale with a 30′ wide blade behind a tractor). 

Pissed-off Suze had come to roost.

Where was this coming from?

Ten year old and 16 year old Suze had been restimulated by all that refurbishing and cleaning. This past week, I had a pool day and let my inner kids cry and promise not to make Suze work that hard again. I come from Swedish immigrants, among others, who likely worked as house cleaners for the rich. I can imagine great grandma Emma scrubbing floors, then having my grandma start doing this at a young age, then having my mum clean those wooden stairs at the Maple Apartments in Golden, CO at age 7 and so on. At 16, I lived with my mum on a shoestring, refurbishing garage sale furniture and living in a freezing apartment near Canada-we were so so poor. I was conflicted because of the self-imposed deadline to get summer buyers in to see the ranch. The day after we finished, we had a showing as it turned out.

Hard hard work does pay off but at what cost?

To recuperate, we decided on a mini-getaway in town at a local hotel. 

Sure, we could have saved the $ and done a cheap version at home, so what is it about changing scenery?

Called “eco therapy” when one surrounds the body with Nature, the body’s physiology actually changes. We feel more connected.

What about a nice hotel with on-arrival champagne, pool, room service, and massage? It’s the antithesis of the ranch, which is NATURE IN DROVES and it’s not daily life of work and endless errands, appointments, and laundry.

“Zaza therapy” is relaxed, romantic time away from the AC-challenged tractor, endless chores, and 2 houses of dishes, cleaning, and laundry. Someone else is taking care of the outdoors and indoors for us.

Bacon arrives like magic.

We can read and write while lounging about.

We can play in the pool and nap whenever we want.

My watch is…somewhere…

The pressure to “do something” is off.

If we were mired in debt, our work around might be notes with the words “No!” on the washer and dishwasher. We would use paper plates, cups, etc. 

In fact, that gives me an idea…what if I packed away ALL the washable dishes at the ranch and we used paper plates and bowls and cups from here on in? 
Less to wash. Ah.

A solution while relaxing, resting and writing.

Going forward, we realised that it will be best to hire everything out at the Sedona house when we do updates. 

First on the list is to paint the current orange interior “Agreeable Gray” and I’m envisioning a team of others to do it so that my inner kids can finally rest.