A Weekend To Recharge

Often times whenever you get back from a big vacation you end up more tired that before you went.  Well, either that was the case or a combination of catching up the entire week after we came home.  Anyway you look at it, we were pretty worn out by the end of the week.  And that's exactly why I had decided early on that we would head to our lake house for the weekend.

We actually didn't even tell anyone we were going to the lake until we headed there and our phones started ringing.  "Where are you?"  "What are y'all doing this weekend?"  Now, we love to spend time with OUR BIG FAT SOUTHERN FAMILY, however, now and then we just need a little down time by ourselves.

Whenever we officially opened the house up on the Fourth of July, I told Hubby that we needed to make an effort to spend at least one weekend there a month.  Natchitoches is a wonderful place to just  be.  Everything slows down at the river and life becomes calm and restful.  I'm happy  just doing nothing while there or wandering around the quaint historic little town or even touring the plantation homes.  It's like stepping back in time.  And there, I can relax.

                                      Here's the view from my glass-lined living room wall.

We decided not to restock the kitchen on this visit because that would mean a trip to the grocery store (ugh...) and really...how relaxing would that be?  We thought that just eating our meals downtown would be more fun.

We ate at a cute little sushi restaurant on Friday evening and then on Saturday morning we found the Breakfast Nook that served all sorts of breakfast foods and hot coffee.  Now that was starting the day off right for sure.  Next, Hubby picked up a local tourist paper and informed me that we were going to do The Historic District Walking Tour.  It was still early (too early for the shops to be open) so there were a few things we couldn't get in to; like The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum.  This museum is fairly new in town and I would love to visit it.  I put that on my To do list.  We walked past Kaffie Frederick Store that we have visited numerous times.  It is the oldest store in Louisiana and such a cool place to shop.  We walked from place to place and then we came to something on the list that we were not familiar with; The Spiral Staircase.  We followed the map and looked and looked until finally  I said, "Hey, why don't I go in the visitor's center and ask them?"

The little old lady in the visitor's center was more that happy to help me with directions  and while I was in there I also asked her for a list of all the upcoming festivals and the schedule for the homes on the walking Christmas Tour.  It seems that The Spiral Staircase could only be reached by going through a shop called Plantation Treasures.  There is a door that goes out the back of the shop that leads to it.

 We had to track the staircase down whenever we came back to town later that day, but I was determined to see it.  I never knew about this staircase that was built in 1853 in Bordeaux, France and shipped to Natchitoches via the Red River (Cane River Lake) in 1856.

We walked a little more and I snapped a few other photos of the architectural features I like best; wrought iron and bricks...

I simply love these little alleyways and can just imagine years past the conversations that were had in these secretive places.

The gates were locked to Beau Jardin but the next time I visit they will hopefully be open.  This is a beautiful little area down on the banks of the Cane River where weddings and receptions are held.

By 9 O'clock it was already 90 degrees outside so we went home to watch a little of the Olympics.  Later that afternoon we went to the local movie theater (which we had never been to all these years) to see the new Jason Bourne movie.  It was really good and a great way to beat the heat.  After the movie we drove back downtown for a late lunch or early dinner (whatever you want to call it) at Mama's.

It was nice to go back to our house afterwards and just watch T.V.  The day had been very uneventful and relaxing.  We turned in and awoke early the next morning to drive back in for church services.  That's the great thing about having a lake house only 45 minutes away.  It's far enough away to spend some quiet time, yet close enough to get back home quickly.  On the way in Hubby told me to text the kids and ask them to come for Sunday lunch (we always do Sunday lunch together).  Everyone came this week except Justin and his family.  Parker Ann had her tonsils and adenoids out Thursday and although she had done beautifully and much better than I ever imagined, she was not feeling well enough to be up for very long.

By the time everyone left it had begun to rain.  And rain here in the south in the middle of the summer is a much coveted thing...

                                                  Wonderful, beautiful, glorious rain...

I feel a bit more recharged as I start this new week.  Ready to get up and go again.  To tackle whatever is thrown at me.  We all need to recharge once in a while.  It's not weakness to take a break from the world.  It is actually very good for your health; physical, mental and spiritual.  Learn "The Art of Doing Nothing"...I'm sure it will quite agree with you.