A Post with no Pictures...Because I was Locked in a Barn

What a weekend! Have you ever been locked in a barn? I have. Sort of.
But there was a silver lining...I was in THE Art Barn, (not a smelly barn full of cows), and I had at my disposal all of my supplies to create and play, a comfy chair, and books and magazines to read for inspiration and entertainment.
I did OK.

It all began when my seester was here visiting and practicing the art of living the creative life. Last week was all about getting to spend time together and do what we both love to do, what our whole family has always loved to do...be creative. One afternoon however, duty called and I had to go off to volunteer for Friends of the Library, like I do every week. Holly went to visit her sister-in-law, and when she arrived back at the Art Barn before me, she let herself in with the key hidden in the secret fairy spot in the tree. (I feel confident telling you this...don't misuse this information). We arrived home just minutes after her, and off we went on a visit to see the grand babies, leaving the key on my kitchen table. Do you see where this is going? Uh-huh.


Holly went home Thursday evening, the boys left Saturday for a weekend with friends at the lake, Mr Wonderful went to work on Sunday and I had the day to myself. Oh, the plans I had! Visits and fun that involved doing some Art, then going places with people. I was in my work clothes, covered in paint and looking pretty ...uh...productive. I walked out my back door, hands full of supplies, headed to the Barn. I pulled the door closed behind me with my toe. As it swung shut I had that moment of illumination, that maybe this wasn't a wise thing to do, because, you know, was the door locked?
But I shrugged off the feeling, after all I always had the key in the tree, right? *ahem*

A while later I needed something in the house and as I turned the doorknob my suspicion was confirmed. It was locked. With foolish confidence I skipped out to the secret spot, which will always and forever remain a secret, (except to all of us here on the internets...but I trust you) and Lo! With great surprise and indignation realized...the key! The key is not here! The key is in fact sitting on the kitchen table where we left it!
And no one is around, and I have no car keys and no phone and no food (!!!) and it is approximately twelve noon and the Mr will not be home for another seven and a half hours.

I did what any calm, rational person would do. I jumped up and down cursing and performing a maneuver I like to call "The Modified Stationary Panic" after the brilliant and hilarious writing of my late Dad's favorite author, Patrick McManus. But I wasn't feeling brilliant and it was anything but hilarious. At that point. But I digress.

I spent an afternoon wishing I had given a set of keys to a neighbour. Not the pot smoking, wild party neighbours, but the kind family next door. Except it wouldn't have helped, it was the long weekend and everyone in my neighbourhood was gone. Except for the pot smokers. And truth be told, they were looking pretty appealing.
But not as appealing as the realization that I could get a LOT of Art done in 7 1/2 hours with no distractions. (Like food).
It was like I was all alone in the world just like Will Smith in that Zombie movie that my kids say isn't really a zombie movie. They also say it didn't even really scare them except as soon as they finished watching it with their Uncle, they all had to immediately watch Mr Bean's Holiday through twice just to get those images out of their heads so they could finally go to sleep, still with all the lights on.
Ya.
I haven't even seen that movie, but it was just like that. Except without the crazed zombie people trying to eat me, and without a dog for companionship.
Man, I wish I could be friends with the wild-party-pot-smoking neighbours.
Except I don't think it's just pot.
They're way too not mellow enough.

So...when was the last time you had no contact with the outside world for 7 1/2 hours? No one with you, no land line, no cell phone, no internet, no vehicle, no TV, no CLOCK for heavens sake!? And no camera!!!!

Which explains the lack of photos. Blah.

I did OK.
I finished a lot of projects.
I started a lot of projects.
I read about projects I thought I might like to do and then I did them.

That was cool. It was sensory deprivation in a totally inspiring space, if that makes any sense. So, though I could go take pics of the space, and the projects I did, and the spot I curled up in to read, and the books I bound, I think I'll leave it like this. And if you actually read this whole, long, boring post I believe you deserve a cookie or something. (Which I had to do without that whole afternoon!)

It made me think...how many of us have a place we can go where it is even possible to be without technology, and people, and the distractions of the outside world? I think I'll try it again soon. It cleared my mind a little. And that's always a good thing.