Two Saturdays, two very different climates. Last week, I was drinking sweet Dominican coffee and sweating over the keyboard. This Saturday, I am cool as a cucumber. A Canadian cucumber. If they grew cukes in Canada. Which they probably do, but not in PEI, based on roadside sides they only grow potatoes here.

We have returned to Prince Edward Island for another year. “You’re going there again?” Yes. It’s hard to explain our love for this remote little slip of land but we are not denying it, just embracing it.

The underrated beauty of going back to a place again and again is that you’ve done it all. The only thing left to do is nothing. Idle away a day without the guilt and let your mind wander.

GK Chesterton said there were three types of leisure: “The first is being allowed to do something. The second is being allowed to do anything. And the third (and perhaps most rare and precious) is being allowed to do nothing.”

The kitchen reno is well underway and we are escaping the dust and chaos for a week’s vacation. There was just too much temptation for Michelle. Power tools everywhere.

With the end of August approaching, the girls wrapped up their last set of summer music lessons. I didn’t have to tell them to practice every day, but more often than not their was some Dad nagging. This parental prodding often led to huffs, puffs, eye rolls, or worse.

This self-flagellation for discipline, even to do good things, is tough. Sometimes it’s necessary, of course, but it’s difficult to maintain for any length of time. What does work? For me, it’s curiosity. It’s remembering the things you’re trying to force yourself to do are often things you find fun or satisfying. At least you did at one time. Once I managed to change my outlook on my daily tasks, whether they are writing, exercise, design, or baking, as things I’m curious about then they often become a lot less onerous.

Oddly, once i started doing this, my days often looked much the same as they did before but they now feel a lot different.

Yes, sometimes things still need to just get done. I don’t find paying bills or vacuuming all that curious, but instead of bullying yourself to get things done, try being disciplined about things that bring you joy. You’ll feel a lot better.

I only learned this recently but hope the girls can learn it a lot sooner.

Now and blog about 12 hours in a car…..