Last minute madness before the trip to France

I spent the morning packing, which means I am currently in full-bloom panic. I have about 40 pounds of art supplies; doesn’t leave much room for nice clothes. Oh, well!

Can hardly believe that the 10-day painting trip to France is about to begin. Monet’s garden is calling to me…

Going into pre-departure mom mode has me especially frantic. I just made lunch for my daughter. It’s not the most logical way to spend the last hour before I leave. But what could I do? Last night she said, “While you’re gone, we’re probably gonna starve.” As a mom, part of me wanted to hear that.  :)

And of course, in this last hour before leaving the house, I also needed to test run this blog setup one more time. Texting this blog post on my iPhone is hilarious, I love it. Unfortunately, the photos just won’t post right.

But this is why we will always need skilled human labor. The ever-wonderful daughter has agreed to help monitor the blog from home. She will post the photos, monitor comments, etc. Of course, she deserved one last lunch from me!

How nice that she’s taking care of me too. A little role reversal is always refreshing. I will miss taking care of everyone (sort of). But I can’t wait to be free!!! As a mom, it’s not often that I get to run away from home.

When I said that both blog and I were getting a makeover, part of this new look is the Betty who can make more time for herself.

So here we go, into the shower and then off to the airport. The shabby old red suitcase is just under 50 pounds. The carry-on contains a few books (no Kindle; I like paper and don’t care if the extra weight is stupid).

See you tomorrow. Have a great day. And remember to make time for yourself. You are worth it.