George was having a much needed vacation, and the more time he spent home from work, the better he felt in general. It also helped that he put his cell phone away, and when it buzzed or beeped or occasionally rang, he didn’t even know it! He received three voice mails:
- A voice mail from the bank’s Human Resources department asking if he wanted to be part of a training video
- A voice mail from his boss asking if he had a few minutes while on vacation to throw together a quick report
- A voice mail from Amelia saying she loved him for when he got back to the office again
George didn’t get any of these voice mails while he was on vacation. Instead, he gardened. The pea plant sprouted some blossoms, and he was delighted to be working the dirt and watch the plants grow.
He also watched a lot of Family Feud and decided that if he was ever on the show, he would flatly refuse to answer half the questions asked, and while he would probably lose at Family Feud, he would win at marriage.
If you are a fan of Family Feud, you will understand what George meant. If you ever take a week of vacation, George recommends a regimen of Family Feud so you will understand his position on this.
I am happy to report that the bank got along without him just fine for a few days.
When Amelia was a young frog, she took piano lessons. She didn’t take piano lessons very long, but she could play a few pieces, and when she felt like her brain needed a little break, she’d sit in front of her grandmother’s old upright piano and play a little song.
Unfortunately, Amelia was not a very good singer. She did her best, but her voice would not do what her heart did, and that is a problem that many people have.
Some people’s words don’t come out of their mouths the way they echo in their hearts. Some people’s sketches don’t come out on paper the way they see them in their heads. There is a fair amount lost in translation, but Amelia understood this, and so she played her piano and sang anyway.
“I’m not very good at it,” Amelia told George.
“Hogwash!” said George. “One day, when our pollywog grows up, she’ll remember her mother’s singing as the most beautiful in the world. Do you know how I know that?”
“How?” Amelia asked. Secretly, she was afraid that their pollywog would be a realist.
“Because my mother’s croaking is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard,” he replied. “And she says she’s not very good, either.”
George’s mother was many wonderful things, but she was not a singer, and that made Amelia feel better.
On the last day of vacation, George and Amelia pottered around in the garden. Amelia was delighted to find a very small pea pod that was just starting to grow.
“George!” Amelia called.
George rushed over and she held it up for him to admire.
“It’s a good start!” George declared. “A very good start. This garden is going to do well this year, I can feel it!”
“This was a very productive vacation,” Amelia said. “To have gone from a bloom to a pod… That’s success on our part. What a great week.”
That is what productivity looks like on a vacation or on a weekend. It’s when you watch the bees pollinate flowers, or you stand with a hose and water the garden in your slippers and bathrobe. It’s when you drink large mugs of coffee with too much cream (oops!) and contemplate the big questions of life like:
- What should we have for lunch today?
- What streaming service has all the old episodes of I Love Lucy?
- I wonder if the nursery has any nice green pepper plants yet?
You should try it! Amelia and George highly recommend it.
I hope you are enjoying our Knitted Newlyweds. If you love stories about family, falling in love, and all the drama that comes with it, I hope you’ll check out my books.
And if you’d like to keep up with all my newest releases, sign up for my monthly newsletter. There are giveaways, book news, and a peek into my personal world.
Happy reading!
❤
Patricia Johns 
Your comments make me feel warm and fuzzy. Seriously!