Debbie had to go to a conference for her job this past week. It was at Lake Barkley State Resort Park. We decided to turn it into a get away from it all mini-vacation. So I took several days off from work and tagged along.

It was a pretty low key conference, with plenty of down time.

This gave us a chance to enjoy the park and just spend some time alone together.

The weather was nice. Just slightly crisp air. Great for hiking in the woods.

Our lodge room had a balcony looking out on the lake. Pelicans performed for us on the water and squirrels played in the tree beside the balcony.

On our second day Debbie had the afternoon off. We went for a hike on the trails around the lake. There is something about being out in the woods that’s healing. The leaves crunching under foot, the woodsy smell, the sun and the trees have a spiritual feel.

Just getting away from the day-to-day routine was comforting. It’s so hard just to function on a daily basis. Seems like we’re always walking on the edge. Any little thing can push us over.

The state resort parks have great dining rooms. So we didn’t even have to think about what to do for food. We had time to just rest and recharge.

The overwhelming weight of grief lifted just a little.

On the way back home we stopped at the famous Patti’s 1880’s Settlement for lunch. Famous for their bread baked and served in flower pots and 2 inch pork chops; the service and food were great. For desert we had Bill’s Boatsinker Pie. Chocolate in the extreme.

And we all know about the healing powers of chocolate.