And we did!

Our annual spa week just keeps getting better. And this year, the fabulous weather only added a great big plus.

It’s such a gift to have real time to hang out with pals, to catch up, relax, laugh, enjoy each other’s company and as much quiet time as you like. How much nicer can it be when you do all that when the sun’s shining and spring’s just blooming everywhere?

We took full advantage.

The car’s stuffed–though Kat took bunches, and Sarah came by and took more. We are loaded, and ready to go right on time.

Laura and I do have a tiny bit of work to do, and get that done shortly after our arrival. A quick video for Pen America to remind people book banning just sucks.

Then? Let the games begin!

We include our special guest Griffin in the mix who challenged many of our ladies to chases and races through the suite all week long. Who needs to work out when you’re getting your cardio running around with a four-year-old?

Jo and I do! Every morning our day starts off with a workout in the suite, and sometime during our sweat session, we hear his cheerful voice as he leads his mom in. The boy wakes up happy and ready for breakfast.

Mom needs coffee!

After that, who knows? It may be time for those chases and races, or for a walk outside. Maybe a treatment, a little shopping or a swim. Read a book, take a nap, have a cookie. The key word? Enjoy. *

Cocktail time. Room service mayhem.

Then? The games really begin.

The scoreboard the Clever Kat made awaits. Some gather around the table for Scrabble, others grab controllers for bowling, then the first round of Just Dance. The Fabulous Prizes also await.

If memory serves, Kat takes the Scrabble game, and Sarah crushes her competitors in Just Dance and bowling. We round off the gaming portion of the day with a silly card game–Old Wive’s Tales.

Hilarity ensues.

We have our single day of rain, but that doesn’t dampen anyone spirits. Workout, hang out, races and chases. **

Nicole brought up her makeup kits–she’s a Seint artist. (I became a convert last year at girl spa.)

Makeovers!

Kat hauled up my bags of purged clothes so it’s time to Shop Nora’s Closet.

It’s entertaining to watch clothes winging around the room.

More games. Some of us can’t stay the entire week, but when we’re all there, we’re nine. So it takes awhile, playing four at a time, to complete a round. So more Scrabble ***, more Dance, and we shoehorn in some Bowling.

Another gorgeous day dawns, and Jo and I get it going. After breakfast, Kat slips out. My day’s clear so she booked a treatment and I’m on Griffin duty.

He caught sight of her making her dash, and tried to catch her. Had a sad at the door of the suite. Not a fit–thankfully–just a sad. I asked if he wanted a hug. He said: Okay. And after sharing a hug and some soothing, all’s well again.

Especially when I suggest a walk down to the toy store.

Nemocolin’s expanding it’s Lodge area, so lots of construction. There’s a long, enclosed (temporary) walkway to the spa and the shops. This includes many steps up, and steps down. So this becomes an adventure.

It’s a good thing Nana keeps in shape, as Griffin deems running’s necessary on some stretches.

He selects a toy in about two seconds. No wavering, no hesitation. It’s some sort of colorful marble run. Build the run out of plastic pieces, put the marbles in the top of whatever run you’ve constructed and watch them go.

It says 8 and up, but I’ve seen him with this kind of deal before. And he’s clutching the box like it’s Christmas morning.

More Adventures On The Walkway.

Back in the suite, I offer to open the toy.

No, Mommy opens, and he sets the box very deliberately in the center of the parlor.

Okay then.

When she comes back, she does, and the toy’s a hit.

Kayla had to miss the first couple of days, but arrives. Now I have my girl and my boy! But she’s got some catching up to do.

But first! It’s Paint Time.

Jo, Laura and I picked the painting we’d do back in March on our visit. **** It’s a big, gorgeous poppy. It’s fun to create, play around with our own visions. I like to get up and walk around the tables a couple times during the session, see those visions.

It’s always amazing how completely different everyone’s vision is. And we’re getting better at this! They’re all so pretty, so individual. I put this session is the Artistic Success column.

It’s pizza night, and yum. And after pizza, it’s time for Kayla to catch up.

Which she does by topping the high school on Just Dance, AND then destroying the high score on Bowling by hitting NINE strikes in a row. Scrabble isn’t her game–or mine (I have no Scrabble strategy) so the first round there is complete.

The Magnificent Butlers send in an amazing gift. A cake fashioned into a gorgeous book, and one of my favorites. Jane Eyre. What a thoughtful and creative thing for them to do!

Plus delicious. A lovely way to celebrate the end of another happy day.

After the morning’s workout, Kayla and I have mani/pedis. I go for bright green–palm trees–on my toes with a bright blue–the sea–on the accent toe. I feel very summery, and relax with Dark Angel, John Sanford’s latest.

We’re down to 7 competitors. Kayla falls in Bowling, but triumphs in Just Dance. We have the four for the next round in Scrabble–Kat, Jo, Laura, Nicole.

Reverse Charades is always good for that ensuing hilarity. It never fails.

It’s hardly a wonder I slept like a rock every night.

Kayla has a massage. I have a facial–and more time for my book while I relax and wait for my appointment.

And the games are coming down to the sticking point. Kat and Jo will face off the next night in Scrabble finals. Kayla is victorious in Just Dance. Jo wins Bowling.

We play Exploding Kittens. This is a not-so-quiet riot. I can’t remember who won, but we had fun.

Kat has a solo paint session and slips out. Griffin does not have a sad this time. I watch him build a run for the marbles. Obviously, he inherited his parents’ mechanical abilities.

Kayla and I take him outside, down in a big garden area for many races, hide and seek and just sunshine.

Laura also has a paint session, and I run into her. Her painting–a crescent moon over blue mountains is gorgeous.

Our final meal together–more cake, lots of champagne. The Scrabble finals.

Jo doesn’t have a chance after Kat manages to play three 7-letter words. In a row. Nobody beats that.

Another round of Exploding Kittens.

It turns out Kat and Kayla tied in the overall, so this year we have co-Spa Queens. Well, done, girls!

One last workout with Jo, and time to pack up.

Somehow, even though we shouldn’t be taking back as much as we brought we us, we’re loaded. Enough Kat takes the bag of leftover prizes and games with her.

More goodbye hugs, and I have a little bit of a sad myself.

But it was a fabulous week, and we’re already booked to do it again next year.

Here’s to girlfriends. They’re the best.

Nora

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The Cranky Publicist take on things:

*For me, enjoy meant learning some new things. On the first day, Nicole and I made pasta which the chef paired with a red sauce. It was delish! (And we didn’t color coordinate, it just happened.)

**I went to the other hotel a couple times for lunch.

*** for some reason, the Scrabble gods feel I should always play Elaine. She was the first to go in our round, but opted to skip her play in favor of drawing seven new tiles. And then she played those seven tiles in her next turn.

****Back in March, when we asked to do that magnificent poppy with the group, Amanda and Sam of the amazing Nemacolin art team, told us that the artist would be in residence in May. Kathy Mazur was an absolute delight to meet and in turn was absolutely delighted to see all our takes on her art. Give her site a look, the art is lovely.

Finally, this was an art week for me. Before the group paint class, I took an en plein air class with Sam. It’s one of my favorite views and I had so much capturing it with paint, instead of the camera.

And I still took photos of whatever caught my eye.