I just returned from a trip to the Northern Indiana area where my husband's family have a cottage on one of the numerous lakes in the region. In the late 1930s, his grandparents purchased a lot for $700.00 (and at the time, they just didn't know if they could afford it). It was quite rustic at that time, but over the years, the area has been developed into a beautiful resort-like atmosphere with a golf course nearby. When we walk out the front door (the front doors there face the lake, and the back doors face the road), we walk about 30 feet to the water's edge. There is a screen house perched higher than the cottage and overlooking the lake...we have spent untold hours sitting up there doing much of nothing, totally relieved of life's chaos. It's a wonderful respite and we love going there.

The estate requires some upkeep and so our routine is to visit there in the Fall to close up the place for the winter...take out the pier, put the boat in storage, drain the pipes and fill them with anitfreeze, and numerous other chores. We have the year-round neighbors keep an eye out for us and then return in the spring to undo all the closure events. During the summer, we try to make it back to just relax and enjoy the place.

There are some natives to the area...the Amish, that live very simply. Whenever we drive into town, we will inevitably see them in their horse and buggys, clip-clopping to their destinations. When we drive by the rural farms, there they are, out cultivating the soil (with harness and horse), hanging clean clothes on the line, playing with the children...the boys have their buttonless duds, bowl haircuts, and suspenders and the girls are wearing their plain dresses and bonnets...there are smiles, laughter, and happiness. On Tuesdays, the women bake bread, pies, cakes and cookies to sell at the local fair.

Strangely enough, I sometimes long for their simple life, they seem to have the right priorities: they are family-oriented, are faith-based, work hard for their living, and are kind and thoughtful. Seems like a fairy-tale. Ahhhhh...the Simple Life...

Then I snap out of it, and know that for me, I do thrive on chaos, love the challenges of healthcare leadership and know that I'm doing good things too and making a difference. I hate to cook, don't sew, and even though I love hats, bonnets are not for me. Oh well, I will regularly look forward to our Indiana trips, enjoy the more simple things when I'm there, and then recharge for my hair-on-fire life back home!