Category: Post Retirement

2023 was a pretty good year for me- I picked up two new and fun exercise hobbies- pickleball and rucking. (Rucking is walking with a loaded backpack- I did 500 miles of it on the Camino Santiago) Even after the holiday food orgy, I ended up weighing less than I did this time last year, and healthier I think. The Camino de Santiago was a bucket list item for me, and I got so much more out of it than I expected. So what is in the plan for this year?

Some years I don’t do New Years resolutions, but this year I am. They are mostly a continuation of what I did last year, with a few upgrades. I have been on a healthy aging binge, and I’ve read two books so far (Outlive, by Peter Attia, and Lifespan, by David Sinclair). Ageless by Andrew Steele is up next. I’ll stop after that one. Probably. Its not that I want to live forever, I just want to reduce health problems so I can enjoy my later years. I won’t use all of the information in the books, and of course, they agree on some things, but not everything. I am a little extreme about some things, but delighted to report that I’m not nearly as extreme as some of the authors. I will be exercising more. I will NOT be taking VO2 max tests on a regular basis to chart my progress.

So what are my goals for this year? I want to exercise more- 6 days a week is my goal. My minimum is 5 days per week. A bunch of steps on my watch doesn’t count. But I’m pretty liberal about what does count- a brisk walk counts (like my volunteer job) and so does cleaning the house and strenuous yard work. Pickleball for at least an hour counts too. I want to do something really strenuous at least once a week, and strength training 2-3x per week. Its my retirement job to stay active. Aging well requires muscle. There are so many studies about optimal levels and kinds of exercise, and they contradict each other. Generally it seems that more exercise is better, so that is the goal. I’m also going to look into exercises that improve balance. I think most exercises do this to some extent, but I’m sure some exercises are better than others. Until I read the books on aging, I wasn’t aware how catastrophic a late in life fall could be.

To accomplish my fitness goal, I purchased a set of workout cards and a book on home workouts. I loathe going to the gym, and I’m happy to work out with weights in my house. I have several pairs of dumbbells and I’m thinking of getting some resistance bands. Often the hardest part of working out (for me) is figuring out WHAT to do. Hopefully the cards and book will help with that. I know there are a lot of helpful apps for your phone, but I think its harder to ignore the book on my chair than an app on my phone, especially if I can check a workout off. I love checking things off of a list. I’m going to track my activities too. Or try to. I’m really bad at that.

I have new health insurance this year and a lot more preventative tests are covered. I will have some of those done to see if I need to make any other changes in my diet or lifestyle. I always get an annual mammogram, but heart attacks cause 3 times more deaths than breast cancer in American women, and I have never had a test to see how my heart looks. I think the shingles vaccine will also be covered under my new insurance, so I’ll be getting one of those too.

I’m going to be eating more protein and less sugar and bread, and spending more time with family and friends. I plan on doing more outside activities, and less time on my phone. I have been learning new creative hobbies, and I want to continue that this year. I’m awful at meditation, but have discovered a few things that seem to have a similar effect- I will continue my efforts at meditation, but also knitting, etc.

Finances. I have’t been able to make myself track my finances the last couple of years but I suspect I will this year. My income from my former job ends in only two months. We have more than enough money, but this year I’ll have to start drawing from my securities accounts to fund our spending. I had a really detailed plan for how exactly I was going to do all this 4 years ago, but a lot has changed since then and it probably need to be re-figured. So track spending and re-figure withdrawal strategy are my financial goals for this year.

I did pretty well with travel and adventures last year. I plan on more of the same. I need another physical adventure goal, though. Training for the Camino de Santiago really kept me disciplined with my daily exercise. I need another fitness/trip goal. So far I have thought of another route of the Camino or a trek through Ireland or somewhere else in the UK. I would love to get my husband to do this with me too. He isn’t as focused on exercise and health as I am, but he loves Ireland, so maybe that would induce him to come along. I am open to suggestions if anyone has them. My only requirement is that I don’t really want to carry camping stuff or all food and supplies. So there has to be somewhere to stay along the way.

There is a tradition around here, that whatever you do on New Year’s day will be what your year will be filled with. I have several friends who do all of their household chores the day before so that there is no laundry or dishes to do on the first day of the new year. I don’t usually pay attention to this at all. There is no possibility that my household chores will be less this year if I skip this one day unless I hire a housekeeper. I am going to make sure I get some exercise in though, and to work on my knitting, this blog, and maybe even make some soap. Happy New Year to you!

Favorite retirement activity of the week- the day after Christmas my husband went fishing with my youngest son. I threw a bag in my car and met my friend (who moved 5 hours away in June) for a few days in a small beach town a little over an hour away. Our getaway is an artsy little beach town with lots of shops, art galleries and cute restaurants. We talked and walked (24,000 steps one day!) and laughed and shopped and caught up on each others lives. It was a wonderful getaway, and I think we’re doing it again next year!

This was the first Thanksgiving in at least 3 years that I didn’t cook dinner. I am happy to report that everything was absolutely lovely, and I’m hoping to repeat the experience next year- ha ha. Aside from my sister-in-law’s dog eating the bacon topping for my casserole, (it was not on the casserole at the time, and she had more bacon in her fridge) it was pretty stress free. We got to meet the new baby, and see the newly remodeled house, and spend the night at my sister-in-law’s house. It was a lovely visit, and everyone had a nice time.

I spent a blissful weekend enjoying our mild southern weather, and not shopping or stressing about Christmas. I generally wait a bit to put up Christmas decorations, but it rained all day on Sunday, so I got my sons to haul down all the boxes and bags of decorations. I put up decorations for about and hour and a half, and decided that was enough. This did not include a tree, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

I put the boxes of things not put up in the corner of the room, and pondered what to do with them. The leftover decorations were pretty- I just didn’t want to put up anything else. The house looks quite nice without them. There is a wreath on every door, and two left over. I honestly can’t remember where I put the two remaining ones last year. There is also a lovely garland. I hung it outside last year, but I don’t want to this year. So I didn’t. There were two light up reindeer I bought for the lawn, but I felt like they didn’t have enough lights on them. I meant to fix them last year, and the year before but I didn’t. I called a friend of mine and she came and got the deer and the wreaths. I gave the rest to a charity shop.

There is apparently a Christmas tree shortage because of the drought in the spring. We always have a live tree, but we decided to leave what trees are available to someone who needs them. This year (like last year) we’re just going to cut one from the woods (or beside the road usually). The whole family has been looking for trees as they drive around town. I have a couple spotted, and I’m sure they have some in mind as well. The locally cut trees don’t seem to last as well as the store-bought kind, so I like to wait until 2 weeks before Christmas to go get one. The kids loved doing it when they were little. They complain about it now, but they complain about everything, because they are teenagers. I think I saw them grinning as they hauled the tree to the truck last year…

I expect to donate a few more Christmas things after we put the tree up this year. I also donated two enormous garbage bags of clothes and shoes from my closet. I am still skinnier than before I walked the Camino, and I’m unable to try on the pants and jeans- they’re ALL too big at the moment, but I cleaned out my shirts and shoes. I love the space! I’m quite curious as to why I haven’t gained any weight back. I’m not really trying to, but I’m not really focused on eating less either. Someone said it might be that I have more muscle now- and muscle burns more calories. Hmm.

I haven’t done much shopping for Christmas. No one seems to know what they want this year- teenagers are particularly hard to shop for. I’m normally done shopping by the 10th of December, but its the 8th already and I can tell that isn’t going to happen this year. I’m less worried about it than I usually am. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Really.

I bought a convertible. I’ve always wanted a little sports car, and decided I would treat myself to one after I retired. I spent years shopping. When I was stressed while I was still working, I browsed used car sites, and researched models and colors. I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted, and then Covid hit and prices of all recreational vehicles skyrocketed- because there wasn’t anything else to do. My friend bought one, and she gushed about how much fun it is to drive. I thought I might want one like hers, but in the end, I bought the one I’d been wanting since high school. My homecoming date my senior year in high school told me that he thought his dad would let him take his dad’s brand new (first year of production) Mazda Miata to homecoming that year. He was wrong. He came to pick me up in his mom’s Nissan Maxima. Nowadays, that’s a pretty nice car. In 1989, it was an ugly square little thing. I was so disappointed!

When I was about 12 my parents bought a van to drive carpool with- my siblings and I went to a private high school 15 miles away from our town. Public transportation was not available, so the moms put together a carpool group to keep from having to drop off and pick up kids every single day. The carpool was a marvel of organization. Everyone who participated had to have a 6+ capacity vehicle- unless a student was driving- then it could have 1 less. My parents bought (what I thought) was the ugliest vehicle imaginable. A 9 passenger van. My mom told me years later that I looked at the van and told her that when I was an adult, I was going to buy a little red sports car. It turned out to be blue, and at least 35 years later than I orignally planned at age 12!

Do I think that the adorable blue convertible will make me happy forever? I do not. But it was cheap, and a ridiculously good deal. Its actually a 2002 Miata, and only had 54,000 miles on it when I got it. It was kept in a garage with a cover on it, and it’s in remarkably good condition for a 21 year old car. I could sell it tomorrow for several thousand dollars more than I paid for it. But it makes me smile every time I walk out of the door and see it.

What does make me happy? I was pretty obsessed with the science of what makes us humans happy for a while, so I have some ideas. I know that “stuff” doesn’t make you happy for long. On average, a new car makes you happy for about 6 months, and then its just your car. A new house makes you happy for a little longer, but not much. I know from experience that no matter how cool the location of your house is, sooner or later, you won’t get the same joy from sitting on the front porch looking at your view. It’ll just be your back yard.

I absolutely adored our little cabin on the river when we first got it, and we went every chance we got. I still love it, but my family has lost their crush on it. I can’t get anyone to go with me anymore. My husband wants to sell it. He says that all we do when we’re there is work on stuff. There is a bit of truth in that, but I’m not quite ready yet. Maybe in a year or two I’ll be ready to let it go.

I haven’t gotten tired of my garden yet, because there is something new in it every day. I never get tired of travel for the same reason. There is always something new to discover. Relationships make me happy too- or not happy as is the case this week.

13 years ago we built a house across the street from someone who would become one of my best friends. We spent a lot of time together over the years, and walked to each others’ houses frequently to discuss our day, share a glass of wine, or just talk. She moved a few weeks ago. She got a much better job, and moved five and a half hours north. We still talk, but it isn’t the same. I am happy for her, but I miss her. Close friends definitely make you happier.

Back to the convertible- at the moment just the sight of it makes me smile. That’s a good thing because I won’t be driving it much for the next month or so. Where I live is great for convertibles. I can probably drive it 8 months a year. The months I CANNOT drive it are June, July, August, and part of September. Its just too hot.

I hadn’t driven a manual transmission in years, and I’m having fun with that. Part of what makes driving a convertible fun is that you’re in the car, but you’re still outside. There is a much more heightened sense of your surroundings- kind of like driving a motorcycle- only less dangerous. Maybe it will retain the “happy” by making boring errands more fun. Or maybe I will sell it in a few years and let it cheer someone else up. I’m enjoying it now, anyway.

Fun retirement activity of the week- I’m going on an all day kayaking trip tomorrow (it was supposed to be scheduled for a weekday, but its now going to be Saturday because something came up.) We are also going on a mini camping trip next Wednesday. We are going to the mountains hoping that it will be cooler than here. Almost anywhere is cooler than here. The heat index here is 108 degrees right now!

Its been a little over three years since I announced my retirement. Its been a pretty surprising 3 years, and I’m not where I thought I would be. In many ways, I’m doing better than I thought I would.

I worried a bit about my social life. I wondered how I would keep up with my friends that I mostly saw during my days at work. Would I have anyone to hang out with? I do! I haven’t lost many of my old friends, though a few friendly co-workers have drifted away. I’ve made bunches of new friends though, through my new hobbies and volunteering. I have learned that I need to make a bit more of an effort to keep up with friends now, since I don’t bump into them anymore, but some of my new friends are especially interesting and worth the effort to keep up with. I really value hanging out with my girlfriends- a little girl talk (and usually a LOT of laughter) makes everything seem better. Lunch with the girls is cheaper than therapy too!

My health is much better. I don’t know if I’m in the best shape of my life- I certainly can’t run as far as I did when I was doing that regularly, but I am getting a ton of exercise every day. Yesterday I got 30,000 steps, and today I got 28,000. Its a rare day that I don’t get 12-15K. My body loves this- I feel good- really good, most of the time. I was not particularly athletic when I was a kid, and I laughed when someone called me that on the pickleball court last week, but maybe I am becoming athletic in the same way that I became proficient at math after my school years.

I sort of thought that I would end up with some kind of part time job related to my old job. I have absolutely no interest in that at this point, and don’t know that I ever will. Honestly, I haven’t been paying too much attention to our investments lately. I should probably check on that, since my paychecks will be ending soon and I have no intention of earning more money.

I absolutely adore volunteering. I had no idea that it could be so satisfying. There is this kid who is a patient at the physical therapy facility where I volunteer. When he started his therapy he could barely hold his head up, as all he’d done to that point is sit in his wheelchair. He didn’t have the arm strength to reach for an object above his head. Today he snatched a ring out of my hand and put it on a pole behind him, all while sitting up straight on the horse. Amazing. The facility has offered to hire me several times, but there are some children who cannot pay for therapy, and I feel like my free labor helps to pay for their treatment.

Last week, the same kid told us that he had found a dandelion and blown the seeds and made a wish. He couldn’t tell us what it was because then it wouldn’t come true. He gave us a hint though. He said it was one of the things he couldn’t do. The therapist guessed crawl, walk and run. He said it was the middle one. His wish is to walk. All of our eyes filled with tears. A teenage girl who works with us cleared her throat and said that she thought that was the best wish she’d ever heard. Working there is humbling too. I was afraid of the heartache of working here before I came, but I’m glad I did.

I believe that one person CAN make a difference, and my experience at the therapy barn and also the food pantry in our small town have proved that. The therapy facility treats children that haven’t been helped by other therapies, and will do it for free if the clients can’t pay. The food pantry I sometimes volunteer at was started by a woman at our church. (This is the funeral I talked about going to in my last post.) She was the wife of a doctor- one of the few doctors in our small town, and had 6 children. She had plenty to do at home, I’m sure, but knew about the poverty in town and decided to do something about it. She started collecting and distributing food, and recruited the ladies in our church to help. When it became too big for our church to manage, she had a meeting with the women’s clubs at the other churches in town and recruited them to help too. This pantry been handing out food and supplies and help with bills for more than 50 years now. I had no idea I’d love volunteering so much, but I love being able to help- even just a little.

I’m learning new hobbies and traveling some, and spending time with my children who are quickly becoming adults. And my grand retirement adventure- the Camino Santiago is coming together. I met with my dad’s cousin and his wife and they have already made reservations for September. A friend texted last week and asked if she could walk part of it with me. I’m going to be fitted for a backpack and purchase other equipment at the end of this month. My life feels much more fulfilling and exciting than it did while I was working. I can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Favorite retirement activity of the week: Last week it rained 5 inches overnight. That makes for a perfect day of weeding- the soil is loose and the roots come out easily, which means the weeds are less likely to return. I rarely got to take advantage of this when I was working, because I seldom had a free day after a big rain. Now that I’m retired, it’s easy to rearrange my schedule for events like this!

I remember many of my clients telling me that they were so busy in retirement, that they didn’t know how they ever had time to work. They always said it with a smile, so I knew they were enjoying themselves, but as a stressed out working mom, I frankly didn’t understand this. All I wanted, at that point in my life, was to not have too much to do all the time. I just wanted to go slower, to enjoy some time to myself, and some peace and quiet. Why didn’t they just say “no” and stay home, if they were retired?

I’m exactly where they were now, and I can tell you why. They aren’t saying “no” because there are just so many fun things to do! Since I last posted, I’ve picked up another hobby- Pickleball! Pickleball is a combination of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. Its easy to learn, easy to play, and SO much fun! Its less physically challenging than tennis, and I usually play doubles, which you can play for hours. I found a group of ladies who play every Monday and Friday from 10-12. Most ladies show up at 10, but some show up a bit later and some leave early. We try to switch partners so we can play with several different people. I knew lots of women in this group, and it has been fun catching up with them over water breaks. I’m enjoying meeting new friends too!

In addition to the knitting lesson I told you about two posts ago, I have also taken a crocheting class for a specific project. That project is re-creating my son’s favorite baby blanket for a new baby in the family. My nephew and his wife are expecting a GIRL in August. There have only been boys on that side of the family, so everyone is excited to buy girl things.

The baby blanket was a gift from a client, and she had taken a square of soft white flannel and crocheted at beautiful scalloped border on the edge. It was thin and light, exactly the right weight for the warm climate we live it. It was bigger than average too, and got softer with every washing. My youngest child didn’t let go of that blanket until it was time for him to go to kindergarten. It has stains and holes, and even some of the stitching has come off. I called the lady who made it for me and she explained how she’d done it. She was glad to hear from me and pleased that my son had liked the blanket so much.

I took a crocheting class, which (to my surprise) actually went much better than my first knitting class. It turns out that the scalloped border is a pretty easy stitch- one that is normally taught in the first class. I’ll be working on that project later this week. I’d work on it tonight, but I’m knitting a beautiful lacy purple scarf, and I’m not ready to put it down yet. Also after cleaning the house and two hours of pickleball, I’m too tired to tackle a new project tonight.

I’ve also planted a few things in the garden, and have been repotting a few things. We had a late spring freeze last night. I covered my tomato plants, but to be honest, they didn’t look too good this morning. So more gardening this week…

I also FINALLY found a pottery class, which will start in a couple of weeks. It will take place on Thursday nights for about 6 weeks and I’m really excited about it. I want to make a yarn bowl, which is a bowl with a cut in it that you put your string through. It keeps your yarn from rolling on the floor when you’re knitting or crocheting and you pull on the roll to get more yarn off of the ball. (I’ll post a picture if I make one.) Also a special flower pot to accommodate a cool new plant I bought that wicks water from the bottom of the pot with a cotton string. It needs a reservoir of water below it and I don’t have the right shape pot for this, so I’m hoping I can make one. And a coffee mug. Because no one takes a pottery class without making themselves a coffee mug, right?

I am still volunteering at the therapy facility, baking bread, and making soap and posting here. A friend sent me a listing on Facebook marketplace for a lot of beekeeping equipment for sale. It was everything I’d need to get 2 hives going in the backyard. I passed on it though. I just don’t have time right now. The difference between now and when I was working is that I have chosen and love every single thing I’m doing. Retirement is wonderful!

Favorite retirement activity of the week- hanging out at the yarn shop after the lesson. There’s always a table full of people working on various projects, gossiping and asking each other for advice, beautiful yarn to admire, and coffee and pastries. Its nice to be able to linger.

Last year’s Thanksgiving was a bit stressful. When my friends asked what we were doing this year for Thanksgiving, they howled with laughter. Last year I ended up with a packed house for Thanksgiving- thirteen guests, all of whom stayed over, some of them stayed three days. It included cleaning and stocking two houses, and cooking and serving meals and snacks for days.

This year’s holiday SOUNDED more stressful, but it actually wasn’t. Last year we hosted my family. This year was our turn for my husband’s family. I was hoping to have dinner at my sister-in-law’s house, but she asked if we could have it at mine. I haven’t had them for Thanksgiving for years- she’s usually happy to do it at her house, and I’m always happy to accept. I cheerfully agreed though- it was my turn, and no one wanted to spend the night, so there was only the one meal to prepare for- sort of.

We told my family that we wouldn’t be attending the dinner that my brother (true to his word from last year) planned to host on Thanksgiving day. Since we (and another family member- the one with the BABY) couldn’t attend, he changed the date from Thursday to Friday. So now we were having TWO Thanksgivings. And then my son called and asked if he could bring his girlfriend for Thanksgiving, and to stay for a couple of days.

It was fun! I prepared a few dishes for the dinner at my house, and the other guests brought a few dishes including a gorgeous (and delicious) red velvet cake. Everything turned out well. Everyone stayed and chatted and enjoyed each others’ company, and lingered over desserts and coffee. When everyone left, I put a few sweet potatoes in the oven along with one of my decorative pie pumpkins.

When I woke up Friday morning, I made pumpkin puree (for the freezer) and a sweet potato casserole, plus an appetizer to take to my brother’s and off we went to their house. He had prepared a whole roasted pig- so we didn’t even have the same exact dinner two days in a row. I got to meet my sister’s new boyfriend, who was very nice, and see my nephew’s new baby again. We enjoyed visiting with everyone for the day, and then went home. My son’s girlfriend (who is very nice and no trouble at all to host) stayed a bit longer than I expected, but was happy to help us eat all of the delicious leftovers, so I didn’t even have to cook much.

I guess it was the three days of guests PLUS hosting a dinner that was so stressful last year. One or the other seems to be fine- just not both.

My favorite retirement activity of the week was painting! My son chose a very bright electric blue for his room when he was 8. Now that he is in college, it needed an update. I painted his room a smoky blue gray color. I really like it- he does too! I completed the look with landscape photographs, and other black and white artwork. Then I painted my room a deep peacock blue. Its very daring and I love it!

When we built our home 10 years ago, I envisioned gorgeous wide beds filled with flowers gracing the front and sides of our house. I (of course) put in much larger beds than I could possibly maintain with the amount of time I had left after a full time job and family stuff. They’re huge. They were always overgrown and weed-filled. I cringed every time I looked at them. Since I have retired I have slowly been getting them into shape.

Gardening (particularly in the deep south) is a matter of trial and error. Most plant tags are designed for the middle of the country. Some plants that are tagged full sun, cannot stand full sun here in our hot and humid semi-tropical setting. Some plants that are tagged annuals are actually perennials here with our mild winters. Many plants are picky about the kind of soil, drainage, etc. A plant that loves one area, hates another, that sort of thing. No matter what the plant tag says, sometimes you just have to try it and see, and move the plant if its unhappy. I simply didn’t have time for that when I was working.

Over the last year and a half, I have moved all of the plants that weren’t working where they were, and brought in new plants. I thinned and gave away plants that were a little TOO enthusiastic and taking over the garden. I also installed a camellia garden, and then another when I ran out of space. I spent time in my vegetable garden, amending the soil and fertilizing and planting at the right times. The results are gratifying. Our satsuma and persimmon trees are bent over with the weight of their fruit. We have tons of sweet and spicy peppers from the garden, and even fall tomatoes- I have never managed that before! We have collard greens, turnips, and mustard greens, kale, and a few kinds of lettuce- all but the lettuce I grew from seed! The herb garden is flourishing and the green onions look great.

The camellia garden struggled a bit. It was a rough year for gardening. Despite the fact that we are on track to meet our yearly average of 67 inches of rain this year, there were two periods where we received no rain at all for more than 6 weeks. During the first one (when we were on vacation in Europe), the temperatures exceeded 100 degrees for more than a week. I wasn’t there to water, and a few camellias died. Camellias are very drought tolerant after they’re established, but these hadn’t been in the ground long enough. To make it worse, we had an armadillo this summer that I couldn’t get rid of. He kept digging my camellias up. Its hard to get the roots to grow when you have to put them back in the dirt every morning. The survivors look great though. Most of them are loaded with buds and will be gorgeous by Christmas.

The weeds in the new flowerbed got away from me in the summertime when it was too hot to weed. It was my fault- I didn’t kill the weeds well enough when I put the bed in. So I raked all of the mulch off, killed the weeds, put down a weed barrier and put the mulch back. It looks great now- maybe I can keep the weeds at bay next summer.

I have accomplished my goal of having blooming flowers every month of the year! I also managed to (mostly) honor my husband’s request of not creating more obstacles for mowing. Rather than putting camellias randomly around the yard, I created a huge bed near the barn which reduces mowing. I also carved some areas out of our woods and set the camellias among the trees. We weren’t mowing that anyway, and the camellias appreciate the shade.

I have enjoyed the heck out of the pine straw rake my husband bought me for my birthday last year. Its a mechanical rake that you pull behind the lawnmower. We live on 7 acres, which, when we bought it, was completely forested in pine trees. We cut enough trees down to build the house, and a few more so that if one fell it wouldn’t damage the house too much (because we have hurricanes). Still, we have a LOT of pine trees, and a lot of pine straw, which makes decent mulch.

The next project is the trellis my husband generously built for me when we moved into the house. I haven’t managed to get anything to grow on it successfully except blackberries. I’ve tried blackberries and muscadines, both of which I have decided were dumb ideas. Blackberries grow on the side of the road here. Why would I want to use valuable garden space for that? Also, they are aggressive and will NOT stay where I put them.

My neighbor at one point had planned on having a winery. She has more muscadines then she could ever use, and she lets me take whatever I want. Again, its a waste of space for me. What is my next attempt? After I kill those pesky blackberries, I’m going to try maypops- which are native passion fruit, and true passion fruit. I found a variety that should grow in my zone. I’m also going to try kiwifruit. I know, it sounds crazy. I’m always planting something crazy to see if I can make it grow. I also heard about a variety of squash that is resistant to vine borers- those pesky bugs that kill my squash every year. I ordered seeds. Not all of my gardening “experiments” are a success- I cannot grow avocados and even though artichokes grow in my zone, they find our humidity objectionable. The pomegranate and Paw Paw experiments are underway now.

I’m having a great time puttering in my yard. Every morning I walk through the garden with a cup of coffee, and survey the yard. I pick persimmons before the birds (or my dog) can get to them, and see what needs to be done next. I pick a bloom or two, and yank a few weeds. I watch the butterflies or hummingbirds, and start planning the next yard project.

When I was in my twenties I caught a cold, and, being under the impression that I was superwoman, tried to work through it. I felt guilty about staying home from work, so I didn’t. The cold kept getting worse. I finally dragged myself to the doctor, who told me that my cold had turned into bronchitis. If I didn’t go home and go to bed, he’d be admitting me to the hospital for pneumonia in the next few days. I obediently went home and climbed into bed, which is where I should have been all along. After a day or two in bed, I felt much better. The incident changed my view about my health, and from then on, I made sure to rest when I was sick. I always felt guilty about it, though.

I don’t feel guilty anymore. There isn’t anywhere I need to be, and my health is increasingly important. I am at home with a cold today. I was the last person in my house to catch it- I thought I was going to escape it, but I didn’t. I’m still wearing my jammies, I have consumed countless cups of tea and I’m on my second book. I’m about to take a nap, too. Unlike that cold in my twenties, after two days of laying on the couch, I can already feel my energy coming back.

Earlier this year I went to the doctor for a small lump on my jaw which turned out to be a non-cancerous tumor. The non-cancerous part was great. The bad news was that it was going to keep growing and it was eventually going to become a problem. It had to come out. The sooner it was removed the less complicated the surgery would be. It turned out to be a good thing I decided not to wait- the location of the tumor made the surgery was more difficult than expected, even though the tumor was small. It involved a biopsy, blood work, a pre-op visit, and post- op visit, plus an overnight hospital stay and wound care. The tumor was closer to my jaw than expected and I had trouble eating for a few weeks. It was decidedly unpleasant, but I didn’t have to deal with work, figuring out when I was well enough to be back, scheduling my work appointments around all of the doctor’s appointments, etc. I was able to just focus on getting better, and when I didn’t feel like leaving the house, I just didn’t. No guilt at all!

The surgery took longer than expected, but the scar turned out to be in a much better place (for me, not the doctor- it sounds like it was a pain for him), and is nearly invisible at this point. I have a bit of numbness near the incision, which the doctor told me to expect, but overall, it was an excellent result. I actually followed the doctor’s orders too. That seems to work better for me than the previous plan.

My favorite retirement activities for the week have been my exploration of a local park. Its a pitcher plant preserve, and I went hiking one Saturday with a friend who still works. We bumped into a photographer who described two trails on the property. He sort of told us how to find them, but clearly not very well. I went back on a weekday without my friend determined to find them. I got hopelessly lost, but got a pretty good workout- I’m guessing that I hiked at least 6 miles. I downloaded a gps based hiking app and my dad and I found one of them on my next trip over. I’ll find the other as soon as this cold goes away….