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I’m Baaack… And More Camino Stuff

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I know I disappeared for a while. One of the reasons I decided to retire early, is because my children were just entering the dreaded teenage years. My oldest was becoming a bit more difficult to deal with, and even more so after a stressful day at work. I am not the most patient mom, and I’m better dealing with teenage issues when I’m calm. Retirement made me a LOT more calm.

I told myself I wouldn’t talk about my kids much on this blog to respect their privacy and so far I’ve managed to stick to that. I was absent for a while because BOTH of my children announced rather abrupt changes in plans at the beginning of summer. It was a little stressful. Still a little stressful, but better.

I made my flight reservations for the Camino De Santiago. When I pressed the button to purchase them, I felt like I did once when I stood at the top of a high dive that I had told my friends “didn’t look all that high.” From the top it looked a whole lot further to the ground than it did when I was safely ON the ground. I did it though. I also bought travel insurance since I’m no longer in my 20’s. Just in case. I have 98 days until I leave. I sketched out a plan of about how far I plan to walk every day, though to be honest, I am not sure how I’ll do till I get there. I have to make plans based on something, though, so I made a guess. I looked at the plans of my cousin and his wife who plan to go with me and I realized that they’re kind of taking the scenic route. This is understandable since they are 70, travelling with each other, and have no children at home. I explained the last time we talked that I’d walk with them a few days, but I think I’m going to leave them and walk ahead. They understood and were nice about it. My flight out is several days before theirs. My Mom feels much better just knowing they will be in the same country while I’m there.

I still have to buy travel tickets from Paris to St Jean Pied-de-Port. I read somewhere that France was no longer going to allow short flights in the country, but they are still going to allow connecting flights in the country. I have no idea how they’re going to differentiate the two, but I’d probably better make the last flight reservation to Biarritz or research train options pretty soon.

Several of my friends and family members have expressed concern about me being “alone” while I’m doing this. Last year more than 400,000 people make the trek, and this looks to be a record year. I doubt I’ll find it lonely! I’m a little surprised at the concern especially since several people have suggested that I hike the Appalachian Trail which seems a lot more scary to me! Also I have been doing slightly crazy things all my life- when I was in college I sold books door-to-door several states away from my home. I went to Europe the first time by myself when I was 16. Why is this trip so scary sounding to people?

I have begun training a little harder than before. Today I walked about 12 miles with a 14 lb weighted vest. This weekend I climbed 80 flights of stairs with 16 lbs of weight- about 890 feet in elevation. There are not many hills in our area, so if I’m going to train for the mountainous parts of the hike, this is the only way I can think of to do it. I used actual stairs at the advice of a doctor friend who pointed out that if I used a stairmaster, I would not be strengthening the muscles I’d need to go DOWN the mountain ranges. That’s where most people get hurt. A couple of weeks ago, I did a fast hike with 12 lbs of weight. I covered 9.5 miles in 2.75 hours. My husband thinks that this is overkill. It might be. A lot of people don’t train at all, but I can tell I’m getting used to the extra load, and that’s probably a good thing. Also, if I’m in really good shape, I won’t be too tired after hiking to explore the towns a bit. We’re taking a family trip to the mountains next week. It sounds like a good time to test all this high tech gear I bought…

In other news- I have finished my pottery class. It was enormously fun. I have always enjoyed playing in the dirt, and I have several pieces of pottery that I made and will use. It IS harder than it looks. The studio where I took the class offers individual lessons, and also space rental. You can buy a block of clay ($20) and rent a space for a month ($100) and buy a few glazes, and go as often as you like. I’m thinking about doing it this fall when I get back from Spain. There are a few other things I wanted to make and didn’t get a chance to in class. But I’m not especially talented at it, and I don’t think pottery is really my passion. And also, someone lent me some watercolor supplies. Watercolor sounds like fun too.

I’m still knitting- and one of the things I made in pottery class was a yarn bowl, which is designed to keep your ball of yarn corralled while you’re pulling on it. I have lots of projects in mind, and two that I’m working on now that are fun- a shawl and a baby blanket. I need to come up with a project to take on board with me to Spain, because knitting makes a long flight more tolerable…

It is once again sweltering where I live. The plants are enjoying it, and my vegetable garden is beginning to yield some produce, but I find myself hibernating inside in the air conditioning during the heat of the day. I am thrilled that ALL of the passionfruit vines I transplanted look like they’re going to make it. Despite a pretty harsh winter, most of our trees and shrubs are green and healthy looking again. There are always cut flowers from my garden in the house, and its time to pull out the kayak.

group with backpacks walking on the way of st james towards galicia spain
Post Retirement, Uncategorized

3 Year Retirement Update

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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!

woman making clay pot
Post Retirement, Uncategorized

Too Many Hobbies?

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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.

Post Retirement, Uncategorized

Trip Report: St Lucia

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We LOOOOOOVED St. Lucia. The island was just beautiful. I loved the mountains next to the sea, and the weather was absolutely perfect. It was in the 80’s during the day and the 70’s at night, and it showered occasionally, but not enough to keep us from our activities. We hiked to the top of a hill with a fort on it, and looked down on the marina below us. We took a boat tour of the island which included a volcanic mud bath, a waterfall, secluded bays, snorkeling, a delicious lunch and plenty of rum punch. We rode skinny island ponies down a trail and into the ocean, and took a shopping trip to a craft and fruit market with a detour at a banana plantation. We relaxed on the beach and snorkeled in the bay next to the hotel. It was a wonderful week away.

We really enjoyed the island people- everyone was so kind and we loved their accents. We did not have a single bad meal the entire time we were there. If we go to this island again, we are going to stay on the other side, though. The roads are awful, and most of the fun stuff to do was an hour by car- that’s why we took a boat trip to see the waterfall and volcano mud bath. Soufriere is where the airport was, and where most of the things we wanted to do were.

Everyone enjoyed the trip- my youngest son asked when we could go back to the Caribbean the day after we got back! I am doing some research on other Caribbean islands we might like to visit, and keeping an eye out for cheap airfares. Perhaps we could do one late this summer before the boys go back to school…

I did mention that this was my last work trip with my old company (and yes, they did insist that I attend a business meeting, even though I don’t work there anymore. But the trip was free, so I went.) Several people asked why I quit such an amazing job. I told them that I had done the job for 25 years and I had enough money and was ready to do other things. Their reactions were interesting.

One guy who was several years older than me, just can’t make himself quit, even though it sounds like he has plenty of money. I went to a seminar once about how different generations see different issues. Baby boomers tend to see being a “hard worker” as a positive character trait. My husband is a baby boomer and feels this way. He thinks that working hard makes you a “good person” or something like that, and that if you retire when you are still young and fit, you might be “lazy.” I am a Gen Xer and I think that after I have all the money I reasonably need, continuing to work would be the equivalent of working for free, since I am not improving my life in any way. As much as I liked my job, I would not do it for free. I told this to the older guy, and he was astonished. He said he wouldn’t do the job for free either, and that he’d never really thought of it that way.

Another guy about my age said he liked his expensive hobbies and wouldn’t ever be able to quit. He was doing a big trip (the grand loop by boat) but was having to do it in sections, because he has to work. I did not point out that he could do it all at once if he retired.

There was a much younger guy who said he was planning on retiring early too, and wished me grand adventures! There were several people who were interested in retiring and were interested in how the retirement process had been. I couldn’t really offer much of an opinion there- since I retired 2 weeks before our company shut down due to covid, my experience wasn’t really normal. I didn’t get to do most of the things I was supposed to, but it all worked out fine in the end.

We graded our cruise in December, and we barely rated that one a C. St Lucia was an easy A. I don’t really like resorts, and my least favorite is a resort that makes it difficult to get to town, but since this one was free, I can hardly mark off for that. We’d visit St. Lucia again and are eager to explore other places in the Caribbean. We’re thinking, Jamaica, Antigua, Bonaire…

Favorite retirement activity of the week- days like today. My husband dropped our son off to school, and I got to work on a small project- repairing a cabinet in our laundry room. The contractor stained the cabinet instead of painting it white like he was supposed to. When I pointed out that it was the wrong color, he took it back to his shop and sprayed white paint over it- probably without sanding it, which is why the finish is coming off now. I touched up the white paint and then put shelf liner to cover the open shelves. It looks great! Next I worked on converting an old armoire into a potting bench. It was easy and fun. Then I went to lunch with a group of girlfriends. We had such a good time and laughed so loudly that an old man thanked us for the entertainment on the way out the door- provoking even more laughter. I came home and baked a batch of cookies for a dinner at the church, boxed up some soap to mail to a friend, and dug up some monkey grass out of my garden to give away. It was a good day!

aerial view of white boat traveling near green island
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Updates on Assorted Things

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I seem to be busier than ever. I meant to do this post last week, but it was crazy busy around here. I am usually good about not over scheduling myself, but last week (in addition to the usual activities) there was a funeral, a going away party (not stuff you can put off) and a visit with my mom and dad.

This week, I have been trying to get a few last minute things done because tomorrow we are on our way to St Lucia! There’s something especially nice about leaving on a tropical vacation when the temperature at home is freezing and the temperature at the destination is a balmy 80 degrees. In addition, this vacation is FREE- its the last perk from my old company in my retirement package. I will probably have to go to a meeting and talk about my retirement, but for a free week in St Lucia with my family, I’ll take that trade every time.

It is the first vacation that we’ve been on with only one of our kids. There wasn’t a vacation week where both of our sons could come, so our oldest is staying at college, and only our youngest son is with us. Which is weird, but quieter.

I didn’t get knitting until last week when it finally clicked. I LOOOOOVE it. I think I will continue knitting even if all I ever knit are dish cloths and scarves. It is wonderfully relaxing- almost meditative. That’s good for me because I have a really hard time meditating. I have always had a hard time sitting down for any period of time- I think of other things I could be doing, and I’m off to do them. Knitting allows me to sit on the couch and kind of be a part of the family stuff that’s going on in the living room. Its also kind of addictive. I find myself saying, I’ll quit after the next row- and then of course I don’t. I picked up a book called “The Zen of Knitting”- it’s about the health and mental benefits of knitting. I’m already a believer.

My house is still CLEAN. This Flylady system is the bomb. My house is much cleaner than it ever was when I had a cleaning service and I’m having a good time doing it. My resolution to keep up with my spending this year is not going so well. The app I use to keep up with this stuff was unable to update several accounts, so I realized after I thought I was done, that I had to update the app, and start all over again. I threw in the towel for the day and didn’t re-do it. I have a note on my calendar to try again after St Lucia.

My plan to walk the Camino Santiago is still on, of course, but I may have some unexpected companions. My parents had dinner with some of my dad’s cousins, and one of them has walked the camino with his wife several times. They are considering joining me, and I think I will enjoy that. They are currently in Mexico, so we’ll talk about it when I get back from St Lucia.

My birthday turned out quite nice- a group of friends turned up for a surprise birthday dinner at a nearby fancy restaurant. It was great fun, and the food was excellent. My new birthday luggage is going to come in handy tomorrow!

My furniture replacement resolution is almost done. In the last two weeks, I have purchased an antique bookcase with glass doors to replace an enormous armoire that once housed our tv and entertainment equipment. Unfortunately these armoires are out of style and no one seems to want it. I have decided to make a potting bench out of it- to keep my potting soil, pots, and other gardening equipment together. I also bought new bar stools. The old ones had gotten wobbly and couldn’t be tightened because screw covers were glued over the screws and we couldn’t get them off. I’m quite happy with everything now.

There are two couples we promised to have over before Christmas. By the time we get back from vacation it will be almost March and we haven’t had either of them over yet. I have a note to schedule that as soon as we get home. A vacation report to follow soon!

a person knitting yarn with knitting needles
Other Stuff, Post Retirement, Uncategorized

Progress on 2023 Goals

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I have been a busy woman so far this year! I deep cleaned my house from top to bottom and learned a whole lot doing it. It was also, strangely… satisfying to clean 12 years of dust and grime from our home. It’s kind of fun to make things look new again, and not that hard once you get the hang of it. I sure am glad I’m enjoying it, because I no longer have a cleaning lady…

This is a huge “THANK YOU” for Jackie D who recommended the Flylady system for maintaining my house. This is EXACTLY what I needed- thank you so much! I (of course) have modified the system somewhat, but now I know exactly what needs to be done and when to do it to keep everything in order. Also, there is a daily checklist and I do adore checking things off of a list- it makes me feel so productive.

I have also decluttered- a ton of stuff. I have dropped several carloads off at goodwill, trashed some, and gave some to friends with younger children. A friend sent me a picture by text message today with her kids enjoying the books I sent home with her. As a bonus, by parting with “babyish” souvenirs and decorations, the boys updated their rooms to something much more age appropriate and they like their rooms more. Dusting is much easier when you don’t have to move a pile of things off of the counter to clean, and I’m loving the feeling of clean open space in my home.

I replaced a cheap computer desk that we bought for our last house and was far too big for this one. I found an inexpensive antique one on Facebook marketplace that needed a bit of repair. It was a satisfying, quick project. The new desk is much smaller and it opened up a lot of space in our guest room, which I’m sure my parents will appreciate the next time they’re here.

I also replaced my dining room table with a much bigger one- also used from Facebook. the old one was a great fit for our last two houses, but this house has a really wide dining room and the skinny table we had looked a bit odd in it. Also, we need a big table as we entertain a fair amount, and frequently have to seat people elsewhere. This table has TWO leaves and will probably seat 8 easily, and 10 in a pinch. The chairs are wide and sturdy. To be honest I don’t totally love the table, but everyone else does, and I spent little enough on it that I wouldn’t feel guilty if I decide to replace it one day.

I have taken my first knitting class, and I must say that knitting is a good deal harder than it looks. I think I’m going to like it though. It seems like it will always be challenging enough to keep me interested. I did not pick it up perfectly on the first lesson, but I can’t wait to go back because the knitting shop is a rather intriguing world unto itself.

I waltzed in at about 9:45 (which was before shop hours) and there was a tableful of ladies drinking coffee and chatting about various things while they knitted. I was welcomed, offered coffee, and gently interrogated (if you live in the south, you’ll know what this means. Everyone wanted to know where I was from, did anybody know my family, what I was doing there, was I married, did I have kids, etc, etc…). The instructor is a patient lady who owns a farm, and told me all about her chickens. When I mentioned that I made soap, she offered to trade me a dozen eggs for a bar. Sold! She told me to practice, gave me instructions and said she’d see me in two weeks.

I tried, I really did. Apparently on the way home I forgot everything. I watched some Youtube and went to the library to get a book, but I will definitely be needing that second lesson! And probably third. My mom is getting me a gift certificate to the yarn shop for my birthday, which I will enjoy.

My grafting class is Saturday, and I’m looking forward to that. We get to choose a camellia to graft onto rootstock to make our very own grafted camellia. I’m excited about the class, but generally disgusted with my camellia project. We had a drought this summer which killed a few shrubs, and then a highly unusual 3 day freeze which damaged almost all of the flower buds, and then the deer damage. The deer have eaten about half of my camellias down to nubs. My project for the next few days is to construct protective cages to protect them and hope they survive the damage. AARGH!

So progress- have I made progress? Well yes and no. The house is clean and I have a system in place to keep it that way. I replaced most of the items that I wanted to, and while more decluttering needs to be done, I’m making excellent progress. The problem? When I cleaned my baseboards I discovered that the painters did an awful job and all of the trim really needs to be repainted. This is going to ba a huge job. The finish on the lower kitchen cabinets is looking a bit rough. I’m thinking about repainting them. The finish on the vanity in the kids bathroom looks so bad, it might be easier to replace the whole thing. Or maybe I’ll practice my cabinet painting skills in there. If I mess it up, I don’t mind scrapping that one entirely. I appear to be adding chores as fast as I am checking them off of the list, but I’m having a great time, and I guess that’s what matters. When I get tired of projects, I can always stop and hire someone to do it. But I like the satisfaction of finishing something, and I like learning new things.

Fun retirement activity of the week- I dragged my husband out to a concert in a nearby town. It was just a local band but they were very good and we enjoyed the evening. We stayed out late though. It would have been hard to get up for work after having been out well after midnight, but we didn’t have to!

person holding brown wooden brush
Uncategorized

Goals for the New Year

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Since I have been retired, I haven’t done much in the way of planning for the upcoming year. I think I enjoyed NOT having to do that, as my company required it. This year, I’m enthusiastic about it. The week between Christmas and New Year’s, I wasn’t feeling great, and I spent a lot of time thinking about what I want to be doing this year. I made lists- three of them.

List one- projects around my house. There are several things that needed to be updated, replaced, painted or fixed around my house. I scribbled down 16 I want to accomplish this year. They range from very large projects (installing a walkway in front of my house) to very small projects (hemming a pair of jeans I bought in the wrong length). I’ve already completed three of them though.

List two- things I want to learn to do this year. So far I have signed up for a plant grafting class and a pottery class, and I just saw an ad for a knitting class I want to take. Unfortunately, its at the same time as the grafting class. Will work on that. I’m looking for a gardening class too…

I’m also deep cleaning my house. This all started when my cleaning lady cancelled one day. I had already stripped the beds and washed the sheets before she cancelled, and I had done a project that left the floors a mess. She wanted to reschedule for later that week, but the mess simply couldn’t wait. So I told her not to worry about it- I’d just do it myself. I learned a couple of things that day. The first thing is that I don’t mind cleaning the house that much- and its great exercise! The second is that she isn’t doing a great job. She only stays about 3 hours, and there is no way she could do much more than hit the dirtiest spots. It took me 5 hours and I wasn’t even finished with what she is supposed to be doing. I realize she’s a lot better at it than me and she SHOULD be faster, but I found a lot more dirt than I should have. Also I found things that needed mending or decluttering that I had not noticed since I wasn’t cleaning it myself. For example, when I cleaned the kids bathroom, there were bottles of shampoo, bodywash, conditioner, etc. crowding every available surface in the bathroom. When my son got home from school, we went through them and tossed the ones he no longer uses. Also, I noticed that the shower rod in his bathroom is rusting (why would anyone ever make a shower rod that isn’t rustproof??) and needs replacing.

Cleaning a house is is a new experience and a learning process for me. My mom always had a housekeeper. I never learned to clean, and didn’t even know what needed to be cleaned. My friends laughed at me when I bought a book, but it has been eye-opening! I knew you needed to clean the screen under the stove vent hood, but I didn’t know there was grease above the screen. I have been living in this house for 10 years now, and it was NASTY under there. I didn’t know you’re supposed to clean over the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. I had never wiped a baseboard or ceiling fan before ever. I assumed my cleaning lady was cleaning whatever needed to be cleaned, but discovered that there were a whole lot of things in my house that were filthy. I think I’ll do it myself for a while.

After you start cleaning your house, you’ll begin to notice the clutter. Mostly because clutter makes it more difficult to clean. You have to remove all of the clutter, then you have to clean the surface, then clean the clutter, then you have to put it back. If you have a lot of clutter, it gets to be a lot of work. So after I clear a surface to clean it, I’ve been taking a hard look at which things I want to put back. I’m getting rid of a lot, and enjoying all the clean clear space in my house!

I’m also planning on keeping up with my expenses this year. I haven’t done it in several years, and while I don’t particularly enjoy doing it, I find the information useful. I also tend to spend less when I know its going to end up in a monthly column! I don’t spend less on the things I love, but I tend to skip the wasteful purchases, and that’s always a good thing since I tend to regret them anyway.

Fun retirement activity of the week- My husband doesn’t particularly like seeing movies, and I find it hard to schedule them with my friends, most of whom still work. There was a movie I wanted to see at the theater, so I just went one afternoon, all by myself. I didn’t even have to share my popcorn!

Happy New Year, y’all!

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Cruising at Christmas

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Sorry, sorry, sorry… Every year I say I’m going to continue posting on my regular schedule at Christmas, and I seem to disappear into the chaos that is Christmas around here. This year to add to the usual activity crush, I scheduled a Caribbean cruise for the 4 of us beginning on December 18. It was only a five day cruise and left from a nearby cruise port, so there was no flying to add to the stress of the vacation. I scheduled it because its becoming clear that there aren’t very many family vacations left for all of us. My kids are nearly adults and will have their own priorities and commitments for vacation time. My youngest applied for a summer camp job that will take up most of his summer, and my oldest spends as much time as he can with his new girlfriend- who lives several hours away. I also scheduled it to see if my husband and I would like cruising. The two cruises I have taken before I hadn’t enjoyed all that much, but I thought I might enjoy this one more since I’m retired. There are a lot of things I enjoy now that I didn’t when I was working.

Alas, I still don’t love it. And it was a miscalculation on my part to schedule a cruise at Christmas. It is THE most popular time to cruise. The ship was packed to the gills, and understaffed.

We did all enjoy doing different things and meeting up for dinner at the end of the day. The teenagers enjoyed the never-ending supply of food, and I enjoyed not having to be in the kitchen constantly. The entertainment was pretty good too! It turns out that my 18 year old particularly enjoys shows. My 15 year old was less enthusiastic, but at least now he knows he doesn’t love musicals…

I did not enjoy the crowds of people on the boat- everyone was pretty well behaved, but if you are seeking peace and quiet, a cruise ship probably isn’t the place for you. I thought the food was fine, but not spectacular. My favorite day was a port day in Cozumel. We took a cab to a local beach and went snorkeling, and it was like swimming in a fish tank. The meal at the little restaurant on the beach was wonderful, and the weather couldn’t have been nicer.

I can’t help thinking though, that we could have flown to Cozumel and stayed for 5 days for what the cruise cost. We thought we were avoiding hassle by not flying, but there was a parking shortage at the port that almost resulted in a whole lot of people missing the cruise- including us. It was incredibly stressful. I asked the family, and we all gave the cruise a barely passing grade for vacations. I think you have to keep trying things to figure out what you love, but I think I can scratch large cruise ships off of my list!

I had done all my prep for Christmas before I left, so Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were a pleasure. I will definitely do that next year! hope your holidays were everything you wanted them to be!

My favorite retirement activity was that I was able to take my mom to see an off-Broadway musical for her birthday. It was definitely a retirement activity because it took a day and a half. I left home at 8, picked her up at 10, parked and had lunch at noon, play at 2, then drove and spent the night at her house, and home the next day. Whew!

When I was little, she had season tickets to a theater with her friends, and whenever one of her friends couldn’t attend, she’d let me stay home from school and go to lunch and a play with her using the extra ticket. It is one of my fondest childhood memories with her. She’s 77 now, so I had to be sure to find a close by restaurant and parking garage, but we both enjoyed the day immensely. And I have to admit I teared up a little when I saw a little girl walk by in her fanciest Sunday dress holding her Mama’s hand. I wonder if she’ll take her mom to plays one day.

slicing of pumpkin pie placed on wooden surface
Post Retirement, Uncategorized

Thanksgiving Again

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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!

Post Retirement, Uncategorized

My Garden (Finally) Looks Great!

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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.