I am so much like my mother that it scares me. She liked to stay busy. . .right up to the time when the dementia took hold and robbed her of life. I hope I can do as well. But I want to skip the dementia.
Last week I stayed in and nursed the flu bug. I only had to opt out of two events. This week has been busy, busy. This week end is the same. The next week more of the same. And I'm complaining?
I love free time and I love having something to do. Balancing the two isn't easy even in retirement. My thoughts go back to those long summer days when I was a kid. My mother stayed busy and I stayed outside all summer cloud-gazing, swimming, riding my bike and enjoying being out of school.
Would I want to be able to do that again? Not on your life! I like being involved with causes and people and writing and reading. Today this is living for me. What is living to you?
Showing posts with label being busy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being busy. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
What Retirement Has Taught Me
I've learned a few things by being retired. Here's one.
Life has been hectic lately. I'm sure some people wonder how a retiree's life can get hectic since we don't work and don't have kids at home, but it is. For one thing we move more slowly than we used to. Another thing is we have different priorities.
I remember being a "Just Do It Mom." I Had to do so many things in a certain length of time. Sometimes, instead of enjoying my kids, I drove them. By "drove" I mean, "Make up your bed," "Do your homework," "Don't chew with your mouth open," "Practice your piano," "Sit down, stand up," blah-blah-blah. (Isn't that the way Charlie Brown's mom sounds?) Even when I taught school and my daughter and grandson lived with us, I did the same thing. I feel like I spent most of my life hurrying from one thing to another.
So here I am at 72 and I'm doing it again. Monday night writer's class--I have to rewrite my Copper Penny synopsis for the twentieth time. It's easier to write an entire novel than to write a synopsis. I still don't know exactly how to do it right, but if I plan to send something to an agent, I have to get it right.
Continue editing "Copper Penny." I have a lot more of that to do than I thought.
Continue writing "Plugged Nickel." When I finally finish that, then I'll have to write another dreaded synopsis about it!!!
Read the minor prophet for tonight's small group meeting.
Do my five day lesson for Esther class before Thursday night meeting.
Meet friends for lunch today. Meet friends for breakfast at 8:30 Friday morning. (Don't ever let the socializing go!)
Go to Book Discussion Group Thursday morning. It's a pancake breakfast before we discuss the book, "Cold Sassy Tree," which was really a good one.
Read the two books I'm reading now. Knit the baby blanket for Care Net.
Prepare the house, shop for groceries at Smith's, Whole Foods and Costco before Saturday when we have the preacher and his entire family coming to stay during their spring break.
Exercise every day. Try to stay on my diet. Watch our favorite TV shows: American Idol and Dancing With the Stars because if we don't watch some of them and just keep taping we'll run out of room on our DVR and get nothing. (These are some of our priorities)
Last night I couldn't go to sleep quickly thinking about all we need to do in the next two weeks. This morning I got a revelation. Relax and let life happen. I can go through life relaxed and enjoy it, or I can rush through it all stressed out. After all, life is going to happen no matter what I do. Since that's the case, I'd rather do it relaxed.
That's what being retired has taught me.
Life has been hectic lately. I'm sure some people wonder how a retiree's life can get hectic since we don't work and don't have kids at home, but it is. For one thing we move more slowly than we used to. Another thing is we have different priorities.
I remember being a "Just Do It Mom." I Had to do so many things in a certain length of time. Sometimes, instead of enjoying my kids, I drove them. By "drove" I mean, "Make up your bed," "Do your homework," "Don't chew with your mouth open," "Practice your piano," "Sit down, stand up," blah-blah-blah. (Isn't that the way Charlie Brown's mom sounds?) Even when I taught school and my daughter and grandson lived with us, I did the same thing. I feel like I spent most of my life hurrying from one thing to another.
So here I am at 72 and I'm doing it again. Monday night writer's class--I have to rewrite my Copper Penny synopsis for the twentieth time. It's easier to write an entire novel than to write a synopsis. I still don't know exactly how to do it right, but if I plan to send something to an agent, I have to get it right.
Continue editing "Copper Penny." I have a lot more of that to do than I thought.
Continue writing "Plugged Nickel." When I finally finish that, then I'll have to write another dreaded synopsis about it!!!
Read the minor prophet for tonight's small group meeting.
Do my five day lesson for Esther class before Thursday night meeting.
Meet friends for lunch today. Meet friends for breakfast at 8:30 Friday morning. (Don't ever let the socializing go!)
Go to Book Discussion Group Thursday morning. It's a pancake breakfast before we discuss the book, "Cold Sassy Tree," which was really a good one.
Read the two books I'm reading now. Knit the baby blanket for Care Net.
Prepare the house, shop for groceries at Smith's, Whole Foods and Costco before Saturday when we have the preacher and his entire family coming to stay during their spring break.
Exercise every day. Try to stay on my diet. Watch our favorite TV shows: American Idol and Dancing With the Stars because if we don't watch some of them and just keep taping we'll run out of room on our DVR and get nothing. (These are some of our priorities)
Last night I couldn't go to sleep quickly thinking about all we need to do in the next two weeks. This morning I got a revelation. Relax and let life happen. I can go through life relaxed and enjoy it, or I can rush through it all stressed out. After all, life is going to happen no matter what I do. Since that's the case, I'd rather do it relaxed.
That's what being retired has taught me.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Who's Busy?
I thought I was busy.
I read a blog called My World by http://www.onecrazeemommy.blogspot.com/. She works and has two kids and a husband. Her last blog was patterned after the reality show "Amazing Race." She wrote her blog using the Race's terms: pit stop, roadblock, challenges and legs. Besides being clever, it was exhausting and extremely entertaining. I've read her son's blog, too. She calls him Little Man. He's as talented and entertaining a writer as she is.
I left you last time with my dilemma, which wasn't really that hard to figure out. I talked to my husband and he insisted I go to the class. I did. I have four more of them to attend and hope they will lead me to getting "Copper Penny" published.
Even though I'm not as busy as onecrazeemommy, I still have a lot to do over the next week. If I had to choose between doing all we do or not having anything going on, I'd choose being busy. I've been alone with nothing to do, and I don't like it. I love having quiet time. I love watching the TV programs we like and going to some movies and eating out with friends and reading. But I need a balance. Right now the scales are tipping toward busy. With the spring-like weather, sunshine and husband back home, we'll happily get it all done.
I read a blog called My World by http://www.onecrazeemommy.blogspot.com/. She works and has two kids and a husband. Her last blog was patterned after the reality show "Amazing Race." She wrote her blog using the Race's terms: pit stop, roadblock, challenges and legs. Besides being clever, it was exhausting and extremely entertaining. I've read her son's blog, too. She calls him Little Man. He's as talented and entertaining a writer as she is.
I left you last time with my dilemma, which wasn't really that hard to figure out. I talked to my husband and he insisted I go to the class. I did. I have four more of them to attend and hope they will lead me to getting "Copper Penny" published.
Even though I'm not as busy as onecrazeemommy, I still have a lot to do over the next week. If I had to choose between doing all we do or not having anything going on, I'd choose being busy. I've been alone with nothing to do, and I don't like it. I love having quiet time. I love watching the TV programs we like and going to some movies and eating out with friends and reading. But I need a balance. Right now the scales are tipping toward busy. With the spring-like weather, sunshine and husband back home, we'll happily get it all done.
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