After my first week of full retirement, I am feeling very relaxed.
The hardest part has been adjusting to the fact that on most days, I really don’t need to be anywhere at any particular time. I keep finding myself thinking that I must finish these chores today ’cause I gotta get ready for work tomorrow – and then I remember I don’t have to work tomorrrow – or the day after or the day after that. I must admit that after working for 50 or more years, it hasn’t been the easiest adjustment to make.
For many of my 50+ work years, my greatest dream was to merely get a day or two of peace. Like most employees, I would sometimes call off “sick” simply to have a day to do whatever I wished or to lie around doing absolutely nothing.
Well, I have that now. This is probably the quietest neighborhood I’ve ever lived in.
(We won’t discuss the gun fight a couple of years back. That was an isolated incident during a drunken party at a rental house around the corner, and no one was injured. There have been no such incidents either before or after that one.)
Seldom do I see anything much when I look out my front windows. Puppy Cody lets me know whenever there’s an Amazon, UPS or Fedex truck anywhere on the street, or if any of the neighbors have a plumber, electrician or other contractor in their driveways. She does tend to disturb the neighborhood peacefulness whenever she sees someone she doesn’t think belongs here.
However, for some reason, Cody never barks when the local daycare staff walks their tiny charges down the street every weekday morning. I can hear them coming, I don’t know why Cody doesn’t. Or maybe beause they’re such little strangers, she doesn’t feel threatened. I never know what the silly dog is thinking.
Anyway.
If I get bored, I can always look out the back window:
Sometimes there are rabbits, birds and/or squirrels running around back there. Once, I even found a tortoise. It’s not a huge yard, but it’s mine, and I always enjoy looking out at it.
Mostly, I’ve been sleeping late, watching videos, and crocheting. A lot of crocheting – I promised a local women’s shelter a dozen hat/scarf sets to help keep the residents warm, and with the colder weather arriving soon, I’ve been pushing to get those finished. It doesn’t help me supplement Social Security, but at least it makes me feel like I’m still contributing something to society. Maybe someday after I’m dead, someone will find a hat, scarf or afghan with the Legacy Needlework/Teddy Rosalie label and remember me with fondness.
Or not. But at least those ladies won’t have their ears freezing off this winter.
Hugs, all.
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Images by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalieStudio
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Glad you are enjoying your retirement. Maya doesn’t bark at people going by, unless she doesn’t know them. Most of the summer saw her lying by the gate watching the world go by. Several people she knew would come up and make a fuss of her. Maybe these little charges are normal to Cody which is why she doesn’t react.
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Who knows. They certainly make enough noise as they’re going by (toddlers!), but they are adorable to watch.
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We have similar ‘little crocodiles’ in town,. all wearing yellow vests and holding hands with half a dozen adults keeping them safe.
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It’s interesting the paths we take when we retire. My current time-fillers are weaving and knitting. I have a couple of boxes of scarves I’ve done to give to a co-worker of my daughter’s who goes to senior homes and Headstart so she can distribute them. It makes me feel good, and keeps my hands busy.
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Exactly! I was actually feeling a little guilty that I take so much personal pleasure in donating these items – after all, I should be doing it for them, not for me, right? You’ve given me validation, for which I thank you.
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I’d be embarrassed to admit how long it took me to realize I didn’t have to do anything most days unless I wanted to. The weekends were the hardest. I kept thinking that I had to get so many things done on Saturday. I finally realized I could take Saturday off.
Enjoy your time!
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That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling on weekends. I keep thinking I need to set our my clothes and turn on the alarm for the next morning, and I’ve finally accepted that I no longer need to do all the laundry on the same day. Habits are so hard to break!
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We sold one of our cars to save some money, CM, and because my dear wife Karen still has a bit to go before she hits her retirement age, I still get up before 6 a.m. on her workdays to drive her to her shift at the eye center, and then pick her up afterward. I also make sure the laundry and supermarket shopping is done before she’s home from work. She says make sure to do what you like, too. Yes, I can and do. I like being a house husband after five decades in the work force, for sure.
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I’m glad you’re enjoying your retirement, Mark, and I’m sure Karen appreciates the help around the house. My husband has a couple more years before he can retire, mostly because he’s carrying the really good health insurance through his job. Once he retires, we’ll hopefully be able to drop down to just one care. Right now we still need two cars because his job is too far away for me to drive him, and I still need a car during the day for medical appointments and grocery shopping. When the time comes, I’m sure we’ll have a spirited “discussion” over whose car will be kept – we both them both at the same time.
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Yes, the good insurance is so important, CM! We kept my car because it was years younger with a lot less miles on it, so easy picking. Now I am getting Karen to call it “our car” instead of “your car.”
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