Sunday, August 29, 2010

Day of rest

I've decided to try doing Sunday differently. Once I've checked in with email, blog, and Facebook, I'm going to try to spend my day relaxing. Even though I'm no longer working, I tend to fill my days - or think I should. I'm not there yet, with every day being a "whatever you want to do, including nothing" experience.

My husband Art has been on retreat for three days. He's the cook, so I'm eating poorly. Pizza one night, pot pies the other two. I feel guilty about this, so I'm glad he'll be home soon to resume the BBQ and steamed vegetables routine. I'm also noticing my designer cat, Larisa, is hanging out with me more than usual. Right now she's curled up in my inbox. We're having a restful time together.

I blogged earlier this week about my need for a certain amount of face-to-face external stimulation, and there were a surprising number of comments, so I guess it's not unusual. On Thursday I went to an Alanon meeting. I've been in Alanon for years now, and though my usual meeting is on Friday night, I chose a morning meeting. It was lovely to see people I know there who know me. And not on a superficial level. I was welcomed and invited to the regular lunch afterwards. It dawned on me that I don't have to start from scratch to create a post-work retirement network. These people are already in my life. That's a relief!

I'm still procrastinating on my ESL module. I'm making too big a deal of this lesson plan business. I feel guilty when I think about how it's been nearly a month since I've logged into that website. I know I want to do ESL as a volunteer, but my inexperience with lesson plans has frozen me up. Doesn't matter what anyone says about how we all start out a new activity without knowing anything. I'll just have to get over this, whatever "getting over it" looks like.

However, I have spent two sessions on Wii Fit. I'm working on balance, which isn't as good as it was before a bad ankle sprain two years ago. You should see me heading soccer balls and slalom skiing in my living room!

I have a stack of various types of squash on my kitchen counter. Time to get out the old vacuum packing gadget. Our freezer is full of vegetables. It's remarkable how much a 120-square-foot garden can produced. On the other hand, we have about 400 green tomatoes on the vines. I heard somewhere that the Iceland volcano has affected the atmosphere this year. Oh, well, I can always pick them and put them in paper bags indoors. Eventually they'll turn red.

Off to my day of rest.










7 comments:

DJan said...

Wow. I'm in the Reagan National Airport getting ready to return to my own life, but I keep wondering whether this ESL is really something you want to do. Is it? Hey, BTW, type in djanstewart on the Facebook page and ask to friend me. I'd love to know you in the envirnoment too, Linda!

Teresa Evangeline said...

400 tomatoes on the vine! Gadzooks! You have a full rich life right there! I, too, was surprised, and somehow grateful, for all your responses to the face time thing. It made me feel not so alone in my quandary. Wii sounds like a fun way to get moving.

Linda Reeder said...

I'm having a day of rest too, because I over did it yesterday and my heel pain is much worse. So now I'm moving from one sitting location to another.

Linda Myers said...

DJan - I know I want to work with ESL, but not sure I want to be in charge. Time will tell.

Teresa - the reason I started this blog was to explore and record various aspects of retirement. I'm learning my experience is a common one. Talking about it helps me and, I suspect, the people who read and comment on my blog.

Linda - take it easy. Your heel will heal!

Jo said...

Sometimes I think folks retire too young. Just when we have a lifetime of knowledge to share, we put ourselves out to pasture. :-) I do have mixed thoughts about eventually retiring. But I would love to work part time and paint part time.

Enjoy your tomatoes...!

Arkansas Patti said...

Spontaneous days of doing nothing are the best part of retirement. The lack of schedule is the second best. Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired and play the rest of the time is my goal. Put that wrist watch in the dresser drawer.
I worked for 44 years, enough is enough.

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