Some of you may be inching toward retirement. Possibly you may be curious what that stage of your life will look like. Here's a sample day, from the perspective of two average old-ish people:
Morning. Ed and I are lost in our thoughts in bed at sunrise. I'm trying to estimate when I should get going with my farmette chores. He's probably thinking about his machine design. We say, almost simultaneously, "I have an 8:30 appointment." His is a dental one, mine is a regular old doc. I suggest we eat breakfast after all that. He is agreeable.
He tells me -- look out there, isn't that a perfect photo? It is. I take it. It's not perfect. It's not even good. But, so long as I am dangling my camera around my neck (yes, always the heavy one! oh! you think that's why I have a sore neck sometimes? now there's an idea!), I may as well go out to feed the animals. No jacket, wet hair. Brrr! And slippery still! And oh that knee! Time to put on the brace once more!
Back inside, he's off, I'm off, I'm back, he's back. Would you like oatmeal? Yes! One cat comes in, another goes out. This happens over and over again. You cannot sit still with these monsters pestering you to open the door for them.
I have my next appointment then. I timed grocery delivery for just after, except they deliver the bags early. He's on a Zoom meeting with his machine design. I unpack the perishables and then go off. I see that there is no way in hell that I can now make my 10:30, so I call them to apologize. I will be ten minutes late!
No you wont, she tells me. Your appointment is at 11:30.
Damn. I wrote it in incorrectly. Or she wrote it in incorrectly. I'm not going to probe into that. I spin the car around and go home. And then set out again.
Just before I go off (again), I notice a big stain on the ceiling of the art room. Ed, his back and knee not withstanding, climbs up on the roof (in my absence) and finds... actually not a whole lot, since the roof is still iced over. We put it off for another inspection later.
Snowdrop has a different schedule today: I pick her up earlier, at her doc's appointment. No problem! I can bring her to the farmhouse earlier!
We'll have more time to read.
And then I set myself up to do her hair for ballet. Off we go!
I dare dash out during her class to do some errands in the neighborhood. What the heck. Live dangerously! And after class I take her home.
Evening. I pull into our super muddy driveway (I mean, you could not possibly believe how deep and squishy the mud is! Ed promises he will fix it come real springtime) and I come in, relieved that I have leftover soup from Saturday's prep for supper. All I need to add is a salad.
Day is done! So, you think you can handle that? Sure you can! And if I can offer a suggestion: bookmark your days with a calm breakfast and a supper filled with veggies and gratitude. For all that keeps you busy. For all the help you can offer to those who need it. And perhaps for the cheer that you can bring into someone else's life.
With love...
