Reframing Retirement Life

   

Funny candle in my photos from
a past day trip. I think I
bought for one of my sisters.

     I've been all systems go the last 30 months. I dove into major house projects like two bathrooms, the deck removal and patio pour, the fence, updating fireplace unit and now the water system. I've travelled as much, work trips aside, in this time period as I have in the five years preceding. Due to pups needs, the state of the world, the economy, and my own physical and mental bandwidth, I am on a much needed pause. I need to focus on day to day basics instead of the next big thing. 

     My daughter had a couple unexpected shoots on Saturday and needed help at her house with her dog. It gave me time to hang out, take him on walks and play, and do some thinking where I want to invest time, energy, and resources now and short-term future, now that it's been a full year retired.

House spring clean: Purge, organize, and clean needs to be my full time job. I keep doing minimal and am seeing no real progress. 

Basic yard and garden cleanup and upkeep: I've got supplies and the time this spring to get both front and back neat and tidy. I'll look on FB Buy Nothing for more shared perennials and also split my hostas.I want a section of the yard to stay wild for pollinators but have a place for veg growing.

Invest time in healthy cooking: While I've greatly reduced use of convenience foods, I can do much better. My YouTube indulgence can shift to cooking content to both expand my repertoire and increase nutrients per calorie.

Explore day trip locales: Within a three hour round trip windows, plenty of time (with a dog reliever) remains for full day explorations. Depending on where, pup can come too sometimes. Those will be short trips with lots of rest! I've got a list off the top of my head, but will dive into local tourism sites for ideas.

More time with In-Real-Life friends: Don't get me wrong, you're all great. However, I've deceived myself that it's adequate social interaction when I realize at times its been weeks since seeing anyone but family or the odd acquaintance in a store. Tying this to the spring cleaning and healthy cooking, I want friends to feel welcome at any time and be treated well.

Seperate from, while supporting, my children's lives and decisions: It's been a lot for all four of us the last three + years, and perhaps too much codependency instead of supporting independency. It's a balance that I  guess most parents feel, but after a loss that changes life so profoundly, it became too comfortable for them to turn to me first before resolving life on their own. I'm going to work on more just listening, asking questions, and offer minimal advice or intervention. My sister and I recently reflected on this and how we'd have never involved our mom with things our children regularly lay on our feet.

     Big projects will be back. The roof will need replacing; floor coverings are horrendous after dealing with pup. I still have a wish list of both new to me places and places I want to return on my travel list. For now, like so many, I'm riding out the economic storm. It'll give me time to recharge my physical and emotional battery after the beating and drain they've taken.