My intent with my blog posts is to try and provide insight, in some manner, into retirement living. Recently however, I just seem to be living my retirement with not any major insight emerging.
Here are a few of my less-than-insightful happenings this week:
I’m on a “two for two” with planning fiascos. First, while I was in transit to a planned evening festival, the first arrivers of the group discovered they had moved the event…12 miles in another direction. For many, the reaction would be, “12 miles, no big deal.” But in our county, 12 miles is a 30+ minute drive. And we were already 10 minutes into the drive in the wrong direction. Our group event turned into 4 people. Then, for the next event I had planned this upcoming week, the facility is doing a termite treatment that day. At least we are not all in-transit for that one; note went out this morning to reschedule. I had backed off on planning things (only 3 this month); is the Universe telling me to just stop it?
I went to a garden club training on fairy gardens. Yes, there are design “rules” if you want to enter a fairy garden into a Flower Show. My garden club has been highly encouraging members to enter things into our upcoming show. I had entered a fairy garden last year and was considering it again. Now I’ve learned how wrong my design was last year. So, I attempted to create a new one and I’m embarrassed to enter it, now knowing the design rules!
I am an officer on two different board of directors now. One BoD is contentious; one is supportive. A key officer on the contentious one doesn’t understand why others won’t volunteer to do things. Maybe because it’s a toxic environment with no trust? (see blog link here) On the supportive one, I’m in a steep learning curve on new responsibilities (Go-Daddy marketing!) and everyone is being so helpful. I’m the same person, but treated totally different by each team.
Spring has sprung in central Florida and I’m spending hours in the garden – digging up dead things, moving plants that don’t seem happy in their current location, putting in new stuff – some propagated, some bought new. My gardening journal to-do list is getting shorter. I get satisfaction from seeing my gardens looking better, even if my body is chastising me.
I’ve added new moon tarot card readings into my monthly calendar to ensure I have some reflective contemplative time. I tend to fill my calendar with activity. Not just planned group gatherings and club meetings, but also daily crosswords, monthly book club’s book reading, cardio drumming, Zumba, beach shell walks. Once again, this month’s new moon tarot indicated I need to take more time for inner contemplation and connecting to my intuition. I’ve attempted daily mediation a few times; perhaps it’s time to try again? And fit it into the calendar!
It’s fascinating to me that a new retirement living rhythm has definitely emerged for me. It took time, but as I look at the not-so-insightful aspects of life I shared above, they do fit into my retirement lifestyle vision statement of;
Active Body, Connected Heart, Contemplative Mind, Creative Spirit.
I guess my approach to designing a retirement lifestyle that works for me, summarized in my book (Retirement Transition – link here to Amazon), works!
Any not-so-insightful happening you’d like to share?
Picture: Me at this week’s Florida Strawberry Festival. “Raining Strawberries” (and yes, hat & sunglasses!)
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any insightful happenings — I think I am edging closer to full retirement but when asked why by my 5 year old grandson I couldn’t find an answer why so maybe I am not??
12 miles – 30 minutes. Holy crap that must be a lot of traffic! Termite treatment ?? Glad not to go there. As to the contentous board — I would be gone like a dirty shirt. I think you are just getting the hang of going with the flow and planning a few things is good but not to sweat it. As to spring — not here yet but I will too know the to do list and the body being ticked with me when it happens!
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Bernie, It not just the traffic, it’s the red lights and the drawbridges. There is one left-hand turn signal that I sat at waiting for the turn green light for 5 minutes one day… I realized it doesn’t give a green unless there’s multiple cars waiting to turn! (I do not go that way anymore). But many places you can sit at a red light for 2 minutes if you’re not the “main” road. And if the drawbridge goes up, put the car in park… it’s 10 minutes for it to go up and down.(I live on a barrier island – you can’t get off without going over a drawbridge somewhere.) As you noticed, I am learning to go with the flow more, including red lights, drawbridges, and this time of year, slow moving tourists.
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There is probably a good Analogy about life in all this!
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Any not-so-insightful happening you’d like to share? The CPA got our taxes done earlier than usual and we’re getting a sizable refund from Uncle Sam. We’ve decided which color of brown stain to use on the screened-in porch floor. So you can tell, life is getting wild here!😉
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Oh, I’d like a bit of that wild here. How many shades of brown stain are there?!
Our CPA also got our taxes done much earlier than I expected (last year it was April 12, I swear!). Unfortunately, I think Uncle Sam is looking to me for your refund. My mom did not have her assets inheritance-tax-protected like she thought. So while we did get the money, Uncle now wants his share. Luckily I didn’t do anything wild and crazy with it.
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Hi Pat – I think you’re slowly merging yourself into being able to go with the flow more….. where you plan, but you’re not tying your self-worth into the outcomes so strongly. Retirement has done that to me too, I feel like I can be a lot more flexible and I’m letting go of my need to be in control all the time. It’s a nice feeling to be able to relax a little at a time and ease into the 3rd third of life. x
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Leanne, you hit it right… I am learning more to go with the flow, let things flow off me. Still not where I’d like to be on the whole flow with it… but definitely better!
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No, keep planning! Just some bad luck. Here’s some fun things to do to break bad luck – a) light an odd number incense sticks or b) wear a key as a necklace to “unlock the door to success”. We wouldn’t buy in the condo complex where we rent anyways but all the awful behavior of the HOA people here confirm never to buy here (or probably in any HOA) Ditch the negative board.
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Never heard of those break-bad-luck tricks. Interestingly, I’m now 3 for 3…. we had to move another date because our dehumidifier was on the fritz and the technician was coming in the infamous “4-hour window” so we couldn’t be sure to make the planned event. But I’ll keep planning. I’m trying to let the negativity of the one board flow over me…. I think it’s a skill to learn for me! Hope your trip north went well (or goes well)… I know it’s right around this time of year.
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