Retirement officially began for me August 1st, and each second and fourth Friday, I’ve begun reflecting on the first year of retirement in two-week windows and what it’s like in this new chapter of life – mainly because so many writing community and personal friends asked me how I would spend my time and if I thought I would get bored. I don’t ever see getting bored in retirement, since I tend to keep myself busier than other people have ever tried to keep me. At the beginning of my first week off, I used a green spiral notebook to make a list of all the things I wanted to do — something enjoyable each week, blending in some new hobbies and routines as well. I remember my late father’s words, on retirement: You don’t retire FROM something, you retire TO something, and you’ll be busier than you’ve ever been. He was right, but the busy part is optional, like wearing real clothes on most days instead of my preferred loungewear. And I like having that choice in case I decide to stay home for two days straight and write, read, cuddle with dogs under a blanket on the front porch drinking coffee in the cool morning air, listen to music, and play Mahjong online in real time across the miles with friends.
Here are some things I’ve enjoyed in my first official ten weeks of retirement, with each being described in detail in previous posts :
Here are the most recent things I’ve added to my list of 100 Things I’m Enjoying in Retirement. I’ve reversed the order, going backwards in time to the beginning.
43. Virtual Author Reading for Time in the Landscape – Although I did not attend the gathering in person in Massachusetts for the Time in the Landscape event in September, I sent a recording of a reading for those in attendance. I’m enjoying reading the book in small increments to slow down the reading of the poems and make them last longer.
42. Author Reading for Anna Roseboro’s Book Study- I took part in an author reading for a book study on the anthology Temptations of Christians. Despite the scary intrusion by a small group of folks intent on disrupting the event, I did manage to laugh when I looked back and saw that my Ponytail Palm Tree in the background made it look like I was sporting an interesting hairpiece for reading my short story excerpt.
41. Indie Bookstore Shopping – I visited bookstores in several small towns and enjoyed the vibe of each. In a Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million, the vibe is all the same. In an Indie bookstore, each has such a unique feel that it’s almost as if the bookstore could be a character with a complete personality and traits.
40. Dock Time on Jackson Lake in Georgia – we spent an afternoon on Lake Jackson with my husband’s brother and his wife to enjoy an overcast and breezy day on their dock, just sitting and loving a relaxed pace.
39. Adopt a Dog – I adopted a 6-year old male Schnauzer from the rescue where I adopted two previous dogs, and he is adjusting beautifully on the Johnson Funny Farm.
38. Train Ride to See Fall Foliage – we rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway along the Toccoa River from Blue Ridge to McCaysville, Georgia and Copper Basin, Tennessee to see the beginning of leaf season.
37. Cabin for a Birthday Celebration in North Georgia – we rented a VRBO called Trout House in Mineral Bluff, Georgia to spend time with my husband’s brother and wife for their birthday month.
Previous 36 Items on the Retirement List in countdown order back to the beginning:
36. Fall Baking
35. Hosting Open Write
34. Kindred Spirits September Book Club
33. Mahjong in Blairsville, Georgia
32. Daytripping for Lunch and Small Town Adventuring
31. Hiking the Appalachian Trail
30. Camping at Vogel State Park
29. Lunch with Friends
28. Almost-Birthday Pedicures with my Sister-in-Law
27. Mahjongg Regular Group Formation
26. Stafford Challenge Writing Workshop
25. Stafford Challenge Small Group Zoom Meetings
24. Dolly Parton Tribute at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee
23. Labor Day Camping at F. D. Roosevelt State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia
22. Watercolor Postcards
21. Monthly Small Postcard Poetry Group
20. Office Cleanout
19. Re-Vamping the Reading Room
18. Barnes and Noble Virtual Book Club
17. Kindred Spirits Book Club
16. Novel Writing with Nick
15. Lounge Pants Spree
14. Porch Sitting
13. Fabric Postcards
12. Zinnia Arrangement
11. Mahjong 102 and Free Play
10. Wayfaring to Margaritaville for a concert
9. Wayfaring to FDR for camping
8. Cascadia Postcard Poetry Fest
7. Summer Reading Poetry Book Club
6. Local Bookstore Book Club
5. Friends of the Library Book Fair
4. Yoga
3. Morning Walking
2. Rag Quilting
1. Mahjong 101
The 100-Things-To-Do Retirement List Tanka
only ten weeks in
at 43 list items
and still going strong…..
maybe this is why they say
folks are never busier…..
