Sunday mornings



Jack

Sunday morning here.  I really like Sunday mornings... not sure why. It could be that it's the one morning in the week that I don't have to do anything.  You would think that now that we're retired every morning would be like that, wouldn't you? But even though 'the job' is no longer looming,  there are things that still need doing, errands to run, projects to get done, etc.  And since we're both 'morning people', we tend to try to get it done early... leaving the afternoon for that 'coverted nap' or possibly just sitting with a book and a cup of hot tea. It's taken me 66 years to have the time and freedom to do this and I'll defend my right to do this to the death (physically and literally). Weird, huh? I wonder if others feel this way?  Or is it just me?

Some Sunday mornings we go for breakfast, but since we were out with friends last night, we won't do this today. Meeting old friends that one hasn't seen in a while is always fun.  It's odd, we've all grown older and a little grayer but things fall in place like they always did, and it's like no time has passed at all. Magic.

BTW, I do believe in magic.  It's one of those things that make me me.  And even though I can't explain it,  I know it exists (or maybe I should say that it exists if you choose to believe). People get so caught up with semantics.  For me it's that feeling you get when you were a child on Christmas Eve (you could feel the magic in the air), or when you saw your baby smile for the first time...    it's those moments where the universe shifts... and nothing is ever the same again. 

Well, this can't be long today as I need to do some cooking a little later. We're grilling tonight and I promised to make some bread pudding with whiskey sauce for dessert.




Cats helping me get things together



Critter comforts

One of our coons at the back french door...

Ok, I admit it. We feed the coons... and the possums, and the box turtles (and an occasional bobcat or coyote... but the rebuilt fence has stopped the coyotes.  Besides, they were a threat to the other critters.) How can we not?  We put food outside for the birds and the feral cats.  Are we supposed to say, "No raccoons allowed!"  I know the reasons. But I'm sorry, if they are hungry, we're going to feed them.  And it's over 100 degrees here in Texas in the summer.  We provide water year-round... especially when the creek dries up... or freezes over (which generally doesn't happen). 

This picture is one of our regulars who comes to the kitchen door awaiting a hand-out. And no, we don't get that close... or try not to. They do bring their young in the morning and evening to eat and hang out by the water tubs. Their antics provide us and our kids and grand kids with endless entertainment. 

However, this particular site is supposed to be about our recent retirement... but these critters have been part of our pre-and post retirement life, so I can't not bring them up occasionally. I could do a blog just about our cats and critters, but I have too many websites and blogs out there already.  Getting too old to multi-task so I need to combine them all here.  Besides, my old site called "Cats, Coffee, and Chocolate" (my vices - such as they are) was basically about that.  All the old pictures and info about our cats was and still is there.  You only have to click on the navigation line to see pictures and read some of the stories of our cats. But I degress.

And I haven't anything much to add today anyway.  We are meeting some old friends this weekend. It will be wonderful to see them as we haven't got together in over a year. Now that we're all retired you'd think we could structure our time better... 



New Title for old site...

It is Monday, June 18, 2012.  Having just googled my old post to see what came up... I decided that the title "For Better or For Worse, but not for lunch" was apparently too popular.  So I've now changed it to "Older but better...?"  But you can find my older posts there.  I probably should have googled this title also before starting to write, but as the saying goes, "coulda, shoulda, woulda.... didn't".

This was me in school around 1954 or 55.  Life was simple then.  It gradually got more complicated... and less simple.  But it was always good.  Don't mean to imply that things were always wine and roses, but my philosophy then (even if I hadn't formulated it into words) was "what is... is, and I can handle it". And that philosophy continues to work for me today at the grand old age of approaching 67.

I have blogged or had a website for many many years.  Previous to this I journaled by hand, but when online journaling became popular (maybe 12 or more years ago), I went with it.  Sometimes I regret it as many of my websites disappeared over the years, some can still be brought up, and there are quite a few out there... the most recent having been Cats, Coffee, and Chocolate.  But this particular site was to be devoted to the new experience and adventure into retirement.  Hubby retired the summer of 2009 and took to it more readily than I had expected. Having retired from my career field back in 1991, I've only worked part time in recent years; however arriving at full retirement age was something I both anticipated and feared.

So many unknowns.  Would we have enough money to live on?  Would we miss the routine we had established over the years?  Would we miss our working family and friends?  Would we get bored?  Would we like being home together 24/7?  Etc. Etc. Etc.   And then there's Social Security, and Medicare, and Supplements....

Anyway, if you want to read the first posts during these awkward months, you will have to go back to "For Better or for Worse" and "Cats, Coffee, and Chocolate".  As now it is almost the first anniversary of both of us being home and retired.  August 12, 2011 was my last day at the bookstore... which is where I spent the last 5 years of mornings. Loved it!  Love books, love people who love books, write books, read books, etc.  So it was a good match.  But have to say this also.... I love being retired!

It has worked out well.  We both have our own routines.  Love being able to do what I want when I want...  (limited some by budget of course, but not by time).  Will go into more of this tomorrow.  Have to close for today. 
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