life on the homefront...

Jack 

As I sit here in my computer room drinking my Sunday morning coffee, I'm thinking about making chocolate chip pancakes for our 5 and 14 year old grandsons this morning. The 5 year old is busy upstairs playing some computer game with his dad or brother... not sure which... but he's apparently enjoying it as his little voice keeps flowing down the stairs full of laughter and giggles. Sunday mornings are the only times we eat a big breakfast around here... usually eggs, grits, biscuits, and bacon or pancakes/waffles and scrambled eggs.  I used to make scones a lot (lavender or chocolate chip pecan), but haven't done this in a while... hmm-mm, maybe next Sunday.

Reading these blogs give us a glimpse into other people's lives... which on a personal level... may not seem so interesting to the average reader.  But through them I realize how similar and how different we all are. It amazes me when I read about someone who is actually interested in so many of the same things I am, people who have the same concerns, the same fears, the same joys.  It's great to share a little bit of their life on occasion.  And some lives are so-oo different. And I love reading those too! I especially like reading the blogs of those who live in other countries, those who are dedicated to being self-sufficient, artists, culinary amateurs and experts, nature lovers, cat lovers, etc. It's terrific! We have the world at our fingertips. How can anyone ever be bored?

This is a glimpse through our back gate going over into the creek and flood plane. It's the area where most of our wildlife comes from...

This is Jack laying on our kitchen counter watching me cook...

Jack and Tux standing guard on the stairs...

Ghost playing on the kitchen floor with her mouse...

19 year old Molly playing with a stick of catnip on our bed.

                  Our house in snow...

Our backdoor visitors...

19 year old Rose sunning herself in the front window...              

 A custard pie with my pie bird (just for show)

         Some of my favorite cups...

A chicken pot pie (with recipe in background)

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!    : )

Dancing as fast as I can...

I'm still trying to 'catch up' since being gone last week.  Have read almost all the blogs I missed... but haven't had time to comment on all.  Hopefully I will be back on track in the next few days.

My pottery classes are already in critiques and that along with Yoga classes (as well as picking up my grandson after school) is keeping me hoppin'.  I need a nap! 

Oh well, I'll survive...

Am behind on a bunch of things like a dental cleaning, eye exam, mammogram, etc. - but only by about 2 months.  Hope to get it all in before December. 

BTW, I did get to go to youngest grandson's first soccer game a week ago.  It was great!  The 5 year olds are so cute.   Here are a few pics.  GS is the dark haired one on the far left.

To pot or not to pot...




I'll bet you thought I was going to talk about gardening here.  No...I've been reading blogs lately that have to do with cats, farm animals, knitting, cooking, gardening, and pottery...  and have found some great ones that I intend to follow. 

Pottery is a fairly new activity for me. I have played around with writing stories, sketching, water-color, photography, etc. for most of my life. But about 2 years ago, I decided that I would like to learn to throw on the potter's wheel.  So I signed up for some classes and have been at it ever since.  Working with clay is new to me and extremely enjoyable. I've a long way to go, but the process of getting there has been delightful.  Most of the people (or maybe I should say, 'a lot of the people') I'm working with have done this for 15 - 30 years... so-oo since I'm already 67, I doubt if I will ever be as accomplished as them.  But that's OK.

While learning to throw on the wheel has been my main focus, hand-built sculptures has provided me with lots of entertaining hours.  The picture at the top was the first part of our project for last semester... a stoneware dinnerware set.  It wasn't great, but I was happy that the pieces actually came close to looking like what they were supposed to be.  The second part of our project was to hand-build 3 trophy animal sculptures.  Well, the thought of animal heads on trophies put me off... so I decided to do birds... for whatever reason, it didn't seem so off-putting. 

 

I choose a rooster, a puffin, and an eagle...

I find working in this new medium not that different than some of the others... such as writing.  When writing sometimes the story takes off on his own volition; the characters taking on a life of their own. Well, sculpting seems to do this also.  Sometimes I plan to make something whimsical... but it pulls towards reality... or vice-versa.  With the wheel though, I find it a constant struggle to conquer it... but am beginning to realize that its not a matter of controlling it, but rather learning how to co-operate with it.  Again, I'm still very new at this.

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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