Do you ever get that question or even ask it of someone else, particularly if they are retired? The responses are interesting, but even more interesting to query yourself (myself) to really examine what actually fills up a day.
I’ve thought of this more of late because we really haven’t been going a lot of places. Most of the time Mike just doesn’t feel up to it. The cancer diagnosis has exacerbated that. For me, it’s been a bit of an adjustment since I was best suited to a busy schedule.
But here I am, and I certainly don’t want to fall into a funk. I needed a plan. Some of it I already had in place. Rise and shine at 6 a.m. This is my time to exercise. Depending on how I feel (energetic or not) I have numerous options. The treadmill once a week for a two mile jog. Or I get a 30 minute cardio workout with Denise Austen.
For an easier go I use Eccentrics by Miranda Esmonde White and Yoga for the Rest of Us by Peggy Cappy. There’s also AM Yoga by Rodney Yee or Tai Chi with David Dorian-Ross.
7:00a.m. is my quiet time with a combination of devotionals, prayer and meditation. Lots of opportunities here, but my current favorite is New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp. As for meditation practice, Senior Planet has numerous choices, five minutes and longer. I also log at least 15 minutes of the long standing process of doing morning pages that I first learned from Julia Cameron in her book “The Artist’s Way.
8:00 By this time I’m REALLY ready for coffee and the morning paper which, surprisingly, in a small rural town, we still get delivered curbside. Also time to turn on Public Radio. and have a light breakfast. About this time Mike will arise and I’ll make sure there’s a peeled orange or carved grapefruit. On to shower and get dressed for the day.
9:00 a.m. I’m at my computer for what I call “desk work” — checking email, going through snail mail and taking at least 5-10 minutes to work on the always-growing piles of “stuff”on my desk. I reserve part of the hour for blogging, or if lacking inspiration, checking other people’s blogs and commenting on a few. Suddenly the hour is gone.
At this point, there’s the risk of wandering aimlessly through the rest of the day. That’s why I needed a plan. As a retiree, I have the luxury of examining all those “should do’s” and “wanna do’s”. So I made a list that fell into these broad categories:
–The “should do’s” of having a clean and orderly home and preparing interesting and nutritious meals;
–The “wanna-do’s” of reading, music, gardening, sewing and other hobbies.
–The “need-to-do’s: learning more about Mike’s cancer and coming to grips with managing a chronic, and potentially terminal, disease.
If I’m house cleaning, I can only stand to devote an hour or two a day. Say what you will about the perfectionism of Martha Stewart, but she does have some very helpful advice for cleaning every nook and cranny of your home. As for cleaning supplies, I often check in with Mary Hunt at Everyday Cheapskate for tried and true (and inexpensive) cleaning supplies.
With cleaning done, I’ve arrived at the noon day when, after a light lunch, I often devote 30 minutes to reading my current book of choice. Lately, though, I’ve opted to looking at my seldom used collection of cook books. That’s why I’m looking at them. The theory being, if I pull them off the shelf, I might actually find a recipe to use. Like today. I made some delicious cinnamon rolls. And as the rolls were raising, I looked at more cookbooks.
Now for an afternoon of “wanna-do’s.”
Today it’s an hour for sewing. An expert seamstress I am not, but I still have the New Home sewing machine my parents gave me many years ago. While I’ve sewn many things, I’ve never tried quilting. So here I go. As we all know, you can learn just about anything on YouTube where I found two ladies who are showing me “The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to making a Quilt.” Fortunately I had on hand a “charm pack” with precut squares ready to be sewn together. I’m on my way.
Next up, an hour of Music. The grand piano awaits but if my husband is napping, I head down the street to our beautiful Catholic church and play the organ and keyboard for an hour. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 8 years old, so I’ve plenty of music. But that’s the catch, I always need music in front of me. So now instead of just playing, I’m learning how to play by ear. It’s easier if one is born with that gift, but apparently it can be learned. I’m on the quest. When not at the piano bench, I resort to numerous YouTube demos to help me get started. One in particular, Pianonote is really enjoyable. The instructor is cute, happy and very helpful.
Home organization falls in the middle of should do and wanna do, as in sorting old photos. It’s a project so easy to ignore because it’s such a daunting task. So I’ve picked a specific project with a deadline — that’s important. I’m doing a memory book for one of our daughters. She has two daughters of her own and I’ve decided to give the three of them a photo book of Mollie’s life thus far starting from her birth. I’m calling it “Tell Us More” because it will encourage Mollie to tell her daughters more details about what the photos reveal. Deadline is Mother’s Day — of this year! I’m using the Snapfish memory book tool but there are numerous choices. Storyworth is another one I’ve heard several people are using.
Gardening and Landscape. Spring is nearly here but it’s too early to do any yardwork. However, planning is in order, so I’m sketching out ideas for a larger flower garden. I also want to plant some lilacs at our farm. Buying 25 to 30 lilac shrubs can be a little expensive, but I may have found a reasonable (and beautiful) option at Meadowlark Lilac Farm. It means a road trip which I think we can handle. Digging up the lilacs may be another matter.
5:00: Suddenly the afternoon is gone. If I were working, I’d be wrapping up my work day and heading home. But I’m here, time at my disposal. Weather cooperating, I’ll head outside for some fresh air and a walk.
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Mike and I always have great evening conversations, either on the deck at cocktail time or over dinner. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day with him. Sometimes we go for a drive and enjoy the sunset.
8:00 p.m. Finally there’s time to reach for one of several books I’m reading. Currently, it’s Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan or the local book club’s choice B is for Burglar by Susan Grafton.
Sometimes I’ll join my husband for some tv watching if we can agree on what to watch. I’m not a fan of the old westerns he loves. If not there, I head to my study and log on to PBS Passport where I’ll watch the current episode of Call the Midwife.
Time to call it a day. I feel pretty good about what I did. I remind myself there are choices to be made, lots of them actually. They will change over time, depending on the circumstances. But whatever I’m faced with, I’ll embrace the situation, make a plan and keep on living.
That’s what I do all day.
kateslonglivedlife 