day 340

White roofs, bright stars, and crunchy grass. Last day of January. After church the annual meeting will occur. I’m worried that our little congregation can’t maintain Fr. David. If we move to a lay ministry, I will not stay. I will go back to my own version of spiritual connection. There’s always Brookings but I’m not in favor of the drive. Bone broth is bubbling and a chicken will be roasting. Hope for a long walk later when it warms up. 

Day 339

Had a long phone conversation with Jackie yesterday. More satisfying than texting or messagine. Must do more of that. I like personal conversations with meaning. Today is farm stand day and I need a load of good stuff. My empty refrigerator calls for greens and other vegetables. Maybe Megan will go with me and grab some for herself. I took the last of the pills and now I want to feel well again. Life is good and I like mine.

Day 338

Yesterday did not improve. I did get a brief walk but no energy to enjoy it. I had a fuzzy head and lead feet. Stormy today and I will get out for groceries to put in the newly cold refrigerator. I emptied it when it was too warm to save anything. I could spend time with house chores. The floors always need attention especially with four dogs running in and out in the wet weather. Our integration is working well.

day 337

Wet and windy. Today is senior center duty and I am looking forward to getting out with people. May get the part for the refrigerator later today and then I can shop. Had a lovely visit with Carol yesterday, tea and talk. Need more of that. My head still aches. Tonda says I have to take all the pills and I will. Why am I feeling worse with the medication than before I took it? The infection is a mystery.

Day 336

My refrigerator contents have evacuated to Megan’s house. Need a part so it will defrost. Nice to have a spare close by. The board meeting was long. Lots of serious talk about Last Chance and how the future looks for traffic. Personal knowledge that it has been sinking since 1967 when the patching was daily. Today I’ll get out for a walk. Too long in the house, waiting for others, getting wimpy, not good for attitude or body. New day.

day 335

The refrigerator guy didn’t show up. I waited. No walk. I’ll call again this morning and see if I can pin down a time for him so I can go to the board of supervisors meeting. I want to get outside! I need to walk. I’m addicted and need a fix. Yesterday the senior center was full of stories. I laughed a lot and loved it. What a treat to be part of the community. Volunteering makes a big life.

Day 334

At church I asked for prayers of gratitude for my iron scores. It has taken 2 ½ years to get to normal range. Now the bones and the immune system still need strengthening and I’m working on it. Felt social after service. Senior Center duty and I’m looking forward to going. My head is feeling fine again. The medicine is working and this afternoon I’ll get a long walk. First coffee, exercise, a little news, and a brief house neatening. 

Day 333

Church, orchid care and nothing else on the agenda yet. Hope for something new although I am still short on energy. My head is not so fuzzy. I must be getting used to the medication. I want to be well. I am grateful for my life style. I know how to live here and enjoy the people and the climate and enjoy the beauty. Every walk, even just around the corner, is a treat. I live in a postcard world.

Day 332

Still not feeling well, even though I was in bed for ten hours. I’m feeling light-headed and slightly off kilter. I’m guessing it’s the minocycline. Must take it to get rid of the persistent UTI. I’m not as grumpy so the rest must have had some positive effect. Hollie and I are going to Faith Crist’s funeral this morning. It’s wet and windy and it’s a short walk to her church. I helped Megan move to a new bank account.

Day 331

I want my body to function as it is created to do. I want to feel well and know that how I am living keeps me well. I want to know that the exercise, nutrition, and positive attitude are contributing to health and self-respect. Today I will fill the list that I didn’t do yesterday. I will call about the refrigerator running all the time and I will talk with KY about the remodel in Megan’s kitchen. Better day coming.

Day 330

Most of yesterday went as planned. St. Vinnie’s took the stuff and now all the old items from the little house are gone. Karen gave me an amazing massage. The hot rocks melt the tension right out of my body. Took an effort to connect with a prescription for another UTI. What’s with that? Made contacts with the information changes. Think I’m done with that project. I did get out and walk and that makes a difference in my attitude.

day 329

There are glitches in the new services. The bedroom TV does not respond to the remote, the main TV doesn’t turn off, it goes on standby and I don’t like the e-mail so more calling today. I made contact changes. My cell phone doesn’t get the wi-fi yet. All will fall into place and then I’ll look around for something else to change. I have items in the car to take to Daily Bread. I will get a walk today.

Day 328

All the changes are in place. Two hours, three techs and I have all new services. It will take a while to assess if it is better or not. I’m a bit cynical about corporate business plans. Megan is off the HSU in the storm to start her commuting. Today I will make calls to change the phone number and hope to connect with Tonda to get the blood test results. I’m expecting them to be amazing. Must get busy.

Days 326 and 327

Day 326

Outside is an “atmospheric river”. It’s been raining for days and aside from brief respites, it will rain for days to come. Wait a minute, I thought El Nino was a southern CA event. I did walk yesterday. It was cold but welcome. I am addicted to walking and pacing is OK but not as satisfying. I did collect some goodies at the farm stand. Love the fresh greens, dino kale and curly kale, leeks, salad turnips, carrots, and oranges.

Day 327

Out with the old phone and internet company, and tv provider, in with a combined service. Hope for a positive change. It means new phone number and new internet name and password. I’ve had the same identifying items for many years. This is a good year for making new routines and rituals. The dogs go to the groomer for their monthly bath. No senior center duty due to Martin Luther King day. I may do errands while leaping over puddles.

Day 325

Yesterday I paid for the gas range for Megan’s house. We will wait a bit to see when Chuck is coming back and maybe will get another guy to do the changes in the counters to make room for the range and a new sink. Today is farm stand again. The time really does fly by. Then I have an open day. I wish I was looking forward to an event or entertainment, anything new and stimulating would be welcome. 

Day 324

Early appointment for a fasting blood test. Then, must have coffee. It’s another cold windy day with rain coming. I did brave the weather yesterday for a walk and will do so again. Then I will do the business of change: call and cancel frontier for the landline and internet and directv. There is always a bit of confusion with change and I’m hoping this one is smooth and uneventful. I enjoyed the center and worked with a new volunteer.

Day 323

I decided to change my TV, internet, and phone to Charter again. Last evening the doorbell announced a representative of Charter who signed me up. I had no problems with Directv until ATT took it over. So, a new phone number, new e-mail address, and hopefully, the dish off the roof. Megan’s gas cooker is ordered. I didn’t connect with the hearing lady. Next week. The wind makes walking an extra exercise. It is refreshing and blows out the cobwebs.

Day 322

Rain and wind again. Minnie is restless, shivers, and crowds at night. Poor baby. Yesterday I gave Megan my massage appointment and it did wonders for her tired body. She has worked for too long on moving and cleaning. She has shed Eureka. Today I will order a gas range for her house. Contemplating getting a hearing test. I am aware of struggling to hear at times. Yesterday at the board meeting I had to work at hearing some statements. 

Day 321

Yesterday was long and I was ready for bed early. Today I’m rarin’ to go again. Ups and downs are part of the human condition. Today I’ll attend the board of supervisors meeting, get my hair cut so it can grow long, and get a much needed massage from Karen. The weather is winter for sure, rain, wind, but warm. I may brave it to get a walk. Megan will be home for the first time without going to Eureka.

Day 320

Back to the senior center for duty this morning. I have missed being there. I enjoyed the service, the fellowship, and the delicious ham meal, yesterday at church. I’m not good at staying home for days in a row as I start sinking into a rut. My antennae are waving looking for a new place for volunteering. I need stimulation and group connection. Wish for another comfortable writing group. I miss group interaction. No women’s group, dream group, or writers. 

Day 319

Church today. It’s Epiphany and we will have traditional meal after the service. Last Sunday I was at Urgent Care instead of church. Will admit that I’m still not 100% well and my body is working on healing. Yesterday I walked slowly and a tad plodding but I was outside walking! I finished the February column and will send it today. The bills are paid, fresh food from the farm stand installed for Megan and Hollie and me. All’s well.

Day 318

Agenda for today: water and feed the orchids, go to the farm stand for vegetables and oranges from Paul’s brother’s ranch, walk, maybe do a bit of housework. I know I’m feeling better when I notice dust. Megan’s house is adorable. She has made one room into a lovely living space. It is a talent. I’ve been writing daily and back to enjoying it. When I can find words, I know I’m processing what’s going on. Being present is important.

Day 317

Didn’t make it out of the house. I had no energy and was grumpy so I didn’t enjoy four dogs running around. Megan is nearly done. Just cleaning the apartment and she will sever her time in Eureka. I will get outside today. A good walk will refresh my brain cells and invigorate my whole self. Too much time in the house is not productive.  My body feels better. The irritation from the kidney stone is abating. Now do exercises.

Day 316

The UTI turned out to be a kidney stone. That’s why I’m sore. Don’t want to do that again. I want to go to the senior center for duty today. I did get a short walk yesterday but I need to get out. Feeling better means a need to move. Lots of dog activity but not enough conversation. Megan has things to finish in Eureka and is nearly ready to begin her routine here. The classes start on the 19^th. 

day 315

Half through with the prescription. In my view, I should be well already. Not quite but certainly better than yesterday. I must go out in the storm for food. Might be a break that I can take advantage of for foraging in the grocery store. Crosswords puzzles and coloring books only go so far in making the time pass comfortably. I like doing, not sitting. I could be working on my column. The ideas are floating around in my mind.

Day 314

Good weather for staying in, warm and comfortable. The wind nearly blew me away as I took out the trash bins. I laid them down so they wouldn’t sail down the street. Today I’m not feeling much better although I did rest more. I had a better night. I’m working on my journal or rather, playing with it. Actually took out the crayons and doodled a bit. Felt right to get back in the habit of time with my journal. 

Day 313

 I connected with help and medication. This week I will stay home from the senior center and concentrate on getting healthy. The past two or three weeks I have been semi-wimpy. Not well, not sick. By staying home, I hope to get back to dancing and singing. Amazing Megan has all her boxes unpacked. She has to go to Eureka today for business stuff and then she is nearly finished, just waiting for her dad to pick up the furniture.

day 312

I’m going to the ER as soon as it’s daylight. The UTI landed early AM and I will take care of it now. I love opening my shutters and seeing Megan’s car in the driveway. She worked all day yesterday and has a pile of empty boxes to show for it. She had her music blasting to help her energy stay up. I can tell by the placement of things that she has a plan. She knows what she’s doing.

day 311

Open day. Started out with negative sorting: don’t want to do housework, don’t want shop, don’t want to deal with the UTI that is beginning. Just want it to go away. Where is my immune system? I treat it well, do everything that supports it and then, damn. Megan may want help with her unpacking. The little house is full of boxes. She has a talent for taming small spaces. Looking forward to having her settle in and live here.

Day 310

Didn’t make it until the ball dropped. The bed beckoned and I answered. There were booms at midnight so I was aware that the new year started. Today new calendars, back to the first page of my 10 year log book, and a clean computer with the backup done. No resolutions. I plan to keep on doing what I’ve been doing. It worked fine in 2015. My health has improved and life is good. Moving onward and upward is priority.

There is one New Horizon that can be satisfying and enriching when thoughtful preparation is made. That is Retirement. Some people seem to think that the transition from work to retirement is automatic. It isn’t. Retiring is the next job and as in work life, the new job requires groundwork.

This week I heard from one woman that her newly retired husband had no idea how to use his recent freedom from clock and calendar. He followed her around with suggestions about how housework should be done. Finally, she said, “Go do something”. She married him for better or worse but not for lunch. Another person said that her spouse had retired a year ago and was still bouncing off walls wondering what to do with himself.

According to one study, successful retirees were those who already had at least 50% of their friends, interests, and activities that were not work related. Those with  less than 50% often suffered depression or passed away sooner than they should have.

Preparation is the answer to enjoying the leisure that we worked for all those years. First there is financial security. We know that social security payments and retirement benefits may be significantly different from the salary while still working. This may require a change in lifestyle that needs to be anticipated. More important is evaluating emotional readiness to give up work. This is essential to people who retain their worker identity. Asking what profession or job a person has is often part of introductions when meeting new people so it is not surprising that moving to a new status may be difficult.

More time for fishing, playing golf, wood working, or quilting are frequently mentioned goals. Those who have already cultivated friendships, hobbies and recreational pursuits may find that they still have time to fill. That’s when it’s important to look for new outlets. If our job was energy consuming, now is the time to investigate all those interests that had to be put on the back burner . It’s time to go to public meetings, learn to cook exotic recipes, take a class in drawing or painting, learn a foreign language, play a musical instrument, join groups of like-minded people, try out for a play, and my personal favorite, volunteer. There are so many non-profit organizations that cannot exist without volunteers. Besides being of service, there are new people to meet, new uses for talents and skills, new skills to learn, and the satisfaction of supporting our communities.