Rain, Fire, and Ramblings

63 this morning and muggy. I could hear the highway 4 miles away, which always means rain, and it proved true again as we had some nice rain midday and more expected later. What bliss. We were already watering again.

One of my new roses bloomed this weekend. I love this color. It has a sweet scent too.

We had a nice firepit evening yesterday. It is a small thing, but an hour or two by the fire, watching the night fall, is as relaxing as anything I can think of. Especially when your companion is your best friend and your partner in crime.

Just peaceful.

It was good to have that time by the fire, because this is going to be the kind of week I do not like. I had a doctor's appointment this morning, need to get blood work done Wednesday,  another appointment on Thursday--on my birthday, no less!--and then one more on Monday. All are different doctors,  and it is partly my fault because I rescheduled some of them from the original dates. But still. The good news is that two are routine followup, and the third is to continue trying to resolve my stomach issues. Thankfully that problem has eased up considerably for the whole past 2 months. I guess I still need to make sure that whatever it was is actually done with.

So that leaves Tuesday and Friday with no planned trips away from home. And the weekend too, of course.  Somewhere in there I will have to restock my booths, finish up at least one furniture project, can beets and put up cabbage and broccoli. And string-trim and weed and pick and put up peas.

Yeah, I don't think all that is going to get done.

I was listening to public radio Saturday and on the show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me they were joking about retired people always watching The Price is Right TV show. I guess assuming that we retirees have nothing else to do? 

If you are retired, do you watch that show? We don't have TV service at our house so we don't watch any TV, period.  And we sure don't lack for things to do. Actually, almost every retired person I know has either taken up a different profession, gone to work at their old place of employment either part-time,  as a contractor or consultant, or has started a small business of their own.

For example, one friend is a consultant for the FBI department where he used to work; another went back part-time in land procurement for energy company rights of way, yet another us a cybersecurity consultant for a government agency. One was a nurse and went back full-time after a couple years, and a few have gone back to, or taken up, teaching after being begged to work but various schools. Others, like me started a small side business. Even my son who retired at 48 has started a small trucking business.

I see other retired acquaintances working at the grocery store, the drug store, even at Walmart. Some dived deep into volunteerism or became much more active in their churches. 

So, retired and with nothing to do but watch daytime TV? Do you know anyone like that? I cannot think of a soul in my circle of acquaintances that matches that description!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.