Eight Weeks

Eight weeks ago today, I walked out of my office for the last time. Where did the time go? 

I like to stop and take stock of where I've been and what I've accomplished. It helps me plan what I need to do next. I don't sit and commiserate about what I haven't done. I may reprioritize a few things, but that's what these moments are about. 

In the last eight weeks, we've actually crossed a few things off our ever-growing To Do List. 
-Purchased a van for the spousal unit
-enlarged the paver pad where the van is parked
-painted ramps
-cleaned and reorganized the shed
-canned four projects
-installed three raised beds
-re-stoned area around the heat pump
-firearms practice
-met with a tree trimmer
-gardening

-pension paperwork, etc.

-write and blog

-lunch with former CEO

There are a few smaller, more incidental items on my list, things we do all the time like going for a haircut or doing the laundry. Suffice it to say, I'm amazed at how quickly my days fill with activity. 

One thing I've not accomplished is settling into a daily walking routine. On May 29th, I took a tumble in the creek and I still have pain from that. It's not curtailed my daily activities, but I've walked the trails just enough to know the injury was far worse than I thought and is not yet fully healed. I'm sure I'll get there, but it's a slow process. 

To sit and ponder on the fact it's already been eight weeks brings to light just how quickly my impression of time passing is changing. Eight weeks seem to have passed in the blink of an eye. It's already mid-July and the hours of daylight shrink with every passing day. We're in that stretch when it's hazy, hot, and humid every day. But this will pass and I need to be ready when it does. 

This is a year of transition. Some things I need to allow to unfold. I'm adjusting to a new normal, a normal that will continue to change. Sitting on the sunroom porch and watching the hummingbirds feast on the bee balm passes for excitement, some days. I'm not at all unhappy about that. 

The Lady of Holly Tree Manor (The Hideaway)

Holly Tree Manor, The Hideaway, retirement, hummingbirds, gardening, simple country pleasures, rural lifestyle, country living, daily routines, to-do lists, canning,