Retirement is very very hectic

It has been ages since I updated my blog and I feel it is about time.

Since my return from Tassie I have been occupied with

• Grandkids - I really enjoy any moments I have with my two boys and Ivy. Ivy and I spend Thursdays together each week and every second Tuesday. She just loves being outside so I am able to do small jobs in the garden whilst playing with her.

"Where is it?

"stars"

• House repair - I've had various jobs done that I could not do myself. The window washing man (fabulous) cleaned windows inside and out, upstairs and down, took down all my curtains so I could wash them, replaced all my fire alarm batteries and a light globe, adjusted the night light sensor at the front and refitted one of the curtain rod brackets! He then said if there were any other bits and pieces I needed done to just ring him. Then there was gutter cleaning man. I had a plumber come to fix taps that had started to disintegrate. And Geoff spent most of a day with me doing odd bits of heavy work mostly outside. My dishwasher broke down and had to be replaced. Then I was offered 3 new single beds to replace some broken ones I had.

• Visiting doctors for the usual body maintenance - I've been trying to have this back-hip-leg-knee thing investigated with an xray and ultrasound used to find issues. I had had to curtail activities because I was in such pain. Last Monday I had a steroid injection in my hip bursa and that has made some difference in the amount of pain I have. I do hope it works for a long time. Maybe I won't need that wheelie walker too soon now. While all this has been going on I have stopped pilates but hope to start up again soon. My monthly massages are an absolute must though and keep me moving.

• Gardening - In the last few weeks I have had the paving under the back windows and down the drive redone. Now there are no steps and rough areas for when I need to exit the property with my wheelie walker (not necessary yet though). In this process all sorts of other bits of the garden have needed sorting. The paver man used all the good bricks I had used as garden edges and retaining walls so all these had to be replaced by me. Not quite finished that yet. Then I used some of the concrete blocks from the driveway to extend the concrete path to the chook shed so I can go up and collect eggs in soft shoes. The paver man also moved all the rose pots so I am having to put them somewhere for the long term. That will be a slower job. As Surrey always said if you finished everything then you would have nothing left to do and that would be sad. 

Before

After

• Singing - lots and lots of practice. This weekend I have two major functions, a choral matins at church on Sunday morning in which most of the service will be sung (except the sermon and readings), followed by the Sutherland Choral Society concert - Durufle's Requium and Schubert's Mass in G. On the June long weekend I'll be taking part in Chorus Oz with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs performing Handel's Israel in Egypt (I've been doing my own practise with that one as it is completely new to me). Just because we all felt like something to fill our time I had a choir lunch at my place today.

• Quilting  - Unfortunately I am not getting much of my own patchwork done but I still attend the group at Kogarah Library every second week and also have the Rainbow Connection Quilters here every two months. As well as that I am making new curtains to replace the ones that fell apart in the wash.

• Projects - Just occasionally I am asked to help with projects like the plant cheat sheets for the Tassie Devils trip and I love the challenge of doing that sort of educational/botanical work. However, the other day I was asked if I could volunteer on a lizard behaviour project which I declined - they wanted me full time for a month!! I don't think so! When would I get time to do that?

• Travelling - since Tassie my travels have only taken me to the city, to Ulladulla and to Berry but I do have a long trip lined up for later in the year which will be exciting. Then there are visits to Underhill when I can. Surrey's birthday picnic was a small affair with Geoff and family. The tree is progressing well.

Surrey's tree is the one directly behind Geoff.

• Friends -  of course most of these activities are peppered with socialising with friends in various ways. Keeping up with friends (online, by phone or in person) is probably one of the most important parts of retirement as friends keep your mind and body active as well as giving joy and laughter in many small ways. Thank you to all my friends.

So if you are wondering why I don't update my blog as often as you look at it, or you can't actually get me on the phone, perhaps this explains a little. I will return emails and return messages left on my phone as soon as I can.