Retiring in tomorrow
This is week
two of my retirement. So far, I think I
am on track to enjoy myself. I have a
daily nap if I feel like it otherwise I just rest, meditate, pray and compose
idle things in my mind. Today, I am
hauling out water from the bathtub. My
man and I shared the water. I love
taking his tub as he is far more generous in the depth of his tub. I take a teacup bath whereas his tub covers
my shoulders when I am sprawled out on my back.
It is hotter than what I have because what use is a hot bath in an inch or
two of water.
Back to the
hauling of the water. We are in a
drought like the rest of the western part of the country. With the luxury of what few baths we allow
ourselves, it hurts me to watch the water drain down the pipes before heading
to the ocean. Now I am home, I can haul
the water out in the morning in an old mouthwash bottle. It holds 5 cups of water. I know it is a small amount but I don’t want
to hurt myself. The real reason is
increasing my daily steps. Just taking
out the water in small amounts really keeps me moving. I had indulged myself in a mocha and berry
muffin this morning as my husband forgot his wallet and I had to run it to his
office. I have tossed half of the muffin
into the compost (my apologies to the baker, it is delicious but the calories, honey,
it is all about the calories). I kept
what I am eating in the kitchen and get up now and then to grab a bit. Remember, I am trying to increase my steps in
walking. Currently, I am at over eighty-eight
hundred steps. I did tell my doctor
yesterday I was working on losing weight. Probably didn’t need the mocha this morning
or the muffin but I did do a delivery to the man so he could have his wallet. Sacrifices.
It is busy
in the neighborhood. Across the street,
a local landscaping company is mowing, trimming and what not. I gave up hauling my bottle of water to Little
Tree because of the noise. Yes, we named
a tree in the yard. She is over fifteen feet
high, gorgeous and in the fall, the tree is a cacophony of color with the sweet
odor of spun sugar throughout the year.
She suffered as everything did in September of 2020 when our state was
experiencing fires on the coast, the valleys and the mountains. We are still having fires. But that year,
little tree dropped her leaves early as she was hit with extreme hot winds, unbreathable
air leaving her and other plants, shrubs, and trees suffocating. Nearly
overnight, her leaves dropped until her branches were barren. We can hope for a better fall this year and the wind
not changing.
I find
myself stopping whatever I may be doing, reading a book, walking across the
room, or folding my clothes. I get
caught up in the moment. I find myself
only in the now. I like it. The holding
of my cup filled with hot tea. I feel
the warmth, I savor the flavor, and my palate is in a state of bliss. Simply walking across the room, I can stop
mid-step without pressure to hurry to end a task as time is stretched and I can
hover in the spaces.
I have been
asked what I planned on doing now I am retired.
What trips or vacations I am going on?
I am. I am present. It is the
only trip I need.
