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.