Losing track of time

Unfortunately this blog doesn't write itself based on how often I think about it.  So here I am trying to catch up on what's happened over the past week.  Oddly enough after a lifetime of dates, meetings and deadlines I am losing track of what I did each day.  And though I hate to admit it, there was one time this week when I had to think about which day it was.  I am certain this is related to freedom of schedule and not that memory thing...

It's clear to me that you have to set your own goals on what you want to accomplish each day and week.  I realize now, through Mike's eyes, that I am obsessive about lists.  I should have stock in post it notes since I have them everywhere. On the kitchen counter are grocery lists, task lists like send a sympathy card and a note to "WRITE A BLOG".  When we had a Halloween party last week, I had a list of all the food to serve so I wouldn't forget anything.  Mike pointed out how that seemed a bit over the top.  Maybe this list thing will go away the farther I get from the working world.

I can't really say I have any type of schedule.  Meals are whenever I get hungry, walks are whenever I want to take a break from something else, and okay, naps occur when I get tired.   I really like having my day open.  In the past one of my favorite things was waking up on a Saturday with nothing planned.  I would go through all the possibilities in my head, and this feeling of being able to do whatever I wanted was pure delight.  Now, most days are just like this!

This week was busy and varied.  I visited my financial planner, helped take cats to the vet, took a friend to the doctor for a follow-up appointment for rotator cuff surgery and spent hours sorting and cleaning in the "scary room".   We call it the "scary room" because a lot of the stuff is memorabilia from Mike's parents and grandparents which makes us sad that they're no longer around.  I have looked at so many pictures of people from the past, and  it saddens me that all of these people died even though I didn't know them.

I am condensing all of these wedding pictures, golden wedding pictures and obituaries for Mike to review when he has time.  The last time we tried to tackle this task was a couple of years ago at Christmas time, and both of us were in tears. So we shut the door and didn't open it again until this week.
My biggest "take-away" from this is to list names on pictures, whether digital or prints.

I've had some wonderful walks this week as the air turns colder and leaves are flying off the trees.  It has been absolutely beautiful to wander through the neighborhood while my mind meanders from topic to topic.  Although I'm not walking that far yet, I love the fresh air and beauty of the outdoors.

It's been a month now since I retired.  Wow, the time flew by.  I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed.  I am absolutely loving this gift of time.  I am sure I'm still adjusting to many things especially being called a "retiree" which sounds incredibly old.  Guess I need to get over this, huh?

Diane