I've been here a while now, but being a little slow sometimes, I've only just realised its possible to follow other blog sites via email alert. Oh that makes life so much easier, I've added the little thingy that allows any one to follow this via email alert, and if by chance you have not added it to your page.........please please do. It makes life so much easier for me
Thank you :-)
Retirement in full swing, eye surgery done and dusted, eyesight improving by the day.
It’s slowly beginning to sink in; I will never ever have to go to work again. It’s an odd feeling. I think I’m basically a lazy person and it would be easy for me to spend my life alternating between the sofa, the TV and the computer. That’s all I’ve done since getting out of hospital, but I’ve forgiven myself for that and classed it as a period of ‘post-op’ recuperation. Anyway the weather has been very odd, far too cold to venture out in so soon after surgery.
Yesterday was the first day of spring; the spring equinox, the pagan celebration of the Anglo Saxon fertility goddess Ostara, one of two days in the year when we get exactly the same amount of daylight as darkness. The time when we traditionally decorate eggs, think of rabbits and hares and delight in spring flowers tied in bouquets with pastel ribbons.
How ever you look at it, at this time of year, we should not be getting snow on the ground and sub zero temperatures along with snowdrops in bloom and the daffodils in bud. But that is exactly what we do have. Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, rather cold but blue skies and sunshine, by the evening the dark clouds and snowfall had returned and this morning we were greeted with a light dusting of snow every where, blue skies, sunshine and biting cold. I think our climate has gone crazy, this is not the way the spring equinox should be. This crazy weather has put my garden behind for months. It’s been too wet or too cold or too ‘both’ to get out and plant any thing, if I don’t get my shallots in soon they won’t have long enough in the ground.
And then I remember I’m retired and as soon as my eye is healed enough I can go out any time there is a break in the weather. My retirement plans are already taking shape. I have a senior coach card, coach tickets from Dundee to Stansted, flights from Stansted to LaRochelle, a couple of nights in a hotel in LaRochelle and a month with my sister in rural France, can’t wait.
I also have a lovely bouquet of roses and freesias from family in Ireland. For the first time in ages I actually have the time to catch up on some reading here. Retirement is only a few days old and I’m loving it already.
Internet restored, at last.
I’ll not bore you with the details but my internet has been a bit of an on/ off affair for a couple of weeks now. I’ve been able to view other peoples posts on my phone but I find it very difficult posting anything, even comments, using a phone.
However…………..I’m here now. AND……………….I’ve retired, or at least I’ve finished work. My official retirement date is still a couple of weeks away but I’m booked into eye surgery on Monday and after that I’ll take a couple of weeks post op to recover and that will take me up to my official retirement date. So, no more work for me EVER!!!
On Friday, my last day, they gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a big box of chocolates and a bottle of Champaign, all very much appreciated. I have a meal booked at a little Italian restaurant in town for Sat 30th (when I will be fully recovered from the surgery) for myself and a few good friends. I’ve booked my tickets for France. This is travelling on a shoestring budget, discount senior coach card, cheap coach tickets from here to Stansted airport (London) because the flights out of Scotland are all far more expensive, flights Stansted to LaRochelle followed by a hotel deal. Two nights in LaRochell for a fraction of the usual cost followed by a month in south west France staying my sister. While I’m there I hope to catch up with my cousin who also has a house in the same area of France. I’ve not seen this cousin for years, in fact I can’t remember the last time I saw her but as children we grew up living four doors away from each other, we went to the same school, walked to and from school together and even shared some of the same classes. We studied art and needlecraft together and like me, she has rekindled her interest in art as she has grown closer to retirement. I’m looking forward to catching up with her.
I have a house full of art/craft/sewing/knitting and general ‘things to do’ stuff just waiting for me to get creating. In fact my cupboards are bulging with craft stuff and my book shelves are overflowing with books on everything from candle making to salt dough modelling to how to make beauty products from natural ingredients to different fabric dying techniques to multimedia image making. I’ve know for a long time my retirement is going to be time and energy rich but financially poor and I’ve been actively collecting and storing anything and every thing I could lay my hands on in preparation for this great day.
I’ve been in touch with a friend, a retired lady who is a keen amateur photographer. We are planning plenty of cheap days out needing only our free senior bus pass, a packed lunch and a camera. I have another friend who comes to my house every week and we sit at the kitchen table chatting, painting and drinking coffee. All in all…………………I’m so happy to be retired, I have so many things to do, places to go, people to see, and finally; I’ll have the time to do it all.
But first, I need to catch up here, plan is to post the usual stuff and then catch up with other peoples posts, I’ve quite missed not being able to share things here.
Just a brief note to say I've had no internet for almost a week now. Staying tonight with my daughter and managed to grab a few spare minutes on her computer before bed.
Problem with my internet is .... 'unknown!'
Customer services think it could be the cable from the router to the power and I have to wait for a new cable to be delivered. Maybe the new cable will fix the problem but maybe not. If It doesn't that means I need a new router. If I need a new router I have to pay for an upgrade because my old routere is over 5 years old and not issued any more. The new cable still hasn't arrived after almost a week and if it turns out I need a new router I'll have to wait another week for that to be delived.
Point is..................I have no internet, I'm in withdrawl from my computer and looks like I'll remain without Internet for a while, be back when I can...
Clapton
Officially I retire 4 weeks from today. Unofficially, I’ll be leaving in two weeks. The reason is simple, I’ve been given another appointment for eye surgery (the last one was cancelled) and I go in on Monday 18th, then I have to stay off work for a two week recovery period, and at the end of those two weeks, I retire, therefore, I will leave on Friday 15th, go in for surgery on Monday 18th, and not return. Two weeks is a short time, now that its here, I’ve very mixed feelings. I needed music to chill out to, and this is it.
