Retirement: A Month In

I have to say that adjusting to retirement has been interesting and this past month has definitely had a different feel than "summer vacation" in the past...  for example, I don't feel as if I need to rush on projects.  Don't get it finished today?  That's okay... plenty more time to get it done.

I've been doing a number of little chores around the place such as taking apart and cleaning my vacuum cleaner and mopping the front porch... fun stuff that no one notices but you.  However, I have started hoeing out the sewing room, which consists of many steps.  I've been offered help but honestly, the hauling stuff out and cleaning is the easiest part.  The organizing/putting away will take some time but the hardest part:  rearranging sewing furniture in a 10'x10' room with wall-to-wall closet doors.  Not many places to put stuff.

It would help if I moved the desk and file cabinet out of the room but I don't know where I'd put it.  I like having all my "office stuff" together, and when following an online tutorial, it does help to have my laptop in the same room as my sewing machine.

(Yes, there are holes in the radiator cover... yet another project ahead of me.)

Previously, I had my ironing board set up in an L-position with my sewing tables but I swapped that out for a shelf with a portable cutting board-that-reverses-to-a-ironing surface.  I'll be able to store the iron on the shelf as well as the serger, which can be moved to the top shelf when needed.

I've also moved lights around and tried to brighten the dark corners of the room.   The moving/cleaning part is the easiest... it's the figuring out where to put stuff that is hard.  Several cups of tea were required....

No estimate on when I get this done but it's not a problem...  after all, I'm retired and have all the time I want!

New Adventures Ahead

Yes, it finally happened... retirement!  There have been times when I didn't think I'd make it but I did.

Tomorrow is the first Monday in June that I don't have to be at work at the crack o' dawn in 11 years.  Nice...  so this afternoon, I made some red pepper hummus (link) because I'm not pushed to get everything done today...

A friend gave me some lovely roses last week for my retirement so, this morning, I recut them and gave them some nice fresh water to drink...

I imagine it's going to take a while to get used to this and I probably won't "feel" retired until school staff start back to work in August.... but I don't mind!  I want to savor this being retired...

The end of April, there was a bit of a "heart incident" resulting in a ride to the ER and subsequently being admitted to the hospital.  Nothing found but I racked up medical bills over $12K in less than 24 hours.

It was my first (and hopefully last) episode of atrial fibrillation (link)  but, in addition to new meds, I also had a bunch of appointments and medical tests in May (still found nothing)...  on top of work, getting stuff done related to retirement, and normal life stuff.  So things went to heck in a hand basket around the house.

Since last Wednesday (first day of retirement), I've been organizing paperwork to file away, pitching and tossing stuff that needs to be recycled or discarded, and starting to do some deep cleaning.

My "to do" list is l - o - n - g but I'm already making progress.  When people ask what I'm going to do in retirement to keep busy.... I just laugh!

One of the first big projects on my list is to clean out and reorganize my sewing room.  It's a disaster right now and I won't be able to start sewing again until reorganization...

Surprisingly, I've gotten involved in local politics related to public school funding (or lack thereof) and I foresee my becoming more and more involved in various issues going forward. 

  

I think I'm going to find PLENTY to do in retirement....

Why I Quilt

My nephew-in-law posted this photo of his wife, my niece, the USCG helicopter pilot, after she got home from a long duty day on December 23rd, 2016.   It's cold in Alaska in December even if there is a roaring fire...

...and this is why I quilt.

I have one more "family quilt" to make... for my youngest nephew who will graduate from college in May.  I'm planning to use a Moda Marbles jelly roll in "Warm"...

..

...and will use Moda solid "Paper Bag" (seriously... the actual color of a paper bag) for the main color in a single Irish chain pattern.   Unless I get distracted by another pattern that seems to be calling my name... 

...but first, I need to clean/organize my sewing room!