Daily Archives: August 6, 2015

Thursday, August 6 2015 I AM GOING TO WATCH T.V.

Thursday August 6 2015 I AM GOING TO WATCH T.V.

At this time, I have no title to this page. No theme or even any thought as to what I should write. I had a productive and fun day so there is no reason to not have “something” to write. It’s just that I wonder if my life will seem dull and uninteresting to those of you who are still reading it. Are you out there Joyce??? There is never a day of my retirement that goes by that I do not think of all I learned from you when I was at your place of residence. And today I had a confirmation of just what I did learn from you. I’ll explain in a bit when I get to that part. For those of you who might not remember, Joyce is my OLDER cousin who retired a few years ago. She made a commitment to herself that when she retired she would do what she wanted, when she wanted, IF she wanted. That was her plan and for her it works! I like the idea and have even adapted a few strategies as such but to a much lesser degree. The one thing Dave and I have done, and plan to do for the next year, is to not accept any new responsibilities outside our home for at least one year following retirement. His retirement started July 7th, mine hasn’t really begun until I finish my wedding work and sell the contents of my studio. So I think I’ll put the date to start our agreement after my last “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed and I have reclaimed the lower level of our home. Then I will believe, and live, as if I am retired! I also learned this piece of wisdom from a lady at church who didn’t accept any invitations for one year after her retirement. The reason she gave was that she said it would take that long to just recover from working for so many years. Good reason. My sister Velma was the other person who gave me her opinion. Velma is sort of like me, she gives her opinion even when you don’t ask for it. (Remember the name of my next blog I’m working on is “THE OPINION YOU DID NOT ASK FOR”)! Velma told me that once you are retired people will try to use your time up for you. There will be so many things to join, church duties, jobs to do, favors asked, engagements to attend, that it is best to just excuse yourself from life for a year and and recover from working so many years.

Now, as for my opinion, I believe there is one situation that doesn’t count in the equation of withdrawing from life for a year. That is when your family needs you! And besides how could I say no to the offer below. Our son Courtland sent this email to us a few days ago. When couched in his words, we had to just jump as fast as we could for the opportunity he offered. Please read:

“Dear Mothers (Shari & Kathleen),

Amy and I have gap in child care coming up in the next couple of weeks. Zachariah and Alexander have summer care until August 14th. That being said, the two weeks between the end of care and the start of school (new child care), we will need some help to make sure the kids are watered and fed. Thankfully, we have two great mother-in-laws and a great grandpa who might be up to the challenge. The following days are available for quality time at our house. That’s right, you get to spend an entire day or more, if so desired, with your grandkids ! You can thank me later. Amenities include, nearby walking paths, parks and all the modern conveniences such as Costco, Woodman’s, Marcus Palace Cinema and many more! Additionally, the Martens’ Villa includes workout equipment and a state of the art in home theater along with a vast array of quality Scooby-Doo and Disney Movies the entire group can enjoy.

Days available for quality time with two great kids (7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.) are:

August 17

August 18

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

Space is limited and time is running out so act now to reserve your special day(s) with the boys! Food and beverages are complimentary as well as the occasional tall tale, LEGO kerfuffles and nap time meltdowns.

Until Next Time,

Courtland Martens”

Of course we HAD TO CALL as quickly as possible to not miss out on such an outstanding offer. Offers like this don’t come along very often and of course the price was right. It didn’t cost us anything (YET)! We did negotiate however that Mom and dad and boys come over for Sunday night dinner on August 16^th and that the boys be able to stay on our premises until pick up time on Tuesday evening. Shari actually said she would be able to watch them all the days but Dave and I felt it our “duty” to accept this offer. They will also be staying the nights with us for the August 26^th and 27^th dates also. Now what better deal could we get than this?

Actually we have been wanting to have the boys over for some overnight jammy parties but didn’t have a weekend free so this works out even better. Another reason to postpone working on wedding work! Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Now, back to today. It is Thursday. Food day. I needed some items from a couple of stores that I knew wouldn’t be in our food box so I could make food tomorrow for an event we are attending all day Saturday. So I add grocery shopping to my already long list of errands to do. Won’t go into to detail as to all the places I went. Aren’t you lucky? But back to the grocery store. Mostly I needed some produce and a few other items that I can only get at this one store. So I spend considerable time shopping, run down an aisle to pick up a red and green pepper, only to come back to where I parked my cart at the end of the tomato aisle and, to find to my chagrin, it is not there! Not only is my cart gone, but all my food too. Oh Man!!! I looked all over for my cart thief but couldn’t find one with my assorted groceries. There was another cart where mine had been, but mine was gone. After I looked and looked for it I decided to take my red and green pepper and put them in another cart and start all over. These were specific recipe items I needed. So that’s what I did. I also lost my grocery list in the shuffle and couldn’t remember all I needed. Just on chance that my cart was back where I left it I went back to the produce department. It was not there but it did remind me that I had purchased raspberries and so I went to purchase more from the shelf only to find that they were all gone. I went back to the mysterious location of my cart’s vanishing and there was that same cart. It had some cloth bags in it along with groceries and a little portfolio that appeared to have coupons in it. And there on the bottom layer of the cart were two boxes of beautiful raspberries and several other things that I had put in my cart too and some I had not. I could see how the person mistook mine for theirs but it baffled me that they didn’t notice there were no bags or portfolio in it. So, I looked around and realized the cart was abandoned and snuck the raspberries out of the cart out and put them into my cart. Just as I did that a man walks up to the cart and to my horror I asked him if this was his cart (thinking I had just stolen his raspberries). He said yes, it was. He also then pulled another cart along with him WITH MY GROCERIES IN IT along with other items I now did not recognize. It took him awhile (about 20 minutes) to discover he was pushing someone else’s groceries around. He was profusely apologetic and sorry. I was smiling, laughing actually, because I had already done all my shopping again. He started putting his items into his cart and proceeded to give me my cart. I gave him back his raspberries, took mine from cart #1 and told him I didn’t need the cart back as I had already re-shopped. He then felt really bad. I assured him all was okay but he insisted on putting all my food back into the bins and shelves where I had taken them from originally. And he did, after I left.

But of course I didn’t leave right away. I asked him for his wisdom, or what he wished he had learned earlier in life. He was a very pleasant man in his early 70’s who had retired about three or four years previously. His name is Ron. I introduce him on my talking phone as “here is Ron, my cart thief, and Ron is going to share his wisdom. Here is Ron’s wisdom: “The biggest mistake I ever made since I retired is that I didn’t really do a great amount of planning as far as activities. I worked so hard all my life that for 3 or 4 years I really didn’t do anything. And I got to the point of being so bored, now I didn’t know what to do because of no preplanning.”

Well, I had some plans he could do. I gave him some suggestions, some books to get, some ideas to think about and some other things to ponder. We had a lengthy discussion and he did not seem in any hurry to exit. We talked about his wife and her poor health, nutrition, exercise, and of course God. He was very receptive as he too has a love for the Lord. He said to me as he left that he didn’t think our meeting was by accident. I agreed and said I guess he was supposed to steal my cart after all. Yes, it did not happen my chance. After hearing his story I knew that was true. Ron, wherever you are in this great big world I will pray for you and your wife. He didn’t not take my blog address so he will never read these words, but I will hold them in my heart. But don’t you think that God might been a little easier on me than making it necessary for me to have to shop twice? Even the grocery store is a mission field, a place to touch someone’s life, if we just go with the flow that God is continually breathing into our hearts.

When I meet someone like Ron it makes a day extra special to me. I thank God for each person He brings in my path to witness and pray with. And I think it will be even more special because I have another box left to use or give away. No refrigerator space so I will pass most of it on. I might keep the tomatoes and maybe the corn so I can make some more corn chowder. I always leave the boxes out for one hour past the pick up time just in case someone comes late. Last week I had given a box to the neighbor when I looked down the driveway and saw someone drive up. I had already taken it into the house but I went inside and retrieved it for them. I called my neighbor back and told her it had just been picked up. I’m always glad when everyone picks up their boxes. It seems that there is usually one of the families who is on vacation each week.

So what shall be my poem.

I AM GOING TO WATCH T.V.

By Kathleen Martens

August 6, 2015

Tonight is a night I must hurry

And put this blog to bed.

I have a reason to scurry

For a political debate is ahead.

Ten of seventeen candidates

Will have a moment to talk

All hoping to seal their fate

Of a two term presidential walk.