Monday November 30 2015  WHERE HAVE ALL THE DAYS GONE?

The last day of the month in what seems like the blink of an eye.  Is it just me, or does life seem to accelerate as you get older?  Well, come to think about it, I’m not alone because I remember my friend giving some wisdom pertaining to that just a week ago.  How do we slow the days down?  Is there way?  Maybe the government needs to do a multimillion dollar study on that issue.  By the time it was finished I would probably be past the point of no return.  Maybe I’ll just have to learn how to live each day slower.

I have discovered that it really does take me a lot longer to accomplish things than it used to.  I keep hearing my sister’s words ringing more true in my ears.  She is feeding me fodder for getting my life in order.  And, believe it or not, I am thinking a lot about what she has been “whispering” in my ear.  Never underestimate the power your words may have in someone else’s life.  She mentioned in an email recently that the older you get the harder it is to make changes.  I check that statement as being true in my life.  One of the situations Dave and I vacillate on is whether to “stay in place” or pack up and move.  We’ll take the first step and just downsize our possessions.  That alone will be difficult enough.  I think I have enough “stuff” to open my own museum and the “stuff” is probably all old enough to go into a museum.  So if you think about praying for me in the coming year please pray that it will be easier for me to rid myself of unnecessary baggage, (you know, like all my kids baby clothes).  Come to think of it, my children’s clothing may just fit into the category of VINTAGE by now.  Perhaps I should rethink getting rid of them.  JUST KIDDING!  But I am not kidding about the prayer.

Today is Monday.  I almost said ‘today has been a TYPICAL Monday, but then I changed it because I don’t really know what a typical Monday is, much less any other typical day.  What is typical?  I do not know.  Every day is different.  I think that is my new reality.  I love to be able to just change my plans midstream and readdress the day in whichever way I think it will work best for the week.  I do not look at just one isolated day to decide my schedule, where I should go, or what errands I should run.  I first look to see which days are heaviest scheduled, such as Thursday when I will be gone all day.  And that will make a difference as what I do on the other days.  I know I have a lot of cooking to do on Friday for a large church dinner and will need to pick up the items on Wednesday since Thursday is unavailable to me.  It is important to have all the ingredients purchased before I begin cooking or the  day and event will not work for me.  So, for me, my typical day is always untypical. 

I do believe it would be a bit easier to have a typical day of retirement if I was a man.  I look at my husband and he seems to be so free in what he does and how he does it.  He doesn’t see what I see that needs to be done.  Don’t get me wrong, he is a great help, even in his limited capacity during his post-surgical recovery time.  But, men just don’t figure in all the little things, cooking, shopping, cleaning, toilets, floors, etc..  For me there is always something else to do, something else to put away, another meal to prepare, something else to scrub, not to mention the desire to read which has been put on the back burner for the time being.  I’m not complaining, just stating the facts ma’am.  So, for the month of December I am going to act like I am retired!  Dave suggested he have a day off.  So I agreed as long as I could have a day off.  A day off to me means that he does all the meal preparation, the clean-up, and anything else that must be done on my day off.  Sounds like fun!  And I would do the same for him.  The only difference is that on his day off I would just do all the same things I usually do every day anyway!  Hey, there I have found it.  My typical day!  My typical day is that I am just always DOING!  I look forward to my untypical day!

I know that when someone reads what another has written, sometimes it is taken differently that the writer meant.  After all, you cannot hear my voice inflection, nor see the twinkle in my eye, or my mouth twitch in a half smile.  I begrudge nothing I do, regardless if it is for me or for my husband.  And I know my husband’s attitude is the same.  But it will be fun to really not do anything on my “do nothing day”.  He said he is game.

I have just a few moments before I am leaving for a Monday night rendezvous at a friend’s house to view an old Jean Arthur movie.  We went last week for the first time and both enjoyed it immensely.  Dave may very well be home tonight due to the fact that he is quite dizzy today for some reason.  If the roads are not icy I will go alone.  We’ve actually had some rain last night and today.  Right now Dave just gave me a reading of 37 degrees so I should be okay.  However, I don’t really like driving at night.

RUSHED FOR TIME

By Kathleen Martens

November 30, 2016

Rushed for time is what I am

I must leave, so in a hurry.

Just a short poem to finish my day,

As I am in such a flurry.

Off to enjoy a movie of old,

And fellowship with our friends.

And as usual when you are having fun,

So quickly the evening will end.

So good night, my fingertips say

To those who are still tagging along.

I love to greet you each and every day

At the computer my heart belongs.

Tomorrow is another day

And I shall embrace it as such.

Should I live to awaken the morn

It will be appreciated very much.

Good night and God bless you.

Farewell November!