Tuesday March 1 2016  IT’S TIME TO GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS (PLANNING FOR THE PERFECT DAY)

When March rolls around (or comes galloping in) that’s when I always tell Dave, “Well, it’s time to get ready for Christmas”.  March seems to come in the blink of an eye once the calendar turns to a new year.  And here I sit, with so much to do, and I know I won’t be able to get it all done before Christmas. You know how you feel those last couple of weeks before Christmas when you are trying to remember all the final details of what must be done by such and such a date?  Well, that seems the way my life goes.  I usually have some sort of deadline looming before me and it seems I only meet my goals just in the nick of time.  And so, I start in March preparing for Christmas and rarely do I even put up a Christmas tree.  I always run out of time!  Oh well, maybe this year.

I have two or three blogs I enjoy reading.  Most of the other bloggers do not write as often as I do, but I check in once or twice a week, to see if there is news on their home front.  One blog I especially enjoy reading is written by an author named Sarah Loudin Thomas.  Her web address is  http://www.sarahloudinthomas.com  if you are interested in following her.  I read her most recent blog this morning while I was on the hydro-massage table at the gym.  (That is my perk each day after I work out).  She was commenting about what it would be like to have a FREE DAY to do whatever she wanted to do.  I enjoyed reading about her dream day.  After I read her blog I put my phone down, enjoying my wonderful back massage, and spent the rest of my time on the massage table contemplating about what would be the perfect day of freedom for me.   Fortunately for me, I have already had some of what I call “perfect days”.  I liked her idea of calling it a FREE DAY.  It connotes freedom and so much more.

Later in the morning Dave and I were coming home after having our taxes done and I asked him the question,  “What would he would do if he could do exactly as he wanted for one entire day?”  First, he said it would depend upon the season.  Living in Wisconsin, that is definitely a key factor.  My previously perfect days have always taken place during good weather months.  As we were discussing the daydream of the perfect day we were driving about 20 miles per hour on icy roads thick with snow.  There was ice on the windshield that the wipers could barely keep up with, and the snow was fiercely swirling around us, causing a hazard, both to our driving, and our visibility.  Hmmm…the perfect day, what would we do on THAT day?

Dave chose a summer day.  He would like to be outside, sitting in warm sunshine, just enjoying the quiet and solitude (notice I am not there with him, otherwise he wouldn’t be in solitude, nor would it be quiet).  I didn’t feel the least bit perturbed about that.  I know that just being alone in nature would make the day perfect for him.  He did say that maybe he would read some too.

In regards to my day of freedom, I didn’t care if it was cold or warm.  Absolutely any day would make a perfect day for me if I could do exactly what I wanted to do.  I would want to go to bed on time (9:00 p.m.) the night before so I would wake up naturally between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m.  Then I would stay in my housecoat and do my getting ready routines for the morning.  However, instead of dressing, I just might stay in my housecoat (ALL DAY).  I would have my favorite breakfast of hot homemade soup with a bit of chicken and wild grains in it.  Then I would eat a fresh orange.  I would then watch for the sunrise through my library windows.  Though my library faces the west side of the house I can see when the sun starts rising as the tips of the trees light up.  I would watch the changing light go from black to an amazing indigo blue, to lighter and lighter shades of azure, all the way to morning’s magic.  I would be in the presence of the Lord in the secret garden of my heart.  I would read my Bible, pray, sing, give praise to God and write my heart out in my hand written journal.  And, I would anticipate the poem God would allow my heart to unwrap.  My next venture would be to go into my craft room and contemplate on what I would like to create.  I have several projects awaiting my attention.  Who knows, I might even work on the photo albums of our family history for my sister Faith.  I have all the old family photos that she chose as part of her inheritance.  I am being entrusted to create an album(s) for her.  I am so looking forward to presenting it (them) to her when I finish the project. 

My next desire would probably be to eat again.  This time a lovely salad with lots of wonderful micro-nutrients to give me lots of energy and that “feel good” feeling.  There is nothing better than feeling good.  Dave would probably be up by then and I would enjoy sitting across the dining table from my very best, life-long friend, of over 43 years.  I get all squishy inside just thinking about how much I love him.  He makes every day perfect for me.  But…on to my fantasy of not having anything to do except that which I would absolutely want to do.  I would get up, leave the dishes, and the kitchen would be entirely clean when I came back to it later (just like on my “usual” days).

Following lunch I would lie down on the couch and watch a T.V. show I recently discovered called “STRANGE INHERITANCE”.  The episodes are always very interesting to me. After the half hour show, I might watch another episode, or choose to watch a “HALLMARK MOVIE”.  I would prop up my feet and just relax.  Then I would sit down at my computer, open up my blog site, and write on my blog page:

“SORRY GUYS, THERE WON’T BE A BLOG TODAY.  I HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO!”  I might also say, “God bless you”, and that would be about it.  There would be no gym time and no phone time.  I would take the wall phone off the hook, turn off my cell, and enjoy the silence.  I think I would then ask Dave if he would like me to win him in a card game.  We both play a competitive game of HAND AND FOOT.  Great card game.  The only thing is, he doesn’t “let” me win.  I have to really work for my wins.  But even if I lost the game, my day would still be perfect.

I would then read until dinner time.  Dinner would consist of Greek vanilla yogurt, fresh berries, walnuts, bran buds, and two prunes.  And then I would read again.  Finally, I would hang up the phone, and climb into freshly laundered purple sheets, wrapped in my purple fuzzy blanket.  Dave would tuck me in, turn out the light, and then go and eat a steak.  Each to his own.

WHAT WOULD YOUR PERFECT DAY BE LIKE?

The question that Sarah asked was: “WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A COMPLETELY FREE DAY?”

Well, Sarah, I think I have answered that question.  Thanks for giving me so much to think about.  Now I think I’ll just pick a day and make it happen.  THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF RETIREMENT!

P.S.  I might somehow get a tub of popcorn included in my day, smothered in coconut oil.

 

A DAY OF FREEDOM (OR THE PERFECT DAY)

By Kathleen Martens

March 1, 2016

 

 

A day of freedom

What does it entail?

How does one plan it

So it does not fail?

 

How is it possible

To only do

What your dream desires

To be true?

 

And for each one

What would it be,

To feel that your day

Is totally free?

 

For each is different

In parallax view.

From an unalike position

All would ensue.

 

What is right for one

May not be for another

Regardless if married,

Sister or brother.

 

So each to his own,

Entitled to dream

What is perfect for one

May cause another to scream.

 

So dream away,

Enjoying your reverie

Plan it your way

Very cleverly.

 

And enjoy each moment

Regardless what you choose

Your day of freedom?

Might just be to snooze.

 

Good night and God bless you!