During my first 2 months of retirement -- wait what? I have actually had people approach me and start conversations with the word 'retirement' posed as enthusiasm to my next phase in life. While I believe some meant it as only a harmless question, others not so much. If you mean retirement as the happy place you go after working 30+ years; that nice padding in your bank account and the warm breeze you feel on your face named Hawaii or by all means name your 'poison'. I'm game, when do we leave?!? However, let's be realistic I'm only 25 years old. Rushing time much?
Approaching 2 months of life without the daily grind of a regular ole' 9 to 5 has been an adjustment. I full well believe it will continue to be an up and down, all around kind of ride. I don't do idle well. Ask my Mum, when I'm ill I whine more about sitting around being 'useless' than I do about the actual illness. Okay maybe it's a tie... The point is life without the routine of a job, a change of focus and the freedom* to do nearly anything is a little kid given the key to the candy shop and told to have at it. Overwhelming and perhaps giddy inducing. I am not the most patient person (no laughing) and waiting for direction is not fun.
I've been a part of an ongoing investigation by friends, family and yes your occasional stranger. The investigation?
"Maddie, what are you going to do now?"
"Aren't you bored working at a bookstore all day, all the time?"
"What do you do with all your free time?"
Oh sorry I hit the ignore button. If only it was a socially acceptable practice to randomly slap people, the blurry vision I incur on a given day would be more than worth it. (insert grin)
Focus. Faith. Progress. Thrive. Recover. Regroup. Inspire. Create.
That's my "read between the lines" explanation for what I'm doing now. Do you like it?
. . . . . (silence) . . . . (dumbfounded slightly) . . . . (silence) . . . .
Boring and bookstore do not belong in the same sentence, enough said.
Call it a symptom of the stress or an attention deficit disorder of some sort, but I have long given up the hope of watching TV for long periods of time. So in the interim and post-job life I find ways to occupy my hands while gluing myself to a screen. I get projects accomplished that's for sure! A knitting project moves along in no time while you're devouring Netflix's seven seasons of Bones (true story) or spending your Sunday catching up on Under the Dome (hateful producers that was a ridiculous cliffhanger!).
First on the list of accomplishments for 'all your free time'.
Knitting
Thank goodness for YouTube. When you don't have the luxury of a knitting shop nearby or a knitting expert go to, your next safest bet is video tutorials. At least video tutorials don't yell at you when you have to ask to be shown again, nor do they get exasperated by you shouting at them to "slow down." I can't show you any of my projects yet. I would really like the people I'm knitting for to be the first viewers. That way when people like my friend Deven, opens her package it is something special and brand new to her. Plus there is Christmas soon and I wouldn't want to ruin that for my family or others. I will have pictures soon though, I promise! In the meantime a picture of some of the pretty (I'm not bragging) yarn I'm getting to work with, courtesy of KnitPicks shopping.
Writing More
Evidence being this post and 2 posts last week. Victory dance!
Pop Culture Catch-up
I'm watching more television than I have watched in years. Bones, Under the Dome and currently Suits. TeTe is trying to convince me to watch Breaking Bad. I said I would trade Downton Abbey for Breaking Bad. Seems fair, right? The verdict is still out. Television is not necessarily important or life changing, but it is one of the ways I'm spending some of my time.
Brainstorming
Whether it be more projects, what to write for a novel or endeavoring to make the bookstore better...I'm thinking, so much so it hurts. (insert smile)
Bookstore
Working, never boring and not just reading.
Grand-mum visiting
Usually when my Grand-mum visits I see her the few minutes in the morning before I leave for work and then a couple hours before bed in the evening. It has been a treat to spend 2 weeks with her in the house. I'm here to enjoy her conversation or to just sit in the same room with her, her presence felt and appreciated. When she visits we always go into project mode. We joke that she lives in a sweat shop while she is here. She is our resident quilter and sewing expert. She even crochets...I'm still waiting on my 'request' of crocheted items progress report. I am blessed.
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| While she has been here my nephews visited. Always special
when the great-grandkids can entertain Grand-mum.
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“Do you smoke?
Well, yes, I must admit I smoke.
I am glad to hear it. A man should always have an occupation of some kind. There are far too many idle men in London as it is.”
~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
Footnotes (the bare-necessities, ahh see what I did there...)
- * Well as much freedom as poverty can bring. ;)
- While writing my ears were listening to Canterbury's Heavy In The Day album.
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