Day 286

And Dr. E. says the retina is stable. The breaks occurred in 1989 and after three laser spot welds, it is holding just fine. It was a bleak day and today is the same. I will walk to the fairgrounds for the Christmas bazaar to work in the historical society display with Rick Bennett. We like to work together. It is usually a social occasion and I enjoy the crowds. That space calls for warm clothes and coffee.

Day 285

Another freezing morning. I live here to avoid cold and hot weather. What’s going on? There may even be some white stuff here this evening. That I can definitely do without. I wrote my January column yesterday and I like it. It will go off to Kathy in a few minutes. I see Dr. E. this afternoon. He will dilate my eyes for the annual peek into the retina. I’m hoping he will say that it is stable.

Day 284

The Tai Chi Chih looks so relaxed and slow, only slight weight transfer from front to back with the feet and minimal arm movements. So why is it so exhausting? It must be the concentration on breathing and maintaining the pace. I like the practice. I feel it is beneficial to all my systems. Hollie and I will stay with it. It’s fun to do something with her regularly since there is no longer a school time together.

Day 283

Journal time was great. Chris served Earl Grey Cream tea and baklava while we read and talked. Carol looks a bit better and will see her doctor later this month. It was a chatty day with visits and errands. I like days with a variety of people and activity. Chris brought me turkey pot pie and it was delicious. My neighbors include me often and it’s the first time that I can remember that feeling. I am blessed.

Day 282

I’m finding the recorder class stimulating. Maybe it’s learning a new skill or maybe it’s increasing my breathing. I do get tired by the end of the hour and sort of squeak the high notes. I will keep up with the lessons. Today is J Street Journals at Chris’ house. Carol, Chris, and I catch up with our personal lives. I don’t have anything new to share. I’ll look in the doc file and find an old one.

The Glories of Morning  

One of the best things about retirement is waking up naturally.  In the years since I lived by the clock, I have used my alarm clock only a dozen times!  All the other mornings I have awakened when I was ready to move from the restfulness of night into the busyness of day.  The word morning comes from the word morn.  It is a verb and it means the purity of rejuvenation; being made young again. Now my body knows that my age is the same as when I went to bed the night before but my mind and spirit get to have that brief but fascinating interval before fully awakening.  It is a time of waiting and preparation for the coming day.  Dreams come back and want attention, plans for coming events are reviewed, incomplete agenda are questioned, and imagination has its time in the spotlight of consciousness.

Mornings are so essential to my well-being that I protect them.  I do this by rarely making any appointments before 10 A. M.  The morning routine is more like a ritual and I hold it dear. When I am fully conscious, I want to spring out of bed and greet the day.  Sometimes the spring feels as if it has sprung, but the mind is willing to be confident and optimistic.  When anyone says, “Have a good day”, my reply is, “Of course I will.  That’s why I got out of bed this morning!”  People smile.

First comes letting the dogs outside to make their rounds of the yard and report any findings.  Then I go to the CD collection and randomly select one.  Often I don’t look at what I have chosen.  I simply know that whatever it is, it will be perfect for my mood. When I have ground up the coffee beans and started the machine, I turn on my computer, then go to the front porch and collect the morning papers.  I read my e-mail and respond.  I love e-mail.  I can be out in the world and sitting in my pajamas at the same time. After a scan of the papers, usually avoiding hard news, my journals get their attention.  I keep at least two journals, one as a logbook, one with commentaries, and the blog.  The logbook is a 10+ year with only four lines per day.  The fun part is looking back at previous years to see what I was up to. I keep track of the weather with little symbols.  In the commentary journal, I write about how I feel about the events I record in the logbook.  One reason for this is to have more of the things/people/activities that I enjoy in each day. After whatever time it takes to doodle, paste in pictures, add a stamp or a sticker, and document my life, I am ready for the outdoors and the appreciation of this beautiful place where I get to live.  Not one day goes by without a visit to the ocean.  I enjoy each of its many moods, colors, and energies.  After all of these personally satisfying elements of making myself young again, I am ready to go out and conquer the world!

Day 281

Rainy morning. Smells good outside. I’ll get practice on the recorder in this morning so I do well at the lesson this evening. It will be a small group at the senior center as it is not a favorite menu. I like my job of greeting and making people feel good about being there. And I can finish the last of the senior news distribution. I’m looking forward to a busy week with people after this slow week. 

Day 280

December 1, the beginning of Advent, the day I stop going to stores except quick trips for groceries, and the darkest days of the year. After church, I am going to do more sorting and deleting. I’m on a roll. The plan is to collect unnecessary stuff and when Kelle is here, I’ll call Daily Bread Ministries to come and get it. They are still my favorite charity since their help when Kim died. Everybody wins that way.

December Senior News 

Remember when your Mother told you not to play in your food? There just might be some creative ways to do it. Even though I’m not recommending finger painting with chocolate syrup, I am suggesting a recreational shopping trip to your grocery store. Plan a quiet shopping time away from times when lines are long and shoppers are in a hurry. You will want to mosey along looking from top to bottom in all the aisles. It’s important to go to the shelves that are not on your usual path. That is where gems of new ideas may be waiting. Take time to see what brings curiosity about the possibilities of new taste treats.

I started at a cold case where I spotted fresh pasta. There is a soy noodle called shiritaki that caught my eye. Good for people who don’t eat wheat. There were cooking instructions on the package. I’m glad I had my glasses with me. The print was small. I moved on to packaged greens. Greens are nutritious and I was glad to see kale, chard, spinach along with the usual lettuce. There are fresh herbs bundled with labels that have recipe ideas on them. The bread display is amazing. A whole wall of choices. I picked up whole grain pita bread and Killer Dave bread to try. Another large selection appeared in the soup department. I often use boxed chicken broth and here were vegetable and beef too along with seasoned mixes of Mexican, Thai, and Chinese flavors. That brings up exciting menu ideas. Off to the ethnic aisle with a huge sauce display. I found orange sauce, Kung Pao, spicy blends, Thai peanut  sauce, sweet and sour, and red curry, all with recipes on the label. Those will wake up the taste buds for sure. Down the aisle were the grains. I use pearl barley and rice but there are so many varieties of both, and  rice mixes that are seasoned with exotic spices and herbs. I found grains that I didn’t know before this excursion such as red quinoa, farro, Arborio. Couscous, and basmati. Altogether I had twelve new items in my grocery cart and a whole new appreciation for the fact that world foods are available right here in my grocery store. Since most foods have recipes and serving suggestions on their products, I don’t have to look far for how to incorporate them into my diet. I only have 400 words so the rest of the discoveries are yours.