Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Just Pondering the Near Time Ahead


It has been a long three weeks of August. The first week I had company, caught a cold, and got the oldest grandson for a few days. The second week I got the youngest grandson who kept us busy with wanting to do something most of the day including kayaking and a 10 mile bike  ride. Although, I will admit we binge-watched "Merlin" on Netflix and he did make it through two seasons and loved it. The characters were uplifting and real. I always like how Britain uses all ages in its series. 


That week was followed by three days with granddaughter  at our house where we played with photography a bit (she says she loves photography but not sure she loves the patience and details required. )  I also supervised her  exercises to get ready for Cheer leading  Camp.  She did 250 jumping jacks and high knee runs interrupted by push-ups for another count of  250.  I got  tired just counting!  She has a really lovely well-muscled body.   We also binge watched the new season of  "Anne With an  E...Anne of  Green Gables."  That is so  well done that she was completely enthralled  and  truly upset when the character, Cole, left. Avon Lea..and we left home had to head up here.  (Her parents have Netflix, so she can watch the ending.)  Then we drove her back home to here in the suburbs outside  the city.  We are being chauffeurs  in taking her to cheer leading  sessions the rest of this week while  also sitting the  oldest grandson  who now has a  little  cold.  The busy life of a  family!

We will  celebrate a birthday of the grand-girl and our  48th wedding anniversary on Thursday evening, and then, hopefully, head home on Friday evening after doing some more chauffeuring during the  day.

It will  be a strange time in the coming week with no child obligations  and only gardening  and housecleaning to do.   It is always like a mini-childless time similar to when my children  headed  off to college and I had  only a job to distract and fill  my days followed by quiet evenings  and  an even  quieter dinner.  Like everything in this world it requires some adjustment.  It just seems in  retirement you have more  time to ponder over the  adjustments being made and less to  distract you.  It seems to bring a magnifying glass  to the  ever creeping end of times ahead.

I am not saying this with huge sadness, but more a realistic view as to how  to adjust so  these final years are more carefully planned.









12 comments:

  1. We are also kid free for the rest of the summer. I mean on an official basis. I suppose that some ad hoc encounters could occur.

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  2. We are without the grandkids now too after a summer with them. I agree with you in every way!

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  3. I think we all adapt, eventually, to our changing circumstances. I don't miss working, but I do miss that I don't have grandchildren, through no fault of my own. I have to "adopt" other people's kids. :-)

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  4. I used to have more grandchildren time, but they have gotten older and have their own interests now. I took one of them to California and hope that she will cherish those memories just as I do. Right now, though, I am enjoying some alone time, and it is really nice.

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  5. Last week we had grandchildren here, one at a time, too. This week is quiet and slow. I was struck by your last statement - that the final years be more carefully planned. I need to think about that. I have been a bit bothered by being forced to slow down, and have not been good at it. This week I finally settled into long hours of summer reading, but then I just need to get up and move, even if it hurts. Right now I'm stymied as to how to do that planning.

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  6. My kids grew up and i got busy with work. Now the only kid duties i have are of the volunteer variety, and that’s plenty.

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  7. I live around planned activities. Meetings Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, and volunteer work Wednesday and Friday. Quilting and quilt planning other times. And every single morning without fail, I post to the ACS Facebook page. I flat out love unplanned activities. Serendipity.

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  8. Happy Anniversary Tabor & Hubby!

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  9. I truly understand and miss times of grandchildren visiting, now involved in their own activities and some grown and in different cities.
    Miss these times and took a long time to adjust but nice long days, going slow and other interests is really nice.

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  10. Grandchildren sure keep you busy. I only see mine now and then since they live in Melbourne. I have been very busy in retirement and often wish I had more time to sit and ponder. Joining U3A keeps us busy and keeping up with village activities let alone trying to find time to make photo books. Have fun in your retirement.

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  11. My grandchildren are growing up fast, one out in the world working, another going to uni, the next probably uni next year and the youngest a home lover. But above all I never thought to see my daughter grow to 50 years this weekend, that really ages me but I am happy about it ;)
    Happy anniversary to you both.

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