For instance, today I have my cleaning helper, the arrival of a plumber to fix the leaking bar sink in the kitchen (something I could do if I pretzel myself once again) and in the afternoon some overnight company is coming in from Connecticut. A younger me would have shrugged my shoulders while the older me keeps lists of everything...sheets that need changing from my son's recent visit, cleaning the bar sink area for the plumber, and meal planning for guests that have allergies.
We just said goodbye to some visitors from Hawaii last week. Not much cooking was needed there as both had picked up some intestinal bug from a fancy restaurant during their layover in California! We caught up between their visits to the bathroom. One wanted oysters and was brave enough to eat two from our dock cages. Then we sent them off on their trip to Portugal.
Also, today I am adjusting to dementia in someone very smart. Hubby has started an oyster farm(!) to hang on to our oyster sanctuary lease owned by all of our neighbors. The only way we can save the lease is to make it commercial! Please do not ask me why the government insists on us harvesting our great water cleaners, but I think it has something to do with the oystermen and their lobbying efforts. A sanctuary with maybe a 10% harvest would have made so much more sense, but they are abolishing sanctuaries!
Hubby is plunging ahead with the naive view that he can do this as he is an environmentalist. I, in the meantime, have made him schedule an appointment with a lawyer to make sure that the forms he signs do not co-mingle our personal funds with whatever money is involved in "farm". Needless to say, this is a huge interruption in my day as he cannot really figure out all the details of the USDA forms. (They have given him a three-year grant of $180,000!) I think my son has already made the application for the LLC, but I cannot reach my husband via his phone! Dementia be damned!
Pushing 80, I have no interest in any of this. I want to watch birds at the feeder, read poetry and mysteries, take walks, capture some early spring sunsets on my camera, and watch British TV. I might even start trying to make bread again.
beautiful sunset. all your company makes me tired just reading about it. fortunately for me my husband is not inclined to start any new business.
ReplyDeleteAll your company makes me tired too. I am not fond of overnight company and so I don't do it to others either.
ReplyDeleteYour "pushing 80" paragraph I can certainly indentify with. Me too in all of it except making bread. I'll do a bit of sewing instead.
I groan when company is coming and then try to encourage them to stay longer. Ha ha. It's all the bed changing. I'd like to make bread again. Everyone used to love it (me included) no matter how it turned out.
ReplyDeleteI hear your frustration regarding the oysters! It sounds complicated. I hope it is sorted to your satisfaction eventually.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos!
You have so much beauty there to enjoy, I wish you could do it in peace and not have all this bother.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he won't fill out the forms correctly, so he'll be denied his grant. Otherwise your birds might be interested in the starter food? used for oyster farming. So, the government is going beyond getting into uteruses. Now it's messing with nice pleasant little oysters. Those sunset photos are beautiful. You should enlarge one really big to span across the wall. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThe uterus comment made me laugh out loud.
DeleteIt's crazy what government interference gets away with. And I am surmising that it's your hubby who is losing his marbles, little by little? Or someone else?
ReplyDeleteI wish him and the farm well,
ReplyDeleteA busy brain is a good thing to have at any age.
Beautiful sunset
I love baking bread. I hope something goes wrong with starting the oyster farm so you won't have to be bothered by it.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
My family just helped my sister celebrate her 80th 2 weeks ago. Her husband turns 80 in 25 days. No sign of dementia, yet. My brother will be 82. You have so much going on, makes my head spin! It would be very risky health wise for me to bake bread. I'd be the only one to eat it and the butter would haunt me.
ReplyDeleteThose are fab photos. I hope that you get to do a lot of what you want to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite pushing 80, but close, and I feel just like you!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you and that you've been busy in a good way. Beautiful photos
ReplyDeleteI try to never give advise but I urge you to do those things you long to do. I, too, am pushing 80 and the things you wish for are what I thought I'd be doing be now. I didn't expect my eyesight to be the first thing to go, I know when I'm seeing a bird but most of the time am unable to identify them, I read only large print books which somehow are not quite as enjoyable, I've fallen out of love with my camera, sometimes it's my memory with the settings that's the problem, sometimes it's seeing which is which. And, honestly, I never expected to be the one sitting around complaining about these things. So I will stop immediately and give thanks that I am not having to cope with business ventures. Please don't stop taking those beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteWow I'm just over 80 and I wouldn't like to be coping with your challenges. I hope son can help sort out the business problems. Good luck and I hope you can slow down soon
ReplyDeleteHaving just finished doing my taxes, I can appreciate not having to add anything to finances at this time. I've been remiss, but was unaware of your oyster beds. My husband and I love them and try the locals where ever we travel. You sound very busy as usual. Good luck with the paperwork.
ReplyDeleteFrom Hawaii? And they were sick and heading to Portugal? That sounds absolutely awful! What a very busy time you've had and are having. Dementia is hard. I worry because I feel like I'm forgetting things more and more these days. I'm glad you didn't catch the stomach bug. You are a very good friend.
ReplyDeleteSeems you are indeed living a long, charmed retirement. Well, at least your hubby is still somewhat functional. And you have plenty to do to keep busy.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with the govmt deciding what to do with your oysters? That seems crazy! Thanks for your recent blog visit. I had about given up anyone would ever read it.
Well, everyone is busy trying to afford living these days. It really never gets easier, especially with the govmt stuff.
Enjoy your birds! I miss that...
Thinking of you, Tabor!
ReplyDelete