What do you do all day?

missbiggles1

I couldn't bear to do as much as many of you do in retirement - if I'd wanted to live a busy life, I'd've stayed at work and been paid for it!

Just as well we're all different.

mardatha

missbiggles1 wrote: »

I couldn't bear to do as much as many of you do in retirement - if I'd wanted to live a busy life, I'd've stayed at work and been paid for it!

Just as well we're all different.

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exactly I do what I like and if that's curl up with a book all day then I don't care at all, I've done my share of work.

ManofLeisure_2

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

Before retiring, life was so very busy, and there was little time to 'stand and stare'. Now we have all the time in the world and it's wonderful

[Deleted User]

oh I love being able to do what I want when I want. I feel good so have the energy, most of the time, to do things that involve pottering at home or on the allotment. Cleaning is a chore but has to be done, everything else is hobby based or to make my home nice, going forward in life

It is going to be lovely and sunny today, so I`ll be sitting relaxed by the large picture windows, gazing onto the garden and bird feeders, knitting, cds and a book by my side and a radio handy. Not going out in the suddenly cold air, as was always taught that it was bad for olders to have a sudden extreme in temperature, we don`t adapt like we used to and am talking about the air that we breathe

Am also spending my day putting cds onto windows media as I am loading my sansa clips up. About time I bit the bullet and formatted and started again. I have done all my audible books on one so am prepared for good long sessions of having books read to me, also good for power cuts as can run on my battery operated radio. I formatted my husbands sansas as well as my own so have lots of storage on them combined and it will take several days

Small breakfast at 6 and just had my weekend treat of a croissant.

Christmas present shopping is finished, might wrap today. May spend a bit of time sorting the churning in my stomach, which is caused by having to do a vegan buffet alongside, veggie and meat. A list will help. Give me omnivores any time. At least I can do that relaxing with the sun shining on me through the french doors. One side of downstairs is almost all glass, so I don`t get SAD, my friend gets it as her cottage is very dark, it robs the energy

moneyistooshorttomention

Am still adding to The Basic Schedule of what to do at present. So I've been looking for a suitable yoga class since moving here and found a few classes. However, none were suitable for me personally.

Think I might have found one at last and have duly sent off an email asking for details.

I've got in mind a circle dance class too.

So - if I join those two things then the list of Basic Activities will be:
- a weekly dance class
- weekly yoga class
- weekly fitness class
- weekly volunteering session
- pretty frequent outings with a walking group
- occasional volunteering at a social venue
- occasional circle dance
- monthly book club

and the various intermittent offshoot group activities/meet up with friends/my gardening/cooking as a hobby/going for solo walks exploring.

Think I'll add those latest 2 activities in and see how that feels - ie whether it feels like enough for me personally.

************

Re outside temperature changes being something to be a bit cautious about for older people - I'll keep a bit of a weather eye out for that then once I reach 80 or thereabouts...(ie "Gods Waiting Room" age, as my mother would call it). I'm not old enough to count as "older" yet.....:rotfl:

I glimpsed a newspaper headline this week about people in the exact same street having different "healthy life" expectancies for one street - dependant on which side of the street they were living. Havent read the article - but promptly decided that I would compare my health personally with the right side of that street if I did...

I was off seeing a chiropractor here about getting rid of a temporary health blip I've had for a while here earlier this week. One of his first questions was to ask me if I'm on any medical drugs. The basic response boiled down to "Of course not".:rotfl:His look of surprise didn't strike me as very positive for the position of the rest of my 60-something age group...as he seems to expect everyone in this age group to have permanent health problems.

[Deleted User]

a very good start to the day, after a good sleep last night. I am still transferring all my cds to windows media and then onto mp3 players. It is taking a very long time and the base is all on my windows 7 pc, so I am going to make very sure that they are all copied in duplicate onto different players. I did all the audible books last week

Just had a sit down in the recliner, in the hazy sun, eating a croissant and drinking my one real coffee, radio on. My world is at peace and I felt happy and uplifted. From my kitchen window I saw the cleaner go into my neighbours house, they are at home and retired. It is very difficult to stop the cleaner, who is good as they are kind people and the cleaner works hard, lives very locally and is a single mum. I am so glad I haven`t gone down that road, I like doing what I want when I want and if it means eating a croissant in the sun with my feet up, ahh the joy of a simple pleasure

Nothing else planned for today, am still being careful as the temperature is so low outside, so I skipped going to fit class this morning. Got to wrap a couple of things and keep copying, will probably watch a film this afternoon. Pottering is good, I already did 1400 steps that and filled 2 big black bin bags for the tip, very satisfying. Put loads of cds into case logic files and now neatly stored

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh well...that is me lined-up to try out that new yoga class. It was a bit of a toss-up between that and another type of dancing to add to my "regulars". Decided that, with the news being as it is, I would probably be better with the more "spiritual", rather than the more "fun" thing - so yoga it is.

Regrettfully turned down a group evenng out later this week - as its a bit dear in view of the fact my finances are going to take a while to recover from having had about 3 years of half pension (only finished at last pretty recently).

Will keep a watch on my finances to see when I get to the stage where I feel I can afford to go to everything I decide to go to...

Winters and the ground underfoot are both often worse than I am used to personally - so I feel a bit restricted from much in the way of walks until spring again:(. At least until I've slimmed down enough to get into my "West Wales" type outdoor clothing and then I'll have a rethink.

Meanwhile - re-visiting cookbooks I've had in mind for quite a while now - ie having a go at cheesemaking/sourdough making/fermented vegetables. Must make use of these grey/cold days....and I'm not interested in the crafts many other women round here do personally (having discovered long ago I'm a total butterfingers at anything "craft-y").

Eliza_2

Well - oh my goodness!! When I started this thread I had no idea of the response I would get - as well as a couple of private messages which I've only just seen (aren't you supposed to get notifications or something?)

I've just read this right through and am staggered at how busy people are - how did you even find time to reply? But I'm glad you did!

There seem to be several groups of activities that occupy people, - domestic such as housework, gardens, family and friends; clubs and classes and then the bigger things such as holidays (and holiday planning which can be just as much fun as the real thing) and not forgetting time to stop and stare, and Kittie, the image of you in your recliner with a g and t is priceless!

Money, your emails did ring a bell with me. I was a forces daughter too, until the class-ridden army society compelled me to rebel (and I can still hear my mother's horrified voice - 'think of your father's position'). I do feel that 'now what?' feeling as if I'm waiting for something, yet I know I mustn't just wait as I don't have so much waiting time as I did in my 30s when you think you'll go on for ever. I feel I need to be more pro-active, I really can't just stand and stare, or take 'me time'. I do far too much of that.

It's already Tuesday and I've done nothing - well ok a bit of housework, followed up one of my 'old ladies' voluntary job and a few other odds and sods but nothing to write home about. When my mother rings me she tells me all the ins and outs of her busy life, I feel I have nothing much to talk about. The latest with grandchildren, bits of local gossip, we talk about the latest books we've been reading, she tells me what I've missed on tv. That's it. Life!

Living in the sticks has downsides too, despite the glorious views and lack of traffic. I'd like to volunteer in a museum but the nearest would cost me far too much in petrol to get there. I have a built-in objection to volunteering in a stately home - if the owners want workers to help them fund their lifestyle they should pay them!

No wonder my father's nickname for me was Bolshie!

Anyway, you've all made me feel very small! I am thinking of volunteering for one of the officer positions in a local history group, the babysitting I've done for years for a few local families is producing more work and along with the other things I've already mentioned on the masterplan I'm going to add 'move house.' No idea where yet, but the world (or at least the UK) is my oyster. One problem I've become aware of is that as my more senior jobs were strategic, planning, then that's what I find myself doing now in semi-retirement. Forever needing to plan and overthink what I do, looking for any repercussions and knock on effects to any actions, just as I did at work. I need to stop all this introspection and just get on with it!

Oh no - the plums are boiling over. Knocking up a couple of jars of jam, I have sooooo many plums and damsons! And that's the other thing I've become aware of, I can't do just one thing at once, it feels like time wasting. So I'm making jam, typing on here, listening to Mary Barton on iplayer (which is a very annoying rendition, don't know why I listen really!), eating my dinner with my diary in front of me while I make notes of things I need to check or read up on. Madness.

Thanks again, it's been such an eye opener to read this.

Liz

moneyistooshorttomention

It is difficult in some ways not to multi-task.

I tell myself to "think Zen" and "When eating - just eat. When washing the dishes - just wash the dishes" etc. I've not quite convinced myself yet.

My regular voluntary work stint isn't something that's particularly "demanding" - so To Do plans whilst there (besides the usual catch up on local news in the paper/socialise with anyone I know that turns up/etc will include reading up on the next book club book and doing some further choreographing of a dance routine I've had my arm twisted into:eek::rotfl:.

Hmmm...no-one here has asked me for a while the "Have you Slowed Down yet?" (ie to match the slower pace of life of this area). Am guessing that's because they've figured "slowing down" isn't top of my agenda. Which reminds me - I've still not yet got myself into the habit of doing a solo daily yoga session on days when I've not got a yoga class. Must get on and slot that in too...

Living in the sticks does mean more effort going into working out a Social Life - and my sympathies on being expected to use your own money to pay for petrol if you were to volunteer at that Mansion. It's not unknown for people doing voluntary work to have their expenses reimbursed - and I would think it worth asking (after all - many other would-be volunteers will be in the same position).

Thankfully - there is just about enough Social Life in my present location that I don't absolutely "have" to go out of it for any. I do choose to do so for some things though and to get to some walks I have in mind. I admit to feeling concerned for a friend of mine living in an even smaller place elsewhere - as I googled for info. on it and there is absolutely NO discernible Social Life there at all:eek:. You would think there would be something - as the population is (just) up into 4 figures (if you count carefully). However - she has to drive to a variety of other places to make up a Social Life. My mind is boggling at how I would manage one if I lived there - I think I'd just have to have all my Social Life in daytime hours Monday-Saturday (ie because I'd have to catch a bus to absolutely all of it Someplace Else) and resign myself to not having any on Sundays or evenings (bar making friends with someone with a car - who wanted to come and share an "evening out" with me).