Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
I had a humbling experience this week. And not the, I'm-so-humbled-to-win-this-award kind, but the I'm-not-as-smart-as-I-think kind. Years ago, I read about The Four Agreements, which are: Be Impeccable With Your Word. Don’t Take Anything Personally. Don’t Make Assumptions. Always Do Your Best. If you can manage to do those things, it's quite powerful...but it's hard. … Continue reading Don’t Assume It’s Personal
As some of you might know, I'm not a big fan of winter. To say the least. I have to admit, though, that on days like today, when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and everything is covered in a thick layer of snow, it's quite beautiful. I just prefer to admire that … Continue reading Passing the time with donkeys and raptors
When I was in my teens, I read a book about a girl who had selective mutism and I've had a fascination with it ever since. It's why I wanted to become a teacher of special-needs kids (that didn't happen). Fifteen years into my career with the federal government, I contacted an expert on selective … Continue reading Are you shy, or just an introvert?
I went to university wanting to become a special-needs teacher. My goal was to work with children in a one-on-one setting, but you had to teach in a classroom setting, which required speaking in front of people. I couldn't do that back then, so I changed the plan. Helping kids learn to read and write … Continue reading Volunteering in Retirement
We put a hold on accepting cross-country cyclists as guests for a while, but we've still been doing our fair share of hosting this past week. My sister was here for a couple of days, though she doesn't really count as a 'guest', more like an occasional resident. We ate nachos at a waterfront restaurant … Continue reading Hosting Adventures: Cycling, Guests, and Life Lessons
We hosted five Warm Showers guests this week, two couples around our age, and a university student. All five had set off from the west coast and are cycling to the east coast. When one of the couples arrived, I told them Ray was out sailing. They saw a bike hanging in the garage and … Continue reading How important are shared interests in a relationship?
It's been a while since my last post. I was in a slump for a bit. Before I retired, what I loved most about my job was digging for answers. Solving puzzles. Searching for the needle in the haystack. I've learned that I need that in retirement too, whether that comes from researching a vacation, … Continue reading And the seasons, they go round and round
What kind of vacation have you really had if you haven't filed a police report and visited the local hospital? As has become a semi-regular tradition, we flew to England to join our group of Cheltenham friends at a holiday home they'd booked for the weekend. Folly View, a 6-bedroom holiday home, with a Shepherd's … Continue reading A Sun-Filled Week in…England?
I never post about politics or current events, but when virtually every conversation and social media post alludes to what's happening in the world, ignoring it feels odd. My old university friend, who I recently reconnected with, is the NDP candidate for our riding in the upcoming provincial election. I have absolutely no problem supporting … Continue reading Winter Workshops
I've not been in much of a writing mood lately. It happens sometimes. I've posted between 28 and 38 posts annually for the past six years. That's 2-3 posts per month, but I go through phases where I bore myself. After a couple of weeks, my sister starts pestering me. "Where's the blog?" I'm not … Continue reading January Catch-up
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