August Moon 14: Day 2 -- Right now

 

Day 2: right now

What is it that you do now?
Tell us what fills your weeks, days and hours. What sorts of themes are emerging from your list? What is missing?

I am almost embarrassed to contemplate this one these days. I fear that I take so much of my time for granted, and spend it doing unimportant, even frivolous things.

I spend a fair bit of time online: reading blogs, catching up on emails (which are a big mix of inspirational, shopping announcements, and miscellaneous stuff that somewhere in time I signed up to receive and which I periodically go through and take myself off the lists), following links, reading news, and yes, playing a few games (although I don't do the big time-suckers anymore). And yes, Facebook, although I certainly don't post something even daily, but I do browse through my friends list every few days, check out who's liking or commenting on what, and reading posts in the groups to which I subscribe. And putzing: Checking Amazon for the latest in Kindle books, or the price of a gadget that has caught my fancy, or reading about afib, or glaucoma, or whatever health issue it is that I am interested in at that moment. Or searching for recipes and bookmarking them -- diabetic ones, healthy ones, ones that use the veggies I have on hand, and so on.

Let me say that the Internet to me is like a huge, at-my-fingertips library, and I relish that I can immediately find little facts or information any time I happen to think about them. As a child I spent a lot of time in libraries, sometimes just reading my way through a subject or an author, not for any purpose other than my own enjoyment. That's how I feel now about spending as much time online as I do.

I prepare two meals a day, mostly from scratch -- Tony does breakfasts -- and there are always household bits to attend to -- making the bed, picking up clutter, sorting through mail or newspapers or magazines, laundry, folding, ironing, rearranging, cleaning.

I read two newspapers most days, and usually manage a few magazine articles, but most of my reading is done once I'm in bed at night, on my Kindle, with whatever book I'm engrossed in at the moment until I can't keep my eyes open any longer.

I shop mostly weekly for groceries and household necessities, and usually meander through the stores whether or not I have a list in hand.Yes, I'm one of those people who go into a store for six items and come out with six bags.

Periodically I have doctor's appointments, or blood draws (at least monthly, lately it's been weekly or more often because we've been regulating the blood thinner following my ablation). A hair appointment every six weeks. Bunco monthly. Lunch with a friend every so often. Television at night. Petting and playing with kitties, including distributing treats and attention most nights to our outside boys.  Plays, when they are running. We've joined a concert association this year and also have tickets to a couple of other concerts and fun events this fall. My monthly reiki group.

And spending days with my husband. Soaking in that joy and the simplicity of our lives right now. Being retired is a true privilege when you can decide how and where you spend your days. We've traveled a good bit this summer, and that has been great fun to see new places and old favorites together.

My days go by quickly. And I get stuff done -- although there are still closets and corner that need tackling. But I don't know that they are structured very well or efficiently, or that they hold as much quality as I'd like them to have.

I don't know how on earth I handled a fulltime job, school-age child, household chores, church activities and choir and committee work. But I did, once upon a time. It seems quite daunting to me now, however.

What's lacking?
** A regular exercise habit. I haven't been to yoga in months, mostly because I felt fairly lousy and fragile and anxious. I still feel somewhat fragile and very, very out of shape, and I hate that.
** Any sort of volunteer activity. I am simply uninspired and not feeling the volunteer love for anything right now, and haven't for some time. And I am keeping my eyes and mind open, too.
**  A challenge....growth opportunities and fun time. Maybe a class (loved my reiki classes last week!) A workshop. I don't know.