Working at Living

I thought it was time I updated the blog. Since it was originally intended to be a “travel blog” I don’t feel too badly that it has been awhile! We have been home here in Kincardine for nearly 2 months now. May was a cold month and June has been spotty. Very spotty with raindrops actually! Things are quite lush however but we could use a dry spell. I’m afraid my potted plants will soon get root rot.

The chores of the “big house” are still endless. What’s with that? I guess I thought once retired those would go away but of course they don’t. They actually multiply when you spend more time at home! This is not a bad thing (yet), just an observation, and I do love having more time to enjoy our home. Puttering is an art you know! I have enjoyed the yard and watching things grow. I still can’t get over how nice it is not doing laundry and other chores at night or on weekends. Sometimes I think I have so much time that I don’t do what I should and then have to give myself a kick to do it. Lists are still my best friend even though the nature of my “work” has changed. I have been redefining the word “work” as I start into my second year of retirement. Hard to believe it has been that long. I feel that I now work for myself and my time is my own. It is amazing how the days fill up and how there is never a lack of things to do.

Of course there is more leisure time. When I retired someone gave me a coaster with this saying “Retirement is when you stop living at work and start working at living.” It is so true! We have golfed a bit, biked a bit, and kayaked a bit in between bouts of cold or wet weather. Catching up with people is a job all in itself, but the most pleasurable! I continue to do a little supply teaching. I really enjoy going to my most recent school since I know everyone there and love spending time with kids I used to teach. It makes a big difference being able to leave at the end of the day and not have homework or report cards to deal with. Fun stuff!

We have had the new Cedar Creek for a couple of weeks now and I have had fun “playing house” again, transferring the stuff we had in the Sundance into it. I am so looking forward to our maiden voyage. We plan to go to Niagara for a week, leaving June 23rd. The campground is just 6 miles from Niagara on the Lake right in the middle of wine country. Yummy! We have 3 other trips planned this summer: Inverhuron Provincial Park (only a few miles from here), Granite Ridge (near Algonquin) and Ottawa. When in Ottawa we have a week’s pass to see the Canadian Women’s Open.

Timber! On Friday, June 13th a very large ash tree in our back yard split in half and fell. It was not stormy…just a bright sunny day with gusty winds but nothing too severe. It was quite amazing. I heard very loud cracks and then several seconds later saw the tree fall. It was pretty nifty how it fell in between everything and caused no damage! Thank goodness no one was in the back yard! Today we had a tree service come and remove it and another tree near it. I am not sure what was wrong with the ash. It could be getting old and weak but it was pretty scary and we don’t that to happen again.