“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.”
Having spent yesterday accomplishing nothing, I am raring to go this morning. I want all my errands done post-haste so this will be a short, quick musing as doing nothing for a couple of days doesn’t provide much fodder for conversation. Here was my entire day yesterday: took nap, took shower, watched baseball game, finished leftovers for dinner and went to bed late. In between there was a trip or two to the deck, a few dishes washed and the mail read, but that was it for the whole day so I’m doing my errands this morning, but I don’t really mind. That gives me the rest of the day to while away.
I was quite content yesterday. I have found that I don’t need excitement or fireworks to enjoy living each day. I don’t even have to get dressed. I do have to brush my teeth and most days take a shower, but that’s it for the musts. Oh yeah, food is in there somewhere but nothing formal: cheese and crackers or fruit make for great lunches. Dinner is catch as catch can. I’m not fussy.
When I worked, every day was hectic especially the weekends. Those two days were filled. I had to clean the house, change the bed, do laundry, grocery shop, go to the dump, correct papers (when I was teaching), plan lessons and run around doing all the other errands on that long list I used to make every week. Now I think how silly. I wasted two great days.
Now I have all the time in the world, and I don’t waste a single day. I consider doing nothing a gift, a huge gift which I wrapped with beautiful paper and huge colored bows and gave myself. I worried a bit about retiring so young and being able to take a day without structure. All of my adult life had been structured, mostly around work, so I wondered how I would spend my days.
The first day of my retirement was glorious. I got to sleep-in. No alarm at 5:00 woke me. I got to read the entire paper and have a couple of cups of coffee. I absolutely do not remember what I did with the rest of the day, but it doesn’t matter. I just remember I loved that day and the next and the next. I still feel that way.
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Tags: enjoying life, errands, gift, hectic, Laundry, retirment, sleeping in, structure, working
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August 4, 2013 at 11:18 am
I do look forward to the day I retire, in about 18 years from now 🙂 I can’t retire early unless I win the lottery 🙂
I didn’t do much yesterday either, the thunderstorms passed one by one and there wasn’t much I could do but I enjoyed it to the fullest. I don’t think any lightning hit the ground, they all seemed to fly between the clouds and some of them straight over my cottage 🙂 My little home trembled like there was an earth quake every time 🙂
I do almost all my errands ob Friday after work or on my way home any other work day, the weekends are holy and I avoid doing any musts if I can, well except for laundry and lawn mowing during summer.
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 4, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Christer,
I was lucky I had the years so that I could retire at 80% of my salary which is the highest I could get. I could have worked longer as I was only 57, but I decided life is too short.
We have had rain but no thunder or lightning. I love those kinds of storms. I know that feeling-thunder was right over head in one storm and I swore the house shook.
I worked until 4 usually and having been up since 5, I never wanted to do errands on weekdays. I was usually too tired and wanted to get home. Sleeping in late on Saturdays was always my favorite!
August 4, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Hi Kat,
I remember the first day of my retirement. I got up after the sun for a change. 🙂 Breakfast was a leisurely affair. Then I decided that since I was had all this free time, I was going to knit an Aran blanket with complicated cables and seed stitch and lace. That was four years ago and I’ve only knit about 12 inches of blanket so far. It remains a work in progress.
Rocky and I went to Newburyport early this morning. It’s the start of Homecoming week and there is going to be a parade sometime today. Fortunately, no one was around at 9AM so parking was fine and there weren’t many tourists wandering hither and yon.
I discovered that Rocky is afraid of black baby strollers, decorative wrought iron trash bag containers and large yachts of any color. These are not things we run across every day, however, so I’m not concerned.
The weather here is beautiful. Mid 70’s, breezy and mostly sunny. Perfect. I plan on doing not very much for the rest of the day.
Enjoy your day.
August 4, 2013 at 2:32 pm
Hi Caryn,
I love that it is in progress. It means there was no urgency and you can relax. Pick it up here and there or not.
My mother, sister and I would sometimes go shopping in Newburyport then have lunch at a great restaurant which isn’t there anymore, and I forget its name. It was right down town.
Those are strange things to be afraid of, especially wrought iron trash bag containers. I don’t know abut Gracie, except Fern does scare her a bit.
The weather here is the same. All my errands are done so I can relax.
Have a great evening!!
August 4, 2013 at 8:12 pm
SMOKED SALMON LINGUINI
——————————————————–
IIngredients:
* 8 oz dried linguine or fettuccine
* 6 oz thinly sliced and chopped smoked salmon or lox
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 T butter
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 1 T fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill weed
* 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel (lemon zest)
* 1 tsp freshly squeeze lemon juice
* 1/4 tsp pepper
* 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to pass
* Fresh dill sprigs (optional)
Directions:
1) Cook pasta according to directions on package.
2) In a large skillet, cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter over medium heat until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add salmon and cook another minute.
3) Stir in whipping cream, dill, lemon peel and lemon juice, and pepper. Bring to a boiling, then reduce heat.
4) Cook at a gentle boil about 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
5) Arrange pasta on a platter. Sprinkle with extra cheese, and garnish with fresh dill sprigs.
Serves 4.
August 4, 2013 at 8:59 pm
Morpfy,
Sadly, salmon is about the only fish I don’t like. I think that a pink fish is an abomination!
I think that KTCC family members will like this if they are salmon lovers because all the ingredients sound delicious!.
August 5, 2013 at 8:16 am
Morphy, thanks for the salmon recipe. I love salmon, garlic and pasta. Usually I add spinach leaves instead of dill. I will try dill next time.
August 4, 2013 at 8:25 pm
DECADENT FRENCH TOAST SOUFFLE
Ingredients:
4 or 5 medium croissants (baked)
6 ounces cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup maple syrup divided
10 eggs
3 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Powdered sugar and chopped pecans for topping
Sauce: 1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
Optional: edible flowers or fresh berries to top
Directions:
1) Coarsly chop or tear up croissants; distribute evenly in 8 greased one-cup souffle dishes or 9×12″ Pyrex dish.
2) In food processor or with a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, butter and 1/2 cup maple syrup; dollop heaping tablespoons-full in the middle of the croissant pieces.
3) In a large bowl, beat eggs, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and half-and-half; pour over the croissant/cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
4) Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5) When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Uncover and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden. In small saucepan heat butter and syrup to create sauce, pour over warm souffle. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and powered sugar. Garnish with edible flours or berries.
August 4, 2013 at 9:03 pm
Morpfy,
This one I’d make in a heartbeat. It sounds totally delicious!! I’v just to serve this!!e copied it for my recipe file. Now I want to have a brunch
August 4, 2013 at 8:43 pm
Morpfy,
The French Toast Souffle sounds delicious and I’m definitely going to give it a try (though I’d better add the 911 emergency number to my speed dial just to be on the safe side, with all that cholesterol!)
😉
Marie
August 4, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I heartily recommend retirement. Unfortunately, unlike Kat, my jobs didn’t have retirement packages (that’s one of the benefits of governmental/school work, I suppose), so there was 0% income awaiting me.k :'( But with VERY careful budgeting, Social Security and minimum savings I’m managing. Not sure I’ve truly gotten the hang of it yet, but so far, so good. I’m pretty sure I’ll live longer by having escaped the workforce — and, quite possibly, SOME in the workforce might just live a little longer, too (I’m all for gun control, but there were days….).
102º IN THE SHADE today. Forecast is for 104º Wednesday. I don’t wanna hear anyone complaining about their hot 90º days!
August 5, 2013 at 11:30 am
im6,
I think it a wonderful perk that I don’t get social security but teachers’ retirement!
I spent almost all my savings on redoing the house and my two trips to Ghana. The redo was almost twice what I paid for the house, but I figure nothing more will need to be done in my lifetime except a few small things here and there, like today’s board exchange. I’m now working on saving for next summer and back to Ghana!
I’m living just fine!
The weather is a matter of perspective. You live where the temp is usually high, but we don’t so 90˚ is horrific for us, especially three heat waves in a single summer.