The Passing of Time

It has been absolute ages since I have posted on this blog!

What have I been doing, you may ask?  Well, I have been going through (finally!) all the collected
recipes to see what I will keep and what I will discard for my future book.....

having lunch with various friends and acquaintances......

cooking for different church functions.......

I don't know.....the time is just flying by!

I thought, when I retired, that I would have so much time on my hands!

I thought I would exercise ,visit, experiment with new recipes, entertain family and friends, create the ultimate photo gallery in our second floor loft and hallway, perhaps get massages (never yet have had one!), perhaps take some cruises, perhaps travel within the United States..........well, my list is not getting crossed off but I am not just sitting still!!!!

Where does the time go?

I do find it harder to get up each morning.....the arthritis has not crippled me yet, but near so!
I need to have my banana half, warm drink (either lemon water or coffee), and perhaps a piece
of cheese and listen to the news, check out the Wall Street Journal and the weather and, finally,
get a nice hot shower ( which is so very soothing to the joints) before I am good to go for the day.

While I may have been awake since 5:00 a.m., I am not usually set for the day til 9:00 a.m. or so!!!!

Do you have trouble sleeping?  I can usually fall asleep all right but then I awake around 2:00 a.m.
and either doze and awake every hour thereafter or remain awake til said 5:00!!!!!  How very
annoying that can be!  (Thank goodness I don't have to be somewhere at 8:00 a.m. on a regular
basis!)

Have you been experiencing the "invisible" phase yet?  That is when everyone you encounter
at the stores, etc. looks right through you.  Of course, you have to be almost 70 for this to occur.
Most annoying.

I have begun to "play up" on this age thing.  When I encounter sales people, I act the "old lady",
personified!  I find they are more helpful, eager to give me the discounts ( you know, you must
ask for them, they will not be offered!) and I then walk away a happy customer - with a lower
priced item!  (There has to be some benefit to being "older"!)

Most folks my age are "purging"......all those old cards, photos, remembrances.  (My girls tell
me, "Mom, we are just going to throw all of this away!".)    I do start to do so......I have such good
intentions!  And, then, I look at a card or a photo or a drawing and I reminisce about that period
of time and, before I know it, the afternoon is over and I have a huge pile for "definitely keeping,
no matter what!" and 3 items I have put into the "discard" pile.

Clearly,  I am not capable of purging.

My one greatest joy, however, is watching and listening to my three  daughters.  All three are wonderful, intelligent, innovative, caring, funny women........not because of,  but despite me!.......they are truly the best!  They are passionate, compassionate, honest, sincere, dedicated.....oh, I could go on and on!  I admire each of them more than I can say.  They have handled whatever Life has thrown
their way admirably.  They are extremely loyal.  They are totally supportive of each other and that
warms my heart more than I can ever verbalize. 

The passing of time does have its perks......watching the next generation (and the generation after
that) hold on to our traditions, values and, yet, voicing and instilling their own beliefs and innovations
into their lifestyle and that of their children's.

It really is as it should be.