Retirement

All through 2007, for the first time ever I believe, I kept a diary and missed very few days. It was mostly just a memo of the humdrum routines - work, home and bed interspersed with occasional details of "out with friends" or "off to visit daughter" and appointments etc. I also made an almost daily note of the weather although that did tail off a bit during the summer when it was mostly "rain again today"! The garden got almost daily mentions too noting what was coming into bud, leaf, flower etc.

When I finally made the decision in October to retire at Christmas, my walks to work were filled with thoughts of what might in future fill my days. One of those thoughts was that instead of writing a diary I would begin "blogging". So here I am in mid July writing my first "blog".

A bit late in the year maybe but I have been so busy I really don't know how I found the time to go to work! How many thousands of time has that been said? But it is a fact.

I retired on 20 December and of course Christmas was looming. As soon as New Year festivities were out of the way (thank goodness - love Christmas like a child but dislike new year) - I had plans to visit son and family in South Australia. My husband was already committed to various activities (although he is supposed to be retired also) so the plan was that I would fly to Adelaide mid January and return to UK a few days after son's 40th birthday in early March and be home in time for my mother's 86th birthday. That accomplished, once I had recovered from jetlag I had a wedding cake to ice and decorate for early May. As promised back inthe autumn I then visited daughter in Stratford upon Avon for a few days to help with some decorating.

As well as all of this we have decided to sell our house and "downsize" - but things are definitely very quiet as far as that goes!.

So here I am in mid July, with another trip to Australia planned - this time with my mother for three weeks. You see the good news at New Year was that son and his wife are expecting their third child - due in early September. OH and I are planning a trip together to stay with friends who are in India for a year and have asked us to visit before they have to return home in November. So I will be home from Australia just long enough to unpack, launder and repack clothes. And it will be lovely to have a holiday together.

So here I have covered the first part of 2008. Will attempt to keep writing, although not on a daily basis. At some point I will disclose why "Strawberry Jam Anne" which, I think, is quite a funny story.

Today the weather is warm and sunny, with a slight breeze. And in our garden wildlife pond I discovered a dragonfly, newly emerged from its larval case, which I was delighted to see.