Week in Review - Life After a Month of 'Retirement'

It's just a couple of days shy of being one month retired from my part-time job cutting fruit at a local grocery store. The first week or so was spent going from bed to chair back to bed. I was so tired and fatigued. I realized part of the issue was all the meds I was on to make me 'feel better'. 

Dumped the meds. And feel a 100% better!

Then all my 'stuff' kicked in.

By 'stuff' I mean all my volunteer work, primarily with Extension Master Gardeners, Rosemary-n-Thyme Herb Society and the Rotary Club Community Garden. This does not include my personal 'stuff'! Personally I think I am busier now than I was when I was working. 

Quitting my part-time job means less money coming in. But I have gained a minimum of 30 hours a week to devote to my passions. And this does not include the hours I have gained in the week because I am not coming home to tired to do anything. 

In other words, full retirement rocks!

Yesterday (Sunday), I was able to spend outside for several hours, manning the Extension Master Gardener table at the Belmont Farmer's Market. Normally I would be working as Sunday is one of the busiest days at the store. But I was free!

It was still a tad cold, but sunny. I was fortunate to be next to Paleo Farms. I bought a couple dozen eggs to see me through the next couple of weeks before we meet up at the market again. Plus I learned if the eggs have not been washed, you can leave them out of the fridge. Washing the eggs removes the 'protection' on the eggs and makes them need to be refrigerated. 

Really nice family group. Plus one of the young girls, who is probably 9 or 10, is saving up to buy herself a horse. She is making potholders and jewelry. Who could pass up a chance to 'donate' a couple of dollars to her horse fund. 

I also had the opportunity to talk to a young man who is selling saffron based tea and syrups. Very interesting conversation. Plus, when a good looking young man tells this 67 year old woman she has a 'warm personality' - then yes, we can hug! I am such a sucker. 

Otherwise this past week I have started seeds. As in TONS of seeds!

Part of what I have sprouting are for my microgreens presentation in a few weeks. The rest are basically tomatoes and peppers. I have also started some sweet potatoes to make slips. I have never grown sweet  potatoes before, so this will be a first. 

I also started my two little hydroponic units I got from Hobby Lobby last fall when they were marked down at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see about growing mainly salad greens and some basil and micro dwarf tomatoes inside. 

There was also a couple of classes I took. The first one was about using my Cricut machine which I have had sitting on my shelf for a couple of years. The second, and one I was most excited about, is the Shiitake mushroom class. I now have 2 logs inoculated with shiitake spore. Hopefully, I will get my first 'flush' of mushrooms this fall. The logs are supposed to keep producing for 4-5 years. 

I now have time to really plan and prepare more healthy meals. Well, not sure how making a chocolate cake with sourdough starter discard may not necessarily be on the healthy end of the scale, but...

And of course, we will not talk about the rearranging I am doing in the house. Things which had come downstairs when Foxxy moved in last year have not been returned upstairs when she left. Once that pile of stuff goes back upstairs, then I can move things which got put in my downstairs closet also goes upstairs. Then items from my stationery closet in my bedroom goes into that closet. And two bookshelves will be emptied and taken off the huge coffee table. The table will be moved into the living room to put an aquarium on. 

Then there is the hydroponics setup I want to try out. And getting the whole outside gardens fixed up and ready to go. I want to ramp up my food production so I can have fresh veggies pretty much all year. And have enough to can and freeze.

There is also the whole writing thing I need to get into a routine to doing. In fact, setting up a new 'routine' for my daily life is necessary for me. I thrive with a routine. In the past it has been all about going to work. Now it is about fitting all the other things into my life which have essentially been on the back burner. 

And this is not to mention the day-trips and weekends with Lady K I can now do. 

So...

Yep, retirement is great!