Retirement Misadventures: July 2021

Where has the time gone? I looked back and realized I haven't written anything since late May. I can't believe how busy and also how sedentary I can be in retirement. Since May I've been working in my herb garden, planning a demonstration for my living history activities, visiting my sister in Reno, playing with my grandchildren, golfing, photographing, and I continue to walk 3 miles most days.

Grandkids enjoying the pool

My visit to Reno was so much fun. The weather was great and I got to spend quality time with my sister and her husband. They are both retired and have recently moved and are still trying to settle in. So far they have done a great job of reducing the clutter in their life and creating a homey space for themselves and their family. We took a few days hiking in the nearby area. Our first trip was to Galena Creek Regional Park just outside of Reno. We hiked through scenic woods on the Jones Creek Loop trail. There was enough ups and downs along with the higher altitude that it didn't take me long to get a little winded.

Galena Creek hike

Some days later we drove toward California. We stopped at the small town of Truckee and wandered the streets where our curiosity led us into many interesting shops and museums. This venture was followed by the search for a short hike nearby. After one failed attempt we ended up at Donner Memorial State Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a hike. The park has camping, picnicking and a very large lake now known as Donner Lake, named after the ill-fated Donner party. We embarked on the Split Rock Loop trail which took us through the woods and to a smaller, very scenic lake called Michel's Pond. On return to our car it was past lunch time so we headed towards Lake Tahoe. We stopped at nearby King's Beach and found some tasty pizza by the lake. There were a lot of people enjoying the water of Lake Tahoe, sunning on the beach or cruising in their boat. It was a delightful day to be at the beach. I will definitely keep Lake Tahoe on my list for further exploration when I have the opportunity since one day was not nearly enough. We also explored the city of Reno a little, did some shopping, ate out a few times but mostly the trip was aimed at having time with family. And family time was the most enjoyable of all. From playing games with my great nephew to family cookouts to talks long into the night about times past, I could not have had a better visit.

My sister & brother-in-law at Michel's Pond

Michel's pond

Once I returned home I quickly resumed my summer routine which centers a great deal around the grandchildren. Junior golf requires several of us to chaperone the kids around the golf course. This is usually followed by time in the pool. My oldest granddaughter is also playing on a Junior PGA league this year so that is extra time golfing with her. Throw in some cookouts and shopping expeditions and the days pass quickly.

In addition to all the joy of time spent with the grandkids, I have been working at developing a display of my herbs as medicines for my reenacting events. I have dabbled at this in the past but my attention runs from one thing to another and the idea had gotten lost a few years back while I was pursuing other things. My current motivation to resume my herbal work came when I was gifted a simple wooden box that I thought would make a suitable container for my bottles of herbs. A quick search at home brought forth the bottles and other items I had been saving just for this. It is such a peaceful pastime for me to pick and hang herbs to dry or bottle the dried herbs that I wonder I get anything else accomplished. In fact, today my beeswax beads arrived and I'm itching to make some ointments with herbal oils. I've also written up an informational sheet on the herbs that I have plus a few others that were readily available in the 18th century along with their historic uses. Hopefully this weekend will remain dry and I can spread out all my "simples" and find a willing listener. I'll try to elaborate more on this in a future post.

There are other times where I just don't do a lot at all. It hasn't taken me long to relearn how to relax and do nothing. Having an afternoon just walking through the park with my camera or reading a book is activity enough some days. It's so easy to put things off for tomorrow when you don't have work obligations taking up so much of your time. Still, I had a lot of things I wanted to accomplish so now and then I have to make myself a list to get back on track and keep from being overly idle.

Time and summer hasten by. The days are getting shorter now but are still plenty long for so many summer activities. Now is the season of festivals and fairs. I have no upcoming travel plans so any trips taken must be local and spur-of-the-moment. Thankfully, I can do spur-of-the moment now. When the weather begins to cool I expect I will want to be back camping and hiking, attending living history events and enjoying the retired life. Since I left work I have not looked back nor regretted the decision to retire one time. My work friends are now just friends that I cherish and keep in touch with in other ways. With each day I will continue to live the dream!