Not Retiring Retirement in Everyday Ramblings

These days I am focusing on small accomplishments. Ever since I moved here to Oregon and saw wild lupines in a field with foxgloves, I have had an affinity for them. They show up in my poems occasionally. I got this one as a small start back in early April when I decided I was going to go for a blueish theme in part of the garden.

On Tuesday I was chuffed to see this bloom forming and this shot is from this morning. The brutal heat we have been experiencing has finally broken and while it is warm and full on summery out there now it is manageable.

Mrs. Sherlock is always saying she thinks I should have my own garden. I am game for that. Would someone like to buy me a cottage? Ha.

For days it has been too hot to be out midday and so I have been jamming all these things into the early hours and It finally caught up with me. Last night I realized that I was not going to have the energetic resources to get over to hang out with the guys and our dialogue group today, nor was I going to make it to the radio broadcast of a live performance of Mr. Pedantic and his band after.

Yes, Virginia, even retired people need mental health days.

Carlo had a hard night, not sure if it was the heat, or some off food but he woke me up in the middle of the night. It is also possible he ate a bug that didn’t agree with him, he was having a fine old time chasing something before I went to bed.

Anyway, he was acting in an unusual way and try as I might, I couldn’t let that go and ended up reading and keeping an eye on him the rest of the night. He came in and woke me up asking for food at the regular time this morning, so I was relieved. He is still a little off though, so I continue to watch him. He is leaning against my leg right now.

I needed to prep for, and then attend a board meeting for the League yesterday and I have another meeting tomorrow, this one in person with a committee I don’t know that well. This meeting tomorrow was a surprise. I am getting these things on the calendar so by next month, not a surprise. We are hiring a new part time office manager, our only paid staff, and I have resumes to read.

Doing this work does help me manage my anxiety about the current unpleasantness with the Presidential race coming this fall. Blerg. What a mess we all got ourselves into.

I am behind on some things. Reading here and noting is one of them. Keeping my calorie count to a modest level is another. I was doing well there for a time and then the dental surgery sort of blew me out of the water.

Cody is still helping me with at least maintaining my strength if not actually getting stronger. I need to find a way to make myself go to the gym so that I can access the heavier weights there. That won’t be happening today. And not that there aren’t still things I can do with the weights I have including body weight.

The repeated yawning I am doing as I type this is a pretty good indication, I made the right decision to cut back on activities today. What I truly think I need is a proper vacation. I am kind of sort of planning a week off in August to go visit my niece but that hasn’t come together yet. I would love to see her and hang out with her but what I truly need is a break from the whole shebang. Chores, Teaching, the nonprofit boards, the cat, handsome as he is…

But in the meantime, I have another class to teach this afternoon and some logistics to plan for tomorrow but that doesn’t mean I am not thrilled to see that lupine flower and look forward to what comes next. The heat brought out the first eggplant blooms this week as well. First of those for me also. Eggplants are such pretty plants.

Last updated July 11, 2024