Friday, December 29, 2023

Icy Morning and Identifying a Big Change for Me Post-Retirement

 Joe and I started our day with breakfast at Brother’s Eatery in Rockford. It took a bit of work to remove the ice off our car’s windshield. The temperature was 28 degrees and ice covered the lawns, streets, trees, and shrubs. It was still dark at 7:00am so the streetlights made the ice glisten. Very pretty outside. I took a photo in town after breakfast to share with you. It is across the street from the restaurant which is on a side street (Bridge Street – Guess what? It has a bridge on the street.) of the downtown area of Rockford.


After we got back home, Charlotte and Caleb came down to play hide-and-seek with Joe. Then they built a super long racetrack together. Charlotte and I then read part of What Would Darla Do, a book on the power of choosing what to do in different situations.

Joe took Caleb, Charlotte, and Pan out for a trail walk in the wooded area behind the house. They did not particularly enjoy the short walk, but the air was good for them. By the time they went for the walk around 1:00 pm it had warmed up to 40 degrees. Joe claimed it took longer to clean their boots than the walk itself.

Other than reading with Charlotte I have been reading and dozing off much of the day. What a luxury! I have not gotten used to how many naps I take now. Back in my workdays, I would just push myself through each day. I learned to ignore my body’s needs. In my pre-retirement years, I would even ignore my body’s need to use the bathroom so I could finish a conversation or a project.

Maybe that is one of the biggest changes for me this year – getting back in touch with my body’s needs. And once I recognize the need, I now give myself permission to fulfill the need whether it is a trip to the bathroom, a snack, a nap, or movement (walking, picking up stuff) without adhering to a job’s schedule.

Post-retirement is working out to be a healthier lifestyle for me. 

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