Blog

"Where has the summer gone?" has come up so much lately as customer conversations are mostly casual. And now August is nearing its end. Even when the temperatures reach ninety, I can feel the beginnings of fall in the blowing winds as I lounge in the pool with leaves gently swirling down to the surface of the water around me. Now the week is gone, Friday is here, and I have not completed everything on my list, though the important items are complete. A friend supported me years ago by suggesting I am not required to have a story each and every Friday. Thank goodness for friends watching out for us. This was while working five exhausting days a week during busy bike season. Busy season is winding down and I haven't put in a five-day work week in a while, so I wonder why I cannot always finish my list. I learned to say no along time ago, thank goodness, so my plate is not overflowing. Volunteering taught me the need to say "No" at times as organizations utilizing one's help always want more, more, more, and burn out sets in. Being halfway retired has me working at a slower pace but isn't that what it is all about? At some point my time should not be planned minute for minute. A book waiting for me can enjoyed the entire day if I choose followed by dinner out if I choose. Cooking duties have reversed in my household, so I am never expected to make dinner. Jeff does the cooking and is exceptional. He will be thrilled I have not "thrown him under the bus" this week, a question he raises each Friday. But if we discuss laundry, he will end up under the bus as colors in the washing machine should not be mixed like my paints. I am not sure if this painting is finished or not, as that decision is still on the table. Now it sits on the shelf for me to evaluate each day. I have been told when you think your painting is almost done, stop. The reason is to keep the painting from becoming overworked. Maybe a stroke or two next week and I will call it quits. In the meantime, I will enjoy every drop of summer we have left.