How is your day Today, plans and achievements 2024....

My wife's roses are in full bloom.

Bottom picture: near the top of the Palm Tree (in the center of the picture where the hole is with the blue sky) is a hawk's nest. When I don't have the camera handy, then I see the parents flying in and out. And when I hold the camera and am waiting, then they don't come. The parents stay only for a moment. I only hear the chicks screaming for food. 2 or 3 years ago, a hawk fledgling left the nest too early and eventually became so weak that I could pick it up and keep it till Animal Control came and took it with them. Two weeks later I received a call that the hawk had survived and had been released.

I also discovered an Oriole Nest under the eve of our roof. Last year we had a hummingbird nest under the carport next to our back entrance. We were fortunate to observe the two eggs eventually hedging, and finally two little hummingbirds left the nest to discover the world. The nest is still in place, and we don't touch it. But it was not re-used this year.

IMGP3696.JPGIMGP3697.JPGIMGP3698.JPGIMGP3699.JPGIMGP3700.JPG
 

Last edited:
palides2021 said:
Resting today after an all-night vigil of stomachache and vomiting. This was one of the worst experiences I have had in a long time with the flu. Sipping on chamomile tea and reading your posts while waiting for the doctor to call back.
Click to expand...
I'm so sorry you've got this, I know how you must be feeling because I had it a week or 2 ago... horrible, and exhausting too.... I hope you feel better soon... :giggle:
 

palides2021 said:
Resting today after an all-night vigil of stomachache and vomiting. This was one of the worst experiences I have had in a long time with the flu. Sipping on chamomile tea and reading your posts while waiting for the doctor to call back.
Click to expand...
So sorry you're sick @palides2021. What an ordeal!
Yes, resting is important as is hydration. I wish I was there to give you soup.
Feel better, my friend. 🌹 🍜
 
I'm dropping by here, to say hello to all of you! And let you know I haven't forgotten each of you. :LOL::giggle:

I've had weeks of major stresses, and difficulty with getting the new lease needed to stay in our same apt., but that part of the present challenges, is settled, finally. Whew.


Numerous spring flower bulbs, we planted years ago, are blooming outside my window, now! So beautiful and so strong they are! I love seeing them.

No hummingbirds sighted yet!

I took 2 short naps today, I just couldn't function, with my sleep and pain issues, without them.

I hope to read more of your posts sometime soon.
 
hollydolly said:
((kaila)) nice to see you.. so pleased you've managed to get a new lease for your apartment, the last thing you need is to have to think about moving.. 🤗
Click to expand...
Yes and thank you... it was so stressful and prolonged a process, that I did search online for possible back up places, if needed;
But I only could find rentals that were worse than our present one, in numerous ways,
and, also, even more expensive. :eek:
And Our health issues would not combine well with moving, as you said.
The extra worry took its toll, but at least we are staying in our place.
 
What purpose has life in retirement?

After my wife had left early for work this morning, I had for breakfast porridge with 100% Cocoa; and then I went on the usual walk with my three Boxer pups. Afterwards, I rested for an hour as usual. In the late morning, it was time for checking news on TV and the Internet, and then it was lunchtime to eat my wife's delicious concoctions.

Finally I started my real project for the day: cutting weeds on both sides of our 200 feet driveway, and raking it clean. It was something that would have taken me an hour when I was younger, but now it took much longer and exhausted me. So, time for another nap.

I already had started yesterday trying to flush out our 15 year old water heater, as it is supposed to be done annually. I probably had forgotten it for a year or two because the drainage valve was plugged up. Ouch. I just collected some different wires and other tools trying to dislodge the calcium deposits in the valve. But right now my wife came home from work, and I cannot shut off the water. So, mañana.

And all the while, I couldn’t help, my thoughts drifted off why I am doing all this. What’s the purpose of it of it all?

I was prepared to work until 75 to finance advanced degrees for my kids. Both my wife and I have higher degrees, but kids always know it better. One dropped out of her M.A. degree program but is doing fine as a teacher in China, while the other one wanted first “to live it up” although she eventually obtained a professional degree on her own and is doing now quite well.

Back to square one. At age 72, I retired from work and basically felt “empty" and "useless.” It was a horrible feeling. Some of you might have had the same experience. It took me maybe a year before I had mentally adjusted to my life in retirement.

OK, I still have a wife (regrettably still working full-time) and my kids who are staying in touch with me daily. Then I have my dogs to take care of, like going on daily walks. They give me responsibility. And then I discovered that “routines” like walking actually put my life on autopilot: life goes on without worrying.

I also discovered that it helps to have goals. I gave myself the imperative to stretch my life to at least 100, if not longer, to enjoy my much younger wife, my 45 years younger children, and my over 80 years younger grandchild. My pension leaves me a little bit of spare money that enables me to spoil them. Yes, that gives my life a positive purpose. It also focuses my life on extending it, mainly with daily exercise, good sleeping habits, healthy nutrition, and some nutritional supplements.

I wish I were religious and belonged to a Christian denomination. It helps to make life more worry free. I am certainly not anti-religion, and I even have some vague religious beliefs. But I don’t like to be confined to a “system.” My religious sentiments are more of a philosophical nature even though I envy my wife's strong religious beliefs. They make life easier. Religious beliefs leave no room for the “why” I am here, and “why” I should go on.

Well, somehow I have made peace with growing older. I do what I can do. Up to age 65, I lived as if life has no end to it; but at 88, I have accepted that the day will come when God calls me, and I am preparing for it. I know what to expect, and it puts my mind at ease.
 
Last edited:
Day started with news about fish in the upper Columbia River having tested positive for "whirling disease" which kills them in large numbers, and for which there's currently no known cure or preventative. Our own local lake & river are tributary parts of the Columbia system. I'm an active conservationist/restorationis, and at the moment I don't know if this will spread to our locality, so I've put the question out to our biologists who work with our group. Should learn something soon.

On the positive side, I worked in our blueberry patch this morning, then afterwards prepared ground for planting our larger garden, in which we grow veggies. Also mowed some grassy areas on our hilly ground, and worked on rebuilding a portable compressed-air tank that I use for driving a pneumatic stapler, pumping vehicle tires, and other things.

Now I'm reheating the other half of a pizza I made for us last night... less effort than cooking fresh tonight. It's my wife's turn tomorrow. We've been watching the Inspector Lynley mystery series in the evenings, on BritBox. We're new to the series and are enjoying it.
 
Last edited:
Early this morning, I loaded the dishwasher and washed Deja's bowls.My BFF called and we talked for quite a while. Afterward I showered, waited until I was fully dressed and ready to walk out the door before ordering lunch on the Taco Bell app. I did that because it seems like it takes me forever to get ready and I always think of something else I need to do before leaving the house. My food (bean chalupa) was ready when I got there, which was great because I was quite hungry. After lunch, I walked to the Amazon hub to pick up my supplements.

I ran the dishwasher when I got back, had dessert and fell asleep. I heard the dishwasher when it stopped and I like to open it slightly while it's still hot in there so the dishes will dry more quickly, but I was too sleepy to get up. Of course I also watched T.V. and played games on my phone. My granddaughter called me just as I was about to have dinner, so I kept it warm and chatted with her a bit.
 
packleader said:
What purpose has life in retirement?

After my wife had left for work this morning, I went on the usual walk with my three pups. Then I rested for an hour as usual. In the late morning, it was time for checking news on TV and the Internet, and then it was lunchtime.

Finally I started my real project for the day: cutting weeds left and right of our driveway, and raking it clean. It was something that would have taken me an hour when I was younger, but now it took longer and exhausted me. So, time for another nap.

I already had started yesterday trying to flush out our 15 year old water heater, as it is supposed to be done annually. I probably had forgotten it for a year or two because the drainage valve was plugged up. Ouch. I just collected some different wires and other tools trying to dislodge the calcium deposits in the valve. But right now my wife came home from work, and I cannot shut off the water. So, mañana.

And all the while, I couldn’t help, my thoughts drifted off why I am doing all this. What’s the purpose of it of it all?

I was prepared to work until 75 to finance advanced degrees for my kids. My wife and I have advanced degrees, but kids always know it better. One dropped out of her M.A. degree program but is doing very well as a teacher in China, while the other wanted first “to live it up” although she eventually obtained a professional degree on her own and is doing now quite well.

Back to square one. At age 72, I retired from work and basically felt “empty" and "useless.” It was a horrible feeling. Some of you might have had the same experience. It took me maybe a year before I had mentally adjusted to my life in retirement.

OK, I still have a wife (regrettably still working) and my kids are staying in touch with me daily. Then I have my dogs to take care of, like going on daily walks. They give me responsibility. And then I discovered that “routines” actually put my life on autopilot. Life just goes on without having to worry about the “why.”

I also discovered that it helps to have goals. I gave myself the imperative to live at least to 100, if not longer, to enjoy my much younger wife, my 45 years younger children, and my over 80 years younger grandchild. My pension leaves me a little bit of spare money that enables me to spoil them. Yes, that gives my life a purpose. It also focuses my life on how to extend it, mainly with daily exercise, good sleeping habits, healthy nutrition, and some nutritional supplements.

I wish I could be more religious and belong to a Christian denomination. It helps to make life more worry free. I am certainly not anti-religion, and I even have some vague religious beliefs. But I don’t like to be confined to a “system.” My religious sentiments are more of a philosophical nature, and I envy my wife's strong religious beliefs. They make life easier. Religious beliefs leave no room for the “why” I am here, and “why” I should go on.

Well, somehow I have made peace with my growing older. I do what I can do. Up to age 65, I lived as if life has no end to it; but at 88, I have accepted that the day will come when God calls me, and I am preparing for it. I know what to expect, and it puts my mind at ease.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your thoughtful words, @packleader! I think we've all gone through these questions, at different stages of our lives, here on SF. Making peace is so important, also being able to enjoy your children and grandchild!
 

Back
Top