When Did I Get So Busy????

I can't believe it has been over 3 weeks since I last posted an entry on here! Where did the time go?

It's June. Mother's Day is long past. Memorial Day was a week ago and today I finally got around to buying flowers to plant outside. How did it get so late?

Before I retired I was pretty busy. OK. To be honest, I was very busy! I didn't consider myself to be a workaholic, but then I don't think most workaholics recognize the trait in themselves. One of the things I loved about my job was the variety of tasks associated with it. One of my biggest flaws was an inability to focus on one area. Instead I became a Jack of All Trades, but Master of None. Outside of work I was also busy, mostly through church activities. Two trains of thought characterized how I chose things to get involved in. The first one was that if I read of an opportunity or a need for help, I would often think to myself "I could do that". The second step was to check my calendar. If that particular time block was free I would say "Sure! I can do that." It wasn't a very stringent selection process.

When we moved I was ready to completely revamp my way of thinking! I guarded my time fanatically. For a year I was involved only in our church choir and handbell choir. But our neighborhood is a friendly one and after a year two groups had formed; a book club and a Bunco group. I was in! Anything to do with a Ladies Night Out and a glass of wine seemed to be a good fit! Over the next few years I added 2 church groups; the Mission Committee and the Flea Market Committee. In both areas, my tasks are fairly limited and a requirement for me to commit to anything was that it had to be something I can do from almost anywhere I have access to a computer. The Flea Market committee is a short term task and I handle publicity (ads emailed to the newspaper) while the Missions Committee has honed our tasks to a few meetings through the year to tweak plans. I handle most of the web site information. I felt I was controlling things pretty well.

However, I guess if I'm being forth coming I have to add in here that through the missions committee I have begun helping at a food pantry one day a month and my husband got me involved in his corvette club..... as Secretary. Hmmm.... how did that one sneak in? Uh-oh, I do believe an old thought pattern resurfaced. I distinctly remember thinking when I was asked if I would do it, "I could do that, and the meetings are already on our schedule, so ok."

I guess that's how it happened. Suddenly I find myself with a house layered in dog hair (yes, she is STILL shedding!), no summer flowers planted, and no time to sit down to blog. I can (and will) rationalize that this past 6 weeks have been a perfect storm of activity. Sandwiched between 2 trips was the need to finalize the plans for the Flea Market, maintain my commitment to the corvette club and the food pantry, keep the yard mowed during a very active growing season, and maintain some sort of house cleaning, laundry and grocery shopping. Suddenly I knew what people meant when they said now that they are retired they don't have any time!

But it's all past! There will be a few summer trips which is the best part of life, but not so much activity. I think life is going to return to a more normal pace. You'll know for sure if you start seeing more views from this empty, but no longer quiet, nest!