It's been a hot minute

How has it happened that more than a year has passed since I last posted to my blog? I’ve started several posts, but alas, never finished them. My thoughts are that if I read more, I would write more. My brain has atrophied with mindless computer games, home improvement TV shows, and golf.

Reading more – that’s a goal that I acted on this week. I visited our public library and got a new card (because my old account expired with too many years of inactivity). Our library is small (because the town is small), but now I have access to a great variety of online books. I’ve had access to Amazon Prime Reading for years but rarely find anything I want to read on Prime. Perhaps the great state of Kentucky’s taxpayers will have more selection to offer me.   

I retired from University #2 (which was solely adjunct work) in April. Thank the Lord! The students there were delightful, and the people were nice enough. It was just very low pay for the increasing levels of performance expectations. Finally, I decided it was too much extra work for such low pay. Shedding that burden has been a huge improvement in my life.

I am officially retired from University #1 at the end of June, this month. I will return to adjunct teaching there (which I did for nearly two years before they offered me a full time position). I’m less delighted with this decision, but it will be fine in the long run. Life is short, as we all know or come to find out if we’re lucky enough, and it’s time for this old lady to get out and live more. I am on their schedule to teach five classes starting August, all online which is my preference. Upon my last check, all have enough students enrolled in them to go.

Someone retired at the end of December. That was a hard decision for him, but everyone encouraged him to do it – it was time.  For sure, it was a good change for him because job stress was getting to him, and he was becoming increasingly negative. The adjustment was rough for him, but now that I’m not driving into work everyday, he seems to be doing better.

We recently took a “celebratory” vacation to Maui. This was Someone’s dream vacation – he has visited twice (most recently, like 35 years ago) and wanted to return again. My dream vacation is Canada, but alas, he cannot imagine any other vacation until we checked this box. We stayed six full days which was more than enough for me. We played golf five of those days on four different courses. We visited the Maui Gold pineapple plantation which was the highlight of the trip for me. What I liked most about Maui: plumeria trees which smelled heavenly, the mongooses on the golf courses, and seeing chickens everywhere. Literally, everywhere! We stayed on the south side of the island in Kihei where the waves are not much and the water is clear, so we swam in the ocean which is something I hadn’t done in at least seven or eight years. Maui is lovely, but I don’t care if I never go back to Hawaii. It’s a long way to go and it has similar vibe to Florida (in my opinion…it is Florida with mountains).

Emerald course, Wailea Golf Club - this was my favorite

Blossoms on a plumeria tree - these smelled marvelous!

I can’t end this post without mentioning my delicious grandchildren. Elizabeth’s eyes and toothy smile are intoxicating. She is now starting to put a few words together. Catherine is delightful with her cleverness and sense of humor. Most recently, Elizabeth was bugging her with one of her toys, so Catherine took the toy and placed it up high out of Elizabeth’s reach, saying the toy would be in time out for a while, maybe two weeks. Also, Catherine called me and asked me to go swimming with her the next day. When I told her I wanted to, but I couldn’t come this time, she reminded me that it was going to be 90% hot tomorrow. No doubt she had heard one of her parents say that it was getting up to 90 degrees.

Some static and a mindful Schnaggle (kittycat)

Catherine - so creative! 

Elizabeth - such a cutie!

Sarah with Elizabeth

Now that I’m semi-retired once again, I hope to spend more time with the little girls and my girls. There’s also a special project that has been hanging out in a box in my office room and in a corner of my mind – it involves a promise that I made to my brother before he died, and to my living brother when I agreed to take possession of the contents of the box. This involves setting up a new blog site. I will get this done.

Before you think that I may be bored with so much “free time”, let me assure you that I have a very, VERY long list of projects that need doing. In fact, my remaining life span may not be long enough to even start some of them. Let me assure you, it’s all good. I’m blessed with a marvelous life.  

One last item to include in this post, I adopted my mother's two cats last fall. She broke her hip just before Emily's wedding and never recovered enough to care for them. Although I assured her she can have them back if she is every able to get around well enough, it seems permanent. They are beautiful cats and it's nice to have kitties in our home again. Mick is completely chill with cats. Gracie is too old to be a threat to them, but Blossom in particular is fearful of Gracie. Bubbles knows she can easily outrun Gracie. Blossom and Bubbles are sisters from the same litter.

Blossom (formerly named Erin by my mother)

Bubbles (formerly named Emily by my mother)

Mick - sweetest dog that ever lived

My Gracie - 💓

Huge thanks to Emily and Erin for house and pet sitting while Someone and I visited Maui.