I am now 10 months into this retirement thing. I spent 3 months sleeping a lot, and I think recuperating from the stresses of last 5 years. 5 years, two takeovers and two lay offs. I started working up a head of steam in June and now in October I can say I can see to the end of the tunnel. It really is a full time job to be retired, especially when it is not planned on. Unemployment, social security, health insurance, it has been a constant hassle to keep it going. This week my Medicare card came. Come February 1, 2012 I can quit worrying about health insurance. My former employer switched providers September 1st and according to the Cobra people they will not confirm if I am covered or not. They also no longer return my calls. I send Cobra $618.12 each month, but I don't know if I have insurance or not. 3 months and 2 weeks to go and one major problem solved.
For two weeks we have been sorting and tossing some of our too much stuff. We are getting rid of a lot of accumulated baggage. Baggage fits because it weighs us down and keeps us from doing what we would like to do. I have some 60 Beanie Babies, 30 wonderful cookbooks and so far, 470 books waiting to be picked up on Wednesday next. Since John's heart surgery we cook and eat differently and always will. Therefore my cookie, cake and Paula Dean cookbooks are useless. I will trade 30 lbs lost without dieting and a tax write off for all the chocolate chip cookies in the world. I got a Kindle two years ago and it has been a blessing every day. My vision is so poor now I can't read a real book, but I can read anything on a Kindle. Goodbye dusty paperbacks, I hope someone will appreciate you like I did. All this sorting and tossing has paid off in an amazing way.
I now have my very own art studio. Yesterday I sat at my very own work table and worked on a collage I started a month ago. I ended up scrapping the idea I started with and going in a different direction. I love it, I think it is the best one I have done so far. I haven't felt this inspired since 1964.
Life is good when you have a room of your own.
