Friday, March 23, 2012

Gardening in Retirement


It's Spring and warm and sunny.  Time to start the garden!  Now that I'm retired I have time to do the garden right and not be in a rush about it.  I am enjoying everything about it.  


In the fall I planted tulip bulbs for the first time, yellow and red from Wal-mart. I am enjoying them.  I've been cutting them,  bringing them inside and giving some away.




Last month Don went to the stables and got some free horse manure and tilled it into the garden.



From Pinterest I got the idea of using twig tags to mark the plants that I'm growing.


We planted potatoes in the hay and some in the garden  Both are growing the same.  Got the idea from Pinterest


I love to spend time outside!  It's going to be fun gardening in retirement!



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Oprah says: Be passionate about who you are

I feel like Caroline's trying to get to the other side of a decision!
I have to make a decision.
Now is the time - Spring is here and parents are starting to plan swimming lessons for their kids.  I have to decide what I'm going to do with my Learn to Swim with Miss Bea dvd.  I heartily believe in the purpose and need for my swim dvd.  I published it 5 years ago and many parents and children have benefited from it.  Since I quit teaching swimming 3 years ago, I have been selling it on my website and on amazon.  I want to promote it in new and better ways and am ready to invest some money and effort.  I started a facebook page but have not done much with it and I need 20 likes in order to get to the next step.  You could help me out right now with that and write a comment!

I know that I must do all that is required.   I am reading and studying what I have to do and know that it will be work and I'm not sure that I want to work...  but I want to do it for God's glory. 

Oprah said:  "When you're passionate about who you are, it brings honor to God."  ... "That's when God will breathe in your direction and the seeds of greatness in you will take root and begin to flourish."
I guess that now that I am retired it is a matter of recreating the passion that I had so that the greatness can have a chance to flourish again.  If I want to...
Memories of swimming lessons - the video stars!

I have been doing some small projects.  I just finished changing all my VHS videos (family videos and videos of my travels for school and with students) into DVD videos.  I made 36!  Now I want to watch my super 8 videos and see how much to change to DVD's.  
Also, we are going to the condo.
I started pressure-washing the driveway today.  That will take days! 
We have the garden to plant...

Let's always laugh at life!  Watch the video of baby Durham laughing and enjoy!

Bathroom Destruction!

For the first time in my retirement I am going through a period of restlessness. I think it is because I feel "loose" and need to focus on goals again.  I have some decisions to make that will require some commitment and don't want to make them.  I have been living in the present but since I don't have a schedule, I can see myself just "wasting" time, reading, playing, and thinking too much!  That is not me, so I am feeling unsettled.
Also, we are working on remodeling the bathroom and that will going on for an extended period. There are so many choices to be made and I don't see the end yet.

Don has been enjoying the destruction!  Actually, we ordered the tile and the cabinets, thanks to Julie and Platinum Kitchens. Now we are getting bids for the tile work and some of the carpentry and electrical work that Don will not be doing. 
This window goes into the bathroom.  We taped the door to the bedroom shut and go in and out this window.

Shower is out (right.)  Taking down walls and bathtub

Removing the plumbing and the vanities.  Sold the vanities and mirror on Craig's list.

The walls and big window are out, now the toilet.
Caroline helps Robert sell the bathtub for $200 on Craig's list!

Taking out the tile was not easy.

Use the jackhammer to prepare for the plumber - not me!!

After the plumber came, the hole has to be filled in.

Top to bottom: shower drain, shower fixtures, new drain for toilet

Andrew helps!!