Rethinking...

It has been quite awhile since I posted here. I confess I was becoming bored with it and figured if I was getting bored, I might be boring as well! (except to my mom who always says it's interesting, but – she's my mom!) So I've been thinking....

Hubby has loads of Wildflowers in this planter...

When I began this blog we were moving, retiring and getting all of that going. We were going to have chickens, and a huge garden, live simply, make do, de-clutter, be prepared for emergencies do a lot of crafting and hand-making of things. We had visions of travel, and spending time together and with family.

The honeysuckle recovered from pruning

That was 2011 - seven years later, I am working full time, hubby is working hard on the home front, none of the kids moved with us, we have no chickens, the garden is huge but I don't care this summer, work is sapping my energy and we're eating too much processed food because it's “quick and easy”. I spent a good part of spring rethinking not only this blog but where we had gotten to – and where we were going. Hubby and I were both ready for some 'sit down and think about what we are doing' time.

Great grandma and Miss Lily at a tea party!

I realize this is a silly thing to say but we are older. You laugh and say “of course you are”! The truth is; every now and then we have to sit down and think about it – because it creeps up on you, and time goes too quickly, and pretty soon they ask for your age at the Doctors office and you have to stop and think! (and you try not to act too surprised in front of people!) We have had some health issues, Hubby has had cracked ribs and torn ligaments and he would like to slow down a little. I started a 3 day a week, 5 hour a day job for pin money and it is now 40 hours a week and I am running an office again which was never my goal! I am tired, we are tired and we have made a few decisions.

-I am going to apply for my Social Security benefits this fall and really retire within a few months of that time, I will train someone if they get someone, but I will not let them dictate my leaving date.

-We are going to be open to the idea of moving a little farther out of the 'population' areas here. We live in the fastest growing area in the country right now and this was not our goal either. We won't put our house on the market or anything but we are going to research and try to find an area that will suit our new needs and wants.  We will pray and see if doors open or close!

We neither one ate any cake!!

-We are making a real effort to get our eating habits under control. I have researched and we have decided on a 'lifestyle' rather than a diet. We may not lose weight but the goal is healthier, not skinny!

-I am hoping that I can add a few things to this blog as well, perhaps the occasional book review, more recipes, travel photos, even some connections to my genealogy blog now and then. We shall see.

Mom got to have kids, grands and the great grand for Mothers Day!

Of course there will have to be pictures of Miss Lily on occasion, and the projects around the house still! We are currently planning a trip to Alaska with my Mom and her sister, my brother and sister in law and Hubby and me. We are doing some sightseeing but a full half of the trip will be tracing the path my gggreatgrandfather took when he went to the Alaska gold rush, and tracking down the gggreatuncle who stayed there and became rather famous locally!  Should be fun!!  I am very excited about it!

All 3 of our boys at one time...and Lily

Thank you to each of you who reads and kind of hangs with me, it really does feel like we are friends and I appreciate you!!  Onward and (hopefully) Upwards...