Retirement?

Happy Sunday! We have a sunny day today, the fifth sunny day in a row. I believe. This spring, we haven’t seen that until now.  It’s wonderful!  A bit too warm for my liking, but then, we always have to have something to complain about with the weather, don’t we?

Now that ordination is over, I’m just trying to figure out where I’m at.  It has been such a busy few weeks, that I wonder where the rest comes, with retirement. But then, it all comes down to choices.  I wonder if I have taken on too much.  Not surprising, as I’ve done that many times over the years and had to back off a few things to make life manageable.  I seem to forget sometimes, that I have MS.  Mind you, it will remind me occasionally, if I am not paying attention!

The only real thing that I have committed to on a regular basis is the friendly visiting for Community Care Northumberland on Thursday afternoons.  I have two different places that I go for one hour visits, and I’m going to see if I can book them a bit closer together, so that I can fit in one more.

I have also really committed to visit with three residents at Extendicare, which I have scheduled for Wednesday afternoons.  These visits tend to be a bit shorter, and the two gentlemen that I visit are a bit of a challenge, so I am starting off with short visits and working my way up.  I have more trouble talking with the guys, than the woman, but I’m just looking at it as a challenge.

On top of that, I can be visiting palliatives through either organization, and I just had a time when I was spending time with a palliative for both and it was a challenge. I don’t know if that will happen often, I’ll see how it goes.  Both of those palliatives passed away, so I have none at the moment.

I’m trying to keep my mornings free to do my daily posting of Bible verses and quotes to Twitter and prayer to Facebook and just getting organized for the day.  Once a month, I do help out at the Anglican church service at Extendicare facility on a Thursday morning.

Throw into that mix appointments which. If they are in Cobourg, I try to keep to Friday morning, or early afternoon.  If the appointment is in Toronto, I keep Mondays and Tuesdays for that drive, which I combine with a visit with Viv and/or my kids, as well as any errand that has to be done in the city.  Friday morning is also the time for the recording of the Community Catholic Church Sunday service, which gives our Bishop time to edit and load up for 10:30 on Sunday. Speaking of Sundays, I like to get up to St. George’s for their morning service.

Saturdays are then left for chores; laundry, cleaning, gardening, all that stuff.

So, it seems to be all manageable unless I have several palliatives to visit.  The other challenge is when Cavan is in the city with the car.  He tries to avoid Thursdays, but sometimes that’s not possible.  I can walk to Extendicare (it takes me 15 minutes), but I do have to sit and rest my legs for a bit, when I get there.

This week, Cavan is in the city for three days, one of which is Thursday.  I can walk to Extendicare for the church service and I will visit my residents before and after that, so that I don’t have to walk there on Wednesday, as well. Then I have to figure out about the friendly visits.  I’ll check the bus schedule.  I think that it is doable, and it will be good to know if it can be done, for future reference.  I have taken the bus before, when I had something to do, when I didn’t have the car.

So, it appears that I’m not slowing down much, but I might have to revisit my schedule, as time goes by.

I hope that you are not overdoing it! Sometimes we need to let others step in!  God bless!