Life Is So Different

Now that The Husband is no longer working for someone else everything is strange.  I'm hoping that the absence of meetings, deadlines and demands from an employer will continue to reduce his stress.  He's been a bit more chipper for sure.  But we're still figuring things out.

I'm probably more stressed than he is.  It's the money. Of course it's the money.  (Or as the guy at the retirement workshop said, it's more the income that's vital and worrisome.  Income is a bit different than money.) We're still trying to get Medicare Part B premiums (along with the Part D - drug coverage) down to a reasonable level.  The letters we get from them are imprecise at best, confusing and vague.  We did have some phone time with the local Social Security office the other day and things seem to be moving along but it's actually difficult to tell.

But we've kept busy.  We've raked leaves.  And raked leaves some more.  We can only accumulate so many before the garbage bins are full and then we have to wait until after garbage day to re-fill the bins.  And all the while hoping the leaves would just fall all at once and be done.  The trees ought to coordinate their leaf-fall.

We've been to one workshop (and now have to look over the contract with our current financial planner to see if we can switch without penalty should we decide to do that), have a different kind of workshop to attend  tonight. We've had family meetings about our future (plans, goals, lifestyle) with results that seem to be in line with what we've learned as we've gone along.

We've planned Thanksgiving as best we can - continuing our Thanksgiving Breakfast Feast tradition. We'll be smaller this year,  our son and his family won't be able to make it.  And we will miss them.  Does a Mom ever quit fussing over / about her kids?  This Mom won't.  I know that.

The symphony last weekend was "ok", not as lovely as we'd have hoped.  I still think Candide (in whatever form or adaptation) is vastly overrated.  But that could be just me.

We've also been to tithing settlement, had discussions about Christmas gifting (that has been lovely - so often in the past the "heavy lifting" has been up to me, it's nice to have input and help).  We've not been to the theater - not really any movies that have seemed like they're worth the money (even at matinee or senior citizen prices).  It's been lovely to have access to Netflix.  I'm refining my popcorn popping skills, it somehow feels good on a Saturday afternoon to sit in our own comfy chairs eating our own freshly popped corn and watch a couple free movies. I've liked it.

It's been a couple weeks since I've been to yoga - my back was protesting too much.  And while it's better, it's still achy and sore enough that I'm being quite careful.  So, I've been out on the trail a fair amount and that's always my favorite.

And I've determined that it's going to be important to always have something to look forward to.  That is feeling like a vital part of life.  Tomorrow The Husband will be off to lunch with friends, and I'm taking that day to go to lunch with a couple old friends.  Friday will be an "outing" day - several places to go that we rarely go so it'll feel like a teensy adventure.  And Saturday is Stake Conference which isn't really something we anticipate with a smile. We've both got extra meetings and neither one of us is fond of them.  We're hoping for some information regarding the new Sunday schedule and teaching approach that begins in January.

I heard this at church: something along the lines of "Faith is belief put into action".  And I have thought a lot about that.  Do I have faith enough to go forward knowing that Heavenly Father won't let me go too far astray without prompting me to correct my course?  Do I have faith enough to keep on trying even though things aren't going quite as I'd hoped / expected / wanted? Knowing in my heart that Heavenly Father knows me personally and has a plan for me? That phrase almost feels like a challenge - to keep on keeping on, with grace and a cheerful heart.

I'm so grateful for life.  Grateful to live in a fairly peaceful place.  Grateful to live in a beautiful place.  Grateful for plenty to eat.  And grateful for something to look forward to.