The first week of retirement was great - I have carved out the morning for myself, with anything Kristen needs to do coming in the afternoons, when necessary. I have made it to the gym by 8:00 every morning (except Wednesday, which is library story time day, so I have the afternoon off). It feels so good, and it's working! I've been riding my bike there every day as well, so that saves gas and adds a few more burned calories. I'm working the old WW plan - the plan works if you work the plan!
I'm going to do a "Tackle it Tuesday" for the first time next week - I'm making slow progress with my little office/playroom. It feels good to actually have the time and motivation to get my house in order after all these years of looking the other way.
The 4th was a busy day for us. We usually just hang around home, go to the park for a burger cooked by the Lions Club guys, back home for the afternoon, and then back to the park for the fireworks (we're blessed to live walking distance from the park, so we get to avoid the parking fiasco). This year, we went for the burger and met DC's mom and sister there. Then we went up to Kev and Sema's to see our new grandpuppy. They're the proud owners of Calypso (as in Pirates of the Caribbean, in honor of the black eye patch), to be called Callie. She's a bull terrier with lots and lots of energy.
The fireworks are always really good in our town, but this year was the best ever. I walked over to the sculpture park (I plan to share this place with you soon) and scoped out a nice place for the rest, who came about 8:30. I read my book and actually dozed off for a few minutes. The sunset was so great.
I tried the "night landscape" mode for the first time - the lights reflecting from the neighborhood across the lagoon.
I tried out the "fireworks" mode on my camera, but it wasn't too successful. I couldn't keep it still enough.
Now for a little tour of the current flowers in bloom. The clematis are gorgeous this year.
The delphiniums are vibrant blue.
We have so much shade that we only have one regular rose bush. But the miniature roses are profuse and beautiful.
The snapdragons are not plentiful this year, but they always bring back a fun memory.
Care Bear and I used to play this little game - Susie Snapdragon would talk to Care Bear and she would talk back - I learned some very interesting things when Susie Snapdragon asked Care Bear questions. Maybe Kate and Emma will want to play this game in a couple of years.
Have a wonderful week!
25 comments:
Hi Dawn,
Glad your retirement is going well! Your 4th sounds lovely and I enjoyed all the pictures including your cute grand puppy!
Fireworks are so hard to do. We didn't make it to the fireworks this year. When you visit you'll probably agree it was a good thing we skipped them.
xo
Hi Dawn!
Wow, I'm impressed that you not only go to the gym every day, but ride your bike there as well! Good for you! :-)
Your grandpuppy is just adorable! And the parents look quite proud!
Beautiful pictures. The fireworks ones look very artsy. And Sculpture Garden looks idyllic and peaceful.
Glad you had such a nice 4th of July! Have a wonderful week!
Sammy
Dawn, I'm glad that you are enjoying your retirement. I lkie the photos. The dog reminds me of (here is wher I show my age) Pete the dog from little rascals( Spanky and gang) on T.V.
That's my story and I just have to stick to it. Hugs and Blessings
about the dog.if not Pete how about Spuds Mackinzie the beer dog for Bud Lite??
I'm glad you are enjoying retirement. I'm looking forward to a time when I don't have to work. Next week would be great.
The flowers are so pretty. I love flower pictures.
Cute little grandpup.
Dawn,
I love the photos of the fireworks. I think they turned out very well. The colors are vibrant and beautiful, as are your shots of the sunset.
My clematis bloomed profusely this year as well. It is still in bloom though some are dying back. I wish they bloomed longer. I don't know if I cut it back if they would bloom again or not. Food for thought and something I should research.
Your roses are beautiful and I remember the Susie Snapdragon game. I never did try that with the boys. Thanks for the memory.
Take care and enjoy your week. It sounds like you are keeping busy.
Blessings,
Mary
You inspire me. Great idea, getting right into making exercise and biking replace your old work schedule. and shooting all those beautiful scenes and the flowers just has to be good for the soul.
Congratulations again on retiring, but if it doesn't work out, you and Linds and I could steal away and join some foreign legion.
You're not having any problem keeping busy since you've retired, are you? ;o)
I tried taking pictures of the fireworks with my ruined camera, but the shutter stuck and my pics look much worse than yours! Some things will still work on the camera sometimes. Not a good thing when you can't rely on it, though.
My new camera should be here any day now! I'm excited!
Have a great rest of your week, Dawn.
Love and hugs,
Diane
I love the photos, Dawn, and Judith's hilarious comment re the foreign legion!
The fireworks are always a problem, but according to Pioneer woman, you need to have a tripod. I know it works for me if I put the camera on something. Like a wall. The sunset ones are stunning!
I am so glad you are enjoying retirement, though it seems to me you have speeded up rapidly! I am very impressed re the gym and the bike. Now if I could just get moving here, it would be good.
Sounds like all fun stuff.
Susan
Hi Dawn! I was compelled to drop by to see how you're adjusting to the retirement, and it seems you're keeping quite busy. And still having a lot of fun time added.
Love the snapdragon story, and your 4th of July photos are super. [I, as you know, know the lake and I think that would be such a wonderful place to be able to walk to and enjoy the festivities!!!]
Gorgeous flowers in your garden/yard too. Around here, for some reason, the cool colored flowers don't do well, guess it's just too hot. But I keep looking for some blue flowers around here, I just may try some of the blue delphiniums. Thanks for the idea!!
Keep on keeping on with your enjoying your 'free days'.
So much going on around your place, Dawn. Wow!
Love the new grandpuppy. There is noting like a new puppy around the house.
I thought the fireworks turned out pretty goo. I know that they are not as spectacular as what you witnessed, but they are good for the memories.
I am so impressed with your weight loss. I'll bet that you are already feeling a surge of newfound energy. Are you loving retirement yet?
The flowers are so pretty. That clematis is wonderful. As kids we used to snap the snapdragon flowers on our ears for earrings.
I'm so glad you are enjoying this season of life Dawn. Isn't it great? And I'm proud of you for getting into a good exercise routine. Ours gets interrupted rather frequently (as it has this week), but we do our best :-)
The flowers are just lovely. You've done a great job.
What a nice fourth of July you had. Just being with family is the best. I love the new puppy. What a perfect name!
Thank you so much for your prayers Dawn. You are in mine as well. My Dad is already home from the hospital!
Dawn~ It was great to read this update and to know that all is going great! It's okay during this retirement stuff... to just do NOTHING... so enjoy.
Isn't it fun to have enough time to experiment with your camera settings? You got some great shots.
I like the snapdragon idea. Aren't you the clever grandmother?
Dawn~ It was great to read this update and to know that all is going great! It's okay during this retirement stuff... to just do NOTHING... so enjoy.
Isn't it fun to have enough time to experiment with your camera settings? You got some great shots.
I like the snapdragon idea. Aren't you the clever grandmother?
Sounds like a wonderful 4th of July and a nice first week of retirement!
Your delphiniums are SO pretty...I know so little about flowers and am learning so much from my blog friends when they post their garden pictures!
One day, I'll have my own!
Good for you doing so well with working out! I haven't been doing so well, except for the family bike rides...you're inspiring me, though!
Hello dear Dawn:-)
Sounds like you're settling nicely in your new routine! It must be a great feeling for you knowing that time is now yours to do with as you please:-)
Glad to hear you had such a lovely 4th of July. I love fireworks but missed them this year on our Canada Day because the parking is atrocious and I always end up having to walk a couple of miles to get to the park!! Your pictures turned out great, I have those features on my camera too but they don't always work out! lol
Callie is so precious, love those type of dogs. I think the name Calypso suits her perfectly:-)
Oh wow, your flowers are gorgeous...my Clematis is still in the growing stages and hasnt' even started to bloom yet. I noticed today that there are little buds starting to form so it shouldn't be too long. Love your delphiniums as well, what a beautiful colour. Omigosh, I so remember playing Susie Snapdragon with my boys when they were little:-) xoxo
8 lbs!!!! Wow! That is so great....I need some of your motivation. I need to get back on WW again.....a few years ago I lost 30 lbs. I'm afraid to admit, I've gained it all back again.
Sounds like things are going well! My grandmother planted snapdragons every year, and we would make them talk, too.
The garden looks colorful. I'm glad you have time to pause and enjoy it!
Oh K & S's puppy is SO cute!
I knew you'd find your pace. I was looking at cards in the store yesterday and ran across the retirement cards. I thought of you as I laughed through a few.
I love that you are riding your bike to the gym -- take THAT you gas prices!!!
Have fun. OH, and I answered your question about our son's mission trip on the blog this morning. Thanks for asking.
Sounds like you are getting a lot done and enjoying retirement. I love the clematis, reminds me of my mom who used to have some all over the back of her fence. Right now it is so hot here that the flowers are wilting right after blooming (suppose to be 111 today). Grandpuppy? I understand my son has 2 cats that he says are my grandkitties. (he is soon to be 36 and not married).
Have a great week and God Bless
Beautiful photos - all of them! The colors are so vibrant in the fireworks and the flowers.
Sounds like you are enjoying things so far! :)
Isn't retirement wonderful?! I just love it and can't imagine being bored, there's just so much to do. You have certainly set a nice routine with your exercise! 8 pounds, I am jealous! I've lost about 4 and can see a bit of a difference in my jeans but I have a long way to go. Dad and I walk every day and with all the barn work I do you'd think I would have lost more......grrrrr....oh well hopefully once they get my thyroid straighened out that will help.
Your flowers are beautiful. I have never grown clematis, I don't have a spot in the right light exposure, but I think they are just beautful! Never heard of the snapdragon game, what is it???? Sounds like it would be something I would have fun doing with my grandkids.
Your July 4th pictures are so pretty!
Hey how about that grandpuppy?!! What a cutie, I love the patch over her eye!!!
Loved this post. How fortunate to live within walking or biking distance to some of the things you want to do. But I'm not a morning person and it seems early to me to be out and about. I wish I wer a morning person because it gets so hot so fast these days.
How fun to now have free time to plan what you want to do. I'm happy for you that retirement is working out so well.
Mama Bear
I love how well you were able to capture the fireworks! Your flowers are lovely...and so is you new grandpuppy!
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