omg Christmas is coming

This year I am going to make the effort and get my Christmas shopping done early, now I am retired I have no excuse.Every year because I was working full time, I was racing around on the last week with my tick list and trying to wrap the presents before Christmas Eve. If I end up doing that this year then I would say that I am a glutton for punishment.This year will be the first time I will not be in the thick of things, planning and helping to put on the Christmas Events. This year I will be watching the Events and probably have a little pang of envy at not being involved with the build up to them.The Christmas Light Switch on in November in Stockport always bring in the crowds and the shows are fantastic. The actual preparation build up to the Event is manic, everyone chips in and all teams on the shopping Centre get involved. Then in December they usually have Santa and the Reindeer parade, last Christmas was my last one and I actually managed to get my photo taken with Santa and a Reindeer a nice keepsake. Because of the recession it will be touch and go whether they have the Reindeers this year, glad I have my memories.

Luck comes in 3s too

Hi Bloggers, it has been a while since I made notes of my life in retirement and I haven't wasted any of it. I week ago I came back off holiday with my Husband, we had 2 glorious weeks in Bournemouth. The weather was hot every day and it was the best and the luckiest holiday we have ever had.
We went away on the 20 June and on the 22nd June we had a bit of bad luck, my husband lost his wallet and although we retraced our steps we had to face reality that it was lost for good.
My Husband moped around a bit on that day and I told him that unless he came to terms with the fact that it was lost for good, it could spoil our our holiday. So he snapped out of it and we decided to go down to the beach area in the evening, we would have a meal and a few drinks and enjoy ourselves. After our meal we started looking round for a bar to have a drink and we happened on the B.I.C ( Bournemouth International Centre). They were having the Stage show of The War of The Worlds, we heard the tanoy announcement that the performance was ready to start. We thought we would go and see what it was all about, we entered the foyer and just looking round when we was approached by a B.I.C official. He said are you going to see the show because it was about to start, I said we was only looking around and hadn't come to see the show. He asked if we would like to see the show and I said we would love to, he then produced 2 tickets for seats at £41.50 each and he said enjoy the show on me.
Wow I could not believe it, we had to rush to our seats before it started and I must say that I have never experienced anything so good. The realistic sounds of the action as the show began the Orchestra, the special effects it was fantastic. When the show was over we went back to find the official to thank him and we told him of the lost wallet earlier in the day. He said he was glad it was us he gave the tickets to and wished us luck for the rest of our holiday.
We were so chilled out after the show we couldn't believe our luck and I knew then we could put the bad luck behind us. I had been right because on the very next day my husband's mobile phone rang and it was a Lady saying she had found his wallet and all the money was still in it. We met up with her and offered her a reward but she wouldn't take it, we were lost for words and couldn't thank the Lady enough. We could now get on with our holiday and so we started planning our days with boat trips, sight seeing and enjoying the hot sunshine every day. On the Wednesday of the second week we bought our usual 2 lottery tickets with numbers we have had for quite a while, we have had the odd ticket with 3 or 4 numbers on over the last couple of years. Later that night we checked the numbers and couldn't believe it, 4 numbers came out on one ticket and 5 numbers came out on the second ticket. We was absolutely bowled over, it more that paid for the holiday we had just had and left plenty to spare for our Son's 40th birthday party which was on the Saturday after we arrived back. We can also afford another week away later in the year, to think that at the beginning of our holiday it started with bad luck and it changed to 3 lots of good luck.

We enjoyed our Son's Birthday party the week after we arrived home and I was still on a high from our holiday which made me do something that I have never done before; I actually got up and sang on the Karioke with my Son. It was the best feeling ever and the night was so good with lots of laughs and everybody having fun. I haven't had this much fun in ages, just shows you how much work overtakes your life; retirement is really being good to me.

Life is good

One Month on and life after Merseyway is still good, no worries, no hassles and no being annoyed at people who get away with pretending to do the job they are paid good money for. I miss my friends and the laughs we had but other than that everything about retirement is what I wanted.

The weather has been good to us at the moment and my Husband and I have not wasted any time in enjoying it. We have travelled about a bit and gone everywhere together, I only wish I had made up my mind to retire a couple of years ago.

The pain in my neck has got a lot better and I am back for physio tomorrow, there is nothing serious about it and I will probably be signed off after tomorrows treatment. Then it will just be keeping up with the exercises he gave me to do. I went for an ultra sound on my stomach last week and there is nothing to worry about so I can get on with things now, I just have to keep myself fit and exercise my stomach muscles so I am going to take up swimming. Thats all sorted and now i'ts back to enjoying my retirement.

Some one asked me today if I was enjoying myself and did I miss working, I said the only worries I have now is finding something to worry about. I can honestly say I am having the time of my life, it's still strange though when I go down to the Shopping Centre it feels like I was there ages ago and not recently, like a stranger going back after years away. Well I suppose that is like History and now I am a part of Merseyways History, now and again someone will remember me and hopefully smile.

Lazy Hazy Days

It has been some time since my last post and to be honest I didn't realise how fast the time had flown. My days have been full of doing things that I have wanted to do for a long time and also filled with doing nothing at all. Still the time passes so quickly, how can that be? I am not bored or unhappy at being retired, I relish my freedom but I need to have some purpose in my retirement. I have decided that I must do something constructive, maybe use my skills in some voluntary way and give something back. I haven't decided yet and it may take me some time to decide in which area I want to go, I will ponder on this a little while longer.

I have had a couple of health problems over the last couple of weeks, I have had a problem with my neck and have had physio on it and it feels a lot better now. I have to do neck exercises every day but that's no problem, I am just glad that the problem wasn't serious. Next week I am going for an ultra sound xray on my stomach because I have been having some pain and discomfort, trouble is I have got to go to a medical centre all the way up to High Lane; I hope I don't get lost if I do it will be a long time before my next blog.

My Son and his family are going to have a new addition to their family, no not a baby, it's a labrador puppy and my grandsons can't wait. Lots of promises from them to look after it and take it for walks mmmm, don't know how long that will last, Still I have seen the photos of it and it does look cute. It will be ready to collect on the 20 June when it has been weened and had it's injections. I do hope they realise what they are taking on, I know their hearts are ruling their heads but it is a little boys dream and I must say I can't wait to see it myself. I will close now untill my next blog, bye bye for now be happy out there.

Birthday Girl

Today is my Birthday and what a lovely day I have had, lots of presents and cards from my family and friends and beautiful flowers too. The sun has been shining, my Husband took me out for lunch and I feel good. Yesterday I visited my friends down on the Shopping Centre, thank you so much for my prezzies Little G and Girlfriend and GB. I found you up on smokers bridge as I hoped I would, it was lovely to see you all. It seemed strange signing in as a visitor in the Office, but life moves on I suppose.

I feel as if I am on holiday at the moment, my retirement hasn't kicked in yet all being well it will be one long holiday. I don't feel retired, what does it mean? does it mean change or stopping doing things, do you switch something over in your brain that gives you instructions on retirement and what is expected of retired people? I think I will write my own rules on it, we are back to the blank canvas again it is for me to draw my own picture and add colour along the way. Now that is my retirement, each day will be new and unused and it is for me to use it; yes I am ready for my adventure.

friends

I have been a bit low in spirits today and it has taken all day to shrug it off, I've been thinking of a friend who hasn't been feeling too good. I feel that part of the way he was feeling was because of attitudes of others and part because he was poorly. I hate it when he is upset and stupid idiots with brains the size of peanuts are the cause of it. I read his blog tonight and I see he is brighter and happy again, that lifted my spirits and I feel better now.

My retirement is going well, two days into it and I am not twiddling my thumbs. I could get used to it I suppose but a life time is a long time. I will see what each new day brings and make each of those days count. I am not your typical Pensioner, in my head I am in my 20s it's just that my body is out of sink with my head. I like to be busy and on the go, so I hope my bus pass is covered for wear and tear because I'm going to be using it a lot.

I will be back in town on Wednesday having my hair cut so maybe I will look up some friends on the Shopping Centre and maybe have a coffee in the fish tank and watch the world go by. The cameras will be on me all the way so why should I hide myself away, I can even use my mobile phone or smoke out in the open. I may go on to smokers bridge for my Summertime fix with my friend, hope to see him there with GB. I hope to have something more to tell in my next blog, until then I will say a fond farewell to my true friends.

p.s I have managed to get my time zone right.

Pictures of life

I have been thinking of all that I have done with my life so far, If I section it off and put it in picture form I would say I have a first class exhibition with each stage of my life on canvas. Each time I look at my pictures there is always something different to see, there is a storm going on in a corner or a sunny spot that makes me smile each picture is full of my life experiences. I am happy with my exhibition but it is not finished yet today is the first day of my retirement and I am starting on a new blank canvas. I still have a lot of paint left and I don't know how the picture will turn out but I do know it will be another good one.

watch this space as my new canvas takes on colour...............