Just Slow Down (and ride)

It is now eight months into my retirement, and I still have trouble slowing down. Actually, it is hard not to feel guilty about not having to rush to do everything. I have to learn that it is perfectly okay for me to sit down and do something for myself, without feeling as though I must jump up and rush out of the house. I must also learn that it is okay just to stay home and mill around the house doing whatever I like. 
     I do enjoy being at home. I was never able to be home when my children were growing up, so I suppose I still feel guilty about that. They tell me that they turned out just fine, and they know I had to work, so I should feel better about it. I was a single parent raising two children. More often than not, I had two (sometimes three) jobs just to keep us afloat. My work life spread out over a period of forty years, so now it is time to learn how to have a calm and somewhat carefree life. 
     One thing that I do enjoy is riding my tricycle. Yes, I have a three wheeled bike, and it is awesome! It is bright pink, has a big seat, and there is a basket on the back. I can go as slow as I want, without any fear of falling. When it is time to stop, I can just sit on the bike and not even have to get off or put my feet down. Since I have some pesky leg and balance issues, this bike is a wonderful thing to have. My long rides are between 4 and 5 miles. The short rides are just 1 or 2 miles. I like riding, rather than walking, because I feel safer. I can go farther in the neighborhood. If I feel tired, I can just stay seated and rest. Also, I get home quicker by riding than walking. Riding a 3 wheeler is not as tiresome as walking can be, either. My brother gave me a pink bell that is on there. I also have a pink bag tied on that holds my ID and insurance cards, phone, keys, and anything else that might fit in there!

     Before my sister lost her battle with cancer, she bought a bike like mine. It is green. Her hope was to get out and ride once in a while, when she felt good enough. Alas, she never did get to use her bike. She was too sick, and she went to heaven.      
     My brother-in-law gave the bike to my cousin, who lives only a mile from me. A few months ago, I started riding over to her house to get her out and about. She has a lot of physical issues, too, and the bike is a good thing for her. The first day we rode, she could barely ride 2 blocks. We have gone off and on since then. Sometimes, she goes by herself.  Now, she can ride 2 miles at a time! Isn't that awesome!
     Cross stitching used to be a good hobby of mine. That was back in the day when life was much simpler, my children were young, and I was living a much calmer life. Now that I am retired and not as busy, the craft of cross stitching is calling to me. I have had a hard time finding things in the stores to buy for my craft, though. One of my cousins is really good at cross stitching, and she has told me about some YouTube videos and Facebook pages about the craft. So, I am going to check out all of the places she told me about and start stitching again!
     I am trying to find my joy again. Slow and easy wins the race. I must remind myself of that, when I am too hard on myself about things. It is okay to slow down. It is okay to do things in my own time. It is okay not to do everything in one day or all at once. It is okay. It is okay.
     My front porch is full of pansies and violas! Home Depot had some pretty flowers, so I bought a bunch of them. I planted them in the cold, but they are doing well. My grandmother's name was Pansy, so that flower is extra special to me. The violas look like baby pansies, and they add an extra touch to the porch! 

 My heather plants are still alive and kicking. I planted these back in the summer. They keep dying, becoming bare and brown, but then they start blooming again!! 
So, I put the pansies and violas in the planters with them!!

     











I have one pink geranium left from the summer that has bloomed again. It came out the day that I bought the pansies, so I put some in the pot with it and left it peeking out!



Many years ago, I had a wonderful vegetable garden. That was when I lived in Tennessee and had a really big yard. Maybe I will grow tomatoes or something next summer. I do have a potato vine growing in the backyard. Instead of putting a few potatoes in the trash can to 'stink it up', I put them in the ground until trash pickup day.  They quickly sprouted a vine, so I just left it there! It is a pretty vine, and there is a new potato sticking out of the ground now. How about that! haha
     Well, I will stop for now. I hope to be a regular writer of my blog from now on. I do enjoy writing, so that is another thing that I am going to start doing again for myself. I hope you all have a wonderful day!