It helped that the weather was perfect and the bugs unobtrusive. One storm rumbled about behind dark clouds but moved out without dropping any of its precipitation.
Any attempt to list the highlights will make us all (myself included) wonder how that could constitute a perfect day. After all not much happened between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
I used to be a Type A person who had to accomplish three days' work every single day. I almost never took holidays, even when I thought I was doing so. A day without work, without accomplishing something, was a day wasted. One of the blessings bestowed upon me by ageing has been the ability to enjoy leisure time.
What I did on my perfect day:
1. ... walked around the lake with Kenya to try to take more photos of nesting turtles. I didn't see any adult turtle mommies, but saw three nests of shell fragments and hope that means the turtles hatched. I also spoke to Rosemary who was gardening and we walked over to see the hydro pole that had burst into flames when the tree fell on the wires on Friday.
2. ... wrote a Father's Day piece for my blog and answered emails.
3. ... hung the hanging basket of petunias Erin brought for me yesterday.
4. ... moved all the pieces of the raised garden down to the spot I wanted to use for a garden this year, put them together in a half-assed fashion and poured in the soil I had brought down from the car. I started with the wheelbarrow and then hefted each one onto my shoulders and moved them singly down the last flight of steps.
5. ... exhausted and sweating, I took a break and went swimming with Kenya. We swam to a neighbour's cottage and I spoke briefly to them from the water.
6. ... still not ready to go back up to do the planting, I went out for a kayak ride with Kenya alternately swimming alongside and scrambling along the shore.
7. ... planted tomatoes.
8. ... re-potted the peace lily and took it inside. (It was getting sunburned outside)
9. ... had a sandwich and apple juice lunch down on the deck, read my book and threw sticks for Kenya.
10. ... had an afternoon nap.
11. ... brushed Kenya and bagged her undercoat hair for Rosemary's garden (it discourages groundhogs and raccoons)
12. ... made a pasta salad and barbecued ham slice dinner for myself, listened to Sara McLaughlan, and ate dinner with a very nice Italian wine.
13. ... curled up on the couch with Kenya and watched The Painted Veil.
14. ... took a lovely leisurely bath scented with some kind of evergreen, maybe balsam.
15. ... and went to bed where I slept soundly the entire night.
It was a wonderful day.
4 comments:
Barbara!
Just been saying to Pat that: "She hasn't changed a bit!" (That was after I read your blog on internet dating) BUT YOU HAVE. Thirty years ago, you couldn't have done nothing for a whole day. Congratulations!
Hi There, Hybrasil ... it is Eveline, isn't it?
I am much more settled than I was when we were dealing with our hordes of young ruffians at PW ... indeed more settled than ever before in my life. I think it is living on this lake with a good dog that does it ... that and retirement, of course.
I checked out your blog entries. You seem to be ready for retirement, I think! You don't need more grief in a school situation.
Ask Pat ... she will agree I am sure ... that being your own mistress is preferable to being a slave to clocks, bells and bullies.
Yes, it is I. I was ready for retirement in 1964--my first six months in the classroom as an unqualified teacher showed me that this WASN'T how I wanted to spend my life. But one thing led to another-- have you still got my email? Needless to say, I've lost or mislaid or whatever you do in cyberspace -- yours.
My email is bjscott@magma.ca.
Keep in touch.
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