Dragged out of Retirement

A few days ago I was up in Leeds for one of my regular weekends visiting my mother, it was rather well timed as the previous weekend she'd had a mini-stroke and I was hoping we might be able to get out and about in the car and let her have a change of scenery.  As luck would have it, she was almost back to "normal"(!), so barring a couple of Little "episodes" we carried on as usual.  Sadly I'd not checked my camera, and the battery was as dead as a dodo, so I got no photos of our little outings.

We went to visit the new cafe that my sister as manageress has just opened, we went for our "pensioners specials" at the fish and chip restaurant  we frequent, we had runs out in the car, lunches out, and bedding plants for summer bought including a bit of additional retail therapy.

SO, it had struck mother that I am in fact 60 years old this year (she's 86 in August)...... and found it difficult to believe, which she told me on more than one occasion ! And of course each conversation included "did I get more tired these days?", "do I find I can't do as much as I used to ?" "am I slowing down ? ", etc. Well, in fact, I had pondered over these questions in my mind in recent months, but never said anything out loud.....about from "oh, I'm getting old!" every so often. I have to say it brought me up short to admit that I am now getting on, and can't do as much as I used to, and that what I've been telling myself is laziness is actually ageing......I'm certain there's a bit of laziness in there though !  And the Big 6-0 is looming..........nooooooooooo!!!

So I've decided to try and accept it, and not feel guilty when I've worn myself out doing something. Worrying about not doing enough only gives the old blood-pressure the opportunity to do a work-out, which isn't the best option...... Chillax can be my Mantra.....not that I need much persuading.

Well I guess that's why I haven't got round to keeping up with LJ, in spite of meaning to over the last few weeks, as there seems to be so much going on at the moment, and I always seem to run out of time.  I've added a few hours volunteering at our new local garden nursery on a Wednesday, and then it's the Garden Museum on a Thursday. It's my last Italian lesson of the current course on Wednesday evening, and I can't tell you how much my head spins for those two hours a week !! LOL plus all the other stuff....

The weather has been absolutely glorious for the last 7 days.... a mini-Summer, though I understand it's about to fizzle out just in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee weekend (typical!), so it's fingers crossed for nothing too awful weather-wise for our residents' association Street Party next Tuesday afternoon, I've tried to keep the organisation to a minimum, but it does have a way of running away with itself ! LOL

My friend Stephen came down at the weekend for a couple of days, we didn't roam far and took it fairly easy.....though we did make him watch Eurovision on Saturday evening !! (I think secretly he didn't mind it too much - his top vote went to Estonia, but it wasn't for the song !! LOL)