First Year of Retirement = Lots of Distractions

My first full year of retirement is coming to a close. I retired on December 15 last year. It's been such a full year, I wonder how I managed to ever work full time!

Hiding in the sunflowers

In April, Pat and I became foster parents to my grandson. It is a temporary situation while we help him get his study habits under control, but I anticipate having him for about a year. However, that meant at the age of 60, I became an instant parent of a pre-teen.

My grandson has been a great help around here. If you flip over to my Bungalow Blues blog you will see photos of him helping with the garden, both the growing and the processing of our crops. (http://grannytilla.blogspot.com)

Dressed for Game Day

Besides becoming a "farmer", he has taken to sports. I got in a lot of knitting while going to baseball practice and watching games. It was a bit harder to knit at the football games, but I was there for all the home games. Most of his basketball games have seemed to be on the road. My knitting is in my purse. When there is a home game, I

'm ready!
In September, Pat and I agreed to get a divorce. It was a surprise to me, but the grandson and I will muddle along without him. Pat has returned to Oregon. It sure shortens my Christmas knitting list. One decision removes a husband, two kids and five grandkids from my shopping list.

Joe and Lisa's wedding day

On a happier note, my son and his fiance were married in October. Since they couldn't afford the big church wedding they wanted, they opted for a fun wedding instead. They were married on Halloween and all the guests came in costume. The groom came as Herman Munster. His bride was Lily Munster. They are posing with niece Lala, who came as Wednesday Addams. Her brother was Pugsley.

Now it is November. We have already had the first snow of the year, on November 16. (Does that mean 16 snows this winter?) I have several knitting projects lined up. The south bedroom will soon become my hobby room, complete with sewing machine, serger, and all those boxes of fabric. I can see a cozy winter ahead.

I do wonder where all that free time went that I was supposed to have upon retirement. As I look back over the year, I've been too busy to even KNIT. That's just not right!

Yarn Crawling

Oh, the JOYS OF RETIREMENT! Tomorrow my granddaughter Lala and I are going to Wamego, Kansas to the Winter Wool Fest. I'm looking forward to Girls-Day-Out time with Lala and with Joe's girlfriend Lisa. Most of all, we are all really looking forward to petting all the nice yarns that we will see. We may take in some of the free training being offered.

This is the second Girls-Day-Out I've done since retiring. My daughter's friend Becca came up from Texas over New Year's. Since Becca is as big at knitting as I am, my daughter and I HAD to take her to Lawrence to the Yarn Barn. We also hit Hancock's while we were there and I purchased fabric to redeem the Grandma Iris' Boutique gift certificates I gave Jen, Lala and Reyes at Christmas. (There are several others yet to be redeemed for other kids and grandkids.) They each get one handmade outfit from me: they get to pick the pattern and fabric.

Guess what I'll be doing for the next few months?

Gotta get that spare room reorganized and set up the sewing machines. Time's a wasting and there is fabric waiting to be sewn and yarn ready to be knitted. Ah, it's going to be so nice to be retired.