There's Always Something to Do

 



   One of the things I was looking forward to when I started working part time was having some free time. Time to do things that I wanted to do, but didn't have time. Things like practicing all my instruments, organizing, doing large knitting projects, gardening, spending more time biking and hiking. Maybe even paint a few rooms in the house, bake some bread or do deep clean of everything. Take my friend, Dana, up on her offer to teach me to make icing flowers.

   That's what you do when your work hours drop from 55 plus hours a week down to 20-30, right?

   I have found that reality doesn't work that way. One thing that happened is that I got this new calling at church. One thing that I didn't know is that leadership callings involve meeting. Lots of meetings. I have one meeting that I must attend every week when I'm not at work and another meeting that is every other week and lasts around two hours. I visit women in the ward once about once a month and then there are lessons and other paperwork type things I need to do. There are activities once a month that allow the women of the church to get together and socialize or do some kind of community service.

   There is an emotional self reliance course that I'm taking that is two hours a week every week. I have volunteer work that I do every other week for two hours. I visit my parents every Thursday morning after Toastmasters and stay with them until after lunch.

  Then I seem to have acquired a social life. Last week C and I attended a concert with another couple. Next week we will be dining out with them. We like to go for walks with another couple that we know. When the weather is not so good C likes to go to the Mall of America to walk and people watch.

  Then there are the domestic chores which must be done. Laundry, washing dishes, sweeping and vacuuming. (I know I really should dust, but somehow never get around to it. C cleans the bathrooms.)

   All of this seems to be taking up all the time I have when I'm not working. None of the things that I hope to do get done. (Except the knitting, I always try to find time to squeeze in some knitting most days.)

  One of my uncles makes a joke that he's retired, tired over and over again. I've often heard that time is a vacuum. Things come along and fill the time you think will be empty. I probably shouldn't complain. It is better to have things to do than to have nothing to do.

  Although a little downtime would be nice.....

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