Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Walking, Writing, and Reading.....Among Other things

I guess this is what we would call a slow week, except that none of them seem slow any more.  

When I last posted, we had spent some time watching youth soccer.  The grand kids started back to school last week, so now we will see them mostly on weekends. We did go to the school open house last Tuesday to get acquainted with the kids' new school. As Jill's back up team, we like to know the whens and wheres and whos.

I think I lost Sunday completely, but I know I went out for my 3.5 mile walk in the morning before it got hot.  I have done that almost every morning so far the last two weeks, enjoying the mornings that have been cool.  I walk in the neighborhood, around the local elementary school, and over in the neighborhood park. I have a route that I don't even have to think about that is about 3.6 miles.  It takes me about 70 minutes and leaves me tired and sweaty, but I still make myself do my 30 minutes of core and stretching exercises when I get home.  

Warm morning (Sunday) ↑, cool morning (today) ↓.  I much prefer the cool mornings. The sun is out now, having melted off the fog, and it's warming up.  We'll be back to 80 by the weekend.

I usually go for a shorter walk after dinner too, about a mile or so, and try to get Tom to go with me.  It's good to move after eating. I've seen sunsets and moon rises.

and last night the clear sky allowed for shots of the Harvest Moon.



When I'm not exercising or cooking or grocery shopping or cleaning house I am usually doing something electronic.  There is the daily trip through blog land to see what all of you have been up to, and keeping up with Facebook and e-mail.  Then I have been writing some each afternoon, working on my memoirs.
I sit at the kitchen table, where I can see the sunny garden, and write and remember.  I am using my lap top and saving to a flash drive, which I can then plug into my desk top to save on the cloud.  I started writing in January, thinking I could work on this project while I was recovering from back surgery.  I had no idea what I was doing or how long it would be.  I am now on page 89 and just up to 1993, when my second child graduated from high school, which means I was 49.  I had hoped to be finished by my 70th birthday in July, but that didn't happen, as life got in the way.  I am trying to be disciplined about working on it some every day now. As you see, I have a ways to go.  As reference, I have photo albums of my childhood, my career days, and my kids childhood years.  It's interesting discovering which things are clear in my memory and which things are not.  A lot of life happens in 70 years, but it sure all flies by fast!

As for the reading, I started reading the JA Jance detective novels that I somehow missed when they were published starting in 1987.
It's the Detective Beaumont series, set in Seattle, so it is fun to be so familiar with all of the settings.  I am currently on #12 and have a bunch to go.  I order them from Amazon and read them on my Kindle. some days I only get to the reading at bed time, so lights out here are often close to midnight.

Then there are the interruptions to the ordinary.  Yesterday I went to the dentist for x-rays and cleaning.  Bad news.  I have at least one cavity!  I have to go back for more work.  Ugh.

Tomorrow I have a haircut appointment.  Friday I will skip walking and go to breakfast in the morning and a Sounders match in the evening.

Today Tom and I spent several hours lunching with retired staff from my old school.  There were eight of us today.  A man walked in as we were visiting and made a comment to Tom about his harem.
It's odd, perhaps, that I go to his staff breakfasts and he goes to my staff lunches, but we both know everyone and talking shop is still one of the things we retired teachers like to do.  Besides, all his working life as an elementary teacher he was surrounded by women. We get caught up on any school district gossip anyone has to share, plus sharing travel plans and trips taken and stories and photos of kids and grand kids. 

Well, if I hurry, I can get a few more pages written on my memoirs.  Since we went out to lunch, dinner will be simple tonight, not much cooking.  

See you later.

16 comments:

  1. Your discipline is marvelous and will reward you so much. Your huge circle of friends is the best thing that can happen to you and your husband.

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  2. Walking, they say, is the best exercise. Love your photos. And I also am a fan of the J. P. Beaumont series; I like Joanna Brady, too, but Ali Reynolds not so much.

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  3. Some lovely pictures...that moon!! Good for you for working on your memoirs.

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  4. Just remember that if you are slow doing your biography it will have to be a longer book because you are aging! I'm sure you will get it finished.

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  5. I admire your disciplined practice of walking, exercising, and writing. I am starting a writing project myself. I am doing the research right now. I hope to get more serious with it as I adjust to Jim's new schedule.

    I also go to my husband's retired teacher breakfasts and the Christmas party they have every year. I am closer to his staff than the staff I worked with in many ways. My school friends no longer meet. I think it is a shame, but it usually takes someone organizing the events or setting a consistent time and place, and that never happened with the retired folks from my school.

    My hubby read the same series you are reading. He enjoyed them.

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  6. My approach to life seems so scattered after reading this. You are a role model of discipline and productivity. Your life is a full and blessed one indeed.

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  7. I always enjoy peeking into your world, Linda, and comparing it to my own. I sort of consider my "Eye on the Edge" blog being a little like a memoir, but then again my life was very chaotic for many decades. I had to figure myself out.

    Now I wonder how I ever fit in a full time job. Your life seems very full, but in a good way. :-)

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  8. who says you slow down when you get older-there's less time left and more you want to do...lol!

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  9. Busy lady! You do so many interesting things! Speaking of which, isn't it about time for your big trip?

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  10. You lead an interesting life. Keep going!

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  11. My memoir is in blog form! Whatever works for you! :)

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  12. Walking after a meal is a great way to not over eat. I think it is neat that you enjoy each other's work groups. That was cute about his harem. Bet he is the envy of the other diners.

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  13. Even your slow weeks sound mighty busy to me. Wish I could be as dedicated as you when it comes to exercising and keeping fit.

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  14. You have a pretty walking route and good exercise routine. That is a funny comment about your husband and his harem LOL.

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  15. I call my husband's female friends.. my Sister Wives.. they made him a T-shirt with that on it

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  16. Sounds like you have a wonderful, full life, Linda. I've been crazy busy with a whole bunch of photobook projects that's taking longer than I planned. Then Art's aunt asked us to decipher, translate and document her genealogy for her. We can't read it but mom can. It's a horrendous project which people often do not understand takes an inordinate amount of time. Sigh..

    I love how you and Tom are able to go out for those "staff get-togethers". What fun!

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