Retirement, seriously????

 I've been semi-retired for the past 3 years I believe.  My husband retired about 6 months before me, and like so many retired people we're still trying to get it right, and get use to being together for so long.  That's OK, it's a big change of life, and like everyone else, you fumble through changes.  

I have my quilting and my painting, and he has his walking, but he has no creative challenges.  He's reading a lot now (he never read in bed before but now he looks forward to it), and many of the books are on things of our travel.  That's the way I get him hooked to doing things when we travel.  He read about MASH and so we hiked to their site where they did so much filming for 6 years.

We've been on a number of trips, and once to London for 3 weeks.  We're exploring, walking, seeing new things, and it's been really surprising how relaxing it can be.  But there's also a franticness about it.

You're not the only one getting old, and you're noticing that many of your friends can't travel anymore, or some are sick (some very sick), so you realize that there is a limit of time of what you can see and how you can travel.  Your health is so important.

But there's also a franticness of getting things done, doing the things that you've always wanted to do.  IE the painting and learning, the reading of different books, hitting all those hiking spots.  After three years both my husband and I are realizing that we need to slow down.  We're still travelling but now we sit and watch people and places, and rest in between.  

That's the same with my creativity.  You want to paint so much but you can only paint so many days or nights.  You have tons of quilt projects all ready, but you want to just make a small thing every now and then.

I've just come off a huge quilt (queen size) all hand sewn by One S1ster.  Here's the link to the pattern and her website.

Yes, I did this, I'm on the final block, doing the top flowers and leaves.  There's a permanent hole in my finger from all the stitching.  It took me two years to finish it as every once in a while I put it away because I was tired of doing it every morning.  Now I've been doing it every morning and night, so that's what I mean about frantic.

You also get frantic about using all your material.  There was a blog post of using your scraps and one day I just wanted to sew so I made this pillow.  The instructions for the driesdens and the pattern is at this link at Flamingo Toes.  A wonderful site.  Seriously try your own.  It only took me about an hour to finish to top, then 1/2 hour for the quilting and the pillow backing.  I used a zipper because I like how they look better that way, more finished.  All fabric was scraps and they came together really well.  I love playing with pillows, to get a little creative.  I don't even remember what quilt I used the fabric for.  It's been years of sewing.  I have to bring it to the Quilt Guild for show and tell, along with two others.

Yes retirement is frantic, and really really busy, but it's up to you to slow it down and enjoy the process more than then the end result.  The painting of the week (I'm looking at fixing it up).  I'll do a before and afterward update later.  

For tonight, a little painting and then tomorrow off to the Tulip Festival in La Connor in Washington state.  Have a good night.