Christmas is over

I took the Christmas tree down this morning--I'd kept it up for book group, which was scheduled for yesterday.  I really enjoy having a tree, even if I'm the only one who ever sees it.  I'm happy to have the dinner table back to being a table, and pleased to put away the Christmas stuff.  Let's get on with winter...

It's very pretty here right now, we had some heavy snow last night and more today, so the trees are coated with white.  Nice.  Temp is 30 and due to drop to single digits tonight.  Ah, it was nice while it lasted, and I don't mind single digits.  It's the -20 that I mind most.

Tonight I'm taking dinner to Pat & Jim--I have a chicken to roast so will cook it here and take it to them.  I bought it for book group, but we cancelled last night so what to do with a 5-lb chicken?  Share it, of course.  I had a nice time yesterday at P&J's, good visits with Bill and the Atkinsons.  Everyone is fine, feeling pretty good for January.  Things are moving ahead--we started the ice-out pool.  Duncan & David come at the end of the month, Joe comes in Feb. for The Burn, and in March I hope to get to RI (if not in Feb.) then I go to Georgia.  Time goes by soooo fast.

I'm enjoying being at home, not sick of anything yet.  This morning I drove to Redford for milk, gas and coffee.  Tomorrow I go to Plattsburgh to have car work done and maybe have lunch with a friend.  Friday I went to Platts. and had lunch with a friend from work.  I did go inside and visit a bit with a couple of people but that's not really something I like doing--I've always said, once you're gone you're gone.

The house is warm, too warm but I'm keeping a good fire going.  I still have a lot of wood--more than 8 cords.  I'm burning old wood from Ken's, which is fantastic and dry.  Now I'm mixing it with this year's wood, which is not as dry but still burns well.

So what do I do in retirement?  A little of this and a little of that.  Too much TV, still, but mostly I just have it on instead of NPR, which is what many of my friends listen to.  Noise, just noise.  I'm taking Joe's advice to heart--little things become bigger things in the context of the day, and that works really well for me.  I write letters, clean a bit, do chores, talk to the dogs, and read at night.  I get the paper every day but it doesn't entertain me for long.

Am I still glad I chose to retire?  Yes, more than ever.