Balancing Act

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Yesterday, a younger friend invited me to be a guest at the local rotary luncheon in our town. 

I had a good time, and it was fun as always to get to meet and talk to more people in town that I had not met before (making friends in new places is tough, especially when you add in Covid). And the program was interesting-a presentation of the history of our local community theater group and how to get involved. But it’s not something I’m liable to get involved in in the long term, for energy and money reasons. Also I feel like it’s mainly for business when I am (happily) no longer working or a business owner of any kind.

Dressy blouse, good jewelry, name tag-and overly sun exposed chest!

In other news, this week my primary “for me” project has been to try and plan for balance in the new seasons coming. This summer has been the first season where we have been truly  and really able to be out and about fully. (I do know that others are not, but we have a low infection rate and a fairly high vaccine rate where I am, so indoor activity and lunches and meetings are cautiously happening). But, since we’ve mainly had triple digits for two months plus, many of us have been hiding inside or in our pools. OUr highs are now in the upper nineties but nights are cooler and the world, it reawakens, if you will.

And so my goal is to add balance. Between at home time and out of the house time. Between things that are fun and things that are done for others. Between seated time as a girl who has mainly “sitting down” hobbies and increasing my activity to increase my energy even more and put a halt to the osteopenia that has appeared on my horizon (more later).

I need a social life outside of my church (which has been wonderful and is still my primary people place). When I first moved here, I met a lovely group of women, and I still very occasionally do my grilled cheese or other lunch with them once a week. But they “go and do” literally almost every weekday and some weekends for most of the day. They have lunch while they go and do almost every weekday. While this sounds fun, it’s neither my lifestyle nor is it sustainable money or health wise. Don’t get me wrong, you all know I love to do stuff. But not all day everyday. Even when I was the social butterfly running a retired women’s meetup back in Denver most weeks only included a lunch, a happy hour and a crafty gathering-and I did not do all of them myself. 

So rather than looking for people, I’m looking for activities. Stuff to do. Close to stuff to do that still gives me plenty of time at home as well. And since the stuff to do will always include other people, it’s a start.

My goal is to have a reason to leave my house four days a week (not including Sunday). At least one thing to do that is not shopping. Things that are mainly immediately local, let me meet new people, and are flexible enough that if I decide not to go, all is well. Not volunteer things, I actually have two new and possibly better ideas I’ll share later in that area.

Every single town in Texas has its own senior center. Separate from the recreation centers and filled with things to do.The senior center has a ceramics program from ten to noon one day a week-pottery, poured ceramics, and hand building. I need a new hobby, it’s three minutes from my house, and one day a week.  At the same location, there is both drop in silver sneakers and drop in chair yoga. I’ve been doing both of those on my couch with youtube for a long time now, but I figure one day a week drop in for each can only help with the exercise thing,you know. 

Finally, a local knitting group meets at the Barnes and Noble coffee shop twice a week. This is an all age group, and I have really, really been missing hanging out with people who are not seniors (remember, this was a huge hesitation in living in a retirement complex for me, as I prefer to socialize with all ages). I’m not sure how I’ll feel about trecking out in the evening in December but who knows, perhaps I’ll feel comfortable enough to start an offshoot group by then.

These things plus church stuff have me  leaving my house four days a week as well as Sunday church-but not for more than a couple hours except for the occasional one off fun thing like hitting the Tuesday five dollar movies, or a few monthly things like the quilt guild meeting, or the occasional game day or lunch of painting with a twist that I actually participate in with the residence center here which offers at least one thing every day on “campus”.

I’m still on the lookout for a book group or writing group or an Olli class if I have the commitment in me. Some kind of brain food. And I’ll keep looking, just like I’m looking at all the volunteer stuff.  We’ll see how it goes.

And those Fridays?  I’m ready for them to be day drives. Little day drives and longer day drives. Starting with all the farm roads and all the small town squares I can find. 

Now if I could only get my retirement days just a teeny bit more organized, just a teeny bit.

While I’ll make another volunteer post and update, I have found a local grassroots organization that works with the homeless, one person or family at a time. Since they were officially formed they’ve housed both a family and a couple. This involves direct one on one contact with homeless people which is where I am directed, and allows me to see results up close and personal rather than “I know this is helping a good cause”. In another direction, an art group I occasionally “play with” is setting up small take/give/share art and art supply stations (like food pantries and little libraries) across our town. Nine of them. I may need to jump i to that.