Monday Morning This and That

Had a rather uneventful weekend. Took a walk to the fruit stand. Still not much available.  Oh, there were plenty of apples, pears, and oranges, but I don't like them.  So, I bought a box of Clementines for $5.99, red seedless grapes, Kiwi, walnuts, blueberries, and strawberries. The low fat whipped cream I purchased will make them go down well...as berries, though I can tolerate, are not amongst my favorites.  What can I say? I got spoiled on the wonderful varieties of summer fruits.  

Spring was definitely in the air on Saturday, as well as today, so I also took a walk to Rite Aid. They always have such a great variety of scented candles, and I purchased some wonderful new spring scents. This time I bough Relax on Vacation,  Lemongrass Verbena, and Lilac Blossom.  Of course, I had to try out my favorite, Lilac Blossom, and after I threw open the windows, it was as if I had a lilac tree right in my back yard.

I also did some research on the computer and found a senior center that is located about five blocks from my home. They offer arts and crafts, trips, movies with discussion groups, trips, bingo, and lunch for $1.50. They will also monitor my blood pressure on a regular basis. I am so excited.  I am so anxious for July to roll around that I am jumping out of my skin. Forget staying up as late as I want and sleeping til noon. That's only part of it. There is just so much I want to do that I never had time for. For one thing, there is a lovely park not too far from me with trees and flowers...a great place to relax on a summer day. And who can forget about Coney Island.  Finally, I won't be too tired to go or be too busy because I am cramming to get things done on the weekends.

Funny.  It was only a few years back that I found myself  fighting tooth and nail against the aging process. I admit it. It did take me awhile to adjust, but now, here I am, looking forward to the the retirement period of my life, and as I sit back now and think about it, I realize that part of my fight against aging had to do with the fact that I had no friends my own age. I basically have been a loner for much of my life (aside from family), and wherever I worked, my peers were always a minimum of 20 years younger than me. I was always the oldest and never felt a part of, but I so yearned to belong. This yearning stems from old wounds inflicted upon me in my dysfunctional childhood where I was always struggling to be a 'part of'...but was never 'let in'. I felt that if I was closer in age to my peers, that THEY would let me in. 

Fortunately, for me, I've learned from my mistakes and am now very accepting of my age. I know now that I will never be able to fit in as I thought I wanted to, but I love being the 'wise old crone' at work who everyone respects and looks up to.  And soon enough, I'll be in the position to make new friends, friends my own age with similar interests and outlooks on life.  Yes, dear readers, retirement is going to be good to me.  I'm going to make sure of that.

Friends are the sunshine of life.

John Hay