Busy As A Bee

And that's exactly what we've been.

Between the two of us, we have been so busy, we barely have time to turn the TV on in time to watch the 10 p.m news before hitting the hay each night.

Bill has been busy putting in a new garage door with automatic opener for our neighbor across the road. He and his lady have not stayed a winter for very many yrs. and they soon were reminded that their slide doors do not work too well when they are snowed and iced in for the winter, much like they were this year. Next winter, they will not have to worry about that problem anymore.

Another project Bill had worked on was getting the ' potato ' field prepped for the May planting. He is having a ball out there playing with his tractor, plow and disc. Another day and he should have it looking just like it was tilled with a real tiller, something that he will be doing later, after the ground dries a bit more. In the meantime, he gets to play with Lil Blue, his New Holland Tractor. He's had it awhile but is still like a kid with a new toy, checking to see what else it can do.

Nine of the 30 cords of wood is cut, split and piled for another neighbor that put in his winter firewood order. I helped with that. We have a ways to go to finish his order, and then there will be ours to make. Always, every year, no matter what, firewood must be made. We are so grateful to have the wood to make, to burn for our heat, or we would be in a sore spot for fuel. There is no way our budget could handle the high cost of fuel oil and other alternatives.

I have been running all over, getting the arrangements made, groceries bought, etc., to put this Retirement Party together for My Man, Bill. He deserves to celebrate a bit. He had a great work crew to work with the past 40 yrs. and he wants to thank them. So, is the reason for the party. A thank you, of sorts, for his crew. Also being from such a large family, the menu is huge. I'm doing all the cooking, so I started early.

The past couple of days, I prepped, seasoned, cut, pulled, the meat(s) for the event, plus some salads that needed time to appreciate it's ingredients.

We are having a big bite to eat. The guest list is well over 120...but I'm used to cooking for a crowd. I just have not done it for awhile. My rememberer needs reminding on portions and how many cups or quarts or gallons of this or that. I have a great memory, but it's short ... Thanks Mel and Mom.

I made the comment to my daughter that it was like preparing a meal for a wedding, for petesake! She said, " Well, Mom, it is like he is re-marrying you, now that he gave up work." Huh, a truer statement was never made. He has been married to his job all these years. Now that he's always home, we are having the time of our lives. Just knowing he's coming in for lunch each day, I do look forward to it. My sister-in-law said, " Let him work as long as possible. Once he retires, he will be under-foot all the time and you won't get any of your stuff done."

That has not been the case, so far, and besides, I think I would not mind it at all.

I never realized how much I missed him during the day. I missed the visiting, the most. We always have talked about everything, toss ideas back and forth, but when he was hard at work at that mill, he'd come home so tired, he'd eat and go to bed. Then I'd miss him at night, too.

Retire-ment, for us, so far, has been a picnic. Speaking of which, Gotta share one more thing before I go visit Bill. I was truly not going to bother with a ' theme ' or colors, decorating, etc. for this party. It just sorta happened.

We are having an indoor picnic, of sorts....without the ants.

Gotta Re-tire!

BlessYourHeart