Once upon a time in December several years ago now, I forced myself out of bed at 6 in the dark, pulled on many layers of clothes and headed out to feed and milk the goats, to make sure to get back indoors in good time to get the children up, fed and out to catch the school bus before half past eight.
The joy of retirement in December is staying in bed until it's almost daylight, then a while later dallying over breakfast, of home made toast and marmalade with coffee and taking as long as I like.
(BTW Colin wasn't lazing in bed while I was milking goats, he always did their water and letting out and feeding chickens and then back in for his breakfast, because as we always said "the sooner he went to work - the sooner he'd be home again" - flexi hours were very handy for a smallholding!)
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Dear Sue, I share your feelings of joy to be able to take all the time one needs or wants to get up. Though I wake up earlier these days and often leave my bed when I still can see a beautiful star sprinkled velvet sky from my balcony, I am utterly thankful not to have to drive to work (which I liked and sometimes miss) early in the morning even when the roads are snowy... To be mistress of my time is so wonderful!
ReplyDeletePS: Can't find the "Follower button" on your blog.
The follower button has vanished at the moment. No idea why . It should be visible beneath the followers list but seems to have been hidden. Blogger does odd things sometimes!
DeleteIt's the same on my blog. If you keep on clicking the 'Next' button right to the end of your followers boxes you will find the Follow button right at the bottom. Very annoying!
DeleteOh the joy of not setting off in the dark through icy back lanes to get to schools all over the county by 8.30 am! Like you, I enjoy my leisurely toast and coffee watching the sunrise whilestillin my pjs...
ReplyDeleteNo sign of sun this morning but still good not to have to rush
Deleteah, the bliss of making decisions like this. I only wish my body clock would line up with my alarm clock, but at least when I do awaken early I do not have to get up until I want to.
ReplyDeleteLots of huge trucks past this morning - due to sugar-beet carting so I was woken too early by rumbling of the massive empty things heading north, no doubt they'll be back soon full up on the way to the Norwich factory or they might be going to the Bury St Edmunds factory so won't be back this way - either way there will be plenty of mud!
DeleteOh Sue, I know what you mean. Animals need regular attention. Retirement does have its advantages. Our little dog is happy to snuggle on the bed while I read your blog and others first thing in the the morning :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved getting up early in summer but it wasn't much fun in winter, at least the goats were warm to lean against when milking them
DeleteSlow mornings sound good! I seem to have done things the wrong way round. I expected a more relaxed life now I'm in my 60s. Instead, we've somehow ended up with 5 pets, due to circumstances. Mornings are hectic & I long for a lie in!!
ReplyDeleteOoops - I found the worst thing about having a dog was having to get up early when away in the caravan - when I wanted to lie in as there were no goats to get up for!
DeleteHow did I drive to work at 0715 every day?! One of the joys of not working is not having that awful feeling of having to go back to work after a holiday. But even better is being able to do a 30' HIT class at 0730. As an active 70 year old one of the things I embraced when I stopped working was being able to exercise in the daytime instead of after work. Win, win!
ReplyDeleteGoodness you must be very fit to do that class so early in the morning
DeleteI wonder daily how I ever got into work by 8am after at least an hour's drive. One year I did 27,000 miles. It's an absolute joy to sit in my dressing gown, reading the newspaper over a cup of coffee.
DeleteI feel that I am less tired than I was a few years ago since I get more sleep when I actually need it - up early in the Summer when I am full of energy, lie in bed longer in the Winter when energy levels are low. I definitely don't miss the tyranny of the alarm clock!
ReplyDeleteI was very glad when there was no need for an alarm clock any more
DeleteSometimes it is difficult to imagine how we coped in the past with the morning rush. IF. If my daughter hadn't decided I needed a cat for company I could sleep the whole night through.
ReplyDeleteI miss having a cat but not having to get up to chase a mouse she has brought in in the middle of the night!
DeleteIt is pure joy to be retired at this time of the year, snug in a warm bed and not rushing out in the cold is bliss.
ReplyDeleteI wait for it to get light enough to see what I'm doing without putting the light on!
DeleteSometimes its nice to remember times past even though Retirement is good.
ReplyDeleteMilking goats was a tie but we enjoyed it at the time
DeleteI remember I used to get up at 5:30 am to walk with my walking buddies - other Moms from my neighborhood who like me had kids so we would get up before them to get our exercise (and socializing) in. I still wake up pretty early even tho, I would prefer to sleep later. Just can't seem to do it. I like to spend my time in the morning now reading blogs. ;)
ReplyDeleteThere is something very luxurious about simply getting out of bed when you feel like getting out of bed. It is something that I truly love. I enjoy that leisurely start to my day.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree.....It's bliss
DeleteNow you make me glad that we didn't have goats to milk!! While we used to go out at first light to let the chickens out, if we did it quietly the pigs would all stay in their arks snoring away until we had had time for coffee and toast. Ironically I still wake up early, although these days I don't even have to sort out chickens and my coffee and toast, like yours, is a leisurely affair.
ReplyDeleteI was doing full on caregiving till my mid seventies, going 7am to11pm. That ended years ago but I still love the sheer luxury of waking up and not having to leap into action. Just a cup of coffee and some toast and a slow start reading blogs and responding on my own. It's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI, too, enjoy the life of no hard fast demands or at least lots of flexibility.
ReplyDeleteThe days of early rise and getting to work and kids to school were in some ways exhausting but we all did it. The day started at 6 AM and ended at 7 PM with dinner complete.
That is definitely one of the things I love about being retired. I am also glad I no longer need to head out and shovel the driveway in order to go to work.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I have 3 days of away-from-home work before I am officially freelancing only from my home office. I know exactly what I'm in for, as I've only worked 2 days a week (away from the house) for the past 5 years. But I'm greedy and want all 7 to be wholly my own!
ReplyDeleteI have an odd relationship with marmalade! Too sour for me I think.
ReplyDeleteSomething lovely to enjoy about retirement!
ReplyDelete