Reflections on 2019

It's been just over a year since retirement, and 2019 has been filled with adjustments, new experiences and unexpected twists and turns.
One of the highlights as well as a challenge was the change in using my time well. I had assumed that when I retired I would have unlimited time to do the things I had always wanted to do: clean and organize the house, travel, write, spend time with family, do some crafts, etc. To my surprise, I found that I didn't necessarily have all the time to do what I wanted immediately, and it is even easier to procrastinate (and get caught up in the television) than when I was on a work schedule.
I learned a couple of things: Make a list of goals to be accomplished during the week, and work on them a little at a time. I've discovered that I don't need to beat myself up if I have a less-than-efficient day (or week, or month). The important thing is to make progress, however slowly it may be.
For example: I thought I could deep clean and organize my house within six months; ha! It's still in the works, but I can see progress. And that's important: enjoy the process and the results.
Another thing I have discovered: balance the time with a variety of activities and projects, both physical and mental. I'm still working on figuring how to do that one...
One of the things that have kept me busy is writing a few blog posts for Familysearch (https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/)  I was also given my grandfather's LDS mission journal from 1912 that cover his first six months as a missionary. I'm in the process of transcribing it; both writing projects have been fascinating! And I'm looking forward to doing more writing and working on family history.

Granddad's Mission Journal, 1912

A.J. Winters, California Mission 1912

David and I have found that we enjoy being with each other, but sometimes we need to do our own thing, so we put together my home office and slowly organized the garage to give us space for our own activities and interests.

Before (embarrassing, but accurate)

After dejunking!

We have also discovered that we enjoy running errands and taking breaks whenever the mood strikes. Sometimes we plan out a "date day" and sometimes we do things on the spur of the moment; it's so nice to be in charge of our schedules...

Date Day_Road to Manti, Utah

Crystal Hot Springs, Ut

One of the best things we did was to invest in a brand-new camper and put it to good use. We delight in being able to come and go as the mood strikes. And road trips have turned out to be a great thing for David emotionally and mentally. We took an inaugural trip to the San Rafael Swell in April, to Idaho and southern Montana in May, fishing trips to Strawberry Reservoir and Moon Lake in June, Idaho again in July, Current Creek in August, and the Grand Canyon and central Arizona in October. We look forward to taking many more such road trips!


New Camper_San Rafael Swell 2019

Some scenes from our travels:

San Rafael Swell Overlook, April 2019

Golden Spike celebration, May 2019

North Fork Salmon River 2019

Bannack, Montana May 2019

Moon Lake, Utah, June 2019

Moon Lake

North Rim, Grand Canyon, October 2019

Current Creek mountains, Utah, August 2019

Strawberry Reservoir, June 2019

Salmon River sunset, July 2019

Current Creek, August 2019

Payette River, Idaho, July 2019

Update on David: He's been holding steady, in spite of health and house issues that popped up this fall. He was admirably patient, calm, and supportive. I still worry about him watching so much television, but I appreciate his efforts and am learning to let him progress at his own pace and in his own way.


David_Moon Lake Utah

Update on the family: The family continues to grow and progress. We delight in and are so proud of each family member. After two years as a single mother, our youngest daughter, Katie, remarried. We are happy to welcome her new husband, Andy, into the family!
Soldier Brian is now Major Brian! We are so proud of him and his hard work!


Katie and Andy

What will 2020 bring? Who knows? But I'm sure there will be new experiences, and twists and turns. I have several projects around the house and with family history to work on, and I'm looking forward to a new year and decade!

Arizona Road Trip, 2019