A YEAR THAT PASSED TOO QUICKLY
It's been a little over a year since I retired and moved to Ridgehaven. I arrived here, I believe, on June 8th, and here it is shortly after that. This past year has been a near-perfect gift to me, and in some ways I mourn that it passed so quickly.
When I moved, I gave myself a year to unwind, to get into the rhythm of the seasons in a new setting, to get acquainted with my "self" again. I WISH I could say that I've done lots of the things I said I wanted to do: read the Bible more (I have some but not enough), journal every day (same thing here), exercise every day (NOT...although I have done some hiking and walking), lose weight (I have had some success in this area, but again not enough). So rather than condemn myself for all the things I haven't done, instead I choose to celebrate what I have learned in the past year:
1. Naps are not necessary when I get eight or nine hours a sleep at night. When I was working two jobs, my "night's" sleep was usually broken up into five hours at night and then another two or three in the afternoon or early evenings if I could manage a nap. For a couple of years, naps were almost impossible, and I think I was sleep deprived for years and years. It did take me a while to catch up, but I can officially state that I am no longer sleep deprived. (Now, don't get me wrong... a couple of beers and a couch in the afternoons still have appeal.)
2. It is not normal to sweat twelve months of the year. I think one of the things I have enjoyed the most is the fact that the climate up here is so different from that of Baton Rouge. Yes, we have a few warm afternoons when the AC gets turned on, but those are usually only in July or August, and it is often cooling down by four or five PM. "Muggy" here means 55% humidity instead of 99%. The past winter was very mild here, and I am probably going to be surprised some day when it snows two feet, but often it was warm enough to work outside, or to walk with a coat on. (That's another thing...I actually bought TWO winter coats, not just light jackets.) I love to wear cotton, and in Baton Rouge I wore it all year long. The word "wool" has actually passed my lips in the past twelve months. To be clear...I still prefer sweat shirts and sweat pants to ANY other clothing in the winter and probably always will. Spring and summer here...well, I won't make you want to throw things at me and tell you about how cool they are. And we definitely won't mention the fact that I am in hog heaven during the fall. My goodness!! They are just perfect.
3. Birds other than sparrows, blue jays and mockingbirds exist. One of my greatest pleasures this year has been watching "my" birds. I still don't know much about some of them, but I enjoyed the nesting pair of bluebirds more than I could imagine. Our friend JoPaula gave us a bluebird box last summer, but it was too late for them to nest when she put it up, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a pair raise a little family of five babies. I sometimes tend to read too much, and I began to stress about predators getting the eggs or babies before they could fledge. Somehow, they managed to do just fine on their own, but I secretly believe it's because they knew I was on guard with my binoculars, watching out for them every day. I am sad that they only nested there for one brood, but there's always next spring. We buy sunflower seeds primarily, and the gold finches, purple finches, tufted titmouses (titmice?), black capped (or Carolina?) chickadees, and cardinals all seem to love it. I was excited to see some birds I've never seen before when they migrated through--the red breasted grosbeak. They have some big honking beaks on them, but they are very interesting. I also saw a few of the blue buntings, but they didn't stay long. We bought a very nice pole to hang multiple feeders from, and since it's right outside the den window, we enjoy a variety of bird visitations all day every day. It's also interesting to note the sounds since the doors are almost always open. I'm hoping to get reacquainted with my owl buddies soon. I haven't heard them calling lately, but I know they're around. Squirrels are smarter than they look. Some of my friends have asked for updates on the squirrels. Well...the new pole for the bird feeders has a squirrel baffle on it, which does indeed baffle most of them. Instead of eating me out of house and home, MOSTLY they graze off the dropped seeds (and the extras I give them on purpose). However, there are a couple of Kamikaze squirrels who leap off the roof and try to grab on to the decorative top of the pole. Sometimes they succeed and proceed to feed, but they aren't eating nearly as much. I think I might just have to end the ability of those guys to reproduce and pass the knowledge on to their offspring...just sayin'.
4. Some views I never get tired of. I still love our front porch. I can sit for hours (and sometimes do), watching the shifting clouds and the patterns on the mountains. Another view I never tire of seeing is the long distance view of Waterrock Knob up on the Parkway. (It's my cover photo on Facebook, but I'll share it here). I have also come to enjoy the sheltered view of the mountains and woods from our little "sunset terrace" Carol carved out of the tree line. We have to constantly fight back the encroaching underbrush, but it's worth it.
I am still (thank goodness) amazed at how beautiful this area is. The other day, when the fire was burning in Black Forest, near my brother's house in Colorado Springs, I got teary-eyed thinking about how sad it is to see beautiful areas destroyed by fire. I wondered what it would be like to look out on this forested landscape and see sticks and black and ugliness. Whether sitting on the porch, driving into town, or driving on the Parkway, I try to remember to thank God every day for this gift of beauty, serenity, and contentment.
5. I miss my family and friends but am happy to have made some new ones. It seems to have hit me hard lately how much I miss my family. My nephew Greg and his family in Baton Rouge were the closest family I had (in geographical proximity), and although I didn't see them that much, I knew they were close. I am feeling sad about the girls growing up so quickly, and me not being there to see their concerts and attend their birthday parties as I've always been able to do. My brother Sam in Natchitoches was within driving distance too, and I miss him and his wife. My other brothers are farther away, and I don't see them as often. It was wonderful having Glenn and his daughter Katie visiting for a few days this month, but I need to get to Austin to see them again soon. On the other hand, I'm closer to my niece Laurie and her family in Nashville, and I look forward to their visit to Ridgehaven this week. My Baton Rouge friends I keep up with on Facebook, but it's not the same as being able to go out to dinner. Some of them come to visit fairly regularly, but again...it's not the same. I am very excited about my two "oldest" friends (since 7th grade) coming to visit in July!! We HAVE met some very nice people and have made friends with our neighbors Mike and Sue. But for me, I guess they are the only new friends I've made. I guess I need to get out more.
6. I don't miss teaching like I thought I would. I DO miss my colleagues, and I DO miss interacting with my students, but I don't miss the grind of having to "perform" all day every day, of having to grade papers ALL the time, of putting up with bureaucratic BS, of grading papers ALL the time (yeah, I know I said that already, but I repeated it for emphasis). I DO miss having the identity of Miss Parker, Baton Rouge High English teacher. But I also find that I'm comfortable reverting to the somewhat introverted, frequently shy person I really am. I hope to begin substitute teaching in the fall, so getting back in the classroom will be interesting, to say the least. There's no place like BRHS though, and I know that. But it was time to leave. I have no regrets.
7. North Carolina doesn't know good Tex-Mex food from squat. Suffice it to say that I am still on the quest to discover a really good Tex-Mex restaurant. There are some who THINK they serve good Mexican food, but they are imposters. I'd give $50 for some good chicken enchiladas at Superior Grill, not to mention the frozen margaritas!! That in itself might warrant a trip to BR soon!
8. I love my life. I am still trying to grow as a person, and I sometimes disappoint myself and those around me, but I still am more content than I ever dreamed was possible. God has been good to me, and I am grateful on a daily basis for His blessings.
Until next time...and the Further Adventures of Donna Parker.
Until next time...and the Further Adventures of Donna Parker.
