Final Exams - 2009
No matter how long I am retired I still have the rhythm of a teacher. The New Year is September 1, Final exams are always in June.
So, how did I do this year??
In the area of rebuilding our upstairs, well we did a nice job on the bathroom, 90% of the new room is completed, but we have not touched the hallway. So I guess that would be a C
A big goal for the winter was to master the computer. I did try a little on and off, but I still want to hit the thing with a large hammer. As to learning anything, F-
Outdoors, we have fish in our pond and the initial look of the gardens is beautiful. The early season of tulips and daffodils has been spectacular. Rebuilding the front lawn was a goal and it looks very healthy and happy. A
We had several nice trips and did some really relaxing, enjoyable things. I zip lined, toured the Panama Canal, spent a great week in Kiawah Island, toured Charleston, saw several good concerts and in general enjoyed much of the winter. We attended BU Basketball games and had some great dinners and conversations with a host of people. A+
Physically, it was a tough year. I walked a lot of miles, but when I started to lift weights or do any kind of strength training, something pulled, twisted or gave out. The only cure was rest the body part, but frustrating is mild. Stretching and Yoga and Pilates took time and at best I was hit and miss. Probably if I had been more religious about the stretching, the little naggers would not have occurred. C
When the year began, I felt like I had made a lot of progress in the area of spirituality but there was a lot of room to grow. I think I made a lot of progress, but it is a journey that never ends. You just hit plateaus.
A big step was the forty days spent contemplating Forgiveness and its role in our journey. I am trying to turn that event into writing, but it has been one of the most difficult writing pieces I have ever done. It is either trite, or New Age, and neither is what it deserves. INCOMPLETE
Finally, in September I never expected to be where I am in the world of hobbies. Through the great kindness of a school friend I have been riding horses a lot. I was an expert at taking care of the rear end of a horse, was competent at getting a saddle on one, but the tooth end was a mystery. Progress is being made. And in the world of music, I started taking guitar lessons. I’ve played for years, but never really well. In the last few weeks I have made some progress.
In general, this has been a very good year, a year of growth and wonderful memories =- So overall I think this past year is an A.