'I haven't got time'

That all sounds very interesting Nelliemoser ... wouldn't mind swapping your diary for a week with mine.

Since I retired offically I don't know for the life of me how I found the time to go to work full time for 30+ yrs. my time is taken up with baking and catering (part-time) charity shop work,quick chats with neighbours who have no visitors (can take an afternoon easily) cooking class at school for young mums once a week,how I fitted in going to work I will never know.

If everyone was so busy how come the average person watches circa 24 hours of television each week and GROWING.

I notice in households where people really do enjoy all sorts of other things; themselves, cooking crafting, performance activities, and sport, the one thing they cannot find time for is watching television.

I will start practising this evening Aka although I do hate looking at myself in the mirror. Owing to the I get whenever I see myself !

I can honestly say I very rarely watch television FlicketyB so perhaps someone else is watching my share. unless you count the quiz programs turned up VERY LOUD when I am at grandmas I have to confess to having a bit of a soft spot for Corrie though, which I catch up on every now and again.

On the other hand if people choose to watch television or play Candy Crush (I am soooo stuck on Level 500), then why not?
I know people here who fill their lives with endless, frantic activity (various clubs, classes, quiz nights at the English pub, Ladies who lunch, etc etc) that would drive me to distraction.
I don't think "busyness" is a virtue in itself. I love having time to do things that take time, gardening, cooking, walking, reading, passing the time of day with neighbours....

I'm one of those who probably clocks up a lot of TV but I don't go out in the evenings so all my viewing is done then. I could do other things but I enjoy a few carefully selected TV programmes so where's the harm? I never watch soaps, reality programmes or competitions like X-factor or Strictly and I never watch day-time TV. As I don't work all my activities and interests are daytime things which suits me fine. The TV isn't such a terrible invention but people seem to think 'watching the TV' is almost the worst thing you can admit to. I don't see why.

I agree mollie. As daft as people saying they haven't got time to read imo. Good TV is definitely high on my list of priorities. The ballet programmes that are on at the moment are a joy.

Mamie and Mollie Of course everyone is entitled to use their time as they wish.. My point was that many people 'do have time' to do things that I do but they choose to do other things . That's fine but as you can see from some of the replies here they do tend to insinuate that if they don't do it , it is not as important .

I wasn't disagreeing with you ginny; as I said up thread, "no such thing as time, only priorities". It used to drive me mad at work too. People who were always frantically busy often seemed to lack the ability to prioritise, organise and delegate. It seemed to me they were too busy being busy to think about how to do the job effectively.
Bit like Pooh Bear knowing that there had to be a better way of coming down the stairs if he could stop bumping for a minute and think about it.
I have always been very good at saying no.

Gilliebob there is a saying 'If you want something doing, ask a busy person' - that's why they ask you.

That's a very true saying Kitty

I agree with your post Mamie. Our time [as much as is possible] is now our own to do what we want to do. Not do as we feel we should do, but as we want to.So if I want to read or watch a tv programme I have no qualms about doing it, it's a real pleasure. Sitting and looking through my gardening books, or just sitting thinking[ I do that now and again!]So much of my life has been rushing about with the needs of a job and a family to look after, that I am so happy now to take things a bit in the slow lane. I do know a few people who cram so much into their retired lives that they are barely at home, but that really doesn't interest me.

roses I couldn't have put it better myself. I like having nothing to do and being able to faff around

I am so glad to see that others react the same way I do to the 'I haven't got time' comment. I hear that from my youngest granddaughter when I ask her why she doesn't visit anymore - I hear 'I haven't got time Nanny, I work full-time now'!

The upside is, I have taken a leaf out of their books but am truthful about it and say 'nah, I can't be bothered with that'; quite liberating

It seems to me that the busiest of people are always the ones who take on extra commitments.
There are few demands on my time, so I have expanded my passtimes to fill my life. Of course my family know that I will drop everything to help them if needed.

Goodness knows why, but I seem to be endlessly busy. One thing about living alone is that there is no-one to share the chores, so a lot of my time is spent fixing things and trying to keep the garden tidy, as well as all the usual stuff like washing, ironing, shopping, cooking, baby-sitting my grandchildren, keeping in touch with friends both real and cyber.
In fact, it all gets a bit much at times so I now give myself a 'day off'..
Sundays. I refuse to get drawn into anything on Sundays and do absolutely no chores whatsoever. I just chill out.
Isn't it great being retired though... after a lifetime of being a working mother and grandmother, I love having more time..... for chores!!!

Why do my lines come out all higgeldy piggeldy, as above???

Only just got to this thread.

Galen watch those two DVDs, both are brilliant and I defy you to watch Marigolds only once!

I fight being the person I have been all my life who says "Yes, of course, what's the question". Which has got me roped into all sorts of things. Since moving to a new area in retirement DH and I have so far managed not to join any clubs or societies but have a list of things we will join if we need to fill up time. We are still enjoying the luxury of choosing what to do with our time and also doing things on impulse just because we feel like it. This means that we do have time if it is something we want to do.

Yes, I watch TV, never in the daytime though but at 9pm I will watch whatever is on or whatever has been recorded. Its my winding down time. I will also watch the news at 6 and at 10 if I can as I'm a newsaholic.

Can I ask a question? I've noticed on quite a few posts DH and DS and D in front of other letters - what does that mean?

DH is Dear Husband (or sometimes Dratted Husband) DS is Dear Son and so on. SiL is either Son in Law or Sister in Law. Mostly they are short for relations, so you can work out who they mean.

I see, thank you for replying Elegran.

Click on 'acronyms' in the right hand blue box above the thread to find the complete list, Holly.