time

To be honest I think in some ways I work harder than I ever did in paid employment as I'm soley responsible. I also feel guilty if I do nothing much which is ridiculous really as what I do now is voluntary!

Green with envy reading this. I'm a GDD with many years of work ahead - 9 by my optimistic financial calculations. Time drags sometimes but like one of you said it feels like it went quick when you look back. I find it really works to keep a brief small diary of what I'm doing with weekends and holidays. At the end of each year - like now- when I can't work out what I have done This whole year - I can look back thru the notes. After working, commuting, doing the dishes, I have only the tiniest amount of time for anything else.

I retired 8 years ago but took on 2 campaigns one of which has really taken off. Time, as a result, whizzes by and so I try to limit my campaigning to mornings and do other things the rest of the day - though it doesn't always work out like that. I tell myself it's my choice I've taken on these activities but now I feel quite responsible and need to take a break every so often (a) to rest my brain (b) to comment on Gransnet on a variety of topics!!!! It's amazing the people I've met though. As I've always said to me children and GC 'no experience is ever wasted'. Time is passing but it's an interesting period of my life with the odd health hiccup poking in for good measure to remind me I'm not as young as I was

Exactly Swanny
Because the day has lost it's structure since we retired, it seems longer but at the same time the weeks fly by! Life is what happens while you are busy making plans.

Legs55 I was just thinking about that song, as I read the thread. It was from A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, a film much remade.

When my neighbour heard me leaving the house in the mornings, before I retired, he would stick his head out of the door and ask what day it was, then make his little joke about not having time to go to work anymore. (He had to take early retirement for health reasons) I used to laugh politely then get in the car thinking 'stupid old fool'. But he was right! I don't have time to do the mundane, I'm too busy doing nothing like Bing Crosby, or going somewhere on the spur of the moment, or drinking coffee with neighbours, or pottering among my patio pots, or ..., or .... And then there's the collecting DGS from school, or looking after him in the holidays and when he's poorly, or letting workmen into my son's flat and overseeing their work. Oh and nearly forgot the online crosswords and jigsaws to keep my brain active (?), the chatty emails to distant friends, the GN forums (fora?). The thing that takes most time though is having a glass of wine and watching catch-up tv while thinking about the piles of paperwork that need shredding. However did I have time to go to work

When you are not enjoying life, time drags yet when you look back it seems to have flashed past.

When you are enjoying yourself doing lots of different things, whether at work or in retirement, the opposite happens.

(Or so I have found)

We're busy doin' nothin'
Workin' the whole day through
Tryin' to find lots of things no to do
We're busy goin' nowhere
Ism't it just a crime
We'd like to be unhappy, but
We never do have the time Bing Crosby

I love that song, several more verses

I love my Retirement (took Early Retirement 11 years ago, 8 years as my DH's Carer) Now I'm on my own, new home last year my time is all my own - if I don't do dusting, housework today it'll still be there tomorrow.

I love gardening, reading, going out for a drive on a nice day -lots of exploring to do. I've got jigsaws, embroidery & tapestry waiting to be done - tomorrow's another day. Life is for enjoying.

Yes the years pass faster as you get older - our brains are busy so we don't notice the passing of time, well that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it

I read and read and read. A perfect waste of time. It's heaven.

Kim19 Love the cartoon about doing nothing, made me chuckle.

My dad told me time goes faster as you age as you're stiffer, not as strong and move slower. Certainly things do take me longer to do but I like to think it's because I have time to move at a leisurely pace. This theory breaks down when I'm walking into town at what I consider to be a good pace but people keep overtaking me.

Spot on Kim19 that's me too..! I'm rushing around like a loon, but it's doing things that I want to do, when I want to do them
When I retired, someone told me that the sweetest sound in the world was the person next door scraping the ice from their windscreen - as you got back into bed after the 6am trip to the bathroom Never a truer word was spoken..!!

I just love retirement. It's turned out to be busy but I'm 'busy' doing exactly what I choose. Bliss. Saw a funny cartoon recently which said 'What are you doing today?' 'Nothing'. 'But you did that yesterday'. 'I know, and I haven't finished'. Did it for me ladies..........

Without putting a damper on this thread... My gran who died last year aged 99, always used to say that time passing was relative to how long you had been alive. Little children feel that a day is like a lifetime when they are waiting for their birthday, Christmas or a special treat and when you get older the days pass like minutes.

I definitely find time is ripping along, especially as I still work, am studying and helping out with the DGD care a bit in the week.

Remember when you were a child, and maybe in Year 1 or 2 and the school day just dragged? We had lived such a short time that it seemed each day was endless and Christmas or school hols would never come round.

Now?

Life is like a roll of toilet paper... the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes!

Well I had a pretty productive and interesting time for half a year then everything ground to a halt when my arthritis became 'end stage'. This meant being largely confined to barracks until knee replacement op and further house arrest for six weeks after it (so far). Life is what happens when you sit around making plans. I won't be making long term plans in future. I had to cancel so many events and all my usual weekly activities. . Time is currently hanging heavily. Just hope it speeds up productively in 2017.

Pyrography? Sounds like writing in fire

Off to google it.

Lady It sounds like you have been having fun though! And congrats on your forthcoming grandchild.

I've not heard of many people doing pyrography, I have a kit but haven't got round to doing much with it yet. Hopefully I will have a chance too in the not too distant future to get back to more craft work.

By planned I meant things like, knitting, learning to crochet, pyrography, cross stitch, pottery. I have helped my OH to decorate our daughters lounge and nursery, and assembled furniture for our 1st grandchild due 3rd Jan. I've also dyed her living room curtains and washed and ironed all the baby clothes. We've also decorated our kitchen and replaced the unit doors. My own plans hopefully will be back on track in the distant (!) future

This year has flown past, we had several things planned which we were looking forward to and now they are all done and all we have are memories albeit lovely ones. Things not done like carer123 are decorating , sorting out our wills and other delightful things. I am grateful though despite a few hiccups our health has not prevented us from doing anything. Obviously Everest will have to wait !

Ha ha LadyGrace like you i had made plans and none of them have happened, life gets in the way and to honest if i have a the chance to go out and socialise with others i do so, things in the home can wait they will always be there. Must get my bedroom redecorated though next year. I might make that my NY resolution!!!

Definitely - it is only 5 minutes since last Christmas - honest guv!

I retired 3 years ago and I haven't had the time to do half what I'd planned!

That is a brilliant idea rubysong. It would be perfect for a card as well. Glad i am not the only one who feels this way.

I agree. When you are enjoying yourself time goes quickly. Yesterday in a cafe I saw a sign saying, Time is precious, waste it wisely. I think I will embroider that on a cushion.