This time last year I was planning to travel to N. Idaho for my oldest brother’s memorial service and a weekend campout with family. All systems normal, work is great, life is good, and I was looking forward to my first visit to the Portland Highland Games in July.

Now, 2014, well, the good news is I’m retired as of today. It was difficult and I still get hiccups sometimes if I think about it too hard. In May, I was told my position was eliminated. Sorta like lightening, you never think it will happen to you!!!

I’ve planted a garden, acquired a federal Tax ID and a Mailbox for a potential home-based business, and cleared out the blackberries in the back yard to make room for a woodshed.

NOT QUITE A LOGO — more a symbol of inspiration and new growth. Originally this was an African symbol in a family of symbols called Adinkra — a t-shirt company says it means, “Excellence, Genuineness, Uniqueness.” I modified it to show growth and imagination as well.

I want to work again, but not full-time. I can do anything — really! It’s almost like getting out of high school again, with the infinite possibilities laid out like a giant what-should-I-do-now buffet! June was a month of taking time off, going to lunch with friends from work and vendors I’ve worked with, and basically hanging out. Today, July 1, I want to start completing some of the projects I’ve been playing around with — the wood shed, the kitchen floor, the yard (there’s a retaining wall to build — curved and on a slope no less), fix my bike, clean the garage, etc. With the gift of my brother’s inheritance, I’ve set aside the money to plan a trip to Africa — a trip I’ve wanted to do for over a decade.

Lunch with people from companies I’d like to work for is also on the list for July and August. A couple of companies are in my neighborhood and I have admired them from afar — can’t hurt to go visit. There’s a catch though — a jury summons early in July! Whoops! Guess I’ll wait and see how that works out first. There’s a vacant house next door too. It’s a mess inside and maybe someone would let me clean it out so that a “flipper” might actually buy it! So many possibilities.

Its been great to learn how to live on my own clock and honor my own preferences. Too many clothes! that’s a hobby I won’t need to continue. Yum, juicing in the morning! Watching Jimmy Fallon once in awhile. Getting a “real” internet connection. And I’ve been enjoying my time with friends and family. Took me an hour to get my Google calendar and my paper calendar lined up so I might not miss anything!

Nadaka Park is coming alive. The proposed community garden, picnic shelter, nature-based play area and other amenities will be constructed this summer. I have the masters of a walking map the MHCC SEED students made and I want to make a fold-up pocket map for the park. The annual Community Festival is September 27 this year — much later in the hope that the construction might be mostly done by then. It’s an amazing park and an unusual gathering of community volunteers and non-profit partners made it happen even while the City of Gresham struggles with Parks financing. I’m glad I can contribute to it. This week I made a coloring page for the Turtle Rock in the NW corner of the park.

The rock really is this adorable — right down to the eyelashes and the grin!

Oh and learning WordPress . . . that might take awhile too. And Meetups! 3-D printing meetups look SO interesting! So much to do. Granny called it “re-tired” and complained that there were no more holidays after retirement! All I know is every time I can hang out with my children and their peeps is Mother’s Day. That’s holiday enough so far. And there are many, many worse things in life than retiring at the beginning of summer. Not that I am particularly wealthy by American standards, however I am surrounded by riches in all other ways.