A Friday evening entry in Day to day life from a woman that turned 60 in Oct 2014 and who lives on a farm and Retired on January 2, 2016. I plan to do more sewing, work outside in the yard and just enjoy my retirement.

I’ve been crazy busy and work has increased big time. When I get to work at 7, I check my email and respond when if needed. Then I start editing some regulations and check the formatting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. Oh my word!! I finally got one of them done today and will forward for final approval and signature on Monday. Well, actually I’ll have one of the technicians create the packet required to be sent with the draft reg and have her scan to me. I will also have her make hard copies and both sets I will send. The electronic version will arrive Monday and the hard copy will get to her on Tuesday. Hope it flies! I’m having a huge pain getting the footnotes on the 2d reg. It is almost as if the writer has inserted a hidden command to “hide” the footnote area. I have read so much stuff on inserting footnotes into a Word 10 document and finally got it correct on the 1st regulation, but this one, geeze. I will not give up but need to get it out of my area by Tuesday. I I can’t find out why I’m not seeing the footnote choice that I must use, I may have the expert these are sent to see if she can figure it out. Man, I hate to give up tho.

Had staff call, which means, meeting on Wednesday afternoon and told my Director that I ad applied for retirement. It was a bit funny as it automatically became about him and him trying and failing to get a different job in TX. I have no clue how many positions he has applied for, but so far he’s not ben offered anything else. I suspect his reputation has gone before him and I seriously doubt he’ll ever get a position elsewhere. He also said he intends to retire at the end of the year, if he doesn’t get a job closer to his wife. They are building a new home in TX where she works. He was telling me all they were receiving from his retirement check from the military, his VA money, his wife’s VA and her retirement. Then when he does decide to retire, he’ll draw the civil service retirement too. And his wife won’t retire for another 5 yrs so they will be getting that too. Makes me nervous as I’m only going to have my retirement to depend on, and I’m not as high on the totem pole as he is. Either way, I’m going.

Received acknowledgement from the top of the HR folks on Wednesday too. That made me even more excited.

Of course on Thursday, the boss’ secretary called me and told me she was going to send me some paperwork to do for MY retirement. I have to write something for my retirement award. Are you kidding me? lol Nope, they’re aren’t kidding. Also am supposed to write up the justification to hire behind me. Another Lol! I will get to the later one when I get time. The award one? We’ll see. I might just do it and put myself in for a big ol cash award. BIG one!

A called while I was typing this and Owen is staying the night tonight. A is involved in our hometown’s Cow Day’s which can also be referred to as a Fall Festival type deal. I am at the point in my life that I really really REALLY do not want to go tomorrow, however, Owen is up for Cow Day’s Jr King and Raylee is dancing with a group of girls her age. Then there is a parade in the middle. Oy Vay. Rain and much cooler temperatures is in the forecast but I’m sure the “show must go on”. A is working tonight at the festivities and she’ll have a longer day tomorrow than I plan to for sure. She somehow got roped into this event, even though the girl that owns the salon she works at joined the chamber of commerce. That didn’t work out for A but certainly worked our for the salon owner. She joins and A is doing the work. I believe A is going to find something else in the near future. Not sure she will before the end of year, but if a job presents itself, and it’s not nights, I believe she’ll abandon the hair and nail business. Our town has 4 or 5 salons with at least 2 stylists in each one. They had another girl join them where she has a booth and she is sure that some of her customers will migrate to the new girl. The new girl comes from a very popular family in town, so A is worried. I hope that doesn’t happen but there are too many stylists to choose from in our small town. Pray for her as she needs dependable income, health care, and benefits. She has none of that right now.

I’ve pulled up some of my tomato plants that were about dead anyway. I have peppers doing pretty good right now, but not sure they’ll get very big. I’ll freeze most of the green peppers to use in chili and other recipes this winter. They keep good and don’t lose flavor.

The Workshop yard sale was last weekend. I worked all day Saturday and I think they made around $1000 with cash donations included. I ended up buying a wooden chair they made at the woodshop which is pat of the Workshop, but am going to stain and poly it someday. Did buy the stain tonight at Lowe’s so if my weekends ever slow down that is a project I want to get done. My SIL donated a lot of her mom’s stuff for the yard sale, but brought me her mom’s breadmaker. I have made 1 loaf of bread that was ok, but not great and then made 1/2 recipe of a hot roll recipe. Now that one was a winner. Glad I only made 1/2 batch. :) I will use that recipe next time I decide to make a loaf as it is lighter and more flavorful. I’ll use it for holidays and doubt much else but am curious to see how the banana bread recipes turn out. I’ve never used yeast in banana bread, and maybe you don’t with the bread machine recipes either. I will do more research before I make banana bread. I have several bananas frozen so when the mood strikes me, I’ll have them to use.

Seems like I bought something else really cool but can’t for the life of me remember so it must not have been that cool. Oh I remember now. I also bought a coffee carafe. I’ve wanted one for a while now and it is in perfect condition and keeps the coffee hot without keeping it in the coffee pot. I will use it for holiday meals for sure!

I made myself a jersey skirt. I was going to make some pants to work around in this winter, but I had a very hard time controlling the jersey edges. I got a bit frustrated with it curling that I just cut out a plain skirt. It has 1 seam. Sewed in the elastic, which I won’t do next time, and then rolled it over and stitched down. Had to take it in a lot but used the serger so it worked out find. Let me tell you that it is a bear to work with, but it is so comfortable that I decided I’d use it to sleep in to try it out. Wonderful. Put on a T-shirt and have worn it to bed several times. Awesome comfy! Dreading trying to work with the jersey again, but I will. Have some skirts promised for the grandgirls. blah. Wished I’d have known how hard it was to work with before I made that promise. If you know a trick to work with jersey, share away.

I’m getting sleepy and so is Owen so I’m going to end this and get some things done before I go to bed.

I hope all of you are doing great and staying healthy. Take care and God Bless