A few weeks ago, I got wind of an art exhibition for veterans in my county. I debated whether to apply, partly because I’m not sure critics would view my stuff as “real art.” Anyway, I did apply for the exhibit, which is in May. They accepted me, but then I was miserable for a month worrying and fretting about how others might react to my embellished wood scraps.
I tried to tell myself, do the thing that scares you and all that, but life is already pretty scary, and I don’t need to pile it on. It’s not a popular sentiment, but these days I’m all about making things easier. I fought the good fight and made it to retirement. I used to think big deal. Now, I think, hell yeah, big deal.
Retirement, they say, comes in phases. I’m in the easygoing phase and am doing my best to bypass the harder-than-it has-to-be-phase.
Although I rarely quit anything, I mean, do it until it hurts, I withdrew from the exhibit and feel great about the decision. Art is just a thing I do, no more, no less. I enjoy sharing it with you, but I don’t need to beat the streets seeking new audiences.
I was working on Number 36 whilst churning through all this, and I was so grumpy, trying to make it better. Normally, my mantra, is hey, it was just a piece of scrap wood, now it’s something else. So what if it’s not perfect? But thinking about judges and shit messed me up. I simply need to hang out in my garage and do what speaks to me.
So, number 36. What can I say? I love cats.
Speaking of easygoing, I hate buying new stuff, but I do appreciate tools that make jobs less of a chore. The weather is starting to get really nice, so I took it upon myself to clean up the patio furniture. I used a brush and garden hose to get some of the dirt off, and then it was all over. You see the difference, clean versus dirty, and what can you do but keep going?
I was worried about my back and wrists, which are both sensitive. I called to Dale, who was conveniently absent for the ritual washing of the patio furniture. I asked about a power washer. Would this clean up without a brush if I had such a tool? He said yes, and I said let’s go.
Off we went to Ace, where we killed it with a credit card and dragged it home. It was pretty easy to set up and worked like a champ. I probably saved my back and my wrists and maybe Dale’s life, because you know, cleaning patio furniture – so not his thing.
Then there’s the lawn. We have a small patch of lawn in the backyard. It used to be thin and scraggly, and we I mowed it with a little push mower. Then late last fall, we had a yard makeover and got new sod. This is the real deal. Thick and hardy.
Here’s the agreement I made. I will mow and blow, but that’s it. Nothing else. Nada. Either we throw money at it, or it’s Dale’s job. Mostly that means we threw money at it and have a service that takes care of the rest. Just another marriage-saver tip from Retirement Confidential.
The new grass had time to grow over the winter, but I hadn’t mowed it yet. When the rain finally stopped, I got out the push mower and almost collapsed. I couldn’t get it through the grass. I did do it, but I had to use my whole body and stop several times to catch my breath. I thought, well, the grass is just thicker because of the rain.
A week later it was a bit easier to mow but still awful. I told Dale I thought we should get a small electric mower. He said nah, it would probably get easier. He reminded me of my father, who used to smoke and drop ashes on the floor, suggesting it was good for the carpet.
I said, OK, will you please try it once and see what you think? And that was when we decided to buy an electric lawn mower. It’s small thing, light as a feather and whips through that grass with ease.
Key word. Ease.
#36 is wonderful
Thank you! I do think I need to try something other than cats next time …
Good for you. I’m learning that spending money on convenience and help is the way to manage retirement. There’s no point pushing yourself to do things that brings no joy. I hired household help recently and what a pleasure to have someone do all those jobs I hated. We also have a person who comes to mow the lawn as my husband can’t do that job anymore and I refuse to do it!
You might be right about the way to manage retirement. I like this idea very much. We don’t spend a lot of money on travel or stuff, but we sure could use some help doing things.
I recently used a power washer to clean off a deck and the siding at my new place. OMG. Where has this wonder machine been all my life?
There’s something very meditative about power washing too, don’t you think? At least the way I do it.😁
Deb
You’re right about power washing being meditative. My handle doesn’t lock in place, so the squeezing was an issue (wrists) Otherwise, I might have kept going and moved to the driveway. Dale said next time he’d jury-rig me a fix for the handle. What a guy.
Argh, Donna! I just tried to unsubscribe to Comments and I think I unsubscribed to your whole blog instead of just one post. This has happened to me before. And then when I go to unsubscribe, it says my email is not associated with my WordPress account….double argh. Just didn’t want you to think it was you…it’s all me. I forget how I solved this before but I will get there again.
Deb
*when I go to REsubscribe”
I’m so sorry the system isn’t easier to deal with. Please let me know if you continue to have problems. I appreciate the heads up!
I just love your posts! They always make me laugh! #36 is great and I am sure the judges would have loved your work! agree with you about not needing to stress over the things we choose to entertain ourselves with in retirement. It sometimes takes the joy out of it! Thanks for making me smile!!
Hi Carol — I always appreciate your “likes” and feel like we share the same sense of humor. And you are spot-on about not stressing over things that are supposed to entertain us! I’ve gotten a lot better about that lately.
I’m disappointed you withdrew from the exhibition. I think you would have done great. Do you still plan to check out what others submit? Maybe then you’ll see you do have talent. I love your stuff. And cats!!
Thank you for the positive feedback! I may decide to toughen up and exhibit sometime in the future. I guess I’m not ready yet. I will probably go to the event to check it all out. Great idea.
On the art show…I think those of us who survived the corporate world can’t help but bring vestiges of competition and its accompanying validation into our retirement activities. Six years in, I’m still working to let it go and just judge/validate my “stuff” against my (lower by the day) standards. I “win” first prize most days. I so enjoy your thoughtful blogs, sense of humor and your art – you win top honors in all!
I think you nailed it — we survived being judged all the time in the corporate world, and now it’s pretty great to just chill. I do struggle with the validation thing from time to time, but not as much as I used to.
1. “Life is already pretty scary, no need to pile it on.” I love this.
2. Some of your conversations with Dale are such an echo of ours. Sometimes I get the most absurd responses from my sweetheart, that he must think my IQ has fallen to 47.
3. Nice that you changed your mind about the exhibition. The wonderful thing about retirement is that you discover about 90% of your life problems are gone. I recently quit a volunteer position that I held for nine years. I brought a problem to the attention of the woman in charge, and she blew me off in the most spectacular way, that I was breathless. I resigned the next day. It felt completely wonderful to realize I don’t have to work with people I don’t like. So liberating.
I’m sorry your conversations are an echo of ours — ha ha. It can be exhausting. One thing that amazes me is how we can have such different memories of the same event.
You are so right about most of our problems being gone. No need to create new ones. Congrats on the resignation!
Hey Donna, bravo to you for withdrawing from the art exhibition because you don’t need to stress on how they critique art. Of course, you are an artist, and a dam good one! I’m with you on keeping the stressful stuff from taking up real estate in our mind and body. And yeah, pay for the jobs that you no longer want to do around the house…frees up more time for art. 😉
You pretty much summed it up. Don’t need the stress. Maybe sometime in the future, but then again, maybe not. I like keeping things simple, and I agree — I’m going to outsource more housework!
Yea for you for withdrawing. Nothing wrong with doing it cause you like to do it. That said if you went to that event and a couple like it I think you’d get a feel, one. And know they wouldn’t accept you if you weren’t good. Two. I’m looking at hiring household help starting the fall. I should have done it before.
I like, “Nothing wrong with doing it cause you like to do it.” Well said! And congrats on hiring household help. I haven’t gone there yet, but except for the mow and blow, I’m done with yardwork. And happy!!!!
I’m late to the party, but I love your art. I’m glad you withdrew from the show though, because you need to do what’s right for you, but I’m sorry you withdrew because I find your art truly unique and am willing to bet others would find it cool and funky as well.
Thank you for weighing in! I appreciate your kind comments. I do think I’ll try again — I got blindsided by a family member who said be prepared for the worst. I should have just tuned it out. Live and learn.
I’m a coach, and I say you do you. It’s all about living the life you want to not the one you feel you ought to. Enjoying your art without feeling the pressure sounds a great decision to me. Just don’t doubt that you have talent and ability, ‘cos honestly, you do.
I’ve worried about things I feel I *should* be doing or be able to do, but am trying to make sure I use my time and effort for things I love doing. And there’s plenty of those, so I’m looking for a cleaner (again). I’ve realised that Himself simply doesn’t see dirt… let alone dust. So long as it’s tidy, ordered, put away or minimal – he’s happy, whereas I really prefer clean. I work at meeting his need for order, but rather than mither about his inability to meet my need for clean, I’m outsourcing it.
My husband doesn’t see dirt, dust, crumbs, etc. I have not outsourced housework, mainly because we tried it in the past and had some bad experiences with the people we hired. But that’s just me — I say go for it! The indoor stuff doesn’t bother me as much as the yardwork.