Retired

Retired!

MidLife Changes

My life has been at a crossroads.  As I neared the magic number of age and years of State service to reach the desired 80 points it was obvious that staying the next 1.25 years and reaching that magic number would give me a net result of $2500/ year in pension.  Since the move of our desks to the cold computer room I realized that would barely keep me long johns and hi-test coffee.   In addition, I felt as though I was being aged in dog years.  Sunday nights brought fear and dread knowing that another week in the cold room would commence.  Constantly cold and unhappy in my job.

My yoga teacher had told us once we went through teacher training we would soon become very dissatisfied with our current jobs.  She was right.  She still is right.  I had trained hard to become a yoga teacher and enjoyed teaching so much more than being Help Desk Heather.  Hatha Heather is what my heart is directing me to be. 

 I decided there was but one solution to this dilemma.

After lengthy discussions with the hubby, crunching numbers and adding Silver Age Yoga to my current RYT200 yoga certification; it was apparent that this was extremely do-able and I could make up the income difference teaching.  However, the thought terrified me.  That whole "quitter" label and the uncertainty of health insurance had my stomach tied in knots.  Sleepless nights, nausea and lots of meditation as I was questioning my own reality.  After a lot of angst, trepidation and support from the dear husband the decision was finally made.   Thinking through all the prospects after I leave State service it finally came to me - it is time for a change in direction.

Yesterday I submitted my 2 weeks notice to my supervisor.  I requested as little hubbub as possible.  I want to make a stealthy exit.  She was - of course - shocked.  No one ever expects anyone to retire early.  I got through the day in an anxious mood. 

Today I informed the coworkers. They are sad but also encouraged to know that it can happen.

I just hope next Friday March 13th ( my last day) they don't embarrass me.

Pumpkin Spice Soda & Rum

Had a leftover Halloween pumpkin.  Decided to make some pumpkin puree for pie.  Got enough for 2 pies and had a skosh leftover.

I had read of a pumpkin spice syrup for Soda Stream™ but decided to whip up my own!

Cocktail Recipe by Heather Page-Farlow

Pour maple syrup into plate or rimmer.

Put edge of glass into syrup then into a tray of turbinado sugar.

Put in crushed ice.

Pour in Pumpkin Spice Soda

1 oz of spiced rum

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Recipe by Heather Page-Farlow

½ cup of pumpkin purée

½ cup agave or maple syrup

1 cinnamon stick

1 Good Earth Sweet and Spicy teabag

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of allspice

Splash of organic apple juice

Let simmer over low heat until reduced down. 

Strain through sieve, squeezing all the liquid out of the paste until only a dark liquid is left.

Place cinnamon stick in storage bottle.  Strain once again into storage bottle. Refrigerate.

To use with Soda Stream, carbonate a liter of filtered water.  Pour roughly ¼ cup of syrup into liter.Mix well

Sip and enjoy the tastes of the season.  You can even garnish with an apple slice.

More adventures in Soda Stream

Another batch of home made syrup.  Boiled up fresh lime, agave nectar and fresh mint.  Turned the flame down and reduced it.  Then drained it off and mixed with some #SodaStream.  Delightful.   Will make a nice mojito.

ADVENTURES IN SODA STREAM

      ALL NATURAL SODA-STREAM SYRUPS

We decided to buy a Soda Stream.  Really not supposed to drink soda - mostly cola - but thought this would be a much healthier alternative as we could choose all natural flavors and I found some great recipes for syrups made with fruits, herbs and natural sweeteners.  We ordered the machine from Amazon and within a week we'd tried the sample pack of flavors that came with the unit along with some flavors we'd concocted on our own.  I ordered some cucumber/mint no calorie flavoring and I decided it was time to try some of the recipes that I had gleaned off the internet and put on Pinterest; not to mention a book I had purchased for my Kindle.

1st Recipe - Berry Basil Syrup

The hubby had purchased some beautiful berries at Sprouts.  Juicy strawberries, plump blueberries and some ripe raspberries.  I took about 3 cups of strawberries that I had hulled and sliced and boiled them in a saucepan with the washed berries, 1 cups of water, ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 cups of raw cane sugar and some fresh basil leaves.

I brought the mixture to a boil over high heat then reduced the heat and let them mixture simmer and I stirred to make sure the sugar was dissolved.  After cooking 10 minutes making sure the berries were soft, I then muddled the fruit and herb mixture and let that simmer for another 5 minutes.

 I then had to strain the mixture through a strainer to extract all the juice.  The recipe said to thro the mashed berry mixture away but I am saving it to mix with some quinoa or other grain for a delicious breakfast.  

    Strained juice mixed with berry-basil syrup is delicious!  Not too sweet and oh so refreshing!!!  The basil is subtle and the berry syrup not too sweet.  

After bottling up the Berry Basil Syrup I started on the next recipe.

2nd Recipe - Ginger Syrup

This began by slicing up some fresh ginger root into thin slices and added that to 2 cups of water and a cup of granulated sugar.    As the mixture boiled over a high heat I whisked in ¾ tablespoon of ground ginger to give it some added ginger flavor.  The heat was then reduced so the mixture could simmer and cook down until the the syrup is reduced by ½.  After boiling it was strained and put into a bottle and labeled to mix with the soda for some dry, refreshing ginger ale.

BEST LAID PLANS

Yessssssssssssss..............the intent was to blog.  To actually do some writing about what was going on my life.   To express what my life felt like and how I was coping (or not coping) with my life.  Oh yes, that was the plan.
This was it:
1.  Start a new blog - call it REBRAND (oh ain't that clever?)
2.  WRITE


It was really simple.  A 2 part plan and perhaps it was just too damned simple.  I thought it would work but then again - I am simple.  Therefore; it did not work. 


So it's been since JANUARY that I have written anything in this blog.  Oh sure I have done my time on FacebookAt that time I was rocking the Sun Salutation Club at the Farmer's Market and having a grand springtime.  Things were going ok.


Then I began my intensive yoga teacher training and that's when life got real, yo.  (I hear that's what the young hipsters say).  I had to take off about 6 weeks of every Thursday vacation day to go down to the studio and work on yoga ALL DAY.  Then I had to do homework and write essays.  I had not written an essay since 1980.  Really.  I thought those days were over for me.  Old dog/new tricks - that sort of thing.  However I persevered and got through all the classwork.  I am now just doing my student teaching at Yogini's.  I need to get in my 50 hours of teaching so I can get the certification.  GO FIGURE!  After all these years, at age 56 I go for yoga teacher training.  It still tickles the hell out of me.  I now have a plan of what to do after I retire.  It's kind of cosmic and cool.  I am enjoying it a lot.


Speaking of retiring.  I bought some service time for when I worked for the City and now I am sitting with 20 full years on the books with the State retirement system.  Now the question is to retire early and supplement that with yoga or hold on for another 2 years until full retirement and see if I am still willing to supplement with yoga.  I know the day job is aging me in dog years and I am not so sure if I will want to do anything at all after I retire in 2 years let alone teach yoga.  It's a big decision and I am not the best at big decisions.  I know my student teaching won't be over until summer's end and I get another retirement point (and $$$) for turning a year older in August.  Nothing is happening until then but I am going to a seminar with the retirement system on Wednesday the 16th.  I will find out more then and make a decision then.  Have to be honest I don't think the hubby is too terribly thrilled with the idea of me retiring.  Jealous?  Maybe.  Scared of losing insurance?  Probably.  Terrified of losing the income?  DEFINITELY.  I just have to make him realize that sometimes your dreams what the universe wants you to do is not the most lucrative.  However they bring abundance galore.


The daughter has been doing everything for her wedding in November.  Not much for us to do at this point she's so organized.  I am blessed to have a daughter so in charge of her own destiny and so resourceful, motivated and she is going to be SUCH a beautiful bride!  It will be a blessed event to see.


Speaking of blessed events - I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER!  The son - our eldest - and his wife of 5 (almost 6) years are expecting a baby in January!  January 2nd to be exact - a New Year's baby!  To say we're excited would be an understatement.  Her family is over the moon about the news as are we.  To think my "baby" boy is having a baby of his own in 6 short months blows my mind!  We are pushing for the names of G-Unit and Grandiddy.


The hubby changed jobs to one he is much happier in and is working his ass off.  At least he's enjoying himself.  Together we go on random date nights, hang out and watch TV and act like the middle-aged couple we are.  We can get rather predicable so I try to buy some different types of vouchers from Living Social and give us a taste of hip new local stuff.  It's good for us.


Writing in this blog is good for me.  I keep a yoga journal and this is a better way to get the personal stuff out.  I need to find the time (along with ALL the other stuff ) to actually sit down and write what I feel.


Right now I feel joyous.  I feel somewhat stuck in my life and ready for change.  Mostly I feel joyous.   I hope that's how everyone else is feeling too.

POST MLK DAY UPDATE

We went to the Barrett - Jackson car auction.  Even though most of the big, high profile and money cars sold the day prior; it was still very cool to see the old cars.  I have decided I would look great in a Packard.

 

 

After the time at the auction we hit a sports bar to watch the Patriots v Broncos game.  We lived in Boulder for 5 years so I am a Bronco fan so I am not as devastated that my Patriots lost.

Thank goodness Seattle won.

 

 

 

 

The hubby got the light - all ball- installed and it looks great.  We put a soft LED bulb in it.  He also fixed the leftover cracks and we got an umbrella to go out on the front patio where the entry used to be. 

 

 

Had a fine MLK Day off.  Did some yoga.   

 

Had a miserable week at work; shorthanded and drama-laden.  I am really not feeling it. 

We went to see "The Taming of the Shrew" done by Southwest Shakespeare are at the Mesa Arts Center.  It was an amazing production.  Love the show and this was one of the best productions of it I have seen.  

I taught my 2ndyoga  class at the Farmer's Market.  The daughter and her fiancé came to class.  It went pretty well.  We shall see if the business picks up as the weeks go on.