A Day for Creativity

We took a day off from the exercise regimen. Dee created these nice valances pictured to the left to cut back the glare from the sun that comes in the kitchen windows. (Although we haven't had much sun lately.)

I worked on our 3rd jigsaw puzzle.

After Dee had some blood work done, we had a light breakfast at Siba Cafe (one of our favorite places ).

Then in the afternoon I went to the local Rotary Club meeting for lunch. Met some nice people, and have begun learning a couple of names. I do think I'll join there as it's an active club, involved in the community, seems friendly and has a wide range of membership. There are a couple of other clergy in the group too (some active and others retired.) Their big fundraiser is a golf outing and dinner on Monday, June 23rd at the Treesdale Golf and Country Club. It's where the Rotary meetings are held and is probably the premier golf course in Western Pennsylvania. Should be very nice. I hope to participate and maybe have a couple of my friends join in as well.

Later Dee and I returned the wedding album proofs to the photographer and selected the ones we want from this efforts, enjoyed dinner at the Red Lobster near Butler and then met our friends Kathy and Russ at the Community College for our Wed. night dance lesson. This week's lesson was on the jitterbug (one step). We learned the man's outside underarm turn, the man's tummy caresse, and the ever difficult two arm slide with the back pass. A real workout for the body as well as the brain. Good stuff. (Step (two beats per step), step (two beats per step), rock step (one beat for each step.) Lots of fun. Gotta practice practice practice.

During my reading yesterday from How to Retire Wild, Happy and Free, I came across a section about NOT watching much TV.

The author quoted a Hammond Stith who said that there are seven constructive things that retirees can do with their time:

- You can work

- You can play

- You can sleep

- You can improve your mind

- You can improve your health

- You can work in civic or educational activities

- You can work in some spiritual area for the church

The author then concluded rather strongly that "Stith did not mention watching television as one of the seven constructive things you can do with your time. At best, most television provides superficial entertainment with nothing of depth. It tends to wither the mind instead of stimulating it." Humm. Another good series of measures for time use in retirement.