Last night I told Jim that I looked forward to our Sunday morning breakfast--a boiled egg, a sweet, maybe some fruit, and of course, strong coffee. We always say the Lord's Prayer together on Sunday mornings. We like our routines in our retirement.
We have other routines that center around food. Saturday mornings are pancake mornings and we have recently started enjoying a cooked breakfast on Thursday mornings when I usually have no obligations. We have a happy hour around 5:15 which lately has been orange juice with a cucumber slice for me--so I can have my one glass of wine with dinner.
Most of my activities are in the morning when Jim is home doing his research on RH Charles or proofreading his Jubilees commentary. We eat lunch together even if we prepare it separately and then Jim goes into Notre Dame to work at his office. He is very pleased to learn that he can keep that office next year. He hopes. Last year that all fell apart temporarily with a move downstairs and then back upstairs at Malloy Hall. In the next two weeks he has three mid-course reviews and two dinners so there continue to be obligations.
We have exercise routines. I do back exercises every week day while watching the morning news. That routine has changed somewhat; I am boycotting WSBT because of its Sinclair ownership and its required reading of their denunciation of "fake news." I try to walk 30 minutes a day as recorded by my Fitbit. Jim walks from the Bulla parking lot, a long way from his office. He faithfully does the exercises prescribed by Kelly Penrose, our physical therapist.
So are we "set in our ways" like the old folks? Or are routines a good thing? When I sleep well and feel well, I get restless and want to break up my routines with a trip somewhere. Maybe this week it will be South Haven for a night. Maybe it will be a train trip to Chicago soon. And maybe I'll just be content to stay home.
----------We did spend a night at Old Harbor Inn in South Haven. Jim golfed at Hawkshead and we had supper with Harvey and Audrey Stob at Black River Grill--because Clementine's--even on a Wednesday in April--had an hour wait. But we got out of our routines. We both forgot our phone chargers; we both forgot to take our AM drugs or drops, and Jim actually forgot to bring his 30 minutes of Hebrew reading along. We were home again by 10:30 am and back on track.
The Baxter-Banga family has included us for Easter dinners. There are often more than 30 people there with David providing the main course of meat and everyone else bringing side dishes and dessert. I always hope there will be some little ones to help me make my bunny cake.
Saturday we were invited to a 10 year old's birthday party at The Ice Box where he plays hockey. There were several families from our church there. I watched for a while and then decided that with the help of a "walker," I too could skate. So I did--twice around.
Saturday evening I was asked to join a group of women from church to go out for dinner and then to a movie. We had a table of 14 at a crowded and noisy Evil Czech Brewery. I was the only white-haired woman there and at least 25 years older than anyone else and probably 35-40 than most. I was honored to be included!