tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post926465476951409948..comments2024-03-28T15:22:23.142-04:00Comments on Blue House Journal: COP and What I Did...terricheneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-33395028894315239032017-07-13T03:46:48.425-04:002017-07-13T03:46:48.425-04:00Well you know already from past comments how frust...Well you know already from past comments how frustrated I have been over hubby home 24/7 for these past 7 years of retirement. When he was about to retire a lady surprised me by asking how was I going to cope as she knew I needed alone time. I really did not think she knew me well...but she sure did! That part IS Hard. Any alone time I get I have to dive into something I have had to put off forever no matter how tired I am...I have no idea when I will get the time again. Even 15 minutes is a treasure. I would like to just sit and decompress but need to take advantage of this time. I would also like to be able to read and no hear the loud tv in the background too ! :-))) I think if somehow I could know I had so much time ah week undisturbed it would hep a lot but so far things just keep getting more hectic. Like John does, my hubby gets up Then decides what Our day will be like. I still don't know if the next day we will be home or gone all day. :-))) <br />It is his Retirement...but I am working harder! LOL LOL <br /> Terri I would talk to John before he retires to and see if he can find a hobby or activity away from you and home once in a while. A time you can count on. Even if it is one time every two weeks for say 2 hours it will be a time to look forward to if you are frazzled. Right now you have at least the time he is on the property mowing the lawn. You have to work it out. One lady I talked to one time said she talked to her husband and he asked what it would take for her to be comfortable when he retired. She told him she needed so many hours so many times a week to do her own thing at home. He then worked out some volunteer work he wanted to do and visiting friends on those times and she said he has done that. it made all the difference. Now he has time away from her and she from him. Both get to do what they want. So far I have not gotten hubby to try this! :-) He does not understand as he does not need alone time he says. LOL You have always said you knew John's retirement would be no problem for you. The no alone time [ and possibly no schedule] though may be a part of it. Having it will refresh and rejuvenate you. :) You are blessed that you and John have such good communications. SarahAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-20184327188809722472017-07-12T20:34:17.238-04:002017-07-12T20:34:17.238-04:00Lana, I know that you ARE glad you have your husba...Lana, I know that you ARE glad you have your husband, despite the lack of alone time.<br /><br />Becky and Margot, I'm knew I wasn't 'alone' in my need to be alone, lol. Margot, I too have a tendency to go into hermit mode.<br /><br />Debby and Carolyn, yes, my 'new' desk area does make me very happy and knowing that I managed it without spending any money at all makes me even happier. Now to find my art work...I will end up buying a shelf for the space but they never cost me very much at Ross.<br />terricheneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-32936277645103915282017-07-12T15:08:08.545-04:002017-07-12T15:08:08.545-04:00I have a couple of regular activities with some ch...I have a couple of regular activities with some church friends. Some weeks I feel absolutely frazzled & consider dropping one or all of them. It's usually in summer when I feel like the house is demanding every bit of my attention and the yard is growing an inch a minute!! Then, when I do stumble in exhausted, I find that a little fellowship and girlie-time is EXACTLY what I need to unwind.<br />That said, I confess that there is one day per week that I keep to myself lol. I use it to catch up, unwind, relax, bake, or tackle a project. I will also confess that it's my 2nd favorite day of the week. I really like Sundays with my husband the best. That's our entire together day.<br /><br />I think your desk area looks lovely! It's so dainty. I have a ginormous roll top oak desk. I'm in the process of trying something new to make it look nicer. We use every bit of space in it and I love the little cubbies. But it's a beast!! Your jar of flowers gave me an idea though so i'm going to have a little treasure hunt downstairs.Debby in KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10678580135625880717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-4339010149159916442017-07-12T10:04:50.845-04:002017-07-12T10:04:50.845-04:00Can so relate to how frustrating it is to plan you...Can so relate to how frustrating it is to plan your day and have it change completely. But sometimes those end up being the most productive days, it seems. And, what a wonderful day you had – in spite of setbacks - you created an amazing desk space using items you already had – and, it’s lovely! I like the way you refreshed the bulletin board and added a pretty touch with the jar of flowers. Doesn’t the space just make you smile now? Little changes make such big differences and when you accomplish it with found items you already own, I think that’s even more rewarding. It would be so easy to buy everything we needed, but I don’t think that deep down feeling of accomplishment would be quite the same as when we create it ourselves and the space evolves as we find items we can use. Love what you did!Carolyn @ Our Gilded Abodehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18201649173159755166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-25167515853547942352017-07-12T01:37:30.881-04:002017-07-12T01:37:30.881-04:00I am a person who craves alone time, as well. Hav...I am a person who craves alone time, as well. Having 8 children, getting the first ones over 31 years ago, and still parenting, doesn't leave much time for that. I have also lived several years (quite a while back) in a multi-generational household, including grandma, parents, another grandma, etc. So, I've had to resort to staying up later and later at times. It's not good for me, but in another way, it's the only way I can survive. Sometimes, I get up a couple of hours earlier than everyone else. My husband understands and has always taken the children away for a few hours at times when I'm getting overwhelmed. Whatever works.Beckyathomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11105835394158145451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-62497487753294961282017-07-11T21:23:15.336-04:002017-07-11T21:23:15.336-04:00I live on my own and yes, I do like it that way an...I live on my own and yes, I do like it that way and value my alone time - BUT - I have learned that it can be too much of a good thing and that I was becoming a bit of a hermit at times. I had to learn to balance time on my own and time with friends and family and other commitments.<br />I even count going out by myself as alone time - even though I am out in public and inter-acting with people. Today I spent a couple of hours wandering around IKEA - had a coffee, picked up a couple of small items - scoped out a few things that I'm thinking about purchasing and chatted to a couple of people in the store and on the shuttle bus - nothing in-depth, just being pleasant - but it was enough. It's all a balancing act and I've learned that I do have to be flexible and willing to compromise more than I have in the past.Margie from Torontohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103835021764804099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6959918163454225829.post-42539834904167037512017-07-11T15:58:58.294-04:002017-07-11T15:58:58.294-04:00Seven and a half months of zero alone time. It to...Seven and a half months of zero alone time. It took six months to get him to stop putting his head in the door when I went to the bathroom. Such is life living with a spouse with a brain injury. I asked God to give him back to me during those 10 days he was in a coma. I prayed to bring him home even if he never cared for himself or worked again. And God answered. It has grown me in ways that I never thought I could grow. I am nothing but thankful even though it has been hard most days. He has only this week been able to drive himself somewhere on his own. I get a dozen texts while he is gone just because he does not know how to cope on his own yet. All I can say is thank you Lord for giving him back to me. Thank you for stretching me and taking away selfishness. Thank you Lord for teaching me to serve my husband when I did not think I could do it for another day. Would I have chosen this trial. Never. But God knew what I needed and He has sustained me everyday.Lanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09380649410508372279noreply@blogger.com