Cooking the NYTimes and Other Assorted Retirement Activities

Today, as befitting the holiday, social media spills over with everything grateful.  Family.  Friends.  Good food and drink.  God's blessings in abundance.  For this once, I am glad to use the hashtaged #metoo. In what might feel like a switch from the norm, after some consideration I have decided that I am grateful, too, for all the bad things in the world.  As opposed to being sucked under by them, I have decided to frame them to push me forward to be a better person.  To do good work every day.  To challenge myself when I am being judgmental and ask for a blessing on that person rather than thinking they are terrible or horrible or stupid or whatever negative adjective I all too often immediately apply. For me, at least, this is more difficult work than being caught in the miasma of negativity and feeling helpless.  I'd rather move past helpless to a space where possibilities exist.  I've struggled with knowing I am a white woman ...

Obvi I possess some Domestic Goddess traits otherwise the title of this blog would probably be different. In teaching my Road Next Taken classes, I've been learning that some people prefer to start with what they don't want or like or prefer rather than what they do.  My tendency is to begin with what I like but in this case, I can start with what aspects of Domestic Goddessness are not in my DNA. 1. Cleaning.  Never have liked to clean, never will. 2. Picking up.  I suppose you could call this an aspect of cleaning.  I can leave the dishes on the table and the countertop, the newspaper and clothes on the floor, etc. and not even bat and eye.  Now, interesting observation.  If Dan leaves his stuff laying around, I am eagle eyed and annoyed. 3. Running errands.  I believe I wrote about this previously.  Just not fond of it. 4. Shopping except grocery shopping.  I have family members who can center their day around shopping (you know who ...