Houston Back Yard Landscaping - Another Twirly Flower Bud Bookmark / Dreams of Retirement

While I'm at it with bookmarks, here's one from the back yard that reminds me a little of this one, posted in October of 2020 during the pandemic.

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Well, it's hard to believe but I am quickly approaching the age of retirement.  Didn't used to think I'd want to retire at all, as I like what I do for a living, but there've been some changes and now I'm counting the days.

Which leads to the obvious question when discussing this with friends:  What do you want to do after you retire?  First of all, I'll need to overcome the angst of not working.  It's merely a psychological thing, as we're positioned for a comfortable retirement, but I've been either working or going to school non-stop since the age of 13 - with a hiatus here and there for the kids when they were little - and the idea of not having a job and not looking for a job either is a little scary.  Suppose I'll get over it.

But to answer the question:  Naturally I wouldn't mind taking my photography to the next level.  Already have the necessary equipment, so won't have to spend a lot of money on that unless there is serious printing involved.  I'm not a businessman by any means, but the seed's been planted to develop a wall-mounting system that's versatile and unique, and I could use that to either sell my own prints or mount the prints of others for home use.  And even though people don't use bookmarks much any more, think I could do something with those, as some of the 600+ that I've created should be marketable.

Another - and probably more important - skill to use and develop is writing.  For the kiddos and those that come after them I'd like to get into a routine of writing a memory every day.  If that grows into something cohesive over time perhaps there is a book in there somewhere... after all, don't they say that everyone has a book to write?

So those two activities would both be fulfilling and keep the synapses operating.  But there is a problem with that: Too much screen time.  The wife is absolutely correct in that we both spend too much time staring at a screen, so it's best to mix in an activity that takes us away from the computer.  And she, being the more sensible of us two, recommends that we do volunteer work someplace that will be beneficial to the community at large.  Exploring possibilities there in advance.

Then there's flight simulation.  Albeit this would entail more screen time, I'd like to pursue that a little more.  It's amazing how many adults of all ages enjoy the hobby.

So there we go.  Never forgetting that other plans may be in the works... (James 4:13-15)