The freedom I feel today is almost more exciting than the day I decided to retire. Ending the tedious task of spending eight hours a day or more working on my computer for my then business wasn’t nearly as gratifying as now. I am officially done with the corrections after spending the better part of every afternoon for the past year.
The idea of being free in the afternoons after I finish the new day’s post leaves me wondering how I will spend the newly acquired precious time. We can now go to Kruger National Park with an easy mind, knowing I am not tacking on another day to the end of this daunting task.
If I feel like taking a nap in the afternoon, I will be able to do so. If I felt like a nap in the past year, I ignored the need, knowing it would throw me off my regular schedule. If I want to watch a show that Tom doesn’t like, I can watch it while doing my exercises or folding laundry. I will be able to do so.
No, the posts aren’t perfect. I could probably spend the next year going through them again, finding more errors. But I am letting it go. When new readers visit, they’ll find mistakes. So be it. I don’t have a staff of editors working with me each day, as do big sites, like Amazon, where I seldom find an error. It’s just me.
Even with Tom proofreading each day with his laptop’s editing app picking up some errors along with those he finds by reading each word, it still won’t be 100% correct. As I worked my way through them, many posts would require me to re-write them due to WiFi issues when they were posted. That would have extended my work time to two or three more years. I prefer to live my life.
Today, I’m making two low-carb cheese pies (cheesecake, to some) to bring to Louise and Danie’s, where we’re going late this afternoon for sundowners with their visiting family members. We’ve already met most of the eight that are visiting. It will surely be fun! Most likely, I’ll end up doing something productive with this extra time rather than getting caught up in mindless drivel.
Speaking of good times, we met with Cees and Rina at Amazing Kruger View for sundowners and dinner last evening. We had an excellent evening chatting with them while we watched a bit of activity on the Crocodile River, photos of which are included here today. The food was fine, although not of the caliber of Jabula, where we’ll return on Friday.
It was a busy social week. We’ve had plans every evening except Sunday and Monday. As it turned out, the event at Frikkee’s Dam was canceled on Sunday due to heavy rains over the weekend, The roads in Lionspririt are rougher than here in Marloth Park, and the gates were locked. Instead, we stayed home and have been enjoying the egg casserole we’d make for the event and eating it for breakfast each morning since freezing each day’s portion.
Now, with more time on my hands, I may become motivated to cook unique low-carb dishes. With so many of our friends gone or leaving soon, we’ll probably spend more time on our own than socializing. However, social beings that we are may inspire us to reach out to get involved in more social events.
In either case, I am so content now that this year-long project has ended, and soon I will get to work on the four lengthy SEO (search engine optimization) posts I need to accomplish in the next month. One thing at a time. For the next few weeks, I’m coasting in my freedom!
Happy day!
Photos from one year ago today, November 10, 2020:
This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #232. That morning’s view of Savusavu Bay when the clouds had cleared for a short period. For more photos, please click here. |