…………….. a retiree.

I woke last Friday and realised it had been a whole year since I had last crossed the workplace threshold. 365 wonderful, stress free, fun filled days. Well mostly 😂

What a year we’ve had. A year of discovery and planning, spending time with family and friends. And each other 🤪

We have been initiated into festival fever. Although we have only camped at one, we have attended several throughout the year and plans for camping at this years Car Fest are well under way.

We had great discussions about whether to purchase bikes and if so which ones. Having attempted to use one with minimal gears up and down the hills of Wales, I’m glad we opted for the electric bikes and they have now had several enjoyable outings.

Then there was the BIG dilemma, motor home or camper van. We had booked the motor home for our Welsh tour to test out which type to buy. However the ever impatient hubby couldn’t wait and we purchased our small camper van at Easter. The Welsh experience in a larger one did make us realise, it should probably be easier to get around the UK in our little Kenneth. We have enjoyed one break in him and are about to embark on another next week, this time with a couple of Grandkids 🤪

We lived in Germany for five years and never attended an Oktoberfest, so it was fabulous to be able to enjoy one locally. It was such a great, if somewhat inebriated day, with lots of fabulous music, that we already have our tickets and are making plans for this years event.

We have enjoyed weekends away in London and Birmingham and holidays both home and overseas, with friends and family.

I’ve had a holiday with girlfriends,and a spa weekend courtesy of my son in law and the hubby has been on a stag weekend in Belgium and a blokes jolly to Gibraltar.

We have been able to spend time with the Grandkids and seen the twins head off for their first day at school. Enjoyed watching them and their brother learn to ride bikes without stabilisers, been able to take walks in the woods with the children and see them enjoying a run along the beach. It’s the simple things in life.

There have been numerous free concerts, to enjoy, around our music filled fun loving town, from a chilled one in deckchairs by the park bandstand, to ones on the seafront and bands in the old town pubs.

Then there have been theatre trips both am dram and professional and a London theatre trip booked for later in the year.

We’ve spent more time at the cinema in the last year than we have in the whole of our married life. It does help when you can enjoy the benefits of the daytime Silver Cinema with a nice cuppa to see you through the film 😂

The house had some much needed tlc, during the winter and the garden is getting a makeover during the summer. There will always be more to do but at least we now have some time.

I know it is a cliche, but I really don’t know how we managed to squeeze work into our lives before. It has been a busy but relaxing year, filled with fun & laughter. And a year on we are, today, off to enjoy another one of our retirement gifts!

Probably…………no definitely the best decision we’ve ever made 😍