Sunday Salon: RETIRED!

Me and my retirement cake decorated with a librarian action figure and miniature books.

Weather: Overcast and chilling. Don's been telling everyone that it is Junuary. Highs yesterday were in the low 60s. Chilly for June, more like January.

This comic strip sums up exactly how I feel about leaving the library.

Retired: I am now officially retired. The last day of school was Friday. Now I have a few contract days to fulfill and I will hand in my keys and be finished with work. After 37 years of working in education it will be hard to leave it all behind, especially the library. But it was time.

Me and two colleagues, Joanna and Tanya, after my last graduation ceremony

A week of "lasts": Last graduation ceremony as a staff member; last iPad collection day; last time for submitting grades; last celebration of the end of a school year with other faculty at a luncheon on the last day. I walked the library several times saying goodbye to it, to the books. I sat at my desk and signed the teacher sign-out sheets and said goodbye to my colleagues. I shed a lot of tears. Yet, it is also a relief. Sigh.

Our family after Don's retirement ceremony. Yes, the flag was huge.

The BIG weekend: Last weekend was Don's retirement ceremony from the Army National Guard. It was a beautiful and meaningful ceremony and I am so proud of Don and his 42 years of service to our country. After the ceremony we hosted a reception for the 100 or so people who attended the event. Afterwards we went home and prepared for a family party at our home to celebrate both of our retirements. The next day, while family members were still in town, we hosted a baby shower for our daughter and son-in-law. What a wonderful weekend full of celebrations and loving support.

Sunset over Puget Sound at Titlow Beach.

And now? I have no idea how I will fill my time now that I am retired. I know I will continue to read and blog, though. I hope to begin exercising and gardening more, And I still have 21 visits to complete my 60 for my 60th. This week Don and I dined with a long time friend and past colleague, Kay. We met up at a retirement party hosted for another friend, Margaret. Then Friday Jean and her partner Chrissy, dropped in for a short overnight visit. They were in Oregon visiting family and head toward Vancouver Island to visit other friends and to see the sights. That takes my total of visits up to 39. The photo above was taken at Titlow Beach in Tacoma, not far from where we ate dinner at Spanky's Burgers and Brew, a new restaurant owned by Jean's cousin.

Books read the past two weeks: I've only completed one book this month, Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson. A serious, yet surprising YA tale about a teen involved in the juvenile justice system. It has lots of plot twists that kept me guessing. I will recommend this one for Mock Printz, if anyone cares what I think anymore.

Currently reading:

• Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin...I have exactly one day to finish this book because it is due back at my library and I'll be turning in all my stuff tomorrow as I start to close up shop. 60%, print.
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor...a wonderful new series by a favorite YA author. 53%, audio.
• The Little Book of Hygge by Wiking...why are Danish people the happiest in this world? This book tells us it is all about Hygge. 45%, print.
• The Gift, poems by Hafiz. I picked up this volume of poetry again this week after abandoning it several weeks ago. Sometimes all I can read, or make myself read, are poems. This was one of those weeks. 60%, print.

Father's Day: With so much attention on us last weekend, we are celebrating a very downplayed Father's Day today with a dinner with Rita and her husband. Carly called from New York last night so she got honor her dad first today.  On the menu: steak and shrimp, potato salad, grilled veggies, and blackberry cobbler. A summerish meal for a unsummerish-weather day.