after retirement

Hi there from Newton! Well, retirement is wonderful. I have now been off from employment since Dec 28, 2007. At this date, I have not had a day off and absolutely no boredom. In fact, how did I find time to work is the question. I have had the privilege of spending time with Marci and Ken and family, started serving or training for serving a mission, visited with friends Elaine Allred and Ellen at Ellen's son cabin (that is another entry) for several days, attending the funeral of an awesome uncle (Clint Zollinger) and now I am at the Rigby Ranch staying with Raelyn and ValJay's children while they are on a cruise. Life is great. I will admit that I miss my friends from work, but not using any annual leave to do these fun filled days has been great.
Here is a written account of my happenings. Pics may be coming when I am home with my camera, but Amanda challenged me to write a new blog.

OK, time at Bear Lake with Ellen and Elaine
Ellen mentioned that her son had purchased a cabin in Bear Lake and would we like to go and spend a few days. I'm right on that as there is nothing better for the soul that chillin' with two awesome friends like Ellen and Elaine. As well as lifting ones spirits, you never know what Elaine might do for excitement and an eternity of entertainment. So off we go on Sunday evening with the car loaded down, snow on the roads, and three grey haired women with no fear into the wilds of just over the Idaho border. Now, I am packed to stay at a cabin. This is not a cabin. We pull in and there is a beautiful, totally awesome, fantastic, marvelous, on the beach with pine trees surrounding it home. Double garage, 3 1/2 baths, 4 bedrooms big enough for a couple of beds in each, oak every things, a porch looking at the lake that is 16 X 40, a winding stair case that a bride would love to walk down any day, and views from the 3 stories of windows off the balcony. It also had a tv room with a big screen. Talk about luxury. We were in heaven. Ray Olsen and his family had purchased it and were kind enough to let his mom and friends borrow and stay there for 5 days. It was very relaxing to just sit, read, watch tv or movies, or give foot rubs and visit. We even started a puzzle and I hate puzzles. The deer slept under the porch and we had a pet squirrel that loved us as well as a wild cat that we charmed. It was fantastic to watch the weather change and the winds blow the snow over the frozen lake, and then the next day to have it melt with the warmth of the sun. However, it did turn cold and got 6 below the night before we left. We were sure glad to the gas heating. \
We marveled at how our pioneer fathers ever made it through weather like that. Sleeping on the snow at night, walking for hours every day with little to eat and nothing to keep them warm. They were certainly blessed to have survived and a stronger person that I am to have endured that.
Elaine's most daring adventure was to wear her pj's when we went to the store to get some items and a paper. The store clerk was a fun young man and after bribing him with just a little information, he was willing to remind her that his store had a dress code. We got a big kick watching her face. I have a pic on my phone (forgot to take the camera) so not sure I can down load it, but am going to try as a picture is worth a thousand words.
Hyrum came up on Thursday to pick us