Random 5 Friday

Friday again already?  I'm trying to decide if it's retirement, busyness, or old age that makes time seem to fly.  Maybe it's all three.  It's already 7 p.m. Pacific time, and I'm just now preparing my post for Random 5 Friday. 

1. Babysitting wasn't part of my plan for retirement, but I'm doing a lot of it.  Now it has become half a day on a school day and all day on Friday, when there is no school.  She's a special one, though. One special characteristic is her ability to entertain herself. 

2. I have spent more time in the local library these past two years than in many previous years. I check out 8-10 children's books every two weeks, and I've discovered there is a large number of great kids' books, skillfully written and beautifully illustrated.  My niece is a very good reader for a first-grader. 

3. My youngest sister and I took a second day trip in as many weeks; I've been able to do it for the 13 years of my retirement, but she has been retired not quite two years and is still working most mornings in her husband's business.  When we go, I always take my camera, which she understands. We wander through shops and have a great lunch somewhere.

4. The perennial in my flower beds--peonies, hydrangeas, poppies--are through the ground and promising a great summer of flowers. Warm spring weather has turned to rain and cold, but I know it won't last. 

5. My husband has worked at the local lumber mill for 44 years and is actually talking retirement (he's considerably younger than I).  I see it happening in a year, but until then, I'm going to help "manage" his vacation time.  This week, we're leaving mid-week to visit our youngest son and daughter-in-law on the west side of Oregon. Rhododendron gardens, a pioneer cemetery, and other sites are part of the plan.  Of course I'm taking my camera.