Change is Constant - Like it or not

Well, folks, it looks like I have been absent from this blog for quite some time.  My last post was in 2016 if I am correct and my, oh my, so much has changed in the past seven years. They say change is constant and how correct that statement is. In 2016 we were in just the second year of a new Chief of Police for the small, local police department I worked for.  It was my 13th year working as an administrative staff member for the department.  By then I had worked for four different Chiefs and three Interim Chiefs.  Each Chief brought their own ideas on how the department would run and what duties my position would consist of.  Also, during those 13 years, I lost both parents over a period of one year and four months. Talk about 13 years of change and a multitude of life lessons in resiliency for me.  

Beginning in 2016 (when I last posted to this blog) things at work were constantly changing and we were juggling so many projects it was hard to decide which to work on first each day.  The idea of making a to-do list was a joke because each hour of each day brought something new to work on.  Mostly we made lists of the projects we were each responsible for so nothing would slip through the cracks.  Somehow everything got done, but I am still amazed at all the things we juggled each day.

I retired in the fall of 2019 (another change for me) and of course, we all know COVID hit early in 2020. Just about every place was closed, and people from every industry were working from home.  It was the year that brought huge changes to our way of life and even today many of those changes are still in effect. It was my first full year of retirement and I spent every day at home. That was one crazy change!!  It was the year when I stopped doing my major grocery shopping in person and started ordering from the local grocery stores online and simply picked up the order from the store the next day It was also the year Amazon and I became best friends.  I remember wanting to visit my sister during the summer of that year and we sat in her front yard, about 8 feet apart, with masks on.  What a crazy way to visit with family.  I am so glad we don't have to do that anymore.  

So, I have been retired from the workforce for four years and I am absolutely loving retirement. I have so many projects and hobbies it's a miracle I ever found time to go to work. Now, instead of going to work or sitting at home, I meet friends for a meal at a restaurant or attend concerts with them.  I have learned the art of beading and now make bracelets and necklaces. I draw black and white drawings and paint. I love painting rocks and leaving them wherever I go for others to find.  I enjoy reading and read between 150 and 200 books each year. I am learning to play the keyboard.  And I continue to search my family genealogy.  And sometimes I just enjoy a day of rest.