I love it when the weather is a bit dodgy! It means I can come to this office and work without a feeling of guilt. The guilt comes from knowing there are many things I should be doing around the home and garden.
Since retiring last year, though officially in July, I have been busier than ever before. I used to believe I worked hard when I would have to drive long distances for up to 12 hours every day to far reaching areas of this country. A different kind of work, I suppose.
One big part of both mine and Jane’s schedule is taken up learning Spanish. We made the decision earlier this year. We spend so much time on Lanzarote with the Spanish speaking community that we decided we need to learn to speak their language.
Jane is miles ahead of me in the learning. She should be! She’s a retired languages teacher after all. Spanish has similarities with the French language, both being romance based. Romance, by the way, refers to originating from a vulgar form of Latin. It’s the Romans’ fault!
I am a slow learner which, I could easily put down to my age! But I can trace the reasons back to my childhood. My attention span at school was extremely short and the teachers in my days didn’t have the patience they have these days. After only a few weeks of starting the Spanish lessons, I was seriously struggling. Some days I felt I couldn’t go on with it. A new language is much harder to grasp than I ever thought.
It was originally my idea to learn Spanish and Jane tagged along a few weeks after I’d began. Soon, she was helping me out with irregular verbs, prepositions and all sorts of complicated stuff! Now, we’re both fully committed to it.
At the moment, we’re both spending several hours every day working on our Spanish. I tend to do mine in this office, first thing every day. I set a target time and stop when the time is up. I’m using a few different resources and honestly, thoroughly enjoying it. It was getting a grip with the verb endings that was throwing me. I’m not good with them just yet, but I’m understanding where I’m going wrong with greater ease!
After my Spanish lessons, I put my notes away and turn to the website work for the remainder of the day. I have a mental goal to complete one new article every day, either fresh or from the never-ending archives. Oh, did I say? I’m also trying to study grammar and writing skills as well.
I’m convinced I’ll live forever and so I think I have the time for all this extra-curricular stuff. I can’t leave things incomplete or unfinished. I say that – I can’t seem to stop the brand new radiator in the lounge from seeping a little water. Try as I may, it continues to leak. If it was a job that wouldn’t result in upheaval for a plumber to do, I’d happily let them sort it. But I know they would have to drain the radiator and make a mess in our showroom lounge. I’d rather put up with the leak and a little glass bowl beneath it!
Our annual trip south has been postponed until next year. Jane’s health issues, and the family’s busy schedules meant it was better delayed. The journey south is too hard as well. Christmas this year will be different for us – we won’t be here! As I write this, we’re leaving in a few weeks for a three week break in, guess where?
Si, tienes razón, Lanzarote!
That’ll do for this diatribe! Dinner is being served in the kitchen and I’m famished! Did I say, we’re on a diet as well? You can call me slim!