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When I moved into my present retirement situation I didn’t think much about any type of brain exercise. It was a matter of surviving a painful life period.
To be honest, two years seems to have just melted away so quickly. I knew I must try to enjoy new things and a whole new situation. But it’s never easy. I’ve been helped by loving family support. Many others in this situation are not as fortunate. |
Spring appreciation
It took a while. So many things to appreciate each day. People around me are interesting. I absolutely love the million dollar view of the mountains from my window. This year I plan to have a really nice balcony garden. I bought seeds. It’s been really horrendous weather. A few nice days. More rainy and windy ones.
My nod to spring bulbs on my little balcony (Image via VickiW)
In the big scheme of life, these things are relatively easy to overcome. You get to thinking a different way if you put your mind to it. There’s always someone much worse off than you, you say. The valuable thing is you meet so many of them in this type of retirement accommodation, this time of life.
New friends
There are boundless opportunities to relate to folks who live in your same building. You have time to share together, and that’s often fun. Generally speaking, I like people. I’m interested to hear about lives other than my own. Some topics seem to be standard with older folks. Health, money, previous life experiences are all popular.
I have still too many of my favourite books in my bookcase. When I unpacked them and placed them, I also included two 500 piece jigsaw puzzles. They were my favourite ones that I had previously put together.
Springbok. They remained untouched all this time.
I have still too many of my favourite books in my bookcase. When I unpacked them and placed them, I also included two 500 piece jigsaw puzzles. They were my favourite ones that I had previously put together.
Springbok. They remained untouched all this time.
Thrift furniture
I like to think of my place as being small, but efficient! Among my treasures from the thrift store is a beautiful old dining table, able to be enlarged if needed. Two very old chairs fit quite neatly into it.
On a day when the mountains had disappeared under heavy clouds filled with rain I took out one of the puzzles from my bookcase.
On a day when the mountains had disappeared under heavy clouds filled with rain I took out one of the puzzles from my bookcase.
The first two puzzles (Image via VickiW)
Springbok jigsaw puzzles are unlike any others. No uniform pieces, just really puzzling weird shapes that somehow, when you’re lucky, and you hone in on all your observational skills, fit together perfectly. In fact, once you manage to get it solved you can move it without any pieces falling apart!
Shapes, colours and making sense
To be honest, I don’t really know how or if these puzzles help keep your brain stimulated and possibly a bit sharper. Is it because so much thought has to go into actually getting the little pieces to fit together? Shapes, colours, tones, and just the strange sense of satisfaction when you achieve these minor miracles? What is the point?
All I do know is I’d forgotten what pleasure it gives to see all those pieces out on the table every day. My daughter expressed delight when she saw that I’d recovered my previous interest in puzzle solving. She immediately started searching for Springbok at the thrift stores. The seal, pictured below, and this one were marked down for $1.75 each!
All I do know is I’d forgotten what pleasure it gives to see all those pieces out on the table every day. My daughter expressed delight when she saw that I’d recovered my previous interest in puzzle solving. She immediately started searching for Springbok at the thrift stores. The seal, pictured below, and this one were marked down for $1.75 each!
Image via VickiW
I don’t sit at it, it’s a walk-by thing. But if you’re not careful, it draws you in.
Two friends here came and sat for almost two hours just staring at the pieces, without words. I forgot to offer any refreshments. They’ve refused, with some powerful expletives to come back again! Other friends describe their experience as zoning out, with enjoyment of calming silence and focus, even without being able to fit more than a couple of pieces.
The seal has kept me and others busy for more than a month now, just with a few pieces fitted each day.
Two friends here came and sat for almost two hours just staring at the pieces, without words. I forgot to offer any refreshments. They’ve refused, with some powerful expletives to come back again! Other friends describe their experience as zoning out, with enjoyment of calming silence and focus, even without being able to fit more than a couple of pieces.
The seal has kept me and others busy for more than a month now, just with a few pieces fitted each day.
Image via VickiW
Sometimes it seems life is like a jigsaw puzzle. You move through it in stages. You can only hope at the end of it all that you’ve actually managed to fit all the loose pieces together in ways that make sense to you, and any loved ones you have.
Life can be a puzzle
It’s not easy. You have to decide how best to fit into your allotted space in life. Friends and family are the pieces that come in all shapes and sizes.
As you live through these last life stages you can only work on keeping your mind sharp and satisfied by sorting out your priorities and your possessions.
Sometimes they can move with you. Sometimes not. It’s a puzzle that often seems more complex as you live.
As you live through these last life stages you can only work on keeping your mind sharp and satisfied by sorting out your priorities and your possessions.
Sometimes they can move with you. Sometimes not. It’s a puzzle that often seems more complex as you live.
All good...
The huge amount of rain we’ve experienced in the last month or so, doesn’t seem to have had much of an adverse effect on plants and trees around here. I’ve adopted them as my view garden!
Love the cherry blossoms and awe-inspiring mountains wherever you look.
Love the cherry blossoms and awe-inspiring mountains wherever you look.
The amazing view from my balcony (Image via VickiW)
Thank you!
I appreciate your visits and taking the time to read here, at WarnerWords.
It’s especially appreciated as more and more folks choose to turn to screens instead of print.
Feel free to comment below, as your insights are always truly valuable.
That’s it for the moment. Good and grateful comments to you wherever you may be as we start the Easter weekend and Passover here.
VickiW
It’s especially appreciated as more and more folks choose to turn to screens instead of print.
Feel free to comment below, as your insights are always truly valuable.
That’s it for the moment. Good and grateful comments to you wherever you may be as we start the Easter weekend and Passover here.
VickiW
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