I always have too much energy. It’s a blessing but yet it’s a curse. I cannot sit still. I cannot watch a TV show without having something to keep my hands occupied. Sitting through a movie at the theater . . cannot do it. I told Addie I’ll do most anything she wants me to do but please don’t ask me to go to the movie.
If Vince says “Let’s go here” or “Let’s do this”. OK . . let’s do it NOW. I can’t sit and wait. When we go to MO, if we’re going together, we get up, he takes a shower, he drinks coffee, eats a bowl of cereal, drinks more coffee, takes Rita out. Two hours after we get up, we’re on the road. If I’m going by myself, I wake up, often way before daylight, jump out of bed, brush my teeth, comb my hair, pull on some clothes and I’m out of the house and on the road in about 10 minutes.
Even though I still feel like I have too much energy, as I get older I find that I run out of steam way earlier than I used to. I have to remind myself that I’ll soon be 66 years old and I’m not 30 or 40 or even 50.
This morning I got up, fixed omelettes, cleaned the kitchen. I needed to go out and do some things in the garden but I remembered that I’d probably run out of energy and then we’d be having potato chips and dill pickles for dinner so I went ahead and made the Iowa Chowder for dinner. The recipe makes a lot and I always have to add milk because the soup gets thick. Instead of having leftovers that we have to eat for days, I took some out of before adding the milk so it’s kinda like condensed Iowa Chowder. I also had tomato soup in the fridge so I put some of that in containers to freeze.
Vince had wanted cucumber sandwiches and that’s what we were having with our soup so I stirred that up.
I went ahead and got the bread rising so all I had to do was stick it in the oven when I came in from working outside.
I spent several hours in the garden. The bread has to bake for 50 minutes so I stuck it in the oven, set the alarm and took a nap!
Learning to get things done before I run out of energy is new for me and I’m trying to change the way I do things so I don’t run out of steam way before things are done that have to be done – like dinner and laundry!
Linda says
Could you tell us how you mix up the cucumber sandwich mix? It looks so delicious for summer sandwiches! Thank you.
Judy Laquidara says
I’ll post the recipe in the morning.
njgrl4ever says
I totally understand. I just turned 73 and I told my husband today I just get tired way before I used to. I don’t nap but I do have to rest in the middle of the day, something I never did.
I planted my 10 tomato plants, 2 cucumbers, 1 jalapeno, 6 pea starts and my 12 herbs and I am pooped.
Just happy dinner is Mexican shrimp cocktail, cauliflower tabouli I made yesterday and focaccia bread.
Judy Laquidara says
Glad you got your plants done and that dinner sounds amazing!
Paula Philpot says
I cannot just sit either, I have to crochet while watching TV or read the newspaper or bind a quilt. I can’t help it.
I also am out the door like you said if I have something to do. I am a morning girl. i like to do things early before I give out also.. My friends say I have way more energy than they do. Paula in KY
Judy Laquidara says
Good to hear there’s someone else who does things the way I do.
montanaclarks says
Your last statement is me–I am also high energy but have always thought you’ve had me beat–and I’m 64 years old. I find myself running out of energy much quicker these days and like you want to have the things done early in the day that have to be done. One is changing the sheets on the bed–when did that get so hard–my arthritic hands can hardly get that job done!
Judy Laquidara says
That is so odd that you mentioned the sheets. I told Vince two days in a row last week that I was going to change the sheets, then decided to make the bed because I knew I had a lot to do and was afraid I wouldn’t have the energy to get them back on the bed. I have the same problem with my hands. I can get three corners done on the fitted sheet and have to get Vince to do the 4th corner. He said “What would you do without me?” and I told him probably use a flat sheet for the bottom and the top. Seriously, I cannot do that 4th corner. In MO, I’m hoping Addie will be able to do it.
Tricia says
Thanks for this post, Judy. It’s refreshing to hear about “how it really is” versus some prettified-blog version of life. Life is tiring sometimes, and that’s okay to say! I appreciate knowing that I’m not the only one struggling some days.
Judy Laquidara says
It seems like it comes over me in waves. I go from feeling like I’m only doing about 80% of what I used to do, then I get used to that new “normal” and it seems like I’m doing 80% of the 80% I used to do. I think I’m working myself up to sitting and knitting all day! 🙂
The summer kills me. I so don’t like the heat! I get really excited about spring and planting the garden, then our three days of spring is over and we have 100+ degrees and I’m dragging and thinking I’m getting too old for all this work. But, there’s a time/season for everything and if my time of having a garden is coming to an end, so be it. I just need to accept that and stop pushing for something I can no longer do.
Susan Nixon says
Enjoy the remains of your energy. LOL I’m 6 years ahead of you, and mine has almost flatlined!
Linda in NE says
I know what you mean. I turned 68 last Sunday and have really noticed the lack of energy & stamina I used to have. And I’m so much slower getting things done.
marcie says
I have learned from DH that it is not only ok but actually GOOD to break tasks down into smaller time frames. I observed him with shoveling snow first, then lawn care (we’re 69), where he might edge and pick up branches first, then later mow, then later finish. I was getting both frustrated and angry when I couldn’t garden or do yard work for as long as I used to or as long as I wanted, which I enjoy. Now I consciously break up tasks into phases or by the clock, and then rest. When I get a little frustrated by this new need, I remind myself of the question: How do you eat an elephant? … One bite at a time!
Judy Laquidara says
Living out herein the woods, having a garden and orchard and chickens, and with so much that has to be done this time of year, we sometimes have to work a little more than we’d like but getting the work done is more important than getting rest right now. Things will slow down but if we have a garden and orchard, we have to work according to the garden/orchard’s demands and we don’t always get to stop and rest according to a schedule. From about April til July, it’s non-stop work around here.
Sara Fridley says
Wishing I had more energy like you. I can curl up with a good book and not accomplish anything else for hours. I’m 66 now, but have always been that way. I was always very task oriented in my work world, but since being semi-retired I find that I’m very easily distracted and can’t seem to finish any tasks. Oh well . . .