How I'm doing

Gosh, it has been 2 months and 5 days since I retired.

People ask me how it is going. So far so good.

Ten reasons I'm glad to be retired:

1. I'm saving money on Hall's throat lozenges since I don't talk very much.

2. I actually don't mind not talking as much.

3. I eat more sensibly.

4. I don't have to put gas in my car nearly as much.

5. I don't have to plunge out toilets nearly every day.

6. People don't ask me questions all day that they should ask Harriet.

7. I read a great, great deal.

8. Bern and I haven't killed each other, yet.

9. I have read reams of stuff I have written and want to put in some good shape and actually send it to somebody. I have a novel, a murder mystery, a fantasy, another far from completed novel, a half-dozen short stories, 50 or so poems and page after page of what I've been writing about the church and my ministry tentatively titled "Farther Along"--from the gospel hymn that goes, "Farther along we'll know all about it/ farther along we'll understand why/ cheer up my good friend/ we'll understand it all by and by." Actually the 'it' in two places much be pronounced "hit" to be authentic.

10. I've actually started writing after going over a lot of that.

Ten Reasons I've sad I've retired:

1) I miss celebrating and preaching (though July 4 I had a supply job and have all but one sunday of July and August set up for Supply.

2) I miss the excitement and constant possibility of hilarity, drama, mystery of every moment at St. John's.

3) I don't feel nearly as 'needed' or 'relied on' as I did. And I thrived on that.

4) I miss seeing and being with the remarkable staff of St. John's.

5) I miss that remarkable building and the time I spent alone, just sitting in the sanctuary.

6-10) I miss those remarkable, wondrous, life-giving people of the Parish....

All in all though, it is going well. Plus Norman, the interim, is a great guy and a good friend of mine....So I know the parish is in good hands....