Mornings

One of the joys of retirement is there is no longer any rush to get out of the house, although many mornings I choose to take a long walk before breakfast or maybe a wander would be a better term. If I wait until later in the day, it may be too hot, or I become engrossed in whatever I am writing. But I leave on my schedule with no thought of having to clock in anywhere until I am good and ready.

I've discovered many paths on the edges of the villages that propel me into nature. I look forward to seeing a special tree, check out how a meadow's flowers are advancing, the horses, the state of grapes in a vineyard, what the sky looks like against the mountains, which seem to change colour with the light. During the half hour to hour I am ambling, I also find myself writing in my head, much like I did when I went to a 9to5 prison, but instead of having to wait until after supper to put down what I want on paper I can do it whenever I climb back into my loft.

Of course, there are the days when I return from my walk and I pass La Noisette and see friends of misc. nationalities the only sensible thing to do is to sit and have a cup of tea with them and a good natter.

Everyone who knows me knows I am news junkie, searching papers on the internet or television news from many countries. But what I still miss after a couple of decades abroad, is reading The Boston Globe with breakfast. The internet is great, but I still love the feel of paper between my fingers and even getting them inky so they need to be washed. My first job out of university was to write a newsleter (hmmm seems like I am still doing that) and got the info I read papers from over 10 states.

When I am at a café I will read the French papers if no one else is around, but I seldom buy papers, but a friend gave me a copy of the Sunday Times. What luxury to be in my pjs with my tea and oatmeal and turn page after page.

Of course I loved the headline that said "Obama Offers Freedom from American Stupidity." Okay, the paper was after the convention.