Hi Carla,

was wondering whether to take this to email, but decided not to.

On Apr 9, 8:51*pm, Carla wrote:
I've mostly been making a mess *Seriously, bouncing around from
project to project and not completing much of anything serious. *Last
weekend, I found a stash of earrings I'd made and totally forgot about
so I cleaned them up with the idea of getting pictures and putting them
on my etsy site. *Then the workweek started again and the earrings are
back in a box. *I'm generally too wiped out after work to do much of
anything.

I got a good giggle out of the first half and a "getting old sucks"
out of the
second half. Agree with both (but definitely prefer it to the
alternative in
both too).

And I wish I was as close to retirement as you. - And then I don't.
I'd love
the extra time, but I also enjoy my work, and for the time being we
can
make good use of the paychecks.

I wish I enjoyed my job but the work-load is just way too much for one
person. *More often than not, it's frustrating and demanding and
exhausting. *Since I'm taking early retirement, I'll have to find a job
after retirement (which will probably be difficult in the current job
market), but it has to be something a lot less demanding.

that sucks in the current economy.
I'm not saying that the work load isn't trying to get the better of
me,
but having just read an article about what I'm doing for work (which
is
at least borderline embedded systems programming) I don't feel so bad
about it sometimes getting the better of me, and remembering that
it has sometimes done so for a long time.

I'm hoping to work at least part time
where I work now for another 20 or so years. Yes, that's past full
social
security age, but most of the time I love that job.

You're a lucky woman, really

I don't currently know whether the funding will go for more than
another
2 years. I hope our DD gets through college during that time, she's
doing
rather well at it so far (we're talking on the order of 40k/year all
told
here, that's after her scholarship).
I'm glad I enjoy what I'm doing work-wise, otherwise the financial
pressure would have gotten to me already.

And I hope to cut some
hours way before then and make more beads, jewelry, grow plants, etc.-

I definitely want to make more beads and jewelry, but I'd like to take
some classes, too, like in precious metal clay (that stuff is too
expensive to experiment with g), and art/design.

there's got to be some online stuff for that too.
As lampwork goes, there's Joe (and Barry), (and thinking of it,
rather
close to you,) at http://www.justin.tv/avenuebeads ,
which I take over any class (being a visual learner) any time I
have time. - and I love their fusion frit. -

Say the word and I'm up for it *I'd even go off the "healthy eating"
for a day *Last summer, my doc told me I was borderline diabetic
(it's in my family) and needed to lose 15 pounds. *Since then, I've lost
40 pounds, walk a couple of miles a day, and dropped my blood sugar
about 30 points. *But "death by chocolate"...that's special

arrrggggghhhhh. I hate diabetes. My DH has type I diabetes, late
onset,
age 42, but I guess being insulin dependent from the onset may be
easier than thinking of having to come to terms with it later.

Just don't tell me you stopped being left handed and quit smoking
as well. I can deal with one or the other, but not both!
(and I could do without the "death by chocolate" if need be)

Hugs,
Maren