June 1, 2025 I am retired! Yahoo! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. We had a most wonderful retirement celebration at Open Door UCC (formerly First Congregational UCC) last Sunday. If you get a chance, check it out on the church's website under the Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yvgPOqT64
It was a love feast and many tears and joys! The church gave Daryl and I some beautiful books of letters they created and also a gorgeous photograph of church members and the church building. The children made a book for us too! We are still reveling in the celebration and love shared there.
So many people are asking me what I plan to do in retirement. My answer is play and spend time with Daryl and family and friends. I plan to "be" rather than "do." A lot of folk already have my life planned out for me - oh you will get involved in volunteer work, you will preach somewhere, you will serve on a board. Hm, I am not even the slightest bit interested in planning my life that way.
I had a funny thing happen this week that illustrates how silly planning and trying to predict life can be. Daryl and I love camping and I am one who loves decorating a beautiful dinner table no matter where we are. However, sometimes the wind does not want to assist my fine design. It whips up the tablecloth and the napkins. I discovered that if I put rocks on the table, it solves the problem. However, it doesn't exactly suit my fancy of having a gorgeous table setting. So one day while camping in Oregon on the coast, I discovered the most beautiful rocks. I gathered a whole bag of them. For years now I have been carrying them around - just in case I camp at a place that doesn't have beautiful rocks.
I forgot all about them until this week when I was cleaning out the RV to get ready to take a cross country trip the latter part of this month. "What the heck is this heavy thing?" I asked Daryl as I held it up. "It's your rocks," he said. "Remember you got them to put on the table." I busted up laughing. "You have got be kidding me," I said. I actually thought there would be a dearth of rocks! You see, my life for many years has been wrapped up in planning, administrating, organizing and implementing. It seems as if even my vacation camping was filled with preparing for God knows what!
The rocks ended up in the beautiful rock garden in our home in Arnold which was sold to a new owner. They have found a place where they can shine and be noticed, not in a bag in the basement of my RV!
I tell you this because I do not plan to gather rocks for a beautiful table. My table will be filled with memories of you all, with new dawns and God calling my name, saying, Bonnie Lee what shall we do today? Whom shall we love today? I'm excited to discover what God will send my way to help me praise Her more. Of course I must add that sleep and going to the beach are high on the list.
I do not know of life without having to set an alarm, check emails and texts and put a schedule together for worship and preaching. It sounds amazing. I am surely going to have joy in this journey of retirement and love will reign at our table! Dancing my way to Myrtle Beach! Bonnie Lee
P.S. Some of you have asked about the logistics of our move. We fly to Myrtle Beach on June 3 and will be there for several weeks. Once the moving van has arrived and we are settled a bit, we will fly back to California and pick up our RV and truck and drive them across country.
