Well...here we are. And only 247 days until Monday October 06 2014... a Monday.. 8 months and 5 days from today...

..or 174 WORK days until....I retire.  At 65.

 Not 66 like "they" say I should.

I am sooo looking forward to that.  I work with younger women....uh..girls. Like,  my granddaughter's age..

One said "Oh lucky you!"

Well..I have worked since I was 15.  Even after the babies came..I worked nights and was with them in the daytime.

"Lucky"?  Nah..I worked for this..no luck involved.  Talk to me when you're as old as I am about luck.

Guess you could say that I was "lucky" to have found employment.  And I have had good (and bad) jobs for a person who only went through high school.  No time or money for college if you had a baby on your hip..

At least not for me.

That baby? She went to college AFTER her kids were all  born, half grown and her oldest was in college.

She has an MBA and I couldn't be more proud.

So I think down deep, I really didn't want to go to college - otherwise I would have. Right??

Anyway...back to retirement.  The girls at work asked "what will you do?"

Not work.  Outside the home.

I really want to be a housewife when I grow up.  Really.

 I want to cook dinner every night. Do laundry a little at a time {versus all of it on Saturday}  Iron his shirts.

I know..crazy, right? Not for me.

I've had the jobs where I flew to almost every state, worked 65-80 hours a week..uprooted my kids from schools because " Mrs. Fields wants hubby and I in St. Louis because it's a troubled market"...

Then I got sick. Really really sick. And for the first time, I had time off!  A whole year! Course, it was to visit "cancer land" ..but I got a small taste of not having a boss.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Crafting.  OK..chemo...  bummer..

But it was good.  I was fully engaged with my husband when he got home..was able to surprise him on his birthday with a Hostess cupcake and a candle delivered by me to his work site..

And I got better..I was blessed..not lucky..for that.

And I am grateful.

And back to work I went and have been there ever since.

I'm ready to retire.  To paint. To read.

To bake  him cupcakes on his birthday..

So, girls..I'll miss you.

But I'll not miss leaving our little home each day.  Or our little dogs.

And who knows..I may bring you a Hostess cupcake on your birthdays as well..

-me