Have My Cake and Eat it Too

I wrote this earlier today, and then life happened and so did a few thunderstorms... so here we go:

Today is a red-letter day for me.

I used to think two things about aging:
1.  that I would NEVER live to be FORTY
2.  that I would NEVER live to see the year 2000

(because the world would probably end by then.)

Well, I made it.

And then some.

Today my very first pension cheque from the teaching profession, albeit only half a full pension amount, got deposited into our bank account. I also used to believe in the early years of teaching, that I would quit by 50 because that is just SO OLD, and I need time to do all the things I want to do! Well, I'm a few years past that "old" age (it's so not old!) and I feel much the same as I did at about age 28-30; however, I'd like to think maybe a little more wisdom and serenity have settled upon me.

So we bought these two beauties to celebrate:

Note the shrapnel from a couple of the storms that passed through! These two got a little drenched.  Mandevilla vines.

Maybe I'll take my husband out for supper as a further celebration.

Or maybe we'll stay home and enjoy a homemade supper with maybe a second glass of wine for moi!  Rebel.
(We did, and I did.)

What do I mean by the title of this post?
Of the 30 years of teaching I did, from age 22-52, several were part-time years.  This allowed me to stay home for all, or chunks, of the days when my girls were babies and growing up.  I had the best of both worlds:  mummy time (SO many good memories abound), but also adult time, (SO many friendships made with both colleagues and students and still kept today), validation that I was contributing to the good in the world by teaching young people, yet validation that I was able to spend a decent amount of time, IMHO, with my daughters.  Yes, I only get half of what I could have got, had I, either not been part-time, or taught until age 61.  I don't mind; I have my sanity, my health, my optimism!

I wouldn't change a thing.

I managed to snap a quick photo or two on the porch of the Hands2Help quilt I finished this afternoon.  It was raining pretty hard at the time!

More tomorrow once I've washed it.  Here is the back:

 

Today is also a red-letter day because I am about to upload a pattern of mine that has been accepted...more on that pretty soon!