It’s been awhile since I’ve been in the blogosphere. I started 58 and Holding back in 2016. Four years later I’ve closed my company and retired, created a new life in sunny Florida, cruised through the Norwegian Fjords, New Zealand and Australia, visited family in Sweden, broke a wrist playing Pickleball, discarded my gallbladder and am now discovering the universe of “Shelter in Place,” a difficult concept for a gal with itchy feet.

Life as we knew it will never be the same. The things I used to worry about – like where to go for Happy Hour – have been replaced with issues like stocking up on toilet paper and staying 6 feet away from neighbors when I’m out walking the dogs. No more hugging, or touching. Suspicious looks when someone coughs or sneezes. 14 day quarantines. No restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, shopping, mani-pedis, hair appointments (mon dieu)! Even the beaches have been closed!

The “lemonade” coming out of this pile of Shelter in Place Lemons is the forced opportunity to FOCUS on all those projects I’ve started over the past forty years. Writing and arts and crafts projects (knitting, beading, painting, needlepoint, photo albums…) patiently waiting to be rediscovered in the bottom of a dresser drawer or shoved in a shoebox in the closet.

Then there’s the organization projects on my To Do List. Organize the closets, pantry, filing system, photos in the Cloud, Aunt Mimi’s vintage magazines, the sock drawer, lotions and potions with expirations dates from the last century. My Organization List is longer than Santa’s Naughty List.

And the Writing List. My Family’s Swedish Cookbook. iMinerva – Stories of Women Who Have Reinvented Their Lives After 60. 58 and Holding blog…..

And my love for photography. Now I have time to really learn how to use my camera – beyond the automatic settings. Now I have time to learn how to use Photoshop to play with an image. Now I have time to learn how to incorporate photos into art projects.

Now I have time!!! No more distractions!!! No more excuses!!!

Focus! Restart! Recharge!

So today is the beginning of forging new paths – setting new priorities. This is my RESTART. I’m going on a strict lifestyle diet eliminating excuses and incorporating purpose, creativity and organization. 58 and Holding is the beginning of my RESTART. I’m committing to post an update on my progress at least 3X a week.

Stay tuned and join me on the RESTART path. Share your focus of things you want to change, do, accomplish while you Shelter in Place. No more excuses! Now is the time!