What empty nesters do with their "free time"

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

When we first became empty nesters and woke up on Saturday morning wondering what do non soccer/baseball/hockey ( your choice of child oriented time eater) do?

I suggested gardening, I love it, and quickly put us both to work. It did not take very long before my DH remembered that he hates gardening. Oops!

Soooo... we had a golden and a husky, but we started hunting for a show quality husky. We started going to dog shows and talking to "husky people" and "show people". We did finally find a grandson of a national ranked husky, but honestly, it would have been easier to adopt a child. The questions we answered to get a labradoodle were nothing compared to the screening we went through for Thor.

It was a great idea - every weekend you pack up the dogs, some food and a couple of chairs. It was just like soccer. I spent 10 anxious unsuccesssful minutes in the show ring, mildly embarassing, but not terminal and then we got to spend the rest of the day talking to other dog people, sitting in the sun, and rooting for our favorite husky. My DH thought it beat gardening by a mile.

Just about 18 months Thor developed epilepsy and that was the end of our show career.

Time passed and now we have two doodles. Unfortunately we cannot find a doodle romp that last all weekend every weekend and so..

We are redecorating the first of several bedrooms. Even though DH said he would never weild another paintbrush. It took us two hours to take the first eight feet of wall paper off. I am looking for emptynester ideas. My Dh is already reconsidering the home decorating idea.

Any suggestions???

[Linda]

Free time? First of all, I'm loving this new site Doodle Kisses! I am a retired elementary teacher - since 2005. I had expected to have a second career but that didn't happen. And I am SO glad! Now I work part-time at a local tutoring center and the rest of my time I have been devoting to the new member of our family, Webster. He keeps me active and makes me get outside when it's FREEZING. Something I would NEVER do in the past. I still don't do rainy days, but he hates the rain, too.

Before I retired I had read about dogs helping children as reading dogs. This past November we started going to the school where I taught for 29 years. We go every Thursday morning. Last Thursday was the first day Webster actually started his enthusiastic whine when we were several miles from the school. Usually that whine is reserved for the dog park and Greenway where we walk. I am thrilled that he is now as excited about our new career as I am ..... and the kids who look forward to Webster Day.