Not long ago, the Hubby and I were on a cruise. A cruise is his perfect vacation, he would tell you, because you unpack once and your hotel moves with you, your meals are where you are and you don’t have to go looking for a good place to eat. Your room is cleaned twice a day and the entertainment is usually pretty good. Everyone has their own idea of how they’d like to spend their time off. Anyway, we were sitting in the little wine bar watching the USOPEN with a couple a little older than us from Australia when the Hubby said, “I think I like from five o’clock on best. You wake up, you get your workout in, do an excursion or relax and read, chill then get dressed for the evening. Then there is happy hour, dinner, a show and maybe dancing. Where else could you do all of that?” He did bring up some good points. The other couple agreed, having done 60 plus cruises over their marriage. Peter and Patricia had seen many lovely places in all their years of cruising and we enjoyed meeting them in the wine bar from the first night when we met them, through out the rest of our cruise, catching up each day around five o’clock to hear about what the other couple had done that day.
Thinking about that comment “I like from five o’clock on” I’d have to agree. When the kids were growing up, we treasured the evenings; a nice dinner around the farmhouse table, lively conversations about the days activities and problems that came up which we tried to solve around the table, sometimes there was a newspaper clipping that got my attention that made for a good dinner discussion. I had the kids try to get their homework done before dinner so we could play a game or be outside. Then there was getting everyone ready for bed and the next day of school or activities in the summer. From five o’clock on was a really nice time back then and there are wonderful memories from that chapter in our life…
Now that the kiddos are all grown and doing their own thing, life has changed, but I still enjoy from five o’clock on. It could be a delicious cozy dinner just the two of us, a walk or bike ride after dinner, a hot shower or bath and a little time to read or watch a movie. Sometimes it’s fun to get a date on the calendar with friends to catch up with or call last minute when we decide that eating out sounds better than a dinner in. Those times we have to catch up with friends are fun. We get up to date with what’s going on with our families and what we all have been up to. It’s nice to check in with friends to see how they are doing and just get up to speed with one another’s lives.
As the days get shorter in the year and darkness comes sooner, along with the cooler and colder temperatures, evenings might mean a cozy fire, getting into pjs sooner, a cup of tea or hot coco as we call it a day. Maybe flannel sheets or a nice thick down comforter to slip into bed with for a long winter’s nap…
Balance seems to be the key to a good life. A good amount of work balanced with fun and recreation. Taking care of our health and wellbeing means that the chances area greater for more time to enjoy life with those we love. Yes, I’d have to say that I agree…I DO like from five o’clock on ❤️
