The Hale Family Weekly Update (8/24 — 30/2026

The week arrived with sunshine, small repairs, good news from friends, a power outage, and enough errands to keep retirement from getting too restful. Between trail walks, family visits, dinners with friends, and a few more technology puzzles, it was a satisfying week with plenty of good conversation along the way.

Monday, August 24, 2026

Sunny, 69° at 8:00 a.m., with a high of 89°. We walked the Matteson Trail around 11:30, then made a brief trip to Kroger in search of salsa. A trip to Kroger for one item is always an act of optimism.

After lunch, I fixed the water sprayer in the front yard and worked on my PC. The new thermometer for the breakfast-and-lunch-room windows arrived, and I installed it. The batteries are supposed to last a year, which means I should probably make a note now to check them next August.

I also repaired my brown shoes; both soles were coming loose. I believe they are fixed, though I suppose the sidewalk will have the final opinion.

Dinner was with Betty. Afterward, Jerilyn attended a cottage meeting at the pavilion to discuss the current house-cleaner brouhaha, while I walked to the mailbox and retrieved the day’s mail. I also checked the Kroger U.S. Bank bill for accuracy. Retirement has many exciting roles: trail walker, shoe repairman, sprinkler technician, and accountant.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Sunny, 69° at 7:35 a.m., with a high of 89°. I worked on my PC for most of the day, which is a fine way to stay busy—assuming the PC cooperates.

Shelia from Buildings and Grounds called to say GC Commercial could install the bathroom outlet for $820. We will call back in the morning to schedule it. The bidet project continues its march forward, one electrical outlet at a time.

I also cut my toenails, a job that seems to become more challenging with every passing year. Still, I got it done, and that counts as a victory.

Jane called with wonderful news: she tested negative for COVID-19. We were very glad to hear it. Later, we attended Joy Morris’s presentation for the Reminiscing Club. About 35 people came, and everyone enjoyed her stories and PowerPoint photographs.

Debby visited from around 2:00 to 4:00, and I always enjoy our time together. In the evening, we went to Rachel’s for dinner: grilled chicken with barbecue sauce, baked potatoes, and broccoli salad. Melody had to leave shortly afterward, but we stayed until about 7:30. The meal and company were both excellent.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Sunny, 64° at 7:20 a.m., with a high of 86°. I called Mary Jane, and Gayle answered. Mary Jane was sleeping but doing okay following surgery to place a pacemaker near her heart. That was very encouraging news.

We walked the Matteson Trail, then drove into Poquoson to Tabernacle United Methodist Church to pick up the September Upper Room devotional booklet. When we returned home, June told us the electricity was out. It had gone off around 12:30 and did not return until 3:30. For three hours, the whole place was reminded how much we depend on switches doing what they are supposed to do.

After lunch, I practiced guitar for about 90 minutes. I also received a welcome email from the company that provides my website chatbot. They plan to add an automatic website-scanning feature to the Starter version at no extra charge, allowing the chatbot to include new information from the site. That will be a handy improvement.

Jerilyn spent much of the day cleaning in preparation for Juanita’s (housekeeper) visit tomorrow. I believe Jerilyn may actually do more work getting ready for her than she does once she arrives. 😊

After a shower, we went to dinner with Stephanie and Betty. We enjoyed good food and plenty of laughs. Afterward, we picked up the mail, and Jerilyn gathered some cherry tomatoes to bring home.

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Sunny, 72° at 6:50 a.m., with a high of 87°. Juanita arrived at 10:00 to clean the house and was finished by 11:30—efficient enough to make the rest of us look slow.

At 11:45, Joy H. called because her TV remote was no longer working. I went over, unpaired it from the television, paired it again, and it worked just fine. Sometimes technology only needs a fresh introduction.

After lunch, we went to yoga at 1:30, then I headed to the gym at 3:45. Dinner at 5:30 was with June. Afterward, we joined her and several other residents at the fire pit for friendship and conversation. Tom B. led some 1950s television trivia, and everyone enjoyed it. It turns out the memories are still sharp, even if a few remote controls are not.

Betty also shared that she had a good visit with Mary Jane, which was encouraging. We did not receive any mail that day, which was unusual—especially since Jerilyn normally gets what seems like a daily advertisement from Kroger. I’m beginning to think they have her on speed dial.

Friday, August 28, 2026

Partly sunny, 76° at 8:00 a.m., with a high of 85°. Rachel joined us for a walk on the Kiln Creek Trail, followed by a grocery run at Kroger.

While Jerilyn shopped, I recorded a Marco for “The Girls” and listened to more of Ann Patchett’s “Whistler.” We then stopped at Simply Unique so Jerilyn could have a piece of jewelry repaired before returning home for lunch.

After lunch, we visited Mary Jane to see how she was recovering from her hospital stay. It made us happy to find her doing quite well and clearly on the road to recovery.

Dinner at 5:00 was with Jim and Pat, Betty, and Mary S. It was a great meal with a great group—one of those dinners where nobody is in a hurry to leave the table.

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Cloudy, 71° at 7:00 a.m., with a high of 83°. Jerilyn had a 1 pm haircut appointment at Lorraine’s. Afterward, we came home and had lunch.

Mary Beth called from Fairfax, and we had a nice chat. She and John were such good neighbors when we lived in Poquoson, and it was good to catch up.

I completed a missive titled “Things Change,”  and sent it to Brandon to post next week. Dinner was with Betty and Mary Stuart, followed by the day’s trip to the mailbox. The haul was modest: organizations requesting donations, my monthly Time magazine, and a collection of miscellaneous papers. The mailbox is simply rarely exciting.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Sunny, with the day’s temperature still waiting to be recorded. Dean and Tiffany visited at 9:30, and as always, we enjoyed their company. Family visits have a way of making an ordinary Sunday feel brighter.

In the afternoon, I met Rachel at Poquoson Auto Repair and drove her home after she delivered Mark’s car for Paul to inspect the air conditioning. We are hoping the repair is simple, quick, and inexpensive—the three words every car owner enjoys hearing.

After taking Rachel home, I stopped at AutoBell for Sally’s weekly bath. She came out looking spankin’ new, polished up and ready for another week of errands, trails, dinners, and whatever adventures the road may offer.

Tomorrow morning, I will take a friend to Port Warwick for his colonoscopy. Some friendships involve dinners and games; others include early-morning transportation. Both count.

Closing Message

This week reminded us that a good life is built from many small things: a repaired shoe, a walk with someone you enjoy, a reassuring report from a friend, a meal shared around a table, and a visit from family. The errands may fill the calendar, but it is the people around us who make those days worth remembering.

Here are six quips to send us into the new week:

Retirement is wonderful—until your schedule starts looking busier than it did when you had a job.

I have become very good at fixing small things, mostly because they keep breaking at a steady pace.

The mailbox remains the only place where people ask for money before saying hello.

My computer and I have an agreement: it creates the mystery, and I supply the patience.

If a day includes a trail walk, good food, and friendly conversation, it has already been a success.

At our age, getting up from the floor after repairing something should count as a strength-training exercise.

…Tommy