What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
The above quote is spoken by the narrator of Alone in the Classroom as she pieces together fragments of her ancestry in search of self-acceptance. Although this novel has arguable flaws in plot and structure, this quote gives us a taste of Hay's distinctive style, evocative descriptions and provocative messaging. From the woody smells of… Continue reading Alone in the Classroom…and the Love of Words
良言一句三冬暖 "One kind word can warm three winter months." Chinese Proverb I've been feeling yucky. Nothing specific. As colds, flu and many other ailments have been going around this time of year, my mind became overactive with possible causes for my affliction. I woke up this morning completely sapped of energy, despite a full night's… Continue reading Kind Words
There are endless quips regarding marriage and retirement. "When you retire you switch bosses – from the one who hired you, to the one that married you." (Gene Perret) “When a man retires, his wife gets twice the husband and half the salary.” (William Mitchell) "A married husband is often a wife's full-time job." (Ella… Continue reading “Hi, Honey, I’m Home…Forever!”
When hiking the trails at Cameron Lake, on Vancouver Island, I came across several old cabins which made me pose the questions: Would you enter? Or dare peek inside? Uninvited? Today? Even if you knew that hauntings, the ghost of Grandpa Bonney, the Cameron Lake Monster and Sasquatch sightings have all been reported in this… Continue reading Enter If You Dare!!
A year and a half ago, my husband and I took the ‘leap of faith’ into retirement without a clear map of what we wanted our post-career life to look like. We did follow our plan to relocate to Vancouver Island. We have also been spending much time with family/friends, enjoying our grandchildren, meeting new… Continue reading Retirement: Am I Still Transitioning?
There are things that I am afraid to put into writing for fear of making them too real. For this week’s post, I had planned to write a lighthearted self-reflection on something or other. Then the past few days happened. Without going into specifics, these days have been tough beyond measure. All lightheartedness instantly evaporated.… Continue reading Ties that Bind
So far, I’ve written a fair amount about the perks and freedoms of retirement. Without a doubt, the list of retirement pros is long. However, I would be neglectful not to portray the flip side. As the famous saying goes: “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With (great) freedom comes (great) responsibility."(Source) … Continue reading Retirement Responsibilities
When I was cleaning up some of my digital photos this past week, I ran across the above baby picture of our dog, Cody. He is such a handsome dog (truly, see below) that I had forgotten what an incredibly adorable pup he was as well. I stared fondly at the photo, lost in nostalgia. … Continue reading What Has Your Dog or Cat Done for You Lately?
My husband started it! Early in our retirement, he threw down the gauntlet and wanted us to preserve defined weekends. I pouted…just a little bit…okay, a lot! For years I had been totally sold on the concept that during retirement every day would be Saturday (or Sunday). To me, it was now like saying there… Continue reading Retirement: Everyday Is Saturday–Or Is It?
Recently, I have found myself pondering some of life’s small, yet troubling mysteries. I’ve just finished doing the laundry, and you’ve read the title, so you already know where I am going to start. You guessed it, What in the heck happened to my other sock? Since we’ve retired, my husband and I have both… Continue reading SOLVING LIFE’S LITTLE MYSTERIES–LIKE ‘WHAT HAPPENED TO MY OTHER SOCK?’
Retirement Reflections 