I love this retirement life!

[CindyBlue]

We've had a few really hard years, what with dealing with the fires out here, then the last year of work, and the next year and a half of my dad's Alzheimers, then his moving to a nursing home right at the beginning of the pandemic so we couldn't even see him, his death in January, and dealing with his estate and putting the property back together.

But lately we are just working on the property - chainsawing trees and brush, weed-eating, mowing, digging holes to plant lemon trees, weed-eating, mowing, digging out post holes for a new veggie garden fence (trying to discourage the deer...the gophers are another matter!) weed-eating, mowing, digging out a 60' trench to replace a water line, weed-eating, mowing, and digging out and leveling places for stepping stones (wow, I didn't realize how much we are digging!)

And hubby is swimming three days a week...and we've taken up pickleball...and we have TIME! Time to linger over coffee and the paper in the morning...and volunteer at our local Food Bank...and read books out back on the deck in the afternoon...and time for naps...and evenings that aren't spent doing papers for work or helping dad and his wife deal with life as their health declined...we can sit with a drink in the chairs we placed under the redwood trees near the new garden area, and watch the little brown birds and the quail and the hawks and the turkeys and the deer, and feel the wind blow softly on our skin as we close our eyes and turn our faces to the setting sun like sunflowers...

This is what I've dreamed about for SO long for our retirement! We will travel later on, but we don't need to do it - we've traveled a lot already and anything else is icing on the cake. Just having the time to do the "little things" every day - that time is, for us, the joy of retirement.

 

[doneat54]

I'm with you. 4+ years retired. I've been busier, but I don't HAVE to do anything. Makes it all worth it. Congrats...

 

[CindyBlue]

Thanks, doneat54! It's been a year and a half since we retired together (me at 64 and hubby at 74), but only since January (when dad passed) - so basically two and a half months - have we had the time to actually take a deep breath and do what we want rather than what others dictate that we must do. It's literally the only time since we were 12 years old that we haven't had a job to be responsible for, or people other than ourselves that we are responsible for taking care of.

 

[Ready]

Be careful with the pickleball. It can become highly addictive and take over your life.

 

[CindyBlue]

Looking forward to it!

 

[Jerry1]

Great sounding retirement. Happy for you. People don't realize how much the "little things" add to your life until you have a chance to actually partake in them.

 

[Dtail]

Be careful with the pickleball. It can become highly addictive and take over your life.

I think it already did with you and I.

 

[finnski1]

We've had a few really hard years, what with dealing with the fires out here, then the last year of work, and the next year and a half of my dad's Alzheimers, then his moving to a nursing home right at the beginning of the pandemic so we couldn't even see him, his death in January, and dealing with his estate and putting the property back together.

But lately we are just working on the property - chainsawing trees and brush, weed-eating, mowing, digging holes to plant lemon trees, weed-eating, mowing, digging out post holes for a new veggie garden fence (trying to discourage the deer...the gophers are another matter!) weed-eating, mowing, digging out a 60' trench to replace a water line, weed-eating, mowing, and digging out and leveling places for stepping stones (wow, I didn't realize how much we are digging!)

And hubby is swimming three days a week...and we've taken up pickleball...and we have TIME! Time to linger over coffee and the paper in the morning...and volunteer at our local Food Bank...and read books out back on the deck in the afternoon...and time for naps...and evenings that aren't spent doing papers for work or helping dad and his wife deal with life as their health declined...we can sit with a drink in the chairs we placed under the redwood trees near the new garden area, and watch the little brown birds and the quail and the hawks and the turkeys and the deer, and feel the wind blow softly on our skin as we close our eyes and turn our faces to the setting sun like sunflowers...

This is what I've dreamed about for SO long for our retirement! We will travel later on, but we don't need to do it - we've traveled a lot already and anything else is icing on the cake. Just having the time to do the "little things" every day - that time is, for us, the joy of retirement.

What a great reminder of why we are all here (or should be) and how it is a great time in life to smell the roses while you can. Thank you!

 

[Dawg52]

I'm 14 years into retirement and enjoy it as much as the first year. Doesn't get old.

 

[MRG]

Thanks, doneat54! It's been a year and a half since we retired together (me at 64 and hubby at 74), but only since January (when dad passed) - so basically two and a half months - have we had the time to actually take a deep breath and do what we want rather than what others dictate that we must do. It's literally the only time since we were 12 years old that we haven't had a job to be responsible for, or people other than ourselves that we are responsible for taking care of.

+1

I've said retirement is like that perfect summer before you ever worked only it's better because you have money to do the things you want.

 

[retire48in2018]

Sounds awesome!

 

[street]

I wish you both a great retirement and have fun.

 

[Chuckanut]

And hubby is swimming three days a week...and we've taken up pickleball...and we have TIME! Time to linger over coffee and the paper in the morning...and volunteer at our local Food Bank...and read books out back on the deck in the afternoon...and time for naps...and evenings that aren't spent doing papers for work or helping dad and his wife deal with life as their health declined...we can sit with a drink in the chairs we placed under the redwood trees near the new garden area, and watch the little brown birds and the quail and the hawks and the turkeys and the deer, and feel the wind blow softly on our skin as we close our eyes and turn our faces to the setting sun like sunflowers...

T

I am reminded of the PBS show "The Flame Trees of Thika" where Elsbeth, a very young girl, says she wants to be able to do nothing since her dad told her that "doing nothing is the most expensive thing a person can do".

I must be a real big spender!

 

[pacergal]

You've had a rough couple of years. Sorry for the death of your father.
Enjoy your well deserved retirement.

 

[CindyBlue]

Thank you, everyone. I am so glad to be here in this forum!

 

[Bamaman]

Sounds as if you've stopped work around the home place long enough to smell the roses. Just because you have work to do in retirement is no reason to work so hard at one time.

I can no longer put in a full 8 hour work day--hard labor. I'm a 1/2 day guy presently.

And I'm in the process of rebuilding our 40 year old family lake house. Wouldn't be half as much work if the house wasn't down a steep hill--requiring hauling stuff up and down the hill. That'll teach me to cut down a 12" tree.

 

[CindyBlue]

Sounds as if you've stopped work around the home place long enough to smell the roses. Just because you have work to do in retirement is no reason to work so hard at one time.

I can no longer put in a full 8 hour work day--hard labor. I'm a 1/2 day guy presently.

And I'm in the process of rebuilding our 40 year old family lake house. Wouldn't be half as much work if the house wasn't down a steep hill--requiring hauling stuff up and down the hill. That'll teach me to cut down a 12" tree.

Ooo, Bamaman...I feel your pain (sympathetic smile!)

We are frankly loving working on the property - we are finally, after about a year's work, almost at maintenance level now rather than repair mode, and it feels so good to be doing things we want to do rather than things we must do. It's good exercise, too.

I can just see you hauling stuff up and down that steep hill...time for a draft horse? or a donkey? or a tram system?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

+1

I've said retirement is like that perfect summer before you ever worked only it's better because you have money to do the things you want.

Yep. I tell people that retirement for me is like the summers between school years when you were a kid. Very few cares in the world and you don't have to go home when the street lights come on if you don't want to!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Cindy, so glad you are retired and finally getting to enjoy your time.

 

[CindyBlue]

I think of you often, Teacher Terry...I hope your plans are going well!

 

[walkinwood]

.... We will travel later on, but we don't need to do it - we've traveled a lot already and anything else is icing on the cake. Just having the time to do the "little things" every day - that time is, for us, the joy of retirement.

This - enjoying our time at home - was one of the pleasant surprises of ER. We don't have the beautiful outdoor setting that you describe - my patio looks right smack at my neighbors's house - but I still love sitting outside & reading.


We do travel a lot , but not as much as we thought we would.


Good wishes to you.

 

[kitesurfer2]

keep a radio playing to keep the deer out . this works in a small garden near the house where the radio could be plugged in 24/7.

 

[CindyBlue]

keep a radio playing to keep the deer out . this works in a small garden near the house where the radio could be plugged in 24/7.

What an interesting idea! We'll try it!

 

[tb001]

Funny timing for this thread. I had almost the same experience/realization yesterday. My last day of work was 12/31/19, but between covid, kids out of school and craziness of life, I haven’t felt ‘retired’.

We had a gorgeous day yesterday. I spent an hour or so just sitting on the porch with my feet up listening to the birds. The rest of the day was spent ‘puttering’. The first day I’ve really had like this. I told DH it felt like the first day of summer vacation when I was a kid.

 

[CindyBlue]

Funny timing for this thread. I had almost the same experience/realization yesterday. My last day of work was 12/31/19, but between covid, kids out of school and craziness of life, I haven’t felt ‘retired’.

We had a gorgeous day yesterday. I spent an hour or so just sitting on the porch with my feet up listening to the birds. The rest of the day was spent ‘puttering’. The first day I’ve really had like this. I told DH it felt like the first day of summer vacation when I was a kid.

Endless summer ahead! Isn't it marvelous?