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I love this retirement life!
Old 03-29-2021, 06:38 PM   #1
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I love this retirement life!

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.
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:05 PM   #2
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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...
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:16 PM   #3
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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.
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Old 03-29-2021, 07:24 PM   #4
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Be careful with the pickleball. It can become highly addictive and take over your life. :-)
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Old 03-29-2021, 08:00 PM   #5
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Looking forward to it!
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Old 03-29-2021, 08:59 PM   #6
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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.
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Old 03-30-2021, 05:21 AM   #7
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Be careful with the pickleball. It can become highly addictive and take over your life. :-)
I think it already did with you and I.
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Old 03-30-2021, 05:28 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by CindyBlue View Post
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!
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Old 03-30-2021, 06:32 AM   #9
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I'm 14 years into retirement and enjoy it as much as the first year. Doesn't get old.
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Old 03-30-2021, 06:53 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by CindyBlue View Post
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.
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Old 03-30-2021, 07:15 AM   #11
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Sounds awesome!
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Old 03-30-2021, 07:20 AM   #12
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I wish you both a great retirement and have fun.
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Old 03-30-2021, 08:49 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by CindyBlue View Post

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!
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Old 03-30-2021, 09:32 AM   #14
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You've had a rough couple of years. Sorry for the death of your father.
Enjoy your well deserved retirement.
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Old 03-30-2021, 06:32 PM   #15
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Thank you, everyone. I am so glad to be here in this forum!
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Old 03-30-2021, 07:47 PM   #16
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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.
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Old 03-30-2021, 08:28 PM   #17
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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?
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Old 03-31-2021, 11:44 AM   #18
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+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!
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Old 03-31-2021, 09:15 PM   #19
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Cindy, so glad you are retired and finally getting to enjoy your time.
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Old 03-31-2021, 09:20 PM   #20
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I think of you often, Teacher Terry...I hope your plans are going well!
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