Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
After three missed family Christmases - two covid lockdowns and a winter storm - (anyone else read that to the tune of 12 days of Christmas?), we were finally able to gather for the holidays, but covid still made an appearance, both before and after. Ray's mom was on lockdown in her suite until two … Continue reading Planning for an ‘Adventurous’ 2024
Something I've become more aware of lately is the fine line between comfort and complacency. A major factor in unhappiness is the inability to be content with what you have, so finding joy in the everyday moments without always wanting or needing things to be different, is critical. The flip side, though, is that you … Continue reading Tidings of Comfort and Joy
We were at a neighbourhood drinks-and-nibbles gathering the other evening and much of the discussion was around heading south as two of the couples were off to Florida for the winter. As I do every year around this time, I started questioning my choices in life. Why am I spending another winter in Canada? Why? … Continue reading Deciding where to live in retirement
Years ago, I read The Happiness Hypothesis, and one of the author's arguments was that there were three ways to raise your baseline happiness level: medication, meditation and cognitive behaviour therapy. Two out of three of those involve paying attention to your thoughts. Meditation is about mindfulness, becoming aware of the constant chatter in your … Continue reading Thinking About Thinking
I'm lying in bed mid-afternoon, fighting a cold, so thought I'd write a post. November is a good time for puzzling, so I've been in a Jigsaw puzzle phase. Every time I dump a new box of pieces on the table, Ray says, "Uh oh", because he knows I won't come up for air until … Continue reading Are you driven or lazy?
Other than financial security and choosing where to live, one of the biggest challenges of retirement is figuring out what you'll do with your time. For some people that comes easily, but for many others it takes time, and often multiple failures, to figure it out. Quilting, dog agility, and curling were all things I … Continue reading Finding your passion. If at first you don’t succeed…
It's time for another update on what I've been reading. This time I've focused on a few things that sometimes stop me from enjoying books as much as I otherwise might. Poetic books - Many years ago, after reading the novel Fugitive Pieces, a well-written and highly-acclaimed book, I made a rule that if a … Continue reading Literary Pet Peeves
Someone asked me if my sister got any sort of prize for being the top fundraiser for Ray's cycle (having donated $1,000 herself and then raised another thousand from her friends & family). I said she didn't get a prize. "Well, she got a t-shirt at least." Uh, no, she didn't get a t-shirt either, … Continue reading How to be a Karen
He did it! Ray has completed his Great Lakes Cycle. Day 10 - Mississauga to Pickering (70 kms) The first section of this ride, from Mississauga to The Beaches in Toronto, was a pleasant surprise - much more scenic than Ray had expected - but that was followed by the worst stretch of the trip … Continue reading Ray’s Ride, The Grand Finale
Ray is now in Mississauga, having a rest day with my sister and brother-in-law (I know, another rest day). The ride has been going much better the past few days as his body adapts to being on a bike all day. He gets into the zone and is less tired and sore by the end … Continue reading Ray’s Ride, Part 3
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