Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
When I took the pre-retirement course at work, they asked us to make a list of what aspects of work life we might miss, apart from the work itself. I thought I'd miss spending time with young people. Most of my team was in their twenties and thirties, and I liked being around that youthful … Continue reading Aging is Relative
Earlier this week I got a message from my Norwegian friend, Ragnhild, saying she was in Aberdeen on business and wanted to get in touch with Phil, a mutual Scottish friend. We all attended Stockholm University's International Graduate School in the early 90s, before email was widely available, so many of us lost touch over … Continue reading The Unpredictability of the Past
On the Myers-Briggs personality scale, one of the criteria is intuitive vs sensing, which is basically whether you collect information through observation (the five senses), or through gut instinct. I score 100% on the Intuitive side. My observation skills are virtually non-existent. I don't notice if Ray shaves his beard...or his moustache after decades of … Continue reading Spring Surprises
I am feeling more hopeful every day. But still, the Canadian spring seems interminable: days of bright sunshine that set the brooks singing and the spirit soaring are followed by icy rainstorms and bitter winds, and even snowstorms in April, in a cycle of hope and despair that lasts for months. That's a quote from … Continue reading Perspectives from the Past – Part 4
When I wrote my last post, my sister and I were in the Toronto airport waiting for a delayed Air Canada flight to Vancouver. We did eventually get there, eight hours later than planned. We're now in the Vancouver airport waiting for a delayed Air Canada flight to Toronto. It's scheduled to depart six and … Continue reading Cherry Blossoms and Quality Family Time
Taken on the first official day of spring..."coming soon" sign will not be removed until it feels like spring. I don't think Groundhog Day works for Ontario winters. The groundhog is supposed to predict whether we get an early spring or six more weeks of winter. I'd take either of those options! March has long … Continue reading Overcast With a High Probability of Malaise
Another week of headlines that make the world feel like a dark place. Another week of grey, wet, and windy March. We had one glorious day last week where temperatures rose to 18 degrees, before winter returned with a vengeance. The snirt (snow-dirt) and dog poop that were revealed after the big melt have once … Continue reading Cloudy With a Chance of Joy
One of the challenges in retirement is figuring out how busy you want to be, and then trying to maintain the proper balance between busy time and chill time. It varies by personality and can also change over time. There's also figuring out how much of your time you want to be structured vs flexible. … Continue reading Balancing Your Time in Retirement
Ray's 68th birthday started with a morning walk in Baja, Mexico. He hadn't been doing much birding in the minus 30 temps we'd left behind in Ontario, so he came back from his walk thrilled to have added a handful of new birds to his life list. "Pardon me, sir. Might I have a wee … Continue reading Baja Beach Break: Whales, birds, and a big birthday surprise
It's minus 29 outside. Minus 37 with the windchill. Ray is visiting his mom in Georgetown and I'm having a pajama day. The weather warning states that "if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside." They probably need to add some context, or I'd keep … Continue reading Oh, Canada, why can’t I leave you?
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