Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
Adventure vs stability, novelty vs routine...where are you most comfortable on that spectrum? I wrote a while ago about identifying my core values in retirement - purpose, connectedness and adventure. The first two are pretty universal, but the third one is more individual. Some people thrive on change, while others prefer the comfort of routine … Continue reading Adventure vs Comfort
First of all, a very happy 93rd birthday to my mother-in-law today! We took her out for a birthday lunch on a recent visit (well, technically she took us out for lunch, but that wasn't the intent). I'd meant to get a mother-son photo while we were there, but unfortunately I forgot. We also visited … Continue reading Settling into Summer
I'm not sure how I pictured retired life in a sleepy little town, but it turns out to be not so sleepy. Three mornings I'm at the school, two mornings I'm dragon boating, and one morning I'm at agility training. So much for sleeping in. Ray has competitive paddling two evenings a week and fits … Continue reading Small Town Life Unlocked
A couple of weeks ago, something called a derecho, a particular type of windstorm, passed through parts of Ontario and Quebec. Our old neighbourhood in Ottawa was one of the hardest hit and Ray wanted to help with the clean-up, but the whole area was without power and water and he didn't want to be … Continue reading Bill & Ray’s Excellent Adventure II
In between cold snaps, we spent a lovely few days away at a cottage rental with long-time friends, Tim and Pamela. We've been renting cottages together semi-regularly since our boys were small and it's always a fun and relaxing time. Cottage on Paudash Lake near Bancroft 27 years of friendship If you read my post … Continue reading When I’m 64
My sister and Harper visited last weekend. Juno loves having Auntie Karen and Harper around as long as Harper understands that the people belong exclusively to her. Harper's in Juno's spot on the couch, so Juno is simultaneously making sure she's close to me, blocking Harper from getting to Auntie Karen, and taking a nap. … Continue reading It’s a Dog’s Life
The question I get asked most often from people who aren't retired is, "What do you do with your time?" or "Don't you get bored?" After you retire, your time is your own. Figuring out how to fill that time can be, as my former boss would say, both a challenge and an opportunity. You … Continue reading Filling Your Time or Fulfilling Time
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you've no doubt been eagerly anticipating the results of our sunflower competition. After the final measurements - girth, height and sunflower diameter - Ray and Lorrie were still neck and neck. Ray had the tallest sunflower at 10 and a half feet, but Lorrie's stalk looked like … Continue reading Good days and blah days
One of the things we took into account when deciding where to spend our retirement was our social support system. We knew we could make new friends, but we also recognized the importance of maintaining friendships that have stood the test of time...people who've spent enough time with us to know our flaws and personality … Continue reading Refilling the Bucket
Ray and I are a good example of the ‘opposites attract’ theory. He’s friendly and talkative, I’m quiet and reserved. He’s fit and active, I’m more cerebral (my sister’s reading this thinking, “she means lazy”…which is fair). When it comes to everyday life, Ray’s a doer and I’m more of a thinker. He’s energetic and … Continue reading The Choices We Make
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