The Retiring Sort

2012 – A Year of Expected and Unexpected Change

Posted on December 27, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

So in a few days, we’ll leave 2012 behind and start a new year. At the risk of being a little clichéd, it’s probably time for a little reflection, then a look to the future. I’ve had some major events in my life this past year, and I have a lot to look forward to.

To kick the reflections off, three major changes for me this year were:

The loss of my mom
My retirement
Starting my blog

These events have all affected me in very different ways.

The passing of my mother, while not entirely unexpected, was still difficult. It has already changed the celebration of our holidays, and will continue to color my world for the rest of my life. I find myself thinking I need to ask her about details while I’m archiving photos or working on my family tree. And I wish I could share so many little things with her. I’ve even, unthinking, set things aside to take to her the next time I visit. It will be a long time before her absence seems real, and of course so many wonderful memories will always be with me.

My retirement was a more expected, and happily anticipated, milestone. But it has still also been a difficult paradigm shift sometimes! After so many years of having someplace to go, and clear expectations for each day, I have been confronted with the need to structure my own days to accomplish my new goals – many involving future planning for my beloved’s and my future together. I’m getting there… and am increasingly excited about the next part of our adventure.

My blog has been a revelation. This really wasn’t something I initially expected to do, but when I decided to try it, I hoped it would help me record my retirement journey and planning. I’ve had a lot of fun setting it up, and I have had a blast digressing with photo challenges and meeting other bloggers. Now my challenge is to focus a little more on my original objectives, to help get my beloved retired as well. Stay tuned to see how we make the next few decisions to make that happen…

So, now for our top three 2013 goals:

Find our retirement destination
Plan the financing of a home there
Plan and take a great vacation

We’ve started visiting possible retirement places, and are beginning to focus on one or two places. Figuring out the financing and timing will be the next keys, and will undoubtedly be blog topics in the coming months.

One of our goals all along has been to continue travelling while our health allows. So, we’re looking at Central or South America and Alaska as possible venues this year – we’ve never been to any of those places. I’m looking forward to doing that research (and welcome recommendations).

Of course, the new year will certainly bring many other events, both expected and unexpected. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store.

As we look forward, I’m hopeful that my beloved and I will meet our 2013 goals, and I wish each of you an unexpectedly wonderful 2013, blessed with health, family, and good friends.

Posted in Retirement itself, Ruminations | Tagged blogging, change, holidays, lifestyle, New Year, retirement, retirement planning | 23 Comments

Future Challenge – Change is a Bummer

Posted on December 20, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

Last week I offered the first of these challenges. I’m hoping that if you’re visiting this blog, you have at least a passing interest in retirement and the lifestyles it can bring. No matter how old you are, I’d like to challenge you once a week to give a little thought to your future.

Each Thursday for at least the next few months, after doing a post myself on the same general topic, I’ll suggest an aspect for you to consider and perhaps fit into the context of your own life.

If you’d like to share what you think, or post on it, that’s great – and I’d love it if you’d share those thoughts in a post or comment (tag posts: TRS Future Challenge and link to this post) so others can also see them.

If you choose not to share them, that’s fine too – but with any luck, you’ll still gain some insight on where you’re headed (or would like to be), and how you can get the most out of your own journey.

Challenge #2:

The holidays have become a time of indulgence for many. Then again, sometimes we indulge ourselves beyond the holidays. We all know we shouldn’t, but still we sneak that one more cookie, or make that one additional purchase…

After all, we tell ourselves, it’s “just this once.” We somehow think, or at least hope, we can get away without making any changes in our lives that we don’t want to make. There is something in us that believes we can defer consequences. After all, change is hard.

Looking to your future, what likely change or changes are you dreading – or hoping for? (Ideas: Are they big or small things? Fun or challenging? Do you think you can avoid them? How long can you wait before you will have to make a change? Will you change at all?)

For my own slightly humorous take on one aspect of this, see my post If I Am What I Eat, Am I Different at the Holidays?

Posted in Future Challenges, Retirement itself, Ruminations | Tagged aging, change, choices, Diet, future, lifestyle | 17 Comments

If I Am What I Eat, Am I Different at the Holidays?

Posted on December 19, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

My Dad loved food, and was actually a pretty good cook. We had a tradition when we were little, where he booted Mom out of the kitchen on a Saturday every December, and spent the whole day baking and decorating cookies with us. Mom would then separate the cookies into fun assortments on paper plates lined with aluminum foil, wrap them in saran wrap, and artfully tie holiday ribbons and tags on them so we could share them with friends, family, teachers, scout leaders, and pretty much anyone else we wanted to show appreciation at Christmas. Our whole dining room credenza was a foot deep in cookie platters for the next week or so.

When I was nine or ten, we added on to our house, and my mother’s parents moved in with us. We didn’t stop baking with Dad, but in the afternoons after school, our Scottish Nana added to our holiday repertoire by teaching us the fine art of lining people’s arteries with classics like shortbread (just butter, sugar, and flour), plum pudding – a specialized fruitcake soaked in liquor accompanied by hard sauce (butter, sugar and brandy), and trifle (ladyfingers sprinkled with brandy, topped with custard, fruit, whipped cream and slivered almonds). OK, at least the trifle and pudding had fruit.

I have no idea how much cream and butter we went through each December, what with the butterküchen with our German Dad and shortbread and other goodies with our Nana – to say nothing of what went on or into to the rolls, potatoes, and sauces we ate at our meals. I think we kept the local dairy farm in business. And don’t even get me started on the amount of flour and sugar we consumed.

Diabetes, anyone?

We didn’t eat many sweets during the rest of the year, except for the contraband from grandparents, and our mother (a weight-conscious nurse) never had soda/pop in the house. We were encouraged to eat fruit when we had a craving for sweets – and we drank milk, water, or fresh unsweetened juice.

But in December… ah, December! No matter where we went, we were asked to sit and eat candy and cookies, eggnog and cocoa – and it would have been rude to decline, right? I usually prefer salty foods to sweet ones, but at the holidays, I shift a bit, just for auld lang syne.

It’s a tradition, after all. The holidays mean food – and in my family, cutting loose and enjoying baked goods. I’ve always loved the time spent making cookies with my kids – and my grandkids. In fact, I spent today baking with my firstborn. Although we’ve found gluten-free and dairy free goodies to make in deference to some dietary needs in the family, there’s really no health food involved. Just pure unadulterated calories and fun.

Of course, after noshing on food like that all day, I can’t fall asleep because of the sugar buzz. And I guess time is taking its toll on me, because I don’t tolerate large amounts of sugar, wheat, or dairy nearly as well as I used to. So, if I want to enjoy Christmas dinner, I’m best served by going easy on the treats Christmas Eve. Humbug.

As in other areas of my life, I suppose I have to start making choices I didn’t have to make before. Moderation in all things and all that.

Maybe I am what I eat.

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To get you in the holiday food mood, here are Cookie Monster and his friends from Sesame Street, courtesy of YouTube:

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Posted in Health Issues, Ruminations | Tagged Christmas, cookies, dairy, Diet, holidays, sugar, sweets, Tradition | 19 Comments

A Year End Gift!

Posted on December 18, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

Well, there are only two weeks of 2012 left, but I’ve happily just received the Blog of the Year 2012 badge from Arnel at All Things Boys, She has a wonderful blog which includes great photos, writing, and snippets of her life raising 3 boys, among other things. Pay her a visit – you’ll enjoy it!

The ‘rules’ for this award are simple:

1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.

This is a great opportunity to thank/nominate a few friends for their consistently great posts and thoughtful comments:

Lynne at Beyond the Brush – She offers lovely paintings, photos, and writing, and often comments on other blogs.
Allan at Ohm Sweet Ohm – He literally lights up the Golden Gate Bridge – and lights up the blogosphere with his photos, posts, and comments.
Gemma at Dear Bliary – She does great posts, is a regular contributor to some photo challenges I follow, and is always so thoughtful in her comments.
Alexandria at Simply Sage – She hosts an inspiring blog with wonderful photos and reflections, and takes time to make delightful comments.
Lagottocattleya – Wonderful photos and stories in two languages – and a “Constant Commenter” also!

2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award. Done.

3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!) Done.

4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them. Done.

5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience. Cool!!

6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars… Done (above) and done!

I’ve stopped at just five blog nominees for now due to lack of time… I’m supposed to be decorating my Christmas tree! I may add more later…

Thanks again, Arnel – and to all a Good Night!

Posted in Retirement itself | 24 Comments

Fragile: Handle With Care

Posted on December 16, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. – Leo F. Buscaglia

Like a souffle that falls if the timing’s not right, or a butterfly whose wings are damaged by an unthinking touch, friendships and families are delicate, too. We can nurture them with something as simple as a smile. But an errant word spoken in haste can unknowingly hurt someone dear.

Life is fragile, and short.

In the midst of frantic holiday hustle and bustle, stop. Look around at the ones you love and take stock of what they really need from you. I’m betting you can’t find it at the mall. Try to find a minute to share a little TLC this week with someone lonely, depressed, or in need.

And while you’re at it, save some for yourself.

Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge – Benjamin Franklin

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This post was written in response to the WordPress Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate. To see other bloggers’ responses, click here.

Posted in Photo Challenges, Ruminations | Tagged choices, Delicate, family, Fragile, lifestyle, Relationships, TLC | 37 Comments

Future Challenge: On Golden Pond

Posted on December 13, 2012 by The Retiring Sort

I’m going to on out on a limb here, hoping that if you’re visiting this blog, regardless of your age, you have at least a passing interest in your future and the lifestyles it can bring. Maybe you came for the travelogues or photo challenges, but of course I hope you’ll stay for the info and ruminations on my retired life.

One of my goals with this blog was to learn more about retirement planning (goals, lifestyle and finances), and to share what I learned. It occurs to me though, that I know my own wants and needs, but not anyone else’s. My discoveries may or may not be helpful, or even interesting, to you.

In July, WordPress.com posted a Daily Prompt called Get Interactive. It suggested, among other things, polling and challenges as a way to engage other bloggers in discussion, and I’m hoping for your input- so here’s my challenge:

No matter how old you are, once a week, give a little thought to your future. Each Thursday for at least the next few months, after doing a post myself on the same general topic, I’ll suggest an aspect for you to consider and perhaps fit into the context of your own life.

If you’d like to share what you think, or post on it, that’s great – and I’d love it if you’d share those thoughts in a post or comment (tag posts: TRS Future Challenge and link to this post) so others interested can also see them.

OK – here we go. To set the tone for these challenges, here’s the first: When we’re young, our 60’s and 70’s seem forever away. Take a moment and picture yourself at 75. (Ideas: Where are you living? How did you get there? Who’s with you? How do you fill your days?)

Hope you have fun thinking about this. It’s been driving me a little crazy. (For my own take on this, see my post Where’s My Golden Pond?)