Dear Retiree: What are you doing?

by Wendy, Retirement Enthusiast/Coach

Hey, Wendy here.

Well, the problem of no emails is because there were no new posts, so the server doesn't send anything out. Yikes!

So, to send an email tomorrow, I am writing a short post here ---

PLEASE comment below and tell me what you are doing with your summer. Let's get a bit of conversation rolling again... ok?

Comments for Dear Retiree: What are you doing?

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First Retiree Summer
by: Sandy H

I have "retired" 4 times, but my final retirement was in March and I am not working. So, spending time at our little camp, yard work, gardening and keeping up two places keeps me busy. So hot this year and dry in the Northeast that it is difficult to do much yard work, but I try. I am getting the itch to go back to work, but hope it passes this time. Other than that, spending as much time with my grandkids as I can when I am back in town.

Wendy: Sounds good. I've been retired for twelve years and I still have the itch to work! However, with 95-yr old mom, I just don't. You've got four retirements under your belt? It's time to smell the roses... start thinking now about what you will do in the wintertime, find a new interest to occupy your time, no more work. ;)
What I am doing
by: Penny/North Carolina

I am staying busy as always. I go to the senior center a lot and enjoy the activities there. I started again with the chair exercise class that I was in before I had back surgery 3 years ago before the pandemic which closed all activities at the senior center for over a year. My volunteer activity now is taking blood pressures there once or twice a month.

I also enjoy their bingo and craft classes. And recently I joined a senior club at the recreation center that meets every Thursday.

I am singing in the choir at church and go to practice on Wednesday evenings. I don't drive at night so not sure if I will be able to continue when the time changes.

I still have my pen pals although as I age and they age many have died or have had to stop writing due to poor health.

I have taken up adult coloring and I love to read.
I love retirement and I am never bored.

Wendy: Penny, I love to color now. Mom and I do it at her Asstd Living and its helped her right arm in the last year more than any therapy! She couldn't eat or do anything with it, broken shoulder and in a sling for 10 weeks, and now back to normal. PLUS the others who color, they all talked about their projects and it gives them sense of purpose.
P.S. You certainly are busy, Go Girl!
Summer 2022
by: Alison NY

I am so grateful for summer. I always have a lot of stress going on...kids, house in need of updates, yard work, real work etc....but this morning when I was sitting outside on my deck with my coffee listening to the birds and watching the sunrise, I thought...oh, be grateful for this day, and this weather and this warmth. It is not here forever and be happy you've got this to return to at the end of a day.

Wendy: YESSSS!

Happy Summer, every one.
What am I doing
by: Elizabeth/Spokane

What I am doing is acting as a guardian to two of my grandsons, both boys, almost 17 and other one almost 12. Both want to be on You Tube or playing video games all day long.

I get to take a break every other day when another adult is around.

My daughter, her bf and my youngest grandson are on an extended vacation on the beaches of Oregon because diesel fuel to fill their RV bus costs around $700. So he is working and she takes care of everything else.

My garden this year has been robbed (whole plants taken), has buggy leaves, and something has been chewing the tops off the brussel sprouts. Also, I transplanted the broccoli too late and it just went to seed. The good news is that I have onions, zucchini, beans, greens, tomatoes and carrots growing great.

Growing your own food will become increasingly more important, especially next year!

Wendy: Two kids in the household? Yikes!
I had to laugh about your garden (yes, I know, not really funny), but my husband has built everything around our garden so nothing can get in, even those creatures trying to burrow under the fence. He finally succeeded ten years ago after many years of losing so much to many animals out in the field. It was a running garden joke for years!
Sunshine
by: Sue

We are beginning our second year of living full time in Arizona! We decided to move away from the snow and now live in perpetual sunshine!

Big adjustment for us, but we love living in a big city once again. We have found a great church and are ever so slowly making a handful of friends.

We’re both introverts, so don’t need a lot of get togethers, but it’s nice to talk to people here and there.

Enjoy being lazy, reading, coloring, jigsaw puzzles, going for rides….very low key life but we are blessed. We live in a 55+ community.

Wendy: I live a low key life too (introvert) and love it. Sounds like you've found the perfect retired lifestyle for both of you!
pretending i am doing something
by: Anonymous

Well, frankly, not much, and I am feeling the dark side.

Another friend died - fell in one of those "recuperation hospitals" and broke her neck.

My roommate x husband and I just avoid each other (probably for the best).

I take a walk and have coffee by myself but that only uses up a couple hours a day.

I water and tend my garden, but that only takes about 7 hours a day.

I gave up on church - felt even lonelier there.

X and roommate's niece stayed for a week. She is 22 and was pleasant.

daughter in law here for 1 day.

LOTS of lonely pointless days watching netflix.

My dog died.

My house projects are done.

Wendy: Get out of your home! Go out to lunch. Go to the library where you might meet someone. Visit the local senior center (do I hear a groan?) -- just do it to meet others who are also bored and near you. Meet for breakfast or lunch, do day trips. Get out and meet someone while it is still summer. Dark is not good -- you need to get out and communicate with people again. Please! No more pretending -- Just do it.
Much of the same - always hoping for more
by: Michael - Upstate NY for the summer!

Once again, I am spending my summer in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York. In my garden this year, I planted 20 peonies, 30 Stella D'Oro Daylilies, 16 Cranesbill, and 8 Agastache.

Unfortunately, it has been an abnormally dry summer, so I have to transport water from our main home to my garden 4 miles down the road.

My garden is on a separate 50-acre farm property in the middle of organic hay fields. I would love to install a well for my garden. Connection to the power grid is very expensive.

If anybody has expertise in off-grid solar energy systems, please get in touch with me (snarlbellyfarm at gmail dot com)

I have also been road cycling - 40+ miles every-other-day. I finally realized that longer rides every-other-day is much more enjoyable than riding every day. My goal this summer is 2,300 miles (May to October) but if the weather is nice, 2,500 will be doable.

My sister and one nephew visited for 3 days last week, and we had a great time. I took them on tour of a local historical home where I had been several times. During the tour, the tour guide and I discovered that we both live in neighboring towns in Florida during the winter months. My nephew said that conversation made the tour "awkward."

I had to explain to him that you never know who you might meet or what you might learn. A moment in time can change your life.

Wendy: Glad you are having fun, despite the water issue! I had to laugh at the nephews comment. Typical younger generation, everything in life is awkward, especially having to talk to someone, wait, a stranger yet! Oh My! A conversation -- not a text! :) (biiig grin!)
What I'm Doing
by: Dean/Tennessee

Without getting too political I am learning as much as I can about candidates for our primary election so I will make good choices at the voting booth. I am very worried about the future of our country and the world.

I am praying for a return to sanity because if things keep changing for the worse we may hit a point of no return. Everything costs too much! It doesn't have to be this way.

So far my wife and I are doing fine but I worry about the elderly who are already working at Walmart and Dollar Tree to make ends meet.

Other than that I keep trying to be a good neighbor and my wife stays busy making quilts for our church and various charities such as Project Linus and the various shelters in our area.

Wendy: Our world, our society, is scary right now. End of Comment. :)
What are you doing?
by: Lorrie (St Marys, PA)

Hi Wendy,
Glad you are able to travel again. Be safe and stay healthy.

For me, summer is used book sales time and I have been going to a number of them. Just never can have enough books, no matter how many I have.

Also been walking daily at the local park and socializing with my park friends. Trying to go to lunches with different friends.

In general, just trying to get out. We have all been cooped up way too long.

Wendy: I read mostly Kindle books so I can make the text larger, easy to see. Glad you are out there with your friends!
Long hot summer
by: Joan Massachusetts

It’s been an unusual summer for me! I had a hip replacement on July 11 and fully expected to spend all my time recovering in my backyard which I spent all spring planting. Well because of the
awful heat and humidity I have been in the house binge-watching Bridgerton!

I am walking outside about a half mile a day. It should be twice a day but I go out before 8 am but the rest of the day is exercising inside! I usually don’t mind the hot weather but this year is knocking me out!

I have been choosing my daffodil varieties to plant in October because they are the only bulbs the critters won’t dig up. Sometimes I sit on my front steps watching the rabbits eating my flowers which really sends me into orbit! I researched what plants they don’t like before all my purchases but they eat it all!

Hope everyone’s summer is going well!

Wendy: I will try very hard to not laugh at creatures munching on your flowers! Oh my! :)
Good for you for walking and exercising to get your mobility back -- so many give up and never quite recover. Good for you! Keep on Keeping On!
What am *I* doing?
by: Wendy, Retirement Enthusiast/Coach

Nothing, and lots of it. :)

I go to Assisted Living daily for mom, and help others to get drinks, and pushing wheelchairs and simply being helpful -- because I can.

Sunday, I fly to Atlanta for a two-day Senior conference... my first in a few years! This is my first get away in a few years too... geesh!

That's it here... hope to hear whats happening in your world!

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