I didn’t know it was possible to only be allergic to one color fur!
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@Marilyn - unfortunately they are all black and black and white.
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It’s an enzyme in the saliva that’s the allergen. It’s not scientifically proven that cat color makes a difference, but there’s some empirical studies that suggest it. And my personal anecdotal evidence.
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(01)70050-4/fulltext
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ShawD has moved near us. We are hoping ShawSon and wife also move near us, but she would have to take a new job – she has a very high-end tech job in the Bay Area and there might not be a good next job here. He is co-founder of a company also in the Bay Area, but could probably work from anywhere (though his professional network is the Bay Area). He is more likely to be able to move if/when they sell the company, which is certainly a few years off.
ShawWife would be the world’s best grandmother for little kids (up to age 12, I’d say). So, both kids would like to be near us when they have young kids. Our current house could also house one of their families but not both.
We are also hoping that we can spend time with grandkids (should they ever arrive) on vacations – we share a lovely house up in Canada (ShawD and partner spent President’s Day weekend there) and we may well buy a house in Florida or someplace else warm see https://www.barrons.com/articles/florida-retirees-climate-change-raises-costs-cc07c398). I don’t think either house would entice ShawSon, his wife, and progeny to come to the East Coast for school break, though it might work for a summer vacation.
@Marilyn, ShawWife is allergic to dogs (including the supposedly hypoallergenic ones) and cats (even worse than dogs). We have heard the same thing about it being the saliva.
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Recent Blue Zones mailing suggests considering your gifts + passions + values
In retirement.
Embellished suggestion-
Identifying natural gifts, applying them to support something passionate about, in an environment consistent with values.
My adds-
I stretch that to include natural and learned skills, talents, and gifts, something passionate about or identified to be important to me, environment consistent with values or able to apply my values in environment.
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@showmom858 I am obsessed with cats after cat sitting for a friend for two weeks. I have always been a dog person. If I move to San Diego I will get in touch!
My friend told me her cat was “feral” and wouldn’t interact with me. I ignored the cat for awhile and went to lie down, and the cat came and sat on my belly and purred!
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My D attracts pretty much all animals. They mostly love her but she has also been bitten by them because someone else was bothering them. She holds no ill will about that. Our neighbors had us feed their cats when they were away. They all came when we showed up to feed them, even the ones that rarely come for the owners. They just LOVE D!
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Yes, yes. I don’t know what Blue Zones is, but I completely agree with what @lb5 wrote.
There’s another expression regarding volunteer work: “Only do what only you can do.” I interpret that to mean, let someone else pack boxes at a food pantry, or let someone else clean up a public park. There’s nothing wrong with those volunteer activities, and if they float your boat, go for them! But if you can find something that uses your unique combination of skills and values, the volunteer work will be incredibly meaningful for you.
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I don’t know that I can buy this! Not everyone has talent and gifts to bring to the table and packing the food or loading a truck or pulling weeds is every bit as important to the outcome of the volunteer work - which while it should be meaningful to the volunteer the focus should be on the recipient of your work.
Maybe I’m a finance wizard (I’m not 
) but if packing bags of food is the need of the day, I’m ok to do it. Or do both actually. Offer up the accounting talents and pack some food. No volunteer work needs to be “misfit” work.
I do believe that a volunteer gig doesn’t have to be long term or forever. The fit should be good for both the volunteer and the agency/program. But when it isn’t meaningful anymore or another opportunity arises that perks your interest it’s ok to switch.
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Loading boxes is what I want. After years of being in charge of everything, I just want to lend a hand … not get back into being in charge. I’ll check people in at an event. I don’t want to plan that event, including scheduling the other check-in people. I used to volunteer like it was my job, and I was in charge of so many things. Now, I want to show up, lend a hand, and be free to turn down volunteer opportunities if I don’t want to do them (for whatever reason). I’m glad that others are up for it in retirement, but this old lady is not.
Every task open for volunteers is a task that is important to the organization.
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I have a friend at work that is on the board of a local non profit that provides assistance to all kinds of events where volunteers are needed. D2 and I have volunteered at a couple of the events and really enjoyed it. We were not in charge of anything, but showed up and were told what to do and we were able to lend a hand. Once I am retired I would like to continue to volunteer in this way.
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In my reinterpretation of the Blue Zones email, packing boxes is a skill, fits with wanting to be helpful and part of community, fits with values.
At local food pantry, you never know what you will be doing on a volunteer shift. But most jobs offered are in my skill set.
Do I want to do this kind of thing often? No, but sometimes works. I do have a friend who is a mostly retired physician (works 1 week every few weeks in a hospital clinic), and she does food pantry volunteer work a few shifts a month.
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Mom and I volunteered at our local food distribution center - I packed and she visited. Years ago I chaired a local school committee and it was a lot of work. I’m happy to just show up now! I’ve helped at our church packing meals, volunteering in the office, and now helping prepare materials for worship. Nothing too stressful or demanding. I have my eye on some things I’d like to become more involved in (i.e. more responsibility) but right now isn’t the time.
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I didn’t mean to dimish the importance of packing boxes or pulling weeds. My point was they are not right for me. I can do them, but after an hour I’d be going crazy.
I recently left a volunteer gig after seven years. I enjoyed that gig because I had to do things that were important to me and that I enjoyed – I used my skills to train other people in the org, I used significant Excel skills to keep track of important things, and I used my considerable analytic skills to analyze our results. But seven years was enough.
I’m now on to something else that I think will be extremely valuable as well as satisfying some things I want. Not everyone could do it, but that’s one of the things I like about it.
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I do limit my pro bono/volunteer work to things that use my skills in a not-for-profit area I care about. I do that for two reasons. First, I feel like I can have a much greater effect if I invest my time in global or large problems on which my skills can have real leverage. Second, I also love solving or helping with big problems. I would not get the same satisfaction from more physical things (I’m not good at them anyway) or smaller scale things (I have been on the boards of two non-profits and found both experiences very frustrating as they move so slowly).
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You don’t have to be “ good” at the physical things. I volunteered in a garden which grew produce for the community and a local food bank. I know zero about gardening, but the garden manager and the master gardener who were there could always keep me busy. They just showed me what to do and I did it. Likewise when H was part of a group rebuilding after a hurricane, the people who did not have building skills/ experience were able to move materials, sweep up, remove debris and a lot of other things that just required someone to do it.
I don’t mind doing the “ grunt work”. When I was in charge of things ( as I was a lot when my kids were young and I volunteered a lot) the most valuable people were the ones who would just pick up and do the unsung work.
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I concur and see the importance of the folks who do the unsung work. In addition to being bad at the physical things (it took my wife ten years to realize that I was not feigning incompetence even though she could see the same thing in my father), I don’t enjoy them. So, I don’t volunteer in that way.
Fortunately, I can contribute in other ways. I am working with some terrific people at the moment on developing a scheme that would finance efforts to prevent the further deforestation and degradation of the Amazon rainforest as it is near a tipping point. Scientists believe that going past that tipping point would be disastrous for part of South America and probably bad for the rest of the world. It could be very valuable if we find that the broad concept is feasible and implementable.
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Win-Win – good use of your talents and something you can make a real contribution with.
My time is split out a lot of different ways. I assist and contribute (time and money).
Try to be thoughtful - giving someone a boost with sending a thoughtful note or phone call. Staying connected.
At home, the more I get organized, the more willing DH is to do workshop projects outside his hobby time and volunteer time that intertwines with his hobby.
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I give blood. Not much of a volunteer otherwise.
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I hold leadership positions in 2 nonprofit plus collaborate with several others. I keep plenty busy.
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