So many mornings, life in retirement means flipping on the tv around 6:45 like it’s a radio (eyes still shut) to hear the day’s weather on local news and to get the headline report from CBS Mornings in their Your World in 90 Seconds (or whatever it’s called). I never hit the snooze button in my working life/mom life, but this is a luxury to stay snuggled under the covers for a bit. Bonus points for mornings like this one where there was some good news in the 90 seconds.
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It’s raining cats & dogs here. After my morning workout (in my basement), I got ready for the day … because it’s so yucky here that I thought I might have stayed in my pjs all day if I didn’t. I could, but I really need to run out to the store for a couple things later. In the meantime, I’m just watching The Price is Right! I like retirement.
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Retirement is the most fun I’ve had since kindergarten.
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We are enjoying a stay with DD2 in Orlando. We leave Tuesday (she has Easter Monday off from work). Not a bad drive from N AL. Doing some fun things.
Busy time at home - getting a ‘late’ start with freshening up our outdoor plants and the use of geraniums and other plants in pots along our front steps. Can do so when we return - I was in San Antonio with DD1 who had her 5th child 3/29, and the baptism was 4/6. The older kids had spring break, so I traveled there via American Airlines the day after Ash Wednesday March 6th. DH let the mail pile up and didn’t sort it - so I avoided some of it until just before leaving for FL.
We have some trips planned (DH has two - one is a hobby trip and one is a canoeing/camping/fishing trip with his brothers) while I have a sight-seeing trip for 5 days/4 nights with a local group via OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) and they have it arranged through Road Scholar. One of our travel group is acting as a docent for some things and general knowledge - Pittsburgh. I have never been, and there is a lot arranged for us to see/do. It is a fun group of people and OLLI is through our local college continuing ed dept - I have had a lot of ties to this U, so it is also nice to be making connections there.
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We just returned from a few days in Florida. H had the first of 2 total knee replacements Thursday. He is doing well, all things considered. I’m coaching him through his exercises but it’s amazing how much better he feels. I am exhausted! Pretty sure I’ll need another vacation. 
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We are rethinking booking more travel, but we are enjoying continuing to travel a lot to see the kids and grandkids, schedule travel with them and gift them $ annually. my DH challenged me to spend $$$$ in a month, and I rose to the challenge!! 
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I have a good offer for the condo I bought last year, which has affected my health due to a noise issue. I am back to the drawing board. So many contradictory pictures of the rest of my 70’s and 80’s. Old lady studio? Two bedroom for kids and grandkids visits? (No grandkids yet…) Buy again and settle or rent again to stay flexible in case kids need me? City or ocean? The stock market isn’t helping. I have been doing a winter rental (ocean) and summer rental (city) for 8 years to stay close to my very elderly mother who died in 2023. I tried the condo so I could stop moving.
Now I am free to go anywhere but have become attached to this very expensive area. These decisions aren’t easy. Best solution due to stock market right now, is to rent, and be patient trying to find a one bedroom with den kind of condo that allows for visits but isn’t too much to furnish and care for. A nice condo in my preferred location (ocean) is on the market but I may have to pass until the economy settles down.
If I sell the condo I will consider putting any cash under the mattress for a couple of years!
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Wow. Two at once. Are you up for sainthood yet?
ShawWife had two done 6 months apart and I have had one. It really is a lot of work for the spouse/helper, making sure the patient takes the painkillers at the right times and does all of the exercises. Over time the patient takes on the cognitive responsibilities, but in our experience, they are not easily able to do it on their own.
ShawWife’s friends delivered meals (mostly dinners, I think) for at least a week. Even though we didn’t always love the meals, they made life a lot easier and we were very grateful.
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Compmom, I “feel” you. I’m not ready to give up my too-big house, partly because I like my stuff. Silly, right? But the furniture represents the memories of who we were and where we were (many Navy moves).
I will be retiring at the end of June — and between travels, I plan to open every closet and drawer and begin the big clean out.
I think eventually I need to go to a continuing care community for the sanity of my kids. I’d like to build a house, but I’m not really looking for land. I could select a floor plan in a minute. (Near which D?)
I really think my best compromise would be a townhouse in walkable suburbia (stores nearby) — perhaps with an elevator for aging.
The stock market thing affects all decisions. Some stability is greatly desired.
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We have been renting for the last few years. Small 2 bed 2 bath in a 55+ apartment building. We did this as a temporary solution for our downsizing, but now consider it long term. Near my only daughter and turns out we love this area.
With the high cost of home ownership where we were (real estate taxes, maintenance costs, and we didn’t even have an HOA fee), the rent feels like a reasonable cost for us.
Worried about the market, instead of under your mattress do a CD for 4% or so.
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No sainthood, he only had one. The second will be in July. You’re right - it is a lot for the caregiver!
Our smaller home is still too large for us but manageable. The thought of renting near D has appeal, but I’ve also thought of a property where there are in-law quarters.
We were to travel to a family reunion later this year but am rethinking that. A lot of expense for a short time in an area there’s not much else to do. The actual family time would be short with distant relatives. Still have time to decide.
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I bought a few things from my good friend/neighbor’s yard sale - before the sale. One was a table that has the drop down two sides so you can use it as a side table (middle section is maybe 15" wide) - you could seat 6 around the table when the sides are up. She had two of these - they were in the family, and she had moved them to her new larger home down the street from us. She had a fully furnished a smaller home (in another state) which is their ‘retirement home’ so she had to part with all the stuff she had moved some years earlier. None of her kids have really adulted well, so nothing to pass down to them. I also helped her with her yard sale (the son showed up and he was helping them some, while one daughter who lives local did not come to help at all).
Our DD2 is in a smallish 2 BR, and their larger table is actually being used as a worktable in her 2nd BR, so I did purchase this table in mind for DD2. She agreed she wanted it. We brought it with our visit. I sent my friend a picture of the table in the new spot (in FL) and she was so happy. We had a place to eat and play cards!
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Thanks @Mom22039 and @kiddie. Just kidding about the mattress: my plan was indeed to do CD’s.
To clarify: one of my kids was hit by a car right after graduating from college and had a serious brain injury. I had just sold my house and when she was injured I got rid of everything and moved in with her to rehab 24/7, literally, after a month in ICU and a month in rehab for her. It was so good for her to be in her own city apartment: as she became independent again she could meet friends and have a restart of life (yes I watched out the window at first!). She now has a PhD and is teaching and it was more than worth it.
Since then I have been doing furnished fully-equipped season rentals so I don’t own much at all! It feels weird to re-accumulate! So whatever I do it will be smallish. I prefer to rent but there aren’t many rentals in my area due to airbnb’s taking over. The city may be my best bet though expensive.
I would consider moving closer to one child but that means leaving another child. I think about striking out in a new area that is less expensive. I hate to admit that in the last few years this has become more scary: leaving friends and doctors I have had for a long time. It might be different with a spouse. But…I might do it! I need art and tai chi and daily walks in a nice walkable place. Love the 55+ idea but most around here are condos and cost a lot. Elevator- great!
Today I feel fortunate to have options- not everyone does- and am looking at my next decisions as an adventure. Hope that holds!
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Two couples, both delightful/fun loving and active ladies are in my monthly book club, all in their mid-70’s did a three-week European tour with a cruise ship for some of that time (1,000 person), she talked about their time in Italy today – they have traveled together before and seem to do a big trip every 6 months or so. I was at another meeting with one of the ladies, and she said it took her about 3 days to ‘recover’ as far as day/night and sleep along with thinking straight.
I can tell I need to be a bit more organized with attention to things/goal setting, and getting things done before I go at the end of the month for my 6-day (5 nights with hotel) planned signature city tour trip with OLLI/Roads Scholar – group is with Osher Life-Long Learning Institute with local college continuing ed dept (so all the group is our local group) and organized through Roads Scholar. About 5 hours’ flight time with connecting flight through Charlotte. Looking forward to it and have been reviewing the city history (Pittsburgh).
DH has separate time away, so it is nice to keep the home front going w/o relying on our good neighbors for mail/watering plants.
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I will be curious to hear how you enjoy your trip. I remember visiting family there for many years as a child.
Big day yesterday. H has been home bound but yesterday we stopped for breakfast after his doctors appointment and later went for a brief trip to the grocery. We stopped by the wine store and visited with our friend there. Monday he had PT and a stop at our accountant. Good to get out. Especially for him!
D is coming this weekend which will be nice. Otherwise it has been a quiet time at the Sabaray house.
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Must have missed what happened?
Cancer treatments and joint replacements! Fun times.
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What a joy for brief outings for H and you as a couple. Creating and carving out these opportunities with his energy and mobility. Hopefully your H will continue to see better days ahead.
I do know what it is like with cancer - I survived aggressive stage IIIa cancer, but it was a long haul with everything thrown at it (I was 53 at diagnosis with DDs in 8th and 10th grades) - and just recently released from my medical oncologist. Thankfully DH and I have avoided joint replacements and so far, have no need for concern there.
Through Roads Scholar info, they had a few ‘recommended reading’ books, and I got one that is super thorough with Pittsburgh history “Pittsburgh The Story of an American City” 1999, 5th edition - 8 1/2" X 11 1/2" hardcover, 776 pages – I got it reasonably priced via Amazon (used, but like new). The book description on the reading list and what I saw on Amazon led me to just what I wanted. I am looking at the pictures and reading some of it now - I am at p 131 now. One of our group, Michelle (who grew up in Pittsburg and is our ‘experienced group leader’) is arriving a day early, and she said she will be getting us each a city map and the Pittsburg Insider Guide (which both may be available at the airport visitor center kiosk, but who knows) - these days so many things are going digital.
What impressed me was the amount of things we could see/concentrated area, and to me was reasonably priced. 5 nights of accommodation (Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh University Place – recently renovated), 13 meals (5B, 4 L, 4 D), 2 expert-led lectures, 8 expert-led filed trips, group travel and transfers throughout the program, all logistics handles, includes all gratuities/taxes/destination fees, Road Scholar Assurance Plan which includes 24-hour assistance for medical and other emergencies.
Many years ago, I did a group trip solo to NYC (when DDs were in 4th and 6th grades), Wed - Sunday, early in Dec so we got to see lots of special things in NYC with everything Christmas decorated and the Christmas programs. I matched up/shared a room with a single gal and we had a very good time together and with the group. I actually had some friends in NYC (they were renovating a brownstone in Harlam) that we met up with as well. The ‘free night’ we both chose different shows to attend, and I had purchased my ticket online early and had a great seat.
I taught my daughters how to quick wash their uniform skort (they each had two, so washing one for Friday school), and I came home to a sink full of dishes and the laundry chute full of clothes, but I have my get-away.
The summer before DD1 was in 5th grade, she was on a People-to-People trip to England and France – so she gained some early skills with responsibility. DH traveled a lot for work, and he was fine with minding the home front. Both DDs were fortunate for some great travel. I have done ‘enough’ travel but do want to squeeze in a few more select things along the way.
With this Pittsburgh trip, there is a little free time, and we do have time for the Frick Car and Carriage Museum (we already are seeing Frick Art) - which I will see how much time there is for that when we are there. I have also noted the hours/location of the Andy Warhol Museum – they have a special exhibit of screen prints during my time in Pittsburgh, but don’t know if there is time to include that.
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One of my favorite parts of Pittsburgh was one of the Carnegie museums. There was an entire room with miniatures that I just loved! I think when Mom had enough of the relatives she took us there. I hope you are able to get to the Warhol museum. I have started getting the information for Road Scholar so hopefully we’ll be able to plan something soon.
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Yes we are going to ‘Carnegie Museums’ and having lunch there as well.