Intermissions in life usually accompany a major life change. The life change might be a marriage, the birth of a child, a promotion at work, or achievement of a milestone such as running a marathon. The life change may also result from the death of a loved one, a health crisis, a financial set back, a divorce, […]
Happiness in Retirement
Retirement Happiness — Good Endings
In the final days before moving I’m aware that good endings are important. Good endings involve letting go of people, places and traditions. Endings mean difficult good-byes. As we say good-bye, we worry that inevitable life changes will alter relationships. We know the future won’t be the same. We resist good-byes because we don’t want […]
Retirement Happiness — Celebrations
It’s the May long weekend in Canada — sometimes called May two-four, or Victoria Day weekend. We’re at the cottage with our son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter. The weather forecasts call for sunny days; trees and plants have begun to show their summer finery; people are celebrating on the beach. The challenges of preparing to move […]
Letting Go of the Place Called Home
Our house sold a few weeks ago. Now it’s time for another stage of letting go of the place called home. Letting go of our home is a process just like letting go of work, or friends, or a pet. Letting go began with the decision, many months ago, to down-size and move to a […]
The Distraction Enemy in Retirement
As too many tech devices compete for attention, I’m determined to deal with the distraction enemy in retirement. Who would have thought that technology would create angst after we’ve left the office? Whether from text messages, emails, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or old-fashioned voice mail, on most days digital demands rob every one of precious time. […]
The Person I’ve Become
Since retiring in 2010, I marvel at the person I’ve become. I look back at my younger self and realize how much I’ve changed and evolved. I’m gradually feeling calmer, kinder, even happier as I grow older. Calmness The sense of calm comes from good health habits. I cook and eat nutritious whole foods, get regular […]
Manage Time — Manage Choices
In recent months, as I’ve struggled with managing time in retirement, I’ve realized that it’s not so much about how I manage time as it is about how I manage choices. In 2010, when newly retired, I felt like a kid in a candy store. There were so many options for retirement happiness. I was […]
Buying a House is Like Buying a Dress
Is there a comparison between buying a house and buying a dress? After a recent purchase of a house that we believe will better suit our changing retirement lifestyle, it’s clear that the decision factors used when buying a house have similarities to decision factors used when buying a dress! Before I frustrate readers of […]
The home stretch — listing our house
We’re on the home stretch before listing our house. Our house will go on the multi-listing service on March 30. The marketing strategy that the real estate industry puts into selling a house sale is interesting. It’s different from what happened 25 years ago when we last sold a house. At that time, a thorough […]
Retirement Happiness — A Break with a Grand-daughter
This week it’s time for a break from prepping our house for sale to experience the joy of caring for our grand-daughter who is almost 3 years old. It’s March break in Ontario which means that schools, including the Montessori school she attends, are closed. Our son and daughter-in-law have new jobs where time off […]
