I’ve just finished a year-end assessment. Before anticipating what a new year will bring and considering outcomes for 2017, it’s useful to look back at 2016 aspirations, celebrate accomplishments, and consider major lessons learned. As I grow older, I grow more determined to live life on my own terms. I spent the first part of […]
Lifestyle
Boxing Day — My Favourite Day of the Year
Boxing Day is my favourite day of the year. It’s a day when I sit quietly and contemplate the holidays. Nothing must be accomplished on Boxing Day. It’s a day for sleeping in to catch up on the late nights during the hectic week before Christmas. Getting dressed is optional as there are no commitments. […]
Learning How a House Works
Since moving four months ago, my husband and I are busy learning how everything in our house works. Many contractors are available to support homeowners but, ultimately, some knowledge of rudimentary aspects of how a house works depends on the occupant. Living comfortably in any house in Canada means having, at minimum, a dependable furnace […]
Moving Brings Mental Challenges
Most people are aware that moving is a physical process; however moving also brings mental challenges. As we prepared to move, we anticipated an amount of disruption to our lives. We expected that the process of settling in to our new home would take several months. What we did not predict was the effect of […]
September — A month of New Beginnings
September is a month that signals new beginnings. More than January, the dawn of September feels like the start of a new year for a variety of reasons. Life settles into a routine. Vacations and lazy days of summer are over.Children and young people return to school. Days are shorter and nights are cooler. The arc of […]
Leaving a Legacy
The recent death of a dear friend who my husband and I knew for more than 50 years has turned my thoughts the meaning of leaving a legacy. His sudden death left a big hole in our hearts but we remember him because of how he lived his life. His example was a positive influence […]
Retirement Happiness — Learning to Goof Off
For a happy retirement, some of us need to learn how to goof off. After a lifetime of measuring each day in terms of productivity are you sometimes too busy with things on the ‘to do’ list to lighten up and take some time to simply enjoy the day? During our working lives we evaluated […]
Moving — A Recipe for Upheaval
Moving from one house to another is a recipe for weeks of upheaval. The disruption, confusion, and life-changing chaos that comes with moving from a beloved house, from a group of friends, and from a community with an established network of services is unbelievable. This post contains a potpourri of reflections about moving from one […]
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 […]
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 […]
