As we were driving home from Florida last week, I heard several radio commentaries maintaining that most of us needed to learn how to correctly tie shoelaces! The first time I heard this bit of news trivia, I ignored it. However, it was repeated several times on various NPR (National Public Radio) stations as we […]
happiness in retirement
How do you assess your life’s work in retirement?
As we grow older, it’s common to assess your life’s work. In the past six weeks as I’ve recovered from the flu and another bout of pneumonia, there’s been too much time for staring at the bedroom ceiling and thinking. I’ve assessed my life’s work since retirement six years ago. I’ve also been thinking about plans […]
Shot of Happiness
What is a shot of happiness? Other than a recipe for what seemed a very sweet drink with liqueurs and pineapple juice, I found no answers from a Google search. I found a couple of Facebook business pages, a blog with this title, but no definitions. I believe in shots of happiness. They serve as […]
Happiness in Retirement — Summer After Labour Day
Summer after Labour Day offers at least three weeks of the season without all the pressure of barbecues, parties, festivals, and sun tanning on the beach. As I walked the beach this week, it felt like I could re-claim it. Most of the tourists and summer people are gone. The beach is empty. I have […]
Happiness in Retirement — The Power of a Smile
“Smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone” quote by Stanley Gordon West I’ve always been a smiler. Smiling is a natural reaction for me. I smile at my husband. I smile when I see my family, especially my grand-daughter. I smile when I talk to my cats. I smile when I’m on […]
Happiness in Retirement — Summertime, Cottage Days and Taking Stock
As the summer days gallop past I’ve been thinking about how I’m spending these precious days at the cottage. In late June, when we typically re-locate the cats and ‘move’ to the cottage, it seemed that summertime would be as endless as the horizon on Lake Huron. A change of routine excited me. I looked […]
Happiness in Retirement — Random Acts of Kindness
Random acts of kindness happen too infrequently but when a random act of kindness happens, it always brings a smile. Wikipedia defines a random act of kindness as “a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people.” Whether it is a tangible gift — like […]
Happiness in Retirement — Fighting Ageism
Ageism, discrimination based on age and usually focused on the elderly, is destructive, patronizing and exclusionary. It can lead to fear, discrimination, and damaged self-esteem. There is little doubt that older adults living in Western society fall victim to aspects of ageism. Researchers indicate that by age 40, many businesses consider men ‘too old’ to be hired […]
Happy in Retirement — Good Routines
Good routines help to make you happy in retirement. In my last post I wrote that I was looking forward to getting back into our ‘couple’ routines when my husband returned from his annual solo vacation. Throughout our 46 years of marriage it’s been a regular routine to have coffee together — usually in bed […]
