I live in the PNW with only 1/2 acre and have no window coverings except in the upstairs master bath-that I close when I'm up there at night. The main floor bath has the lower pane of a double hung window glazed with obscuring glass. One of the things that makes it okay for me is the way the neighbors' houses are sited as well as the outdoor lighting I have on the house...just some old style flood lights that light the areas outside the windows so that I can see the garden areas in the dark, as well as anyone who might be lurking. It keeps the windows from looking too much like black holes. I'm sure if I tried to live with window coverings at this stage I'd feel totally claustrophobic and would always wonder what was going on outside. Plus I'd miss the nocturnal visitors to the yard, the foxes and raccoons (I could gladly miss the possums). I love lying in bed watching the wind whip through the tall firs, with the moon shining behind them. I've gotten used to sleeping in any amount of light or darkness.

Canada provides an Old Age Security that starts at 65, and has a residence requirement (10 years, 18 years or so residence in Canada) so I applied for it then, 17 years ago. If one earns over about $65,000./year, they begin to claw part of it back, with full clawback at about $110,000. - that provision does not come close to affecting me, with annual income something under $50,000.! Canada began a mandatory public pension plan, with both employer and employee contributing, about 45 years ago, looking to retirement at 65, with a reduction of 1% for each 2 mos. that one chose to retire early, or an addition of 1% for each 2 mos. that one delayed, up to age 70. I more or less officially retired 15 years ago at 67, at which time I applied to receive my Canada pension Plan benefit. As I had had a fairly low income for a number of years, thus made less that regular contribution levels, that benefit has been somewhat reduced. I had a private pension to which I had contributed for just over 20 years and I began to receive that benefit at 65. I had a modest self-administered retirement plan with contributions deductible and payments added to income when drawn. I had a part time job at slightly over minimum wage until about 70, but have not been employed since. I have been able to live within those pensions, and save some to add to investments in almost every year. As a personal financial advisor for a number of years I learned money management, which allows me to make use of some tax deductions related to investments, and substantial contributions to various medical, social, international, educational and religious charities, plus some political contributions, which have allowed me to cut my federal income tax recently to zero (with extra unused credits, this year) and only a small provincial cost, most of it supporting our healthcare system, which I feel it a privilege to do, though I have made few demands on such service until this past year. I will be surprised if my pensions, with additions from investments if and when needed, will not be sufficient to maintain me adequately till I reach a hundred and more. I've heard many retirees say that they've become so busy that they don't know where they ever found time to go to work. I garden in summer, have only about 200 - 300 feet planted of something over a quarter mile of row planned, but it's been raining so often that it's hard to plant, and part of the ground is clay: if one works that too early, when it's too wet ... it bakes about as hard as iron. Take the proceeds to a couple of churches to give away, with the proviso that recipients add at least part of the value to their contributions, and some goes to family, friends and social service agencies. I read and visit friends in winter, plus spend time on the internet and do some social activities, in addition to doing a number of volunteer activities, including income tax preparation for low-income folks, a service offered by one of the churches with which I'm involved, in early spring. I learned to live fairly frugally while growing up, and had some additional lessons in that game while helping refugees get re-established in Korea following the Korean War. One of the jolly and heavily involved men at church says that he likes to have me park my car next to his somewhat older one ... for it makes his look good. Never mind - it gets me where I want to go and brings me home (most of the time). I'm thankful to be physically, mentally and emotionally able to get myself out of various issues that come up from time to time. My rent here on the farm is rather low (I have to carry my water for drinking and most cooking ... but I've done that before, so it's not a burdensome chore) and I figure that I can continue to live here as long as I am able to drive my car. I've said for some time that it seems to me to make a lot of sense for up to half a dozen old folks, when they come to the time when looking after their place becomes a burden, to share a house. Living alone doesn't exactly make for interesting conversation. Intellectual stimulation helps to keep Alzheimer's at bay, I've heard. Shared chores are more fun than doing them all by one's lonesome ... and the extra hands would mean that they were much less onerous that in one's own digs. Not only that - the reduced costs of household including operation would mean that they could hire heavy cleaning, etc. done. If someone were to fall over with a problem ... there'd be others on hand to provide or summon help ... and no doubt they'd know whether they could take care of it ... or should call the family caregiver ... or call 911: right now! There'd be a large reduction in costs over maintaining each individual home ... and certainly over the costs involved in entering either a residential or a nursing home. Interesting discussion, today. And there's more info over on the "Retirement" forum, if anyone wants to consider other facets of the situation. ole joyfuelled

My DS was 6-7 and home from school sick in bed. We had a snow and everything was covered and freezing cold outside. DS called me into the bedroom and told me to look out at the bird on the telephone wire. The poor thing looked like he was frozen to the wire, but apparently not because after a while as we watched, he appeared to fall to the ground. DS asked me to go see what was wrong with the bird. So of course I bundled up, put on boots and gloves and went out on rescue. I brought the bird in and we could see that he had a grain of corn stuck in his throat. I managed to dislodge it and he was then ready to go. I let him out the door and he flew away. I've forgotten many of the things DS did to aggravate me, but I still remember that day when he had to know that one bird was helped. He is still like that, very caring. Sue

I was in a motorcycle accident as a passenger when I was 19 years old. We were going around a sharp curve and the pickup coming towards us was towing a canoe trailer. The trailers fender hit my leg and threw me off the motorcycle and I landed in the street. I didn't realize I was hurt and tried to get up ,I looked at my foot when I couldn't stand right and it was facing backwards ! I had broken my leg in three places. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks. A second accident happened as my DD and I sat first in line at a stop light and the vehicle behind us didn't stop. He rammed into us,- we had a small station wagon- and the impact pushed us into the intersection.Luckily no one else hit us and we were not injured, but totaled the car. In the worst one, i had turned left onto a street and a car pulled out of a side street towards me. She had this HUGE boat of a car. i had a Chevy sprint a little car. She was headed right towards me and there was no where for me to go- there were kids waiting for a schoolbus, so I had no where to swerve. She hit me driverside headlight to driverside headlight head-on. I was pinned in the car. Totalled that one too. I had just made the last payment. It had been my first ever new car too ! I was admitted to the hospital, but was released with bruised knees. I am a firm believer in seat belts. We joke about it now, but since both cars were blue, my DH say's no more blue cars for you !