Smile at every person that you meet - they'll wonder what you've been up to.

I do and sometimes strike up a conversation with a fellow waiting in line person. You'd be surprised how happy some of them are to share a thought with you. I think a lot of people go about just not having anyone to really talk to.

Happy New Year OJ!!

Same to you, Minnie - as I said, earlier, my Mom's name was Minnie.

Hope your New Year brings the fulfillment of some of your good dreams - and the initiation of some new ones.

Especially that involve helping folks make their way in this world.

ole joyful

Happy New Year, OJ.
I agree. Every day is a holiday and it doesn't matter if it's Monday or Saturday! :-)
Lu

Hope you all don't mind me popping in. I thought
retirement for my DH and me was the most wonderful thing in the world. We always said when we retired we were moving to a mountain in Arkansas and that is what we did. We worked harder than we ever did "working". But what glorious work. We moved in a mobile home,added a huge screened porch,regular roof and out buildings. Dug a well, septic tank, I've got city type water now. DH made a large veggie garden and i made raised flower beds all around our shady house. We camped in OK in early spring and fished for catfish. DH deer hunted in
the fall on our back 20acres joining the National Forest. Our 2 freezers were always full.

This lasted 15 yrs.without one regret,than my love,my DH passed 3yrs ago. Now i carry on untill i can join him.

Thanks for listening. Today is a hard day. My SIL died last nite in TX and because of weather I wont be able to go tell her goodbye.(funeral)

I guess i have a big case of "poor me". but gee everyone is leaving and leaving me behind.
vickie

Vickie, I'm so sorry to hear of your recent loss (of your sister)Don't worry about not getting to your sister. She knows and is carrying your love in her heart still as is DH.
there is still a lot for you to do so don't plan on leaving too soon. We are here even though the forum isn't too active. Have you visited The Kitchen Forum or the Sewing, Quilting, or mny other forums on the Home forum part of Garden Web. A lot of people to meet and have a cup of good cheer with.

Here is a link that might be useful: That Home Site! Forums - GardenWeb

Thanks Minnie for the link. I followed through and have injoyed these forums ever so much. One can not feel sorry for ones self long at the kitchen table. I also go to the pets and animal debates,and ozarks forums.
vickie

If you have any hobbies or even if you did but aren't active in them now there are a lot of craft forums including quilting and crocheting etc. Nice to read when you can't sleep at night!! On the Conversation side of the computer forum we play guessing games and they are fun come and sit a spell.. (when GW isn't slow as molasses tht is!!)

When something wasn't happening very quickly, one of my Dad's expressions was, "As slow as molasses in January".

And up here in the chilly realms - that was slow.

We had a part-barrel of molasses in our woodshed behind the house and sometimes, when the horse hay was especially dry, Dad would run some out into a pan, mix in some hot water, and spray it over the hay, to make it somewhat more palatable.

Don't remember whether I was ever accused of being that way - probably was.

We farm kids had lots of chores, cause the hired men went to war when it started, in '39 - when I was 10, and Dad had what in those days was quite a large farm. Kid brothers were younger, 7 and 5.

ole joyful

I'm strongly considering "retirement" for the very near future, and I'm (only) 52. Specifically, I'm considering leaving the high-stress occupation I've been in for the past 27.5 years. Not a formal retirement with annuity (I'd roll over the 401K into an IRA), just leaving my occupation.

But I'm not one to sit around, so I'll sign up for master gardener certification classes and maybe get a job in a bookstore or something else low-stress and enjoyable.... and be a financial burden to my DH.

Mary - Mary - land,

I hope that you enjoy your retirement.

Let us know if you find time hanging heavy on yuour hands - we'll likely be able to find some things for you to do.

A personal financial money management magazine here that carries no ads, is not slick and glitzy, had an article recently about a guy who retired at age 34.

He'd done so without bequests or other receipt of major outside asset, I gather.

Wrote a book, "Stop Working - Here's how *You* Can". So I guess he'll be making (a few) dollars from the sale of that (not from me, poor guy - [frugal] I borrowed a copy from the library).

He used to live in a resort on Georgian Bay (Great Lakes) but recently moved to a suburb of our capital city.

Enjoy your retirement, everyone.

ole joyful

I agree with everything said here. I think that we have all, as individuals been collectively sold down the river to get to the point where we have to consider whether we should or should not retire, if we have enough money to do so. We were not ever meant to work most of our days away, most of our lives, simply to continue existing doing the same working in order to keep existing. I am 50 and have never married... I'm not too good socially. But I have saved enough money now to retire, I believe. And I will enjoy the rest of my life... I hope at least another 25 or 30. Even though I live without any love in my life, I have plenty of activites to keep my mind engaged and curious. Over the past year, I have read a lot of books on retirement and what can do in that phase of one's life. This site also gave me some ideas:

Here is a link that might be useful: Retirement Joy - retirement advice etc

Not having to get up early in the morning to gulp down a hasty breakfast, then dash out into rush traffic. That traffic was getting meaner by the year just before I retired. Then at evening, having to endure the same traffic. Removing this stress has had a beneficial effect on my general health.

One great thing about retirement is to fulfill your dreams. Most people like myself work hard all their life for security to have enough to eat, live, survive and maybe put a few pennies in the bank for the future. I retired at 53 with a small pension and very little in the bank. I moved to the Dominican Republic from Canada and now have a new house, swimming pool, new wife; a baby girl and a baby boy do next month. IÂm now 66 years old and living life to the fullest.

If I become a Pop at 55 ... that means that I have to cope with a teen at 68 ...

... I think that I'd be choosing to go back to work!

ole joyful

Eating breakfast at any hour before noon.

Not having to drive into the sun in the morning and evening commute.

Not having to drive in the commuter traffic!!!

Avoidng the 'expressway' during the rush hour when it at times becomes a parking lot filled with surly drivers.

Shopping the big box grocery stores at 2 pm before the evening crowd arrives.

Having the freedom to visit a friend or relative within a 300 mile radius at a moments notice or whim during any part of the week.

Making daytime doctor and/or dental appointments.