Get a grip woman!

Karmacat

One thing that took a surprisingly long time for me to adjust to, when I retired, is that I don't *have* to be at home any more. As a self employed counsellor, I was nearly always in the house, either working with clients or making notes or doing business admin.



What are your day to day plans for the immediate future, do you need to do stuff in the house, or the garden, or catch up with people?

enthusiasticsaver

LOL. It is ok Suffolk I didn't take offence. In fact today I spent a few hours doing a puzzle as I am recovering from a bad cold and did not want to go out so slothful could very well apply to me today.

Having just finished my first year in retirement I vowed I was not going to fill every day as many new retirees do. I do a days childcare for my grandchildren and I have been up to visit my elderly mum more but apart from that my time is my own, except for DH of course who really does his own thing with us doing a few things together from time to time. I socialise a lot more with other retired friends, have done lots more walking rather than driving, spent more time on hobbies (and probably far too much on MSE) and go up the gym and pool much more regularly than when I was working. I also joined a new book club and will be joining U3A this year. Holidays, days out and gardening and housework plus playing my piano or reading also figure in there somewhere.

Time really does seem to fly so I can understand why people say they don't have time to work. The difference is that you get to choose how you spend it.

Suffolk_lass

Thanks both, I plan to do a variety of things really. It will start with a friend's funeral, sadly. We used to live next door but one and also worked together for a number of years. He was a reformed alcoholic and took great joy in having reestablished contact with his daughter and her family. I should see a number of former colleagues from a workplace I was very happy, and very much "one of the chaps". Hopefully I shall see some old friends.

My house and garden both need attention but most of all I want to get through my clothes mountain (work clothes in 6 sizes!) and pare back the Imelda Marcos collection of shoes. Some of these have never been worn!

There is a mountain of paperwork too. I hope to do a bit of a KC and spend a couple of hours in the garden, and a couple in the house most days when I don't have plans and intersperse it with walking a friend's dog (my friend has early stage Parkinsons and has lost her confidence, and the dog is almost spherical) and the dog of a neighbour whose wife died a year ago - he just needs a once a week supporter.

More fun things will come when DH finishes in July at the end of the school year but in the meantime I will leave a couple of days early when we go to Scotland and call in on friends en route, and DH will fly up and I will collect him en route, then in reverse a couple of days with my Mum, in Southern Scotland. I was considering going camping a day or two earlier than normal too but DH finishes and retires then and I think I should be on hand to drive him home.

Rather than start by signing up to lots of things I will just let the dust settle a bit, I think (I might even decide what I want to do when I grow up!) - and there is the possibility of some consultancy, but we shall see.

Karmacat

Sorry to hear about your friend, SL, but the rest of it sounds wonderful.

Busy_Mee1

I am loving reading about your retirement plans - it all sounds great. As you know I plan to retire in the next couple of years so it is interesting to see how others have made that transition.

I have started playing a little game with myself on a Sunday, trying to think what I would do in the following week if I was retired. I can always think of things

Suffolk_lass

I do feel sorry about my friend but I have heard he had a stroke a year or more ago and to some extent, it was his time. Given the state he was in as an alcoholic - lost his family, home and much self respect, I plan to celebrate his life - the extra 30 years he had by not dying from alcohol deserves that, and I hope we can all celebrate the person he became (doting grandfather, wonderful father, hilarious friend) after he beat it.

Suffolk_lass

Busy_Mee1 wrote: »

I am loving reading about your retirement plans - it all sounds great. As you know I plan to retire in the next couple of years so it is interesting to see how others have made that transition.

I have started playing a little game with myself on a Sunday, trying to think what I would do in the following week if I was retired. I can always think of things

I wish I had done that... I have splashed out on a mock-moleskin book in Morries (nothing if not alliteration) for £3 and it has become my little bullet planner. I recommend this little indulgence - the elastic strap allows me to use it for my shopping lists and find the right page when rummaging in the SM so works on all sorts of planning levels.

Just delivered lunch in the Village - only 22 out of the 27 supposed to come but thanks to two pots of fridge soup (my friend made Leek and Potato, I made carrot with leeks, onions and celery, and (ahem) chilli flakes :whistle:), served with some posh breads and butter and a variety of puddings (that my friends bought for New Year that were still lurking, unopened in my fridge) - we delivered 22 lunches for £13 plus the hall hire of £22. At our low charge we made enough profit to create a 2019 float too!

- Both the "girls" I worked with today are excellent fun and it makes it so easy - both are retired and able to offer direct experience. I think the thing (I have already heard) is that people ask what you do and you say "I'm retired!" and they assume that means nothing, because they (and I, currently, I suspect) define people by what they do at work. I may have to beat that our of myself and answer "damage", "mischief", "live the dream" or something similar, when people ask in future :T:T

Busy_Mee1

I love the sound of your lunch club. You can really see the benefits of your volunteering and contribution. I think I would enjoy something similar rather than the committee work I already do.

One of the things my recently retired friend has struggled with has been the loss of status and the change in attitude of people when you tell them you have retired. I like the sound of "living the dream "

enthusiasticsaver

We talked about loss of status in my pre retirement workshop. Some people struggle with it but it does not bother me. I just say I retired early and do lots of different things living life to the full. Anyone who values people according to what job they do or what level they reached is not the sort of person I would spend time with anyway. Very superficial way of judging people. I avoid committees like the plague but am happy to do voluntary work.

Suffolk_lass

Right. Marmalade made this weekend - I simmered the fruits, chopped up into fours for around 3 hours last night then discarded the pips and chopped everything else up and boiled with sugar this morning. In the end I added a couple of packets of pectin as it just wasn't going to set. It is a lovely amber colour now and in jars - loads of them!

All the decs are away and it is bare and dark without them. I have kept my white tea-light lantern out and a string of LEDs on a battery to brighten a vase