Frump to Fab 2019 - Here We Go Again

Moll

Sugarbaby Good luck with the assessment , hope you get the results you want xx


I had to have my medical assessment for my Personal Independence Payment application yesterday. I should have a decision from the DWP within 4 weeks.

humptydumptybits

Had a lovely bouquet delivered and went out to eat, nothing fancy just our favourite beach cafe. It was lovely, sat outside which is sheltered with high glass walls so no wind but a lovely view. Will be even better next week with the lighter nights. Sitting out on a pleasant late afternoon with nice food and a fabulous view is great, as a kid I was lucky if I got to the seaside for a week a year and now it is on my doorstep every day. Sometimes we just go and have a cuppa, if my husband isn't well enough to go I sometimes go and sit there with a latte and a good book that ends up unread as watching the waves is more fascinating not to mention the windsurfers and swimmers.



The only thing spoiling it was a very noisy dog with a very annoying owner who kept threatening to take it back to the car if it didn't stop howling and barking. It was hard to decide which one was worse but I think it was probably the owner.

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies.

And another lovely day.:D. Gardening today. Going to pop to Asda first though.

I think retirement can be quite an adjustment. I have met quite a few people who have struggled to adapt. My dad was a case in point. He only finally gave up work in his early 80s to become my mum's carer or he would have gone on till he dropped. :rotfl: even after mum died and he was pushing 90 he used to say he would like to "do something". Instead he did a fair bit of fund raising for SSAFA, a charity which helps ex service personnel and their families. .

Although I haven't done any paid work for an employer since 2006 I don't really see myself as typically "retired". I'm just too busy. . I see myself as more of a "seniorpreneur", with my sideline hustles and my projects. Part of a fast growing trend apparently.

That is people who retired from their 9 to 5 (or whatever careers) but who continue to "dabble" - for want a better word. And that can be anything really, from consultancy to starting up a little business. It also encompasses unpaid work and volunteering. Some do both, sort of "portfolio working".

I think a lot of people do miss the structure of their previous day to day whilst some people also miss social contact. TBH I don't miss either. I much prefer the flexibility now and I certainly don't miss the "general public". :rotfl: Travelling abroad, taking clients to view houses, entertaining clients, living in hotels might sound glamourous but.......... the novelty soon wore off. :rotfl:

Now I can do as I please, when I please. I have thought of going back to work but the thought of winter in a cold and drafty show complex in the U.K. holds very little appeal. And of course, no commuting. Bliss.

Like many of you I do like to keep my brain working as well as keeping my body active. Without wishing to sound pretentious I do like to read academic books that some might find rather dry and dull and I tend to watch a lot of documentaries, as well as the fun stuff. Well to me learning is still fun.

Like the sound of that "Moving Pictures" thing, Maman. I'll look out for that. Bruegel pictures can be quite scary. My youngest son found them very frightening when he was little and I couldnt play Carmina Burana when he was around - it terrified him. Bless his cotton socks, he always did have a vivid imagination.

Hope you all have a lovely Mother's Day........and don't forget if you are not a mum then be sure to "Mother Yourself". :rotfl: Treat yourself to something nice. Just because.

Moll and SUgarbaby......hope your assessments goes well for you.

Right time to brave ASDA.

humptydumptybits

I suppose I'm not properly retired, I do my bit of consultancy, I have an online business connected to previous career which is doing OK, I used to do volunteering at local primary school (reading projects with children who were struggling) but I stopped that last July. Of course my main role is DHs carer.



I don't feel like I'm doing anything though, I'm always looking at jobs and thinking about applying. I think I just don't feel my age and I'm almost guilty at not doing enough. Catholic guilt, you've got to love it.


My other strange quirk is I don't like doing housework during 9 - 5. I worked from 15 to 61 and had to fit all that stuff into the evenings so I will be relaxing or out and about in the day and vacuuming, spring cleaning cupboards etc in the evening. Housework is just an evening thing to me and I will maybe do some shopping, prepare meals during the day but come about six o'clock and I'll decide the bathroom needs doing or I must vacuum the house. I think it's a Pavlov's dog thing and I am so well programmed I can't change it. Of course the flexibility of retirement means it doesn't matter if I want to do my ironing at midnight and read my book at 10 am.

FrankieM

I would love to be retired..though I'm aware I need to fill my days/life with things until I get to the point that I can't really fit work in. In that I really mean working for someone else.

My ideal would be to have enough side hustles, bringing in enough money to go part time (at the very least) in 5 years or so.

My pavlov's dog works very differently humpty. After years of being at home with children, as soon as work is done I've got my pjs on and I struggle to motivate myself to do anything.

I'm even up at the crack of dawn but spend my mornings before work online. I've not figured out how to use my time outside of paid work very productive.

I decided that one of the things I would add this month is looking at joining a choir so I signed up for a tester at my local rock choir, not realising that the first date available was the 1st May, so that doesn't count for this month...

I've covered up the greys this morning. I'm getting a bit tired of doing it every 2 weeks so I'm going to have to look at a better long term solution. I'm thinking of biting the bullet, stripping the colour out of my hair, seeing how grey I am and then getting it dyed to match. But that also feels very hard core at 45!

lessonlearned

Ah catholic guilt......tell me about it. :rotfl:

Actually I think a strong work ethic is a good thing. There are some societies where there are a very high proportion of centanarians, Okinawa for example, that have no concept of retirement. They don't even have a word for it. There seems to be evidence that work is actually good for us....:rotfl:

I think the concept of "retirement" is very different today, than it was say even 30 years ago, when my dad retired.

We are all living longer, and most retirees of my acquaintance (unless they have serious health issues) are actually very active and generally healthier than perhaps our Parents generation were. And of course there are fewer manual jobs that require brute physical strength so in theory people can work for as long as they wish.

There are exceptions of course, there are still professions where you do have to retire at a given age. My BIL was an air traffic controller in the RAF. He had to retire at 55 at the latest, he retired at 52 and became a maths teacher. Same I think with fire officers, etc. My friend retired as a fire officer at 50. He now has a couple of businesses, including being a model. (He's very handsome):rotfl:

I think the correlation between work and longevity and good health is fascinating. Theres currently a lot research into this.

I have noticed that more and more early retirees do go on to have second and even third careers and/or start up a businesses.

Gotta dash. Have a great day, y'all.

lessonlearned

Frankie. I was like you. I got to the stage that my hair just wouldn't hold a colour, not even if I had it done at the salon. I'd be lucky to get two weeks. In the end I gave in gracefully and now it's white.

Tbh everyone else seems to love it although I have to say I would love to have some colour in it, but it just won't take. Hey ho.

humptydumptybits

Frankie I'm glad I'm not the only Pavlov's dog. It is hard to break habits isn't it.



I'm going to get my hair coloured when I get it cut. I've always done it myself but decided to treat myself for the wedding. It will be interesting to see if it is worth the money (and it isn't cheap) but not sure what I will do if it is worth it as I can't see me spending that sort of money on myself on a regular basis. I can see from the roots that it is white at the front but the rest is very dark, it would look awful if I just let it go so roll on white hair all over and I'll just go with that. I might be disappointed as my grandfather had jet black hair in his 80s with just a bit of white at the front so at 65 I might have a bit of a wait.

silvasava

Interesting comments on working after 'retirement' as part of my full time job I had a qualification as an auditor and after I retired I worked for a market research company auditing various retail establishments. It was great as I could pick and choose. I've gradually let it peter out over the last 3/4 years as other interests have become more prominent. I've learnt to sail (but still consider myself a novice) and I volunteer a couple of hours a week at my local age concern helping people with their smart phones, tablets & laptops. I don't clean at night but we still have our main meal in the evening! Old habits die hard

eandjsmum

Interesting comments on retirement. I am 60 this year so wont get my state pension til I am 66, but I have asked my employer if I can only work 4 days a week, they agreed in principle but despite my asking I haven't got a new contract..

I would like some time to myself having worked all my life even when I had small children.

Anyway last week during my swimming lesson I learnt to tread water. I am also reading the Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society..

My weight has remained the same so I am going to try harder this week. I am still throwing out clothes and discovering forgotten treasures .
Humpty I am going to try the flax seed oil as my nails keep breaking.

Tomorrow maybe I will get to do some gardeni g today I was lazy as it was so nice to just sit and read in the sun.