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Retirement update!

Hello everyone!  I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas!

I haven’t written for a while – trying out this new journey!  I am now  2 ½ months into retirement!  I’m enjoying it immensely, and I really feel that my brainstorming prep I discussed in earlier blogs has helped make this transition smoother and more productive for me.    So, hopefully that is encouraging for you to start/continue your brainstorming of ideas you want to do, both during your future or current retirement AND also during your pre-retirement years, too!

I have begun some of the things from my brainstorming list that I talked about in my early blogs.  I have joined a once-a-month book club in my neighborhood, and met more of my neighbors than all 18 years we have been here together!  Dave and I still do our morning Bible reading, but we now have more time to talk about it, and look further into questions we have!  I have gotten more involved at my church in things I wanted to do, such as participating in a Bible study that meets during the day which I couldn’t do before.  I am also continuing to lead the Bible study that I had previously taught.  I have started meeting with a young woman who is interested in creating events where women can meet to share their talents with each other.  We are working together on one that will provide teaching on a craft skill as well as encouraging women in the “lost art” of note writing.  It should be a fun and fruitful time for women to gather together!

At times, however, I feel like I haven’t done nearly the number of things from my brainstorming list that I expected to by now.  As I discussed in a previous blog, though, I do not want every minute filled with planned activity;  while I like to have some structure, I also want time to contemplate, meditate, and be spontaneous.  So, I am coming to terms with myself for not achieving everything in my list yet.  My hope is to have many wonderful years of retirement during which I can accomplish my list as well as any other additions to it!  I fully expect to keep brainstorming, learning, growing and adding to my list!

Other things I have done is met with friends for lunch, had quiet nice times with my hubby, and have scheduled one-on-one times with my daughters!  One other thing I have started doing, however, is working on my long-term health.  My husband, at my request, has started being my personal trainer.  He has always been active in training himself through exercise and weights, and he has developed a program that will work for me and is very patient in working with me.  We are able to do much of this at home, but we also go to a recreation center which has a Silver Sneaker program that he qualifies for, and a senior discount program that I qualify for.  We have scheduled ourselves to go once a week to this outside recreation center for activities we can’t do at home.  We can both tend to be home bodies, so it is good for us to have a regular time to go somewhere else, and it is fun to have access to other equipment, pool and classes.

And surprise to me — I have also begun learning more about writing using speech recognition software!  I mostly wrote this blog entry using it!  Who knew?  LOL!

So, that is my current status update on my retirement progress.  The rubber is now meeting the road!  I am excited to continue to see my progress, and to encourage you to do the same!

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!  Let’s all make our 2019 be filled with exciting new goal accomplishments from our brainstorming list!  It is very empowering!

Take care, Mary

Thankful!

Welcome everyone!

Today, in honor of both the season and my own feelings, I am writing about THANKGIVING.

I have now been retired about 6 weeks. It has been amazing, and one of the things I have realized during this time is how truly thankful I am for so many blessings; For being able to retire at all. For my husband, daughters, granddaughters, home, extended family. For this beautiful world we live in. For our protections and freedoms in our country, (which we need to make sure to preserve). For my faith. For Jesus, my Savior and Lord. For the freedom to say and practice that. For my church and my church family.

These things have always been dear to me, but now I feel like I am seeing them more clearly. I take a bit of time to think about them more often now. I realize that not everyone has all of these blessings, but if we take time to think, we all can probably realize at least some blessings we have. Blessings come in all types. Our life;  the opportunity to offer hope to others, thereby creating life and hope for ourselves. Our family and friends, our ability to work towards positive change in our lives.

The key, I think, is to recognize this opportunity, and not feel that we are always at the mercy of difficult circumstances. There is always something not perfect, or even close to perfect in each of our lives – but there is always hope, always life, always opportunity, for as long as we are on this earth. I am thankful for all of these that God has given me!

I pray you all have a Thanksgiving season full of peace and hope and love, recognizing and being thankful for whatever blessings are yours!

  Take care, Mary

I’m Retired!!

Welcome everyone! Glad to see you again!

As I write this, I have just completed my actual first week of retirement! Exciting, and slightly surreal that it finally came to pass!

In my August 25 post, I talked about what I wanted my first real retirement day to look like! Well, it turned out PRETTY much as I hoped! I wanted to take a walk with my husband and crazy dog in our neighborhood…however, rain/snow and rural dirt roads are not a good mix, and I was afraid my shoes would each weight 50 pounds when I got back home with mud on them, so no walking that day or that week…BUT otherwise, the first day was a lovely freedom celebration! We went to the coffee shop, I had my green tea latte, worked on my Tuesday upcoming Bible study lesson, talked to my husband, chatted with the owners of the shop and had a lovely time!

I also asked my husband to start my personal training, and using a program from the Total Gym, he started me on my way! I am doing 6 days a week on that, with a different set of exercises every day, demonstrated by my sweet hubby, and that is going well! In fact, I just finished my day 6 routine!

I did have some interesting observations about myself this first retirement week, though! First is that, on about Wednesday evening, a fleeting thought crossed my mind that, well, my week off is more than half over, make the best of it, back to work next week! Then, WAIT, this isn’t vacation, it’s retirement! LOL! Also, one day I tried to use my work login for my home computer! OY! Old habits apparently die hard!

I am still a list maker because, as I have told you earlier, I still have a need for some structure, and I have some specific things I still need/want to accomplish. I noticed I started my first list with “Monday” – then, like most “to do” lists, at least for me, not everything gets accomplished on that one day and I felt a bit of angst about what didn’t get done. THEN I realized, I don’t HAVE TO DO IT ALL on Monday! THAT was a very freeing thought!

A very enjoyable first retirement week for me! Things accomplished, things done on a whim and some down time! I like it!

I read an article this week that I downloaded entitled “19 TIPS FOR AN AMAZING ‘RETIREMENT LIFE’” by Cyn Meyer, Founder of Second Wind Movement (http://secondwindmovement.com/about-cyn-2/). I will likely discuss some of that in later blogs because it was very interesting and follows some of what my blog is all about. But I believe the overarching theme of the article is that we need to prepare to live our retirement years (AND, as per my earlier blogs, ALL of our life), “with intention.” I think you might enjoy checking out this website!

Take care…I hope you are working on your lists (see my earliest blogs if you aren’t sure what that means) and preparing to live your life both NOW and in your retirement with joy, purpose and intention!

Have a great day!
Mary

Last days surprises!

Hello! It has been a couple of weeks since I posted while I have been busy finishing up projects at work!

But then, I have to admit, I got to go on an award trip from my work just before my retirement date, and I am writing this from Costa Rica! I am truly blessed! So complaining about a few crazy last weeks just doesn’t seem right! LOL!

We have never been to Costa Rica before and are finding it is absolutely beautiful! The resort is amazing and the customer service superb – check out the Four Seasons at Papagayo in Guanacaste if you can! We will be having a company dinner one night but otherwise, we are free to make arrangements to do whatever we please. Dave is diving today (and yesterday too) and he said it was an amazing dive. We hope to go deep sea fishing and have arranged a couple of other tours- one at the Palo Verde National Park including a river boat cruise, and one at the Monteverde Cloud Forest – it has suspension bridges to keep you high up in the cloud forest, so wish me luck! Better for me at least than ziplining, though, which is also available. They also have a hummingbird and butterfly sanctuary – I am sure it will be fantastic!

It has been nice to ratchet back for a few days from the craziness of trying to finish up at work. It was funny, though, when other work folks started arriving (we actually came a few days earlier than the group), I started having work-related dreams again – OY! I found that some folks who don’t work at my home office didn’t realize I was retiring, so that shocked them to hear it. Lots of facets to this trip!

When I get back, I will have one more week! WOW! I have to admit, I know how to go out in style, don’t I? LOL! Amazing trip, fabulous life experiences throughout my career (plus of course, a few not-so-fabulous ones, but who wants to remember those?!) AND great expectations for my new sunRISE ahead!

Can’t wait!

See you next time – probably after my retirement is actually effective!

Whoohoo!
Mary

Final preparations!

Hello!

In my last posting I talked about my plans for my first day of retirement – very exciting to me, just because I want to celebrate the freedom that day will represent to me, even though the actual activities I have in mind for that first day are pretty low-key! But now, back to current realities!

I am now less than 30 calendar days from my retirement date! It has been getting more real all along, but I have to admit now it is SO VERY real, after what seems like a very long time in planning and anticipation. Here are several of my reactions to my now-imminent reality:

1) YEAH! That light is very bright now! FINALLY!

2) WOW – how can I get these last few projects done in these very few working days that are left?

3) SO many emotions, including excitement, relief, a bit of sadness to leave behind this phase of my life, excitement and anticipation of the upcoming NEW phase of my life, and determination that all of these ideas that have been floating around in my brain, and that I have been writing about, will actually come to fruition.

My pastor’s sermon today at church was from the book of James, Jesus’ brother, and the sermon series is entitled “Rubber Meets Road” – that sermon was very pertinent to me in this phase of life…not just related to how I implement my retirement, BUT in making sure that I grow in my faith during this new phase of my life! That goal is in my list, as I have indicated in prior blogs, and today’s sermon confirmed for me that retirement is not a phase to slow down in my faith growth, but a grand opportunity to grow it even more, and to help others in their growth! Check it out at https://www.encompass.church

As I finish up these last few weeks, I may not post each week…it is amazing how many details need to get worked out now, both finalizing work, finalizing finance arrangements, and preparing to begin my new journey! Please keep me in your prayers as it all comes together…and in the meantime, be sure to take the opportunity to work on your own dreams and goals, and write them down in your journal/list, so that you are preparing yourself for both your NOW and your future retirement sunRISE!  And remember, this is an ongoing process as we live life, and realize new things we want to be part of our present or future!

Talk to you again soon!
Mary

Anticipation!

Welcome!

Since my retirement is coming up just around the bend, I have been spending even more time thinking about what my first retirement week will really look like. I am so excited to make it really mine!

We live in a rural area and have lovely walking opportunities even within our neighborhood of houses that are rather spread apart…including some animals to look at along the way. As I have worked through the years, I have often, I confess, felt rather jealous when I saw women out early, walking either with friends or by themselves, just enjoying themselves. I have wistfully wished I could have time to do that, and not have to be rushing off to work. SO, while it isn’t exactly the most amazing, stimulating, retirement activity for my first retirement “former” work day, I intend to go walking with my husband with our crazy dog, and just enjoy the neighborhood and the freedom!

Then, back home, perhaps off to a local coffee shop in our small nearby town, linger over a book and a coffee or green tea latte, then have a leisurely rest of the day at home!

Sound exciting? LOL! I think it does, because I just want that first day especially to represent my new found freedom and new sunRISE! The rest of the week will probably have more to it…a Tuesday women’s Bible Study; writing more blog posts; begin fitness training with my husband who I have asked to be my trainer (since one of my major goals is to get into better health and fitness); working out a routine with him of jointly cooking meals; hopefully trying new recipes (though Dave has done a GREAT job over this first year of his retirement of cooking dinners most weekday evenings and trying new and very tasty dishes!); and making a specific implementation plan for the ideas on my notebook list that we discussed in the beginning of this blog. (See May and June blogs if you haven’t heard about notebook lists! Good stuff!)

We have bigger plans for here and there down the road, including family time, planned travel, spontaneous day trips, classes, involvement at our church, etc., but I am excited that my first week will be one of quiet appreciation for the blessing of this new phase of my life!

Talk to you again soon!

Mary

Getting closer!

Hello everyone! I hope you are planning for wonderful sunRISES every day!

As you know by now, my time left at my job is definitely winding down. 7 more weeks to go! This is getting real, and I am SO excited!

At my work, we hopefully are homing in on hiring someone, so that is good and hopefully that will all take shape very soon. I am working hard on things that need to be wrapped up before I leave. I have communicated my retirement to a few customers who specifically need to know because of my relationship with them. I have started to box up some personal stuff and take it home…and I have started to recycle some old files that won’t be needed (and truth be told, I should have gotten rid of a while back…but I am a piler, and filing/paper clean up is not first on my priority list! Sigh…! Something I hope to do better once I am home!). My packing up has made my co-workers nervous and sad, however, so I don’t want to do too much that is totally obvious till it is almost time! They are all very sweet through this process with me, so I am very blessed by that!

Now THAT is all getting DEFINITELY real! LOL!

One other thing that is getting real is fully realizing that soon, I won’t be seeing/interacting with the people I work with every day anymore. I am realizing that is the part I will miss…because I truly consider some of those folks to be my friends, and we have all personally grown through working together. I will try to stay in touch with some of them, most definitely, but I know that the reality, in most instances, is that those contacts will become fewer and fewer as we all move on with our lives in each of our new “normals.”

This realization makes me a bit sad, and I know that is going to be what causes my last month or so to be more teary than it has been up to now. But, as we have talked about before, all of life changes have both positive and negative effects; but the positive ones I fully expect to be the greater side of that equation, since all of life is what WE make it, through the blessings of the Lord…so, onward toward my newest upcoming sunRISE!

Talk to you again soon!

Mary

Emotions

Welcome back…hope you are well!

Last time I talked about training my replacement and other practicalities. Today, I thought I would cover some of my changing emotions over this past 5 months back at work.

My excitement is really growing, and that is my overarching emotion at the moment. I still must be, and am, very engaged in doing my job, but that light that is getting brighter beckons strongly! As of date of this posting, only 2 more months to go!

However, as I have also been informing the broad group of folks I work for throughout my company, I have occasional unexpected tears when talking about it. I know that will increase toward my last month because I am generally a crier (sigh!), but also because, as with any change, there are both positives and negatives. Every change in life I suppose is composed of both of these! But I have to say that these few earlier episodes have taken me by surprise. I think it is because the reality of leaving many people I truly like is setting in.

But that being said, it is kind of funny how some folks have described this when they talk about my retirement… “Sailing off into the sunset.” While that is a very common phrase to describe retirement, somehow it just wasn’t what I wanted to call it for me. I asked them to start saying “Sailing off into the sunRISE” instead…because I definitely don’t see this as an ENDING for me, but a NEW BEGINNING full of a new day’s promise. They laughed, but actually thought it was a very good thought, so now that is what they say! I told my manager, who is much younger than me, that I felt it my duty to help them all look ahead to realize what their own retirements might look like! He thought that was pretty good! As I have tried to emphasize in these blogs, brainstorming and writing down your ideas of what you want to do and accomplish are important both for NOW and in your retirement years!

So, whether you are ready to retire or looking at it in the near or far future, think of every day as a new sunrise!

See you next time!

Mary

Back to real life

HI everyone!

This blog today is being actually WRITTEN about 5 months after my last blog, as opposed to my last blog being POSTED in July. I was in Roatan late Feb to early March…now I have been back at work for about 5 months, so first, as I write this current blog: a) I am less than 3 months from my retirement date now (YEAH!), and b) this blog and going forward will be written from the perspective of final preparations for actual retirement, and observations about myself and others in this time frame of final preparation for the big “R”!!

First, it is interesting to note how my perspective is different today, in July, even compared to that from being in Roatan. More experiences, actual announcement at work that I will retire in October, finalizing a few of the nitty gritty details, all makes this now EXTREMELY REAL! EXCITING, though I will admit, a little bit scary!

When I got back from Roatan, it was very much “business as usual” at work. I hadn’t finalized my actual retirement date yet, but my team knew it was coming up this year. We devised a plan for me to work with my successor, someone I had been working with for a few years already, to train with me to take over my job duties. From my return through June, we have really only been able to meet once a week for me to do a “download” of overall information. That has been necessary and good but was only really in preparation for her to actually “do” the work. She is still in deep throes of fulfilling her current job obligations, so time is limited. However, it is getting pretty real now; we have worked together on a few items, so she is starting to get her feet wet. She gets copied on everything and is getting to know the teams I work with, so that is all good. She will do great, and that is a relief to me, knowing I am leaving it all in good hands. Plus, she will have support from our larger team as well till she gets HER successor up and running!

A job posting was made to backfill for her position, and interviews have started. Hoping to find the right fit soon, so I can help her train that new position, AND get more in detail on training her for mine.

Lots of balls in the air!

With all of that, my team has been very supportive, very happy for me, but sad to see me go. I have been blessed with a wonderful team of co-workers! While I am definitely ready to leave the stress of the actual job behind, I will miss the people a lot! I want to leave them all as prepared as possible…and it has all been part of our team goals during this year. The new person in my job and her successor will put their own mark on things, which is a good thing, but of course, they all need to understand where to start! LOL!

Such is part of these final realities for me!

More observations and realities for me next time. For now, take care!

Mary

It’s about enjoyment

HI everyone!

Ok, one more from Roatan! Just as I finished up writing my last blog, I realized that I needed to mention one other lesson learned from my discussion with the resort managers which I talked about in my blog on July 14, 2018. And that is, he, as an engineering teacher, truly did love his job. He didn’t feel a need to retire to get away from it, and he probably would have kept on working for at least several more years at it if the extended opportunity to present fun, ecological seminars didn’t present itself.

His wife, however, was absolutely ready to retire when the opportunity presented itself. I understood from her reaction that she wanted to retire definitively and was very happy about this chance.

So, all this is to say, if you love your job and don’t want to or don’t have to retire, then you absolutely don’t have to! If retirement is all about doing what you want and what you love, and if you are already doing it, then there is no reason to change! When and if the time is right for whatever reason, you will be able to take the plunge at that time.

But if you definitely feel the tug to retire in the next few years, and if your finances will allow for it, I encourage you to start the process of planning for what is next! It is actually a fun and interesting process…with lots of discoveries ahead!

Of course, planning for the financially part is definitely important.  As I said in the beginning, I do not have retirement financial expertise and we relied on a financial planner significantly. If you have a 401(k) or other retirement plan at work, I recommend you talk to one of their advisors or seek private planners; but even if the money part is not ready yet, thinking ahead and implementing some of your desires for retirement now, even before your retirement,  pave the way.   There are lots of things you can start now to make things very enjoyable. Remember as we have said, the brainstorming and list making  we have talked about is great for helping to make both your NOW and THEN be what you want it to be!

Take care and happy planning! Come back next time when we will talk from the angle of being in the middle of work time still!

Mary