Retirement – Now What?

 Boomer Relationships  1 Response »
Aug 242010
 

The time has come.  Retirement age.  All kinds of implications for you if you are the one contemplating retiring and for your spouse/partner if they are still working.  If you have been together for many years, how will it be with one being home all day and one still working?  How will it be if you are both retiring at the same time?  I’m surviving my spouse’s retirement quite well because I still go to work every day.  That’s one way.  Another way is to get reacquainted with your spouse/partner.  You can “court” each other again – you know – put on your best manners in an effort to be “personable” again.  On the other hand, home is where you can be yourself and be accepted for who you are.  Now that you have the freedom to do what you want, why isn’t that OK?  Well it depends on how well you and your spouse/partner have worked at your relationship over the years.  Some do a better job than others.  Which one are you?

Relationships are tricky and rewarding at the same time.  How is your communication?  Could you benefit from brushing up on your communication skills?  How well do you listen to your better half?  Or do you “tune ‘em out”?  There’s a saying about the three most important things to look for when buying a house/property – Location, Location, Location.  In relationships there are three very important things to have in place – Communication, Communication, Communication.  So start talking to your spouse/partner about how you feel, what you would like and then shut up and listen to your partner/spouse as they share the same things with you.  Listening is an art and it takes concentration to remember to close the mouth and open the ears.  Until later – Tikki

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 Posted by tikki at 11:46 am  Tagged with: ,

And So It Begins

 Boomer Politics  No Responses »
Aug 232010
 

For the past several months we have already been inundated with political announcements, ads etc.  Once the primary season ended here, the ads let up a bit.  Well – it is about to heat up again as we get closer to the fall elections.  Our County Fair (a very small fair by any standard) had the usual political booths – one for the Dems and one for the Republicans (is there a nickname for them?).  We have an interesting race shaping up for County Attorney though.  The two candidates both had a booth and did their best to convince county citizens they were the best one for the job.  The next group to start campaigning are those running for school board and for city council positions.  It has occurred to me on more than one occasion, how fortunate we are to have anyone who wants to run for these positions.  Generally these position are pretty much non-political.  Politics comes into play when someone is running for a state or national office.

These days it does not take too long to figure out where one’s political “bent” lies.  What is a challenge is to have a nice, political, respectful discourse with anyone who does not agree with you.  Usually, if I sense they do not believe as I do, I keep my mouth shut and just listen.  To do otherwise is inviting trouble.  How did we get to this place?  How did we get to this point where disagreement means “bad”?  To serve in government used to be something awesome and that young people aspired to – where and when did that change so drastically?  I’m not sure I would want to run for even the Dog Catcher position anymore (it doesn’t exist in our town so I am safe in saying that)!

What do you think?  Have we “lost it” as a society already?  I sure hope not – for the sake of our grandchildren and their children.

Tikki

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 Posted by tikki at 9:32 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Airlines – Who Needs ‘Em

 Boomer Travel  No Responses »
Aug 232010
 

Always something when you travel.  Several months ago, we decided to get our plane tickets for next February for our trip to Mazatlan, Mexico.  A bit early – but at least it got done.  The price was right and it seemed a good idea to “buy now” before prices went up.  Well – prices have not gone up so that’s good.  But – we got a “glitch” nonetheless.  We were informed by our travel agent that the airline canceled our return flight and we had two choices:  1) – rebook the entire trip or 2) – come back a day later.  Now I have to admit the prospect of having to stay in Mazatlan permanently because we had no way back was intriguing at first – but we would miss seeing the grandchildren so we had to make a choice.  Let’s see – Rebook the entire trip – not promising and 2 – staying an extra night in Mexico – in February – what’s not to like about that?  So we are coming back a day later – bummer to have to spend another day in paradise but we will struggle through it.

So now we have had several of our friends ask us why Mexico with all the violence there.  Most of the violence in centered along the border but there are instances of that elsewhere in Mexico – even in Mazatlan.  Where we stay is quite far from the main part of the city.  Mazatlan is a big, growing city.  It is the shrimp capitol of Mexico, the home of Pacifico Beer, the Vanilla Bean etc.  Tourism is a growing part of commerce in that city.  The residents there recognize the value of tourism and go out of their way to treat tourists well.  Are we afraid to go there?  Absolutely not.  Part of that is also knowing where you are going and how to travel smartly – be aware of your surroundings and make wise choices about where and when you go out etc.  We have traveled to Mazatlan since 1988, going every other year so we know our way around, who to buy from and where to shop.  We stay in the same place every time – it’s actually a timeshare we own there and we love it.  We know the staff and they know us.  We highly recommend Mazatlan to anyone looking for a nice warm place in the winter.

As to the Airlines – this time it worked out OK.  But….

Tikki

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 Posted by tikki at 9:17 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Dogs and More Dogs

 Boomer Pets  No Responses »
Aug 232010
 

Dogs and More Dogs

Well I knew it would be too good to be true or to last.  On Friday the 13th of August, we put one of our three dogs down due to age, poor eyesight and hearing and questionable health.  Down to two dogs and perhaps not so much barking, less food to buy, less dog hair etc. etc. etc.  There must be something about the number 3 relative to dogs in this house.  Last Friday, August 20th, we inherited our daughter’s dog, Daisy.  She moved into a place where she could not keep her dog.  Since we have Daisy’s brother, Elvis, and have had Daisy before, it was just natural that Daisy would become part of our family again.  And Daisy hasn’t missed a beat since her return – she knows the ropes and has adjusted nicely here.  Both Daisy and Elvis are Bassett Hounds, about 4 years old, from the same litter.  I have to say though Daisy is slightly more trained than Elvis in the social graces.  It’s just my humble opinion but she doesn’t jump on you as much, doesn’t bark as much etc.  The fact that she is just about as wide as she is tall may account for the “not jumping” part though.  Her brother Elvis is much leaner and seems to have a bit more energy too.  They both have the characteristic long ears – and the ear infections that go along with this breed.

Our other dog, Lucky, has adjusted too.  Lucky, the Beagle, loves to play and Daisy loves to play as well.  Elvis, although he likes to play, is sometimes a bit too aggressive with another dog, other than Daisy of course.  So we never leave him alone with Lucky unless we are supervising.  Dogs have been a part of our lives throughout our 46 years of marriage.  The kids grew up with them.  They have always been in the house and a part of the family – “children with fur” as I refer to them.  They are always glad to see you come home, they snuggle up with you perhaps when you need someone to do that to you, and they never walk away from you.  Cats are another story though.  I have never been a cat person but I have a good friend who is and she would never have a dog.  Dogs have owners – Cats have staff :0)!

What makes a pet important in one’s life?  What does a pet provide for you?  Something to ponder?

Tikki

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 Posted by tikki at 8:56 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Death

 Boomer Health and Fitness  No Responses »
Aug 182010
 

August 18, 2010

Death

This past weekend I attended my class reunion in the Twin Cities.  On Friday morning, my husband took our poochies out to the doggie motel (the Vet’s).  One of our dogs, Princess (a Corgi mix), age 13 has been looking rather poorly the past month or so.  We knew her hearing and eyesight were going and she was losing hair by the handfuls and now losing weight as well.  We made the decision to put her down and she went peacefully.  She was ready, even if we were not.  It was good we were out of town all weekend.  As with our past dogs, we had her cremated and now have her ashes alongside the others who have gone before her – she is now home for good.

We did not talk of her much over the weekend but we did on the way up to the Cities and the way home – from time to time (a 3 hour drive one way).  We have a very good relationship with the Vet’s in town.  They are very sensitive to the death of a family pet.  Sure enough – there in the mail Monday was a sympathy card from the Docs at the Veterinary Clinic.  It’s a nice touch.  We still have our other two dogs, Elvis and Lucky.  They are both under 6 years of age so we do not anticipate having to go through this again for several more years.

The Class Reunion – it was great fun seeing my old friends who were actually friends in High school.  The rest are still the same – I think the name of the movie is “The Way We Were” :0)!  The surprise for me was the loss of a classmate whom I knew quite well and always spent time with at each previous reunion.  And the announcement of another classmate battling with the aftereffects of Agent Orange from Vietnam – and losing that battle.  He was part of our neighborhood group throughout Junior High and part of High school (until that license came along at age 15 and allowed for expansion of one’s horizons – literally) :0)!  Time marches on and there will be more deaths as we age.  As I looked around the room on Friday night, I saw only old people and realized I was one of them.  I do not see myself as “old” but I am – with the grey hair to prove it.  But I still have all my teeth – YEA!

I’m very proud of myself because I did not overeat during the weekend, even though there was always food present.  I did not gain an ounce all weekend.  Of course once home, well – that’s another story.  So how do I deal with this relapse?  It does not mean I am a failure.  It means I made a mistake and now I have to get back on the bandwagon and start monitoring my weight again – every day, all day.  My husband and I went for a walk last night and again today, before supper.  I have a little pedometer that I have in my pocket all day long so we measured how far we walked on our walking path.  About 6/10ths of a mile.  Today we took Elvis and he was poohed by the end of the walk.  I was hoping the walking path we use would have been a mile.  So now I have to figure out how I can get in a mile every day.

My next appointment for the Lapband is Tuesday September 7th early in the AM.  I hope I can register more weight loss at that appointment.  I’m guessing I will need another fill at that appointment.  That should facilitate some more weight loss.  I tried on an outfit I have not been able to wear for 3 years – AND – it fit so I wore it today.  Will do that again tomorrow.  Makes me feel good about what I have done and what I hope to continue doing – losing more weight.  Until later – Tikki

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 Posted by tikki at 9:23 pm  Tagged with: , ,
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