Rewards

Too bad I don't have a (nightmarish) Before Picture, but this is what happens when you are both retired and you ask your wife to help organize your shed.

And then this is what she does to reward you!

Seriously, Retirement is SO GOOD!

Retirement - is it Really Coming?

Lots of catching up to do!

Let's start with Mother's Day. Can you imagine how many Mother's Day cards there are available for sale? Let me just say that my retirement, added to Larry's retirement has not resulted in a single duplicate card.
Having said that, what do you suppose it means when I received the two cards shown below from two of my sons - one in NJ and one in VA. Doesn't sound too odd, I guess, until you realize that they feature a Mama squirel and her young son at the Dr's office and Mama is saying "I can't get him to stop playing with his nuts."

Inside they read, "Thanks for loving me, Mom, even during my squirrelly phase."

Yes, I received a beautiful necklace from Larry, Colleen, Larry 4 and Julia - as well as a fabulous luncheon with them and Colleen's mom and dad, and a traditionally beautiful card from Tina and Jessica too, but does it say something about me that I find the squirrelly cards just perfect?

And now for Retirement - is it really coming?

I love my husband. I really, really do.

I love him for everything he is and does and ever has been.

I ask God to bless him and to never depart from him.I even recognize that he needs all God's help in order to live with me! :)

That said..................

Tonight as I write this, I have come to the end of a month long preparation for a party aforesaid husband requested.

While I was still working, he retired - just about a year ago. He really wanted a retirement party. He loves parties. So do I. The difference is, I like to attend them. He likes to have them.

Well, no, really, I like to have them too. But I like small ones. I like parties where I get to sit with just a few dear ones (be they friend or family) and chat and enjoy. He likes mighty ones. He likes to have the noise and the commotion of a crowd. After all, he doesn't hear or notice most things anyway - that male way of focusing.I had a really difficult last year of employment and wasn't up to having his party. I promised I'd have it after retirement. Then I got sick - and it lasted too long. Because I wasn't breathing, the housekeeping was not kept up....I fell behind in so much.

Finally, I am paying up. Party day is just about upon us.

And I can barely move!

We've hauled stone, and dirt, and plants and mulch. Lar and our neighbor have built a new patio. The back yard is turning into something really restful and enjoyable and enticing. By the sweat of our collective brows. It started out looking like this.

I was seeing light at the end of the preparation tunnel. Lar was almost done with every last thing he thought he had to do outside and was nearly ready to come in and do the things I desperately needed help with inside.

And then the e-mail came - last night.

Either we go to the farmstead and do some work on our victory garden plot or we lose it. Like NOW!

So this morning by 8:30 AM we were there. Of course, he hadn't bothered to get the rototiller working. So this "donkey" stayed behind digging 25 foot rows (well, just 1 and 3/4 rows) by hand while he drove madly to the neighborhood garden center for fencing and some plants. We got the rows planted, the fencing in, and were home by 10:30. Team work at its finest. And no chance of losing our garden plot.

And now, I am finding it difficult to walk. I am hunched over. My abdomen and groin (sorry - TMI) are aching, and my arms are tingling. But party day is upon us...and then, can I even imagine...perhaps Retirement will begin. Probably not.

That was Friday. Then came Saturday - party day. All the amazing work done outside, we had little use of it all....rain on and off all day. But it really didn't seem to put much of a damper on the day...because Lar did a really decent job of the garage, lots of folks ended up utilizing that area - which is also where we had most of the liquid refreshments set up. And this house has an amazing capacity for party-ers....so it worked out well despite the weather.

We counted about 60 or 65 people in attendance and I have to say that somehow I managed to visit with most of them for a decent amount of time.

We were hoping folks wouldn't feel gifts were necessary, but people were very generous and we will be enjoying a number of meals, some books and lots of wine for months to come. I received a really lovely bracelet from Mike and Tina and Jessica, and Lar had received a beer of the month subscription from them as well.

I created our thank you cards and yesterday we mailed about 24 of them. I love the way they turned out. Started out with a saying I found by Thornton Wilder that really said what we felt.

Printed them and then each went into the ScrapBoss - a tool I have found really useful for scrapping and for card making.

And voila - an end result which was exactly what I was hoping for. Even embossed most of the envelopes to match.

Our caterer, Michael, did a phenominal job on the food - as always - and there were many compliments. He also, as usual, provided so much more food than was necessary that some folks left with dishes, and we have about 5 or 6 meals or more in the freezer. We love his food and hope he stays in business forever! I always forget how well he anticipates absolutely everything and anything we might need. http://cateringbymichaelnj.com/

Mike, Tina and Jessica stayed over night and as a result, we were able to visit long into the night with Larry's family and Mike's and then the next day they assisted in eating up some of the leftover food. Best of all, Mike's family got safely home.

I've been having somewhat of a pity party since Saturday because of the strain(s) in my abdomen and lower back...but each day seems to bring a bit of relief and today - Thursday - we got to the gym, had a soak in the hot tub and a swim and yet more relief is felt. I'll be very glad to see the end of it!

I am hoping to have some pictures to show from our wonderful, fun, loving party, but until then....I am getting this posted....and feel somewhat caught up!

Retirement

My last day at my desk. One more letter to edit.

Retirement. As they have been known to say, "tired, and retired." Wonder how long it will take before I stop thinking, even if only briefly, "it's almost Monday!" "Wish I had the time to....." I got an e-mail from a distant cousin on Thursday evening asking a long list of questions about family tree issues. First thought "when would I ever have time to research and answer all that?" Second thought "Now!" So I wrote them down and addressed most of them immediately.

Thursday was my last day at work. Friends had approached me about having a work place party and I said no. They asked some more and I got to thinking that it might be ungracious of me to say no. After all, I've made some dear friends at work and I remember when other coworkers didn't want anything...as their friend, I felt a bit cheated...wanted to show my friendship. So I relented.

I'm glad I did. I kept a grateful heart and had a chance to thank and hug, or hug and thank many who have given me good memories and some great laughs.

There was a badge cake - I never thought I'd see one with my ID# on it! And the weirdest feeling was that for the first time, after all the retirement parties we've had there, I wasn't the one hosting - cutting and serving - cleaning up. I felt quite odd, and a bit naughty! But I refrained and enjoyed.

With my two last bosses -

And waving farewell.

Question: "What Do You Plan To Do?"

ANSWER: Consider my possibilities!
SCRAPPING

MORE SCRAPPING!

BAKING

COOKING

GENEALOGY

QUILTING

PHOTOGRAPHY

SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH HUBBY

PIANO

TRAVEL

REST AND READ

SEW

GET FIT

And spend about an hour whenever I want to, just cutting up photos to spell out

P O S S I B I L I T I E S !!!!

Get the idea folks? I can't wait for retirement so I can get BUSY!!!!

New Year

The New Year, 2011 has certainly hit with powerful changes. In fact, mid way through the first month I am exhausted, saddened, hopeful, grieving, thankful, all at once.
In last year’s May I made an unfortunate decision to remain in my job when my boss retired. I thought I was doing the right thing for us and for the department and new boss. Thought I had the chops to continue to actually do my job. Thought my experience would serve to support the new boss as he adjusted. Thought employment, with insurance, was best for us. Thought, somehow it might be far too soon to give up working.
I was wrong on all counts.
It’s a long story, but I’ll just say that my employers were not at all happy with my decision. They have been suspicious of my decision. For the first time in my life I have not been trusted. Not for anything I have done. Of that, at least, I can be sure.
Finding it difficult to live with, I made the decision after the holidays to retire.
I put in my application and felt immediate relief. I was surprised at that reaction! I had expected only sorrow and trepidation.
Proving it was the right decision, my boss, upon hearing my decision, spent about 30 minutes or more attempting to chip away at my self esteem. He also pointed out that he had not been giving me any work that he would not have felt comfortable with my reporting back to my old boss! As if I would. As if he (old boss) would be interested.
He accused me of “not getting along” with a number of people with whom I have always enjoyed a perfectly good relationship.
I knew then, with no doubt, I have made the right decision.
But I really wasn’t ready in many ways.
We have, in the last couple of weeks, had reports of health issues.
Most, if not all, can and will be dealt with – hopefully successfully. But they were shocks anyway.
One night last week when I could not sleep, I made the discovery that a cousin we had lost track of had died in 2007! Her family had never notified any of us. It was a total surprise.
Just days later I received a telephone call to report that Susan, my dear sister in law, wife of my baby brother Bill had died in her sleep. At 61, surely she was too young!
I went to work on Monday and reported our loss. No one mentioned I was entitled to funeral leave until a peer told me to check with HR. Sure enough, I was entitled to 5 days. I took off the rest of the week – 4 days – and on Wednesday, after dealing with the 6-8 inches of snow – about 2 hours or so of snow blower and shovel – we set out for Wilkes-Barre.
Our oldest and youngest sons drove up as well. I was so proud that they showed that respect for that lovely, sweet, unassuming woman. She was god-mother to our youngest.
I loved being with my siblings, nieces and nephews. My heart was torn looking at my brother…so caught unprepared. He was so sad. He was so alone. We all wanted to do something. He is sick of hearing “is there anything you need?” Yet, we all say it over and over again…wanting to be a source of help. There is no help for this but time.
Home again, we took our young granddaughter to dinner out and then back here to do homework, to chat, to watch her child’s program for bedtime. She is developing so rapidly, turning into a person that gives hints as to the beautiful, bright woman she will be.
And then, the next day, we went to observe her classroom during “special person” day. We were blown away by the amazing curriculum. We fell in love with her classmates…learning so much, along with social graces. Hope for the world.
So this year has started out with ups and downs, with heartbreak and with hope, with disappointment and with love.
This year has started with the full gamut of life.
Happy New Year!