tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60315657472554557552011-08-22T08:24:57.353-07:00This blog captures the musings of a semi-retired retirement lifestyle expertNancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-6278411639933668462011-07-11T07:46:00.000-07:002011-08-22T07:41:49.404-07:00

We have been leasing a fantastic island cottage for several years now.  It is a wonderful old 1920s cottage, the island is situated on a beautiful lake, and we have spent many peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable weeks during the summer months engaged in island living.  We have friends on the lake and many friends and relatives who spend the summer nearby.  It is a perfect summer lifestyle. However,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-3283344386604487202011-06-08T06:43:00.000-07:002011-06-08T06:45:17.655-07:00

Some individuals retire and have high expectation that they will receive all kinds of calls from their colleagues and that the work will just come.  Sadly, many retirees discover that once gone, quickly forgotten.  A close friend recently retired who expected that many former colleagues would be beating down his door.  They aren't.  No one has called asking for this individual to bring their

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-1861352629925962462011-04-21T06:39:00.000-07:002011-04-21T06:39:51.284-07:00

Many retirees want to "give back" and see the volunteer sector as a good place to do that.  For many, the perception may be that if they just show up, the organization of their choice will jump at the chance to have them as a volunteer.  However, the reality of modern day volunteering may present them with quite a shock.  Why so?  First of all, they may discover that, instead of welcoming them

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-25985875667309597352011-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:002011-04-18T08:25:30.267-07:00

My husband's father spent a number of years in retirement researching his family's history.  He left behind when he passed away, a large database of information.  When my husband retired, he picked up the torch and has done more research using several internet-based genealogical sites to assist in the process.  On our recent trip to Ireland, we visited the small town where both his father's

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-66490647022245642992011-04-13T07:18:00.000-07:002011-04-13T07:18:39.269-07:00

Further to an earlier post, I wanted to report on our recent trip to Ireland.  We attended the wedding of a good friend's daughter in Clifden, Ireland.  We made the decision to do so based on the long standing friendship between my husband and his friend, Hugh.  They attended the University of BC together and have remained good friends every since.  We had a wonderful time in Ireland, spending

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-48406277833909175842011-03-23T08:14:00.000-07:002011-03-23T08:14:53.517-07:00

Max, our 14 month old miniature daschund, has now moved into his teenage years.  Despite our many efforts, he still believes that he is in charge.  For an 11 pound pet, he certainly has a very big ego.  Despite this, he has some wonderful traits.   His level of enthusiasm for play and walks (preferably offleash) is contagious.  His several walks a day are keeping us (most particularly me) more

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-26662529848626982182011-03-23T07:55:00.000-07:002011-03-23T07:55:02.335-07:00

In the past year we have had invitations to a number of weddings.  The children of our boomer friends are now entering the marriage zone.  These invitations are for not just out of town weddings, but out of country weddings.  Last year we reluctantly declined two of these invitations, one to Australia and one to the South of France.  In the case of the latter, our Irish friends' daughter wanted

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-78945138259254173822011-03-02T04:46:00.000-08:002011-03-02T04:46:06.958-08:00

Today I'm going with my husband to play duplicate bridge.  Now, I've played rubber bridge for a long time.  Several of our couple friends play and it is a pleasant way to spend an evening.  My husband has been trying to convince me to start playing duplicate bridge.  He's been playing for several years.  He has other partners but he would like me to be available when the others aren't. I've been

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-50759791172563025062011-02-21T12:05:00.000-08:002011-02-21T12:06:39.807-08:00

I was talking today with an old friend.  We were discussing Ireland; we both have ancestors who lived in Ireland way back.  She was telling me about her personal "bucket list".  One item on her list is to visit Ireland.  I realized that this topic fits in with my last post (which was awfully long ago); it was about figuring out how to have enough money to live on in later life while also using

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-24125561799766211152010-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:02:03.808-08:00

The other day I read an article in the paper written by a financial planner about a fictional couple.  She was 64 and her husband was 74.  The article focused a great deal on how they need to continue to save money!  They already had quite a large amount in savings and owned a mortage free house.  It really annoyed me. There was nothing about how they should go about spending their savings.  The

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-24252104563169838752010-11-12T11:09:00.000-08:002010-11-12T11:09:31.410-08:00

I am slowly developing a theory about aging that I don't really like.  In general I resist the notion that as people age they become cranky, hard to get along with, self-centred and rigid in their views.  Whenever someone tells me that they think that older people are overly self-focused I feel the need to point out that personalities don't change all that much over time (as confirmed by many

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-55930120072678440172010-11-08T05:08:00.000-08:002010-11-08T05:08:01.792-08:00

I can't remember the exact percentage but about half of adult Canadians don't have a will.  Several years ago, my brother revealed that he and his wife didn't have a will.  At the time they had a daughter under ten.  I was shocked that they didn't.  I encouraged him to go and do it; he didn't.  I pointed out to him that if he and his wife died together, that their daughter would, first of all,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-42346256311159076242010-10-21T08:06:00.000-07:002010-10-21T08:06:21.098-07:00

I have noticed that when someone dies, most people talk about the person "having passed" or they talk about having "lost" someone.  Saying that someone "died" is not that common.  In our society, confronting death in a straightforward manner is something that we all seem to avoid.  In my seminar, I find that I have to force myself to use the word "death" because it seems like such a harsh reality

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-66907045661542476642010-09-29T07:29:00.000-07:002010-09-29T07:29:27.270-07:00

Just thought I should provide a follow-up to my post about doing a business trip accompanied by my husband and my dog.  More about husbands later.  In this post, I want to report on our experience travelling with Max.  I was quite surprised to discover that a very upscale vintage inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake actually had what they call dog-friendly rooms.  Ours was at the back of the hotel and

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-66901445967461721312010-09-14T08:06:00.000-07:002010-09-14T08:06:17.154-07:00

I have to do 2 retirement seminars out of town and we have decided that my husband, along with Max, our miniature daschund, will come with me on this road trip.  Part way through the trip we will spend the weekend with his niece and her husband.  Since my husband and I have no children, it is important for us to cultivate and maintain a close relationship with those in the next generation within

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-15277986500081235072010-09-02T07:58:00.000-07:002010-09-14T07:55:50.965-07:00

The average age of widowhood in the US is 56.  In Canada it's a little higher.  It is still shocking to consider that women who have a partner may very well spend some or all of their retirement alone.  I have six friends under the age of 60 who have already become widows.  Only 1 has remarried.  When talking with couples about their retirement it is tough to raise this issue but there is such a

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-84979699613891706722010-08-23T07:19:00.000-07:002010-08-23T07:21:44.451-07:00

We spend a good part of our summer at the cottage, with short trips home as required or desired.  This partially explains why there haven't been any new posts for some time.  I suspect that our sojourn at the cottage is somewhat like the experience retirees have who decide to spend time away in the winter; we have several friends who are doing that.  We thoroughly enjoy the relaxed atmosphere,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-70633303520330718442010-06-24T10:22:00.000-07:002010-08-14T11:51:27.639-07:00

My brother-in-law and his wife visited us at our cottage recently and she and I had a very good "dock" discussion.  She is someone who has always been interested in the spiritual side of life and she told me that she is exploring, through her regular meditation, the aging process, and how she can take charge of her own aging.  She believes that the power of the mind may be such that she can

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-61502309174053294292010-06-02T09:07:00.000-07:002010-06-02T09:07:27.196-07:00

When I first began doing my presentation on how to prepare psychologically for retirement, I wanted it to be based on facts.  So....I checked the research carefully and guess what I found?  Most people like retirement, most people aren't traumatized by it, and retirees on average report higher levels of life satisfaction than any other age group in society!  I have many friends who are retired,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-82878282536098928972010-05-17T09:01:00.000-07:002010-05-17T09:01:25.095-07:00

From time to time, someone asks me, Are you going to write a book about retirement?  My answer is always the same.  I say that if I came up with a unique new twist on the issue, I would.  There are a ton of books out there about retirement and most of them say more or less the same thing.  Someone recently, however, passed on a new book about retirement to me (thanks Judith) and I have to say

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-47094061394104440052010-05-14T08:27:00.000-07:002010-05-14T08:27:53.683-07:00

Last summer/fall I had sciatica; it lasted for about four months.  Thanks to my physiotherapist, it was quite a bit better by Christmas.  I described what it was like in my post called Helplessness.  It was a terrible experience.  Since we returned from our trip to Malawi, my back has been relatively good.  I began working with a trainer upon my return and all was going well until we pushed the

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-58717851900842662502010-05-06T06:11:00.000-07:002010-05-06T06:11:38.935-07:00

I came across the results of a survey recently that suggested that the following represent some of the most popular retirement activities: Travelling:  This is high on the list of many retirees Family Activities:  In retirement retirees can finally devote more time to their families Hobbies:  All those activities like crafts, woodworking, antique hunting, etc. are on the list Gardening:  Being

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-22154895658237249082010-05-05T14:22:00.000-07:002010-05-05T14:22:29.390-07:00

I've been posting about our new pet and you might be wondering what this has to do with retirement.  Here's the way I see it.  Adding a pet to the household is like taking on any new big project that is going to affect everyone in the household.  In my case, this means that our household of 2 people need to be on the same page as much as possible in order for the project to have a successful

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-80288278951622751982010-04-29T18:34:00.000-07:002010-04-29T18:34:43.372-07:00

Here is a picture of Max.  He's a four month old miniature black and tan short haired dachshund.  It has been 5 days now and there is no question that having a puppy enter your life is a pretty dramatic change.  Our puppy has bonded strongly with me since I get up early in the morning with him, feed him, praise him, talk to him, play with him, take him outside, etc. etc.  He particularly likes

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-82679606186631782932010-04-21T08:18:00.000-07:002010-04-21T08:18:30.559-07:00

Finally, a decision made and a commitment taken on - we are going to be picking up our new puppy later this week!  How exciting and frightening all at the same time.  We went to a pet store yesterday in order to acquire at least the basic stuff we will need including a cage, food, a collar and a leash.  In some ways, I'm glad that we have no idea what we are in for.  Over the course of my life,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-54388752468293153932010-04-17T16:31:00.000-07:002010-04-17T16:31:17.158-07:00

I haven't touched on what happens in a marriage when retirement time arrives.  It has become more complicated than it used to be.  Up until about 1990, statistics show that husbands and wives retired together (at the same time) and that most often the husband retired from a career whereas the wife retired from a job.  His decision to retire seemed to trigger her decision. How the world has

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-60457065193309353562010-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:002010-04-14T08:31:16.897-07:00

I am semi-retired, as I've noted before.  This means I spend half the day (usually the morning) in work mode and the rest of the day, including the evening, in retirement mode.  What I've started to notice is that it is becoming harder to gear up for work.  And my ability to work for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch is being sorely tested.  If you are thinking of working in retirement, be aware that

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-37762394534503707172010-04-12T06:38:00.000-07:002010-04-12T06:38:22.106-07:00

My mornings almost always begin with a good strong cup of coffee.  We get two newspapers, the Globe for my husband to read, and the local paper for me.  I enjoy sitting at the island in my beautiful kitchen, with this cup of coffee and my paper, reading it slowly all the way through.  Once I'm done and have eaten some breakfast, I normally get washed and dressed and then head into my home office,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-89212928690090495142010-04-06T06:16:00.000-07:002010-04-06T06:16:56.875-07:00

With aging comes the loss of important people in our lives.  Once people leave work, many find that they no longer have much contact with work friends.  Parents and elderly relatives pass away.  And we even experience the loss of  people who are around our age, or perhaps even younger.  Our social network in retirement is critical to our sense of well being.  Maintaining it and building upon it

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-62135101529266506762010-03-31T14:03:00.000-07:002010-03-31T14:04:11.213-07:00

Today is my idea of a perfect day.  First of all the weather is exceptionally mild for the end of March and it's also sunny.  I had a leisurely breakfast, a ten o'clock appointment for a facial, met a close friend for lunch, spent a half hour at my local library, dropped by to visit a friend  who had offered me some plants from her garden (we had tea sitting on her front porch in the sun),

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-37516228239108419882010-03-30T08:19:00.000-07:002010-03-30T08:19:10.602-07:00

Last night I had dinner with 6 friends, all of whom I went to high school with.  This is just a subset of a group of "girls" that were all in the same high school program.  Many still live close by, but we also have a number we have tracked down who live far away.  Through the wonderful efforts of a couple of girls in the group, we have managed to stay in touch over all these years (the email

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-66304558101243446852010-03-29T09:02:00.000-07:002010-03-29T09:02:53.314-07:00

This week I was in Toronto to deliver part of a retirement seminar.  One of the issues we discussed had to do with when a person should retire.  Some people retire at a specific age because they meet the ideal pension requirements.  This isn't a particularly good reason to retire.  You should retire because you feel ready to do so and because you have a strong desire to get on with this next

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-925820775475943772010-03-22T08:29:00.000-07:002010-03-22T08:48:18.671-07:00

It struck me that I haven't touched on how one goes about planning for the future.  Whether it's retirement or some other life transition, taking steps to prepare for the transition is just common sense.  Researchers also support this notion; in the case of retirement, people who plan for it, are more likely to have a smooth transition and to enjoy retirement more. So, here are a few tools to

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-30471531400049167132010-03-16T07:12:00.000-07:002010-03-16T07:12:22.178-07:00

We are having an early spring; almost all the snow in our yard is gone and the tulips are coming up.  Because we are cooped up somewhat during the winter months, I find that I am dying to get outside once spring arrives.  Luckily for us, it's happening earlier than usual.  I was out yesterday cleaning up the walkways and also the garden.  I attended a garden seminar last year and the expert had

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-67359554580141981242010-03-10T07:57:00.000-08:002010-04-20T07:05:21.286-07:00

This is one of the most asked questions about retirement.  Of course, the answer differs for every individual.  It has a great deal to do with how much financial security you require to feel safe and what your requirements for money are.  I have never been one to worry about financial security, always believing that I will find a way to survive.  I have also had times in my life when I had very

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-12063143707705582032010-03-09T06:03:00.000-08:002010-03-09T06:06:20.551-08:00

I was sorting through our slides of Malawi yesterday.  And I also had a conversation with a friend about the issue of how much money you need to be able to retire.  Here is a photo of a very typical village in Malawi.  Most Malawians probably earn less than $1 a day, that is, if they have a job.  Many are very small scale farmers, growing and harvesting mostly maize, but also mangoes, tomatoes,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-5265190586083087832010-03-05T08:12:00.000-08:002010-03-05T08:29:56.198-08:00

I'm starting to get really annoyed about the impact of aging on my body. Just as I've been inspired by the Olympics to get fit, I develop a very sore spot in the ball of my right foot after walking or standing for any length of time. The good news is that these days you can diagnose your own health issues, at least to some degree. I've determined that I've got Morton's neuroma. Morton's what?

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-72739510185966475602010-03-03T06:28:00.000-08:002010-04-01T06:49:47.994-07:00

Another spring has rolled around and I haven't done much to acquire that cute little daschund I said that I wanted to get in one of my earlier posts. It struck me this week that my indecision is based on a phenomenon that is probably quite common to retirees. I know that once I have the dog, I will adapt quickly and I'm sure would fall in love with having a dog in no time. However, my mind

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-50373145811475580682010-03-01T06:46:00.000-08:002010-03-01T06:59:01.653-08:00

WOW!! I just spent the last two weeks watching the Olympics and boy do I feel inspired! When I think about how hard and dedicated all of the athletes have to be, not just to win gold, but to even make it to the Olympics, I'm astounded. As a semi-retiree, I have a tendency, as I've noted in an earlier post, to let my time slip away. Dont' get me wrong, living life at a relaxed pace can be a

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-33759390323166168842010-02-24T11:40:00.000-08:002010-02-24T11:58:24.345-08:00

This week two people died, one the parent of an old friend, and one the father-in-law of a close friend. Also, because I'm watching the Olympics, I know that Joannie Rochette's mother died. In the first two instances, the individuals lived into their 80s. In the latter case, it seemed terribly premature. Rochette's mother was only 55. In fact, quite a bit younger than I am. One of the

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-40541653595528299472010-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:002010-02-23T08:56:59.648-08:00

I just spoke today with a friend who is spending the winter in Florida. She is someone who had a very high-powered career, raised three children, and is now taking a break from her very hectic and demanding life to relax, play tennis, and enjoy the milder climate Florida offers. I'm sittiing here in my home office looking out at the snow and thinking about what it would be like to spend more

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-81627133580771216822010-02-22T10:54:00.001-08:002010-02-22T11:06:44.865-08:00

I'm using the picture that I posted in my last post as a screen saver. I look at it often as I sit here in my office. I think my 3 weeks in Malawi have somehow slowed me down. Ever since we returned to Ottawa, I find that I'm sleepy alot. I'm calling it Malawi Malaise. It was summer when we were there; it was hot, humid and sunny most days. In general, we loved the fact it was like summer

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-46624813705002532382010-02-17T06:59:00.000-08:002010-02-17T07:27:32.751-08:00

My husband and I have just returned from a trip to Malawi. It's a small country in Central East Africa. He spent 13 years there, from age 4 to 17. His Canadian father was a tobacco specialist, helping farmers improve their tobacco production back in the 1950s and 60s. He had only been back once in 1972 and had been bugging me for years to go back with him. I'd never been to any country in

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-38325423689631183272009-12-15T07:34:00.000-08:002009-12-15T07:45:40.740-08:00

I just sent an email to my niece with a few new items to add to my Christmas list. The older I get, the harder I find it is to identify what I need/want. If you are a collector like I am, then over the years you have accummulated way more "stuff" than you could ever use. Whether it is a favourite article of clothing you can't bear to part with, or a cake plate a favourite aunt gave you and you

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-62761451225903353752009-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:002009-12-09T10:24:55.807-08:00

A friend dropped by for coffee yesterday and we talked about her husband's retirement. He really enjoyed his work and in his first year of retirement he took on a teaching project at a nearby university. She says one of his challenges in retirement is managing his time. He hates routine so just lets the days slip by doing whatever he feels like doing - that, of course, is how some people

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-45775450399081576792009-12-03T08:16:00.000-08:002009-12-03T08:36:01.155-08:00

It's that time of the year again and I've begun decorating the house for the holidays and shopping for gifts. I'm reminded of the years just after I took early retirement from my high paying job in the government in the mid-90s in order to go back to school. I went from alot of income to no predictable income. I did have a few contracts while I was at school but essentially I had to be very

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-34350321210817173122009-11-25T14:00:00.000-08:002009-11-26T09:08:29.796-08:00

This summer I made the mistake of carrying a pair of stone urns that I had purchased at a garage sale to my car. What a bargain at $5 for the pair, I thought at the time. Of course by that evening, I realized that I had really hurt my back and within a few days I was barely able to walk. Fortunately we were spending alot of time at our cottage but it meant that I had to spend most days flat on

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-38918500073612959242009-11-24T17:30:00.001-08:002009-11-24T17:44:16.547-08:00

It's a good thing that I'm semi-retired. I need those free afternoons to go to auctions, estate sales and antique shows/shops searching for treasures that are waiting to be rescued by me. From what, I can't really say. I seldom come home empty-handed as I have a wide range of used/old/antique things I like. It could be antique china, or 50s pottery or, just last week, a set of what I think

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-22368812054891909202009-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:002009-11-16T10:38:14.092-08:00

I've been semi-retired for about 2 years and it has taken me almost that long to stop feeling guilty when I take a day or even an afternoon "off". Most weeks days, I do some work in my office. On slow days, I might be "free" by mid-morning. There are tons of things I like to do with "free" time but it is amazing how guilty I feel, especially if I let this time slip away, without actually

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-24321384099605874982009-11-09T09:17:00.000-08:002009-11-09T09:33:49.252-08:00

I am still in touch with a group of women that I knew in high school. We were all in the same program so had our classes together. Over the years, we have kept in touch and as the day approached when the oldest in our group was going to turn 60 we decided to celebrate these birthdays. This has taken place over the course of the last year and a half. The youngest person in the group turns 60

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-53803902882078879252009-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:002009-10-21T13:53:08.972-07:00

A few years ago I noticed that alot of our friends were acquiring pets, dogs to be exact. In most cases these were people who had kids and the timing seemed to overlap with these kids launching from the nest. I assumed that some strange need to continue to be responsible for the care and feeding of others was at work. At the time, I really couldn't understand why all these people were doing

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-68638105874274008502009-10-13T06:58:00.000-07:002009-10-13T07:19:22.952-07:00

I've got another suggestion (see post on Prince Edward County) - Perth, Ontario. We drive through Perth on our way to the cottage and I have to say it must be one of the prettiest towns in Ontario. The architecture is amazing and even more so is the fact that the town and the people who live in Perth have managed to preserve and restore so many of those gorgeous old stone buildings. If the

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-56896867877662251012009-10-13T05:41:00.000-07:002010-04-20T07:02:01.660-07:00

Should couples spend as much time apart when they retire as they spend apart when they are working? Statistics suggest that the divorce rate around the time of retirement is quite low and studies generally show that most couples survive retirement with their marriages intact. Hmmmmm. This sounds like good news for couples. However, I believe that retirement causes a certain destablization or

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-50340054119979738912009-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:002009-04-06T09:01:18.249-07:00

I just returned from a weekend in Prince Edward County, Ontario. I now understand why many retirees flock to this part of Ontario to live out their retirement years. It's only a couple of hours from Toronto and about three or so from Ottawa and Montreal. Even though the weekend was cold and wet, we had a great time. The countryside is bucolic, with lots of lovely, well maintained farms, super

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-70329067662390385432009-03-05T07:28:00.000-08:002009-03-05T07:43:02.313-08:00

When I'm delivering a retirement seminar, I always get people to think about who they will be spending time with in retirement. Many people assume that if they have a great social network while they are working, they'll have a great social network in retirement. Maybe this ain't so. First of all, research shows that you don't always take your work friends with you and with age, you are likely

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-68995151169692513992009-02-12T07:11:00.000-08:002009-02-12T07:22:42.224-08:00

At the very heart of retirement planning is the issue of time versus money. I recently had the opportunity to submit a proposal for work on a retirement-related project. Initially it looked as though it would be a pretty lucrative contract. In the end, it became apparent that the money available had shrunk to quite a small amount and at this stage, the project may not happen at all. If it

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-54741403339485284802009-02-10T10:25:00.000-08:002009-02-10T10:33:17.052-08:00

Just got back from a business trip to Vancouver; my retired husband joined me since he has brothers who live out there. My husband is a classic retiree, by that I mean that once he retired from his fulltime job, he had no desire to work again. He plays music, takes photos and then plays with them endlessly on photoshop, keeps fit by playing squash several times a week, golfs in the summer,

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-78490203849374142382009-01-29T07:28:00.000-08:002010-03-29T09:11:39.791-07:00

This morning there was an article in the paper about the fact that, for many North Americans, Freedom 55, has disappeared in smoke. I'm not sure that it ever was a reality for most people, although there are several recent studies that suggest many North Americans would like to retire relatively early, that is somewhere around 60. Of course, the article was focused on the recent crisis in

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6031565747255455755.post-69551316020417650472009-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:002009-01-28T11:47:51.341-08:00

I have finally decided to bite the bullet and launch myself into the blogsphere. Not only am I in the pre-retirement zone but I am also a Professional Retirement Planner who focuses on how people can prepare for retirement pyschologically. I love to hear stories about people who really enjoy retirement and I hate to hear stories about people who don't enjoy their retirement.I hope that by

Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14537431703038204293noreply@blogger.com0