In Defense of Simple and Boring

I am over four years into retirement, and I am amazed by how my life and, even more profoundly, my outlook has evolved. The outside observer, and perhaps my old self, might consider my life to be too simple or boring or that I am now lacking in drive, vision and purpose. All of which …

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Goodbye, 2018

Happy New Year! As there is only so much self improvement one can handle, I am not big on resolutions. And one’s resolutions, like one’s fascinating dreams, are of little interest to others. Unless you are featured are in them. What I do like, however, is to reflect on the past year. It is easy …

Stuff

My mother and her husband have moved to a nursing home. His failing health and her increasing dementia had made their home situation untenable. I can acknowledge that the last several years have been just short of hell. Now, they are content and are getting better care than was possible at home. Nonetheless, my sadness …

Advice for Raisins

Since, well, my last birthday, I have been mulling over the fact that I am turning 60. This milestone is arguably arbitrary, irrelevant and occurs in the lives of most people, if they are lucky. None the less, I have been philosophizing, making “lifestyle” changes and searching for meaning. I have given up underwire bras. …

Namaste

I have an on going self-improvement goal to be more mindful, accepting, at peace, centered and less worried, frazzled, judgmental. I know this is difficult – it has been on the resolution list for several years and still feels unattainable. But, hey, my other long-standing and previously unattainable goal – paring off 3-5 pounds of …

Complex world/simple pleasures

Not that anyone has complained, but I have been feeling guilty about abandoning this blog for over a month. Maybe not enough is going on in my life to write about. Maybe too much is going on to write about. In either case, even though or perhaps because the world seems terrible of late, I …

Transitional Objects

If you have a teaspoon of knowledge about child development, you are aware that young children form attachments to certain objects and that these objects help the child “transition” from dependence to independence. My children had “blankies” which we called “nu-nus” but perhaps blankies have fallen from favor now that babies slumber in sleep sacs …

Keeping Busy

I admit to a personal flaw of needing to be busy and feel productive. All the time. In retirement, I expected that this compulsion would wane as I became adjusted to bounty of time (How I spend my Days). In fact, I fear it may have worsened. I now have many different roles and hobbies …

Life Goals

After I retired, I started making some annual goals. (Before I retired, I focused on getting through the work week.) These goals are in broad categories (health, financial, personal). Don't worry, I am not going to itemize these. Not only do I not want the accountability that comes from “going public,” I also like that …

Housekeeping

Cleaning my mother's house. Cleaning my own house. This week, these parallel activities have me musing about the nature of housework.  I am a good-enough-for-government-work cleaner. The basics get done, and a little less frequently, I delve deeper, noticing and eradicating the toothpaste splash on the bathroom wall and the cobwebs clinging to the bulls-eye …