It’s that time of year and the question comes up again, what do I get mom for Mother’s Day? Most moms I know, myself included, don’t need anything this Mother’s Day, but she may want to add to her already unique collection of memories you have together.
When our children were born, most of us collected items for a baby book. I have my daughter’s hospital bracelet and every card from family and friends who helped welcome her birth. The memories of that special day were precious and undeniably filled with love, and a little bit of pain. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Memories of firsts are big. First tooth, first words, first solid food, first crawl, first steps, first day of school, first books, first dance, first swim lesson, first driving lesson, first apartment, first boyfriend, first, and only, wedding, and first grandchild. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Most of my memories I viewed through a camera lens. I captured memories through countless photos and videos of every vacation, school and sporting event. You name it, I took a picture or video of it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’re like me, you suffer from a few aches and pains, especially as we get older. Going to my massage therapist or chiropractor was great before I retired as I could afford the much needed therapy. But with a limited retirement income, those regular therapeutic visits have become financially challenging. I saw a television commercial advertising a massage gun. However, I did not purchase one until I tried one out on my shoulder at a friends’ office. The owner of the massager recommended it and I was sold.
Sonic Massage Gun, Photo by slc
I purchased the Sonic Deep Tissue, Percussion Muscle Massage Gun from Amazon last July. It came in a sturdy case along with eight massage heads. With several different levels of intensity, you are sure to find relief from strained or stiff muscles as I have. It keeps me virtually pain free in between my periodic massage therapy visits.
This massager currently sells for $119.99 on Amazon.com and I do not make any money off of your purchase. Enjoy!
Five years. Wow. I can’t believe it has been that long since I launched LivingLifeRetired.com. So much has happened during my retirement these past five years. I took a personal inventory and was surprised at the length of the list. I…
Bought a mountain cabin property, tore down the water- and animal-damaged addition by hand, hauled out truckloads of pine cones and needles, cleared out a fallen tree, and had my she shed built.
Learned my mom fell at her home, was hospitalized and then she was moved into a nursing home.
Experienced some loving and sweet but also tough and heartfelt times with family members
Trained and volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Larimer County
Read a ton of books and wrote a few blog posts
Worked part time as a substitute teacher in two school districts
Lost my sweet kitty Lily to old age
Joined a lovely group of women for a weekly Bible study group at my church
Endured an international pandemic
Sold my home, bought a home and moved to a town closer to my grandchildren
Began attending the sister church to my primary church
Reunited with a good friend from Amarillo, Gail, and two high school friends, Mark and Marie, through Facebook
Endured a few disputes with neighbors
Served as president of an HOA
Volunteered at Life Stories (CASA Program) in Weld County
While it is a decent list of accomplishments and growth, it also reveals areas of neglect. In taking an inventory I realized why I struggle to consistently write blog posts for this site. I have had so much I wanted and needed to write about, but I just didn’t. More discipline is needed to sit down and write. In the future I need to put my many projects aside and make writing a bigger priority. The lawn mowing and room painting can wait one more day. It’s not easy because as a solo retiree, if I don’t do it, it doesn’t get done.
Have you taken inventory of your past five years or even one year? Try it; you might surprise yourself at your list. I believe it helps to reflect on your past in order to help move forward in the future. What do you want to do differently or less of? What do you want to do more of? Where are your priorities?
Thanks for following along with me these past few years. I would love to hear from you and do more posts about what you are doing in your retirement. Please email me at LivingLifeRetired16@gmail.com. I would love to feature your solo retirement.
I have had a hard time accepting that I am now 70 so I really did not want to go……a Thursdays-After-5 concert and food truck dinner at the Senior Center could mean only one thing…..a stark admission that I am now one of them. Nevertheless, I ordered my burger and chips, grabbed the cold bottle of water, adjusted my mask, and sauntered onto the spacious patio. I glanced around, then selected a seat at the periphery to observe my companions for the evening. The crowd was about 60 or 70 strong, more women than men. They were a quiet bunch, nestled into their camp chairs that I surmised had not seen a real camp site in years. Some of the women wore long sleeved sweaters despite the warm temperature or flowered shirts that looked like the old draperies from my grandmother’s dining room. Their hair was mostly a sea of silver or dull grey, some permed to sport tight curls. Few of the men had any hair at all, and those who did had arranged their remaining grey strands to make it appear as though they still had a reason to own a comb. They wore mostly long dark pants and nondescript shirts, although a pair of khaki shorts here and there revealed spindly legs and white socks with sandals. It was impossible not to spot the walking canes and occasional walkers as a steady whoosh from an oxygen machine lingered in the background. They held no cell phones in their hands, just an occasional tissue or water bottle.
Turning 62 has it’s perks. Some people look forward to filing for Social Security. Not me. The one perk I have been dreaming of is getting a Lifetime Senior Pass and now I have one! Just $80! I can now get into all federal recreation land areas, including national parks, without paying another fee.
Living within an hour and a half from Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is wonderful. But during the pandemic outbreak, national parks were closed to visitors. When they reopened, they did so with an online reservation system.
That online reservation requirement expires on October 11th at RMNP. I am hoping to hike that day and many days in the future. All I’ll need is my Lifetime Senior Pass and my camera! Want to go with me?
Reading the Bible with Grandchildren in 2020, Photo by nro
According to their website, “Since 2012, Generations United has spearheaded an annual campaign to encourage all generations to Do Something Grand and engage with another generation on Grandparents Day. As our society opens back up, our theme this year is a question: How will you look at connecting generations differently this Grandparents Day?” While some may celebrate a happy grandparents day with another generation today, others may not.
Since 2001, the number of grandparents has grown by 24 percent (56 million to 70 million). By age 65, almost all (96%) are grandparents.
In 2030, one in every five residents will be age 65 — increasing the number of grandparents even more.
The youngest grandparents are about 38 years of age, with the average age at first grandchild being 50 (an increase of two years since 2011).
Most grandparents have, on average, four to five grandchildren, and, by 2030, more than 70 percent of the U.S. 8-year-olds will have a living great-grandparent.
Grandparents spend an average of $2,562 annually on their grandchildren, totaling $179 billion per year.
Over half of grandparents consider themselves a source of wisdom and provide a moral compass on issues such as education, morals, and values.
Grandparents take care of their grandchildren by babysitting, with one in ten living in the same household with their grandchildren, and 5 percent of those being the primary caregiver.
Distance is the biggest barrier to seeing grandchildren. Over half of grandparents have at least one grandchild who lives more than 200 miles away, and about a third live more than 50 miles from their closest grandchild.
A majority of grandparents agree that relationships with grandchildren nourish their mental and social well-being, as well as their physical well-being.
While it may be taking two years to get my she shed ready for personal writing retreats, the welcome and unwelcome signs are now in use.
Custom sign from Etsy, Photo by slc
Welcome Sign
I ordered a custom metal sign from Etsy for Sherry’s She Shed. Since wildflowers are one of my most favorite gifts from God, I searched for a sign with beautiful flora. I applied a coat of spar urethane to protect it from the elements. After I installed the sign this week, I came across some of the old cabin cabinet doors. So I fashioned a wooden sign holder out of the cabinet door just to bring some of the original character of the 1938 cabin to the new shed.
Bear mat sign in shed window, Photo by slc
Unwelcome Sign
I also constructed two bear unwelcome mats this week. Over the years I have watched several tv shows about living and surviving in the wilderness. Alaska: The Last Frontier, The Last Alaskans and Mountain Men are my favorites. The brave individuals in these shows use bear mats at their remote cabin properties. Bear mats are made of plywood and nails. The bigger the bear the bigger the nails. While we don’t have grizzly bears in Colorado we do have black bears. A couple of years ago, I encountered a black bear about 30 yards from my property and last year one left me an unwelcome sign, bear scat.
Homemade bear mats, Photo by slc
To make the bear mats, I used ugly shelving from my home (that’s why there is vinyl flooring on them). After researching the making of bear mats on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website, I purchased 2” nails. Nailing them on the board every 2” provides enough pain to get the bear to not pursue what’s behind the window of my shed, but they don’t hurt the bear. They are secured in place with rebar so a bear can not just move them out of the way. When using bear unwelcome mats you need to post a warning they are in use.
Unwanted visit
While I was working on touching up paint around the newly installed window, I encountered an unwanted visit. My most dreaded wildlife…a snake! It slithered from under my she shed, right under the doorway. This snake was long and I didn’t know what to do except wait to see it’s tail. In my mind at the time, if the snake had rattles, I would react differently than if it didn’t. Luckily for me, and for the snake, it did not have rattles. I think it just wanted to see what I was doing.
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake, Photo by slc
Luckily I saw it before it could go in the open doorway. I quickly decided it was probably a good thing to have a snake on the property to keep mice and voles in check. I sent a photo to the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and they identified the snake as a Western Terrestrial garter snake. They said it is harmless. Later, after researching online I learned that killing a snake, other than a rattlesnake, in Colorado is prohibited.
I enjoy learning survival techniques as I love the adventure, but I don’t enjoy feeling fearful. Preparation assists in having a more enjoyable experience. So come by for a visit. Everyone, except bears and mountain lions, are welcome.
