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Five years – taking inventory

October 15, 2021 by Sherry

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.

Serendipity

October 5, 2021 by Sherry

By Senior Outlook Today, Sept. 13, 2021

Written by Janet Call –

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.

Lifetime senior pass for U.S. citizen or permanent resident, 62 years or older

September 27, 2021 by Sherry

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?

Happy grandparents day, or is it?

September 12, 2021 by Sherry

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.

Some interesting stats from the 2018 AARP National Survey:

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.
2018 AARP Grandparents Today National Survey

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She shed update – welcome and unwelcome signs

September 10, 2021 by Sherry

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.

She shed update — 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.

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.

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.

Sherry's She Shed — 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.

Hummingbird – a tiny gift & miracle of life

September 27, 2021August 30, 2021 by Sherry

What can fly backwards, has wings that beat up to 80 times per second, has the smallest eggs in the world, can fly from full speed to an instant stop and built a nest on my front porch? If you guessed a hummingbird, you are correct. A beautiful momma (the way my daughter spelled it when she was a little girl) hummingbird wove an intricate nest on the wind chime on my front porch. It was a tiny gift which delighted and brightened my spirit each morning while I prepped and stained my house.

hummingbird - a tiny gift — Momma hummingbird in nest,
Photo by slc

Norma K. wrote in a blog post at Woot & Hammy, “Hummingbirds, in their seemingly carefree and happy flight, remind us to live in the moment and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Also, because they often seem to appear out of nowhere, they remind us that joy is unpredictable and can often be just around the corner.”

Devoted, momma sat on her nest and only left the nest to eat. I gave her plenty of space for a couple of weeks so I did not scare her away. Then, she allowed me to work staining pretty close to her nest once. She was becoming used to me. I began posting photos on Facebook of the two baby hummingbirds after they hatched. They were a tiny gift; smaller than a dime at first.

I chronicled their growth via photos. A bench in the entryway allowed me to get up to their level without much interruption.

Then it was time for them to leave their overcrowded nest. The larger of the two took the courageous attempt of flight first. Unbelievably I was there to witness and capture it on video.

My cousin Kevin commented in a post that it must be a sign when he saw the hummingbird photos on Facebook. So I looked it up. Norma K. reports, “Hummingbirds have a long history of folklore and symbolism in native cultures. The Aztecs saw them as messengers between them and their ancestors or the gods. In Native American culture, hummingbirds are seen as healers and bringers of love, good luck and joy. In Central America, they are a sign of love and will bring love to the person who spots them. While there is no direct mention of hummingbirds in the Bible, they are sometimes considered to be a messenger from Heaven, gently nudging us to move on and release the burden of people or things that have passed and can no longer be a part of our lives. Some people also see them as signs from Angels, reminding us to follow what makes us happy and to enjoy the present moment.”

Two days later, the smaller baby bird took its chance at flight but with not as much grace as his sibling. He feel to the ground, gathered his composure and tried again. He made it out to my birdbath where he could bask in the sun. Then another unbelievable thing happened. Momma came back. She affectionately greeted her young child.

Not believing what I had witnessed over the last several weeks, I couldn’t help but to look back at the little woven home perched on the wind chime. It was now an empty nest. While I was sad to be an empty nester, literally, again, I was also thankful for the beautiful and tiny gift I was given.

What do hummingbirds symbolize to you?

…hummingbirds are a reminder that our happiness lies within us.
Norma K.

Footnotes: Today, while sitting on my deck reading Louise Penny’s A Rule Against Murder, a hummingbird came out of nowhere buzzing right up to my face as if to say hello before flying off. I wonder if it was one of “my” baby hummingbirds? I want to think so.

(Note: This blog post was originally written in 2020 but I forgot to publish it. I found it recently. Sorry about that!)

Birthday memories

August 23, 2021 by Sherry

It is early Sunday morning and I’m driving alone down the paved highway to my Twin Sisters Peak hiking destination near Estes Park, Colorado. It is also my 62nd birthday. Suddenly the concrete path in front of me reminds me of my long solo drive to Iowa for my father’s funeral back in 2013. My dad would have been 88 today; I shared his birthday. We shared many birthday memories including separate birthday cakes, meals at the Amana Colonies and many birthday phone calls, including our last birthday call before his passing.

Today, in my side pocket of my hiking pants is the once gold plated pocket watch I gave my dad when I was 18 or 19 years old. Engraved with an “O” on the outside and the words, “To Dad With Love,” on the inside, it was a special gift.

When I was a little girl growing up on the farm, my dad wore a pocket watch tied with a shoelace instead of a chain. The other end of the shoelace was fastened with a safety pin to a front pocket in his blue striped overalls. Often times he broke the glass face so I purchased a watch with a cover like a locket. The watch came with a chain and a small pocket knife attached.

After retiring from farming full time, my dad moved to a small home in Palo, Iowa. Within a few short years, the 2008 Cedar River flood displaced him from his home. During the clean up phase of reconstructing my dad’s house, the treasured pocket watch was found. It survived but now wears a yellow tinged face.

I toted dad’s pocket watch throughout my hike today, rubbing it once in awhile for good luck and to remind me of dad. I loved sharing my birthday with dad and today I shared my hike with him; he loved Colorado. Since his passing in 2013, my birthdays have been bittersweet. This year I wanted my birthday memories to be happy and they were. Happy birthday dad, with love!

Five years – taking inventory

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Serendipity

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Lifetime senior pass for U.S. citizen or permanent resident, 62 years or older

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Happy grandparents day, or is it?

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