Cooking the NYTimes and Other Assorted Retirement Activities

Typically, I assume the audience for this blog is those who have traversed the north side of 50s.  For this post, that assumption is particularly important because while I figure that anyone younger than 50 might have a difficult time identifying with what I write, for this post I am certain of same. My husband, Dan, has served as a wedding officiant a number of times, and he always includes this observation (paraphrased):  Back in my day, the young folk didn't live together before they got married.  Today so many of the young folk do, even purchasing a house, perhaps having a child or two, before walking down the aisle.  He then adds what a good idea he believes this is, as it gives couples the opportunity to really get to know each other that, back in our day, we didn't necessarily have. All four of our children bought a house with their significant other/fiancee before they got married. Back in our day, we did what virtually all our cronies were doing.  We gr...

In my previous blog post, I wrote about sadness, my specific feelings of sadness regarding the sale of our home and consequently being unhomed. Perhaps you'd like to know that said feelings have dissipated, only somewhat, as I continue to ride the waves of emotions (grief, loss, sadness, etc.).  When I crest with the sensations, I feel as if I have allowed myself to lay back, gaze up at a cerulean blue sky, permit the waves to support me and consider the possibilities.  I find I can only paddle so hard and so long to stay atop the wave; there's a still very limited amount of energy I can give to the effort.  Inevitably, I sink into the trench formed between the crests, infinitely darker, often suffocating.  In the trench, I have given strong consideration to driving back to 15703 Boulder Creek Drive ( tearing up as I type the address), pulling up in the driveway, stomping onto the front porch, pounding on the door and yelling at the top of my lungs, "This was a mista...

I have been working this through for a while, since the sale of our house in early February. The actual sale does not jibe with the fantasy version, in which the house sold rapidly and easily, full price, but the closing did not occur until after we returned from Florida. One part coincided.  Our Minnetonka home sold in one day, full price.  The new occupants, newlyweds, expressed their hope to raise their family there.  I did hope for this, when I imagined who might buy our home. But, I saw myself returning to the house for a final farewell and that didn't happen.  Closing happened at the end of March, leaving us in the position of being unhomed. No big deal, right?  We live a blessed life.  Our trials and tribulations are few.  Our gifts are too many.  The good news is the house is sold!  Simultaneously the bad news is, the house is sold. I've been waking up in the middle of the night, heart racing, anxiety coursing through my system. ...