retiring

It’s beginning to look geriatric, every where you turn…

Posted on by miriambarrie

Yes, we are getting geriatric altogether, me, my husband, and our house. We just installed a floor-to-ceiling pole. Not for me to dance on, although one day if I get dementia, I just may. It’s so that my husband can grab onto it in order to get in and out of bed. He is suffering, according to the doctors, from the condition called “deconditioning,” which means his muscles are weak.

When we looked at recliners, we skipped over the ones that catapult you across the room. Sure, it would be easier for my husband but the goal is to strengthen, not weaken the already weakened muscles.

We just ordered a lift assist, a device that is supposed to help me help my husband to lift himself when he gets stuck in a chair.

My husband’s occupational therapist comes up with all these gadgets and devices, devices that make me realize that he is not the only one who needs assistance, that he is not the only one aging.

My pillbox that now occupies our dining room table reminds me that he is not aging alone and all these devices that now reside in my house, are a constant reminder that we are getting old altogether.

What to do with all this stuff?

Posted on by miriambarrie

My mother gave her “good” jewelry away after she got her cancer in her mid sixties.  She went onto live another thirty years and went to many more bar-mitzvahs, weddings, and baby showers. And she replaced her “good” jewelry with marcasite pins, necklaces, earrings, bracelets because, yes, she still needed to accessorize!

I would love to give some of my “good jewelry” away but my daughter does not have a home.  She is in an apartment and will move any day now.  I would love to give some of my paintings away.  But my daughter is cramped for space.  My stepchildren cannot take any of my paintings because their mother has created a rivalry and they cannot display my art.  I might start selling them on www.etsy.com or www.ebay.com.  So, please start bidding!!!!

Oh. I forgot.  You are also in your sixties and the last thing you want, is MORE STUFF!!!!!

ALL THIS STUFF!!!!!!

Posted on by miriambarrie

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I have my old stamp collection from when I was seven.  My husband has common baseball cards from the 50s.

We have scrapbooks and CDs.  Who really uses CDs anymore?

We have seashells that I collected from every beach vacation that we took.

We have seven years of tax returns.

We have gardening tools that may be considered antique by now.

I have afghans and shawls that I had knitted.  I have all the circular and straight knitting needles I thought I would use forever.

We have balls – baseballs, tennis balls, basketballs, bowling balls, beach balls, soccer balls, golf balls.

I have throw pillows from every decorating and redecorating phase.

I have carpets from every decorating and redecorating phase.

We have playbills from all the Broadway and off Broadway shows we have ever seen.  They don’t take up much space and they tell a story of fun.

We have lived in this beach cottage of 984 sq. ft. for decades!!!!  So how much stuff could we really accumulate in such a small space?

And yet there is still all this stuff!!!!!!!

TOO MUCH STUFF!!!! PART 1

Posted on by miriambarrie

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So tell the truth… How many of you have looked around your house or apartment and asked yourself how much stuff do you really need? 

I know that I have accumulated stuff and have gotten rid of stuff only to accumulate again and again and again.

I bought books and sold books.  I bought more books.

I bought clothes and I sold and/or donated clothes. I bought more clothes.

We have had garage sales.  We have sold stuff on ebay.  We have packed up stuff and are storing it in the attic, the basement, and the backyard sheds.  But we still have stuff.

My walls are full of paintings.  Maybe yours are full of photographs.

My shelves hold things I “need.”  But I collect vintage tablecloths and I do not know why.

I have lots of handmade necklaces with so called semi precious stones from my working days when I had discretionary income.  I have Vera Bradley bags when everyone thought they would be the next collectible.  I have a few depression and carnival glassware pieces that I inherited from my dearest aunt.

I have all sorts of vases. 

I have a wooden sign that sits atop my shelves in my office that says:  ACHIEVE.  For the love of God, achieve what?

to be continued

After retirement

Posted on by miriambarrie

We walk to the bus stop. 

I don’t tell my husband that seniors can ride for half price.  I don’t want to call attention to myself.  We came to the city to escape the obvious and my husband does not want me to remind him that we are aging.  “Does it make you feel better?” he asks every time I try to bring up the topic.  “Work will help us stay young,” is his mantra.  Only I don’t want to work so hard anymore.  The problem is that all my husband has is work and I, myself, cannot find a real substitute for the work I have retired from.

Have any of you readers had an issue retiring?

It is not so easy as the commercials make it seem.  You never feel how you have aged.  And my husband is right, work will keep you young but you also have to have time for all the things you need to do before it is too late.  Has anyone gotten the balance right?