Category Archives: retirement

RuPaul, Katherine St.John and My Food Journal

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Hello Hello Hello!

(My RuPaul moment)

Ru
RuPaul

I know it’s been forever since my last post. Please forgive me and know that this blog was never far from my thoughts!

So, what have I been doing since my last post?

  • Struggling with my A1c (it’s gone up from 7.4 to 8). Finding that out had me a little down but with God’s help, I know we can bring it back down.
  • Watching all 15 seasons of RuPaul’s DragRace. Y’all, I had to go back to the beginning with “Cameroon” Bebe Zahara Benet!
  • Journaling exercise and food. I know I don’t do nearly enough exercise, but at least if I’m journaling, I make it a habit to do SOMETHING!
  • Practicing my Arts and Crafts:
RuPaul, Katherine St.John and My Food Journal 1
RuPaul, Katherine St.John and My Food Journal 2
RuPaul, Katherine St.John and My Food Journal 3
  • Gone back to one of my favorite things: Reading. Right now I’m reading The Lion’s Den by Katherine St.John. Definitely worth checking out! It reminds me of a reality show on a luxury liner.

I’m so thankful to God for my retirement and my health. I refuse to let the fear of Diabetes rule my life.

Online “Friendships” VS IRL Connections

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Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

IRL Conundrum:

This week I noticed something online. I’m in a few Facebook groups; some for Veterans, some for women and some for over 50. It seems like I’m not the only person who would love to have people to do things with IRL instead of just people to talk to online. I’ve said hello in these groups to people in my area, but I can never figure out how to “get it offline!

I’ve been on social media and blogging for many years and I’ve made some great friends (if you can call them that) online. Those online relationships have gotten me through some really lonely times but I would really love to be able to call up someone and say hey, meet me for coffee…

Since I’m no longer in the workforce, I’m a little isolated. My Hubby works full time and so do some friends, so during the days it’s just me and Moki. I’ve been praying for God to send me ideas for getting out and connecting with more people; especially other retirees like me. I would love to meet and click with other people who have as much free time as I do! LOL

I’ve looked into Meetups and I couldn’t really find any that were current and relatable for me. And most online forums are just a way to AGAIN…talk online. There has to be a better way…

In Need of Retirement Friends

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The Official Home Page of the United States Army

I need retirement friends. I’m beginning to realize that I have entered a new “bracket”. Most of the people that I used to do things with are in their mid-forties. They also work full-time and some are single. I, on the other hand, am 52, married and retired. I feel out of place when I talk to those friends now and I don’t like that feeling.

Nothing against my current friends. I love them but I would love to add some people into my life who now share my lifestyle. What would that look like?

  • Retired women who have their days free like I do.
  • Women with husbands and happy marriages. (If you know, you know.)
  • Women who like things like shopping, volunteering, museums, and staying in shape.

I guess life is ever evolving. I’m coming into a new stage of life and it’s going to take some getting used to. My goal is to put myself out there more and do more things, but we all know that making new friends as adults is not the easiest thing to do.

I’ve looked at Facebook groups and Meetups. I have great online friends but none who live here. I’m close to Dallas, TX.

Any advice or ideas?

5 Habits Retirees Should Develop

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Retiree Enjoying Retirement

How many retirees do I have out there?

Did u know that one of the antonyms for retirement is advancement?
Really?

I do understand that retirement means the end of your day job and your “work” but is it the end of your advancement?
Absolutely not!

It’s almost like retirement is the beginning! It’s when you finally get to try all the things you had to pass up because of work. It’s when you finally must sit with yourself and get reacquainted! Think about that:

” Get reacquainted with yourself”

For those of us who suffer from anxiety and depression, this can be life changing. A lot of us struggle with our feelings when we first retire. There is some self-doubt when we realize that our worth may have been tied up in our jobs/careers. And now we have all this free time for self-loathing.

For me, I had to resituate my life. (Is that a word? Not sure) 😳. There are three things I’ve realized that I need to do every day to enjoy my retirement. No if, ands or buts about it!

1. Wake up and realize how blessed I am to make it to retirement. There are 70-year-old people out there still working and wishing they could retire! Not only that, but how many people do you know who didn’t even live long enough to retire? You are blessed. Don’t forget that!

2. Get outside. This one is hard for me. Sometimes I have to force myself not to isolate. But I know that if I just get out, I will feel so much better! The first step is the hardest!

3. Do something I enjoy. That’s blogging, digital photography, arts and crafts or playing Sims4 on pc.

What things do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Retired or not, don’t let life get you down! Chronic illnesses and all; get up and enjoy your life!

3 Hard Lessons Being Retired Taught Me

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Retired Lessons

I’ve been retired now for about 2 1/2 years. I used to work at the North TX Veterans Hospital. I met some great people there and sometimes I really miss the camaraderie. I always used to think how wonderful everything would be when I retired and how life would finally open and shine on me!

Well, it didn’t exactly go that way.

Don’t get me wrong, being retired is a blessing, but it does take some adjustment. I just wanted to share with you some things I had to learn before I could really start enjoying retirement.

  1. How to put my own needs first. This is a big one. I raised a child as a single mother, so I got used to putting someone’s needs before my own. After 18 years of that, it’s amazing how hard it is to put that aside. I got married to my new husband in 2017 and he still has to remind me to do what I need to for myself. I’m always trying to make sure he is ok, but what about me? I’m blessed to have someone who cares about me and wants to see me happy!
  2. How to schedule my day. When I first retired, I found myself sleeping late, taking naps, and just basically waiting for something to happen (not sure what though!). But after doing too much of that, I began to feel defeated. I do suffer from depression, so this was something I had to change. I began by making small lists every day of things that I needed to get done. Even if it only had 3 items on it, at least when I completed them, I felt productive and satisfied.
  3. How to disconnect my WHO from my DO. If any of you listen to Joyce Meyer, that will sound familiar, because she is the one, I learned it from. People are always asking “so what do you do?” and now that I’m retired, sometimes I feel funny saying that. It’s like, do I really do anything important? Yes, I do! I take care of me and my family! I’m not LESS THAN because I don’t work outside of the home.

These are lessons I had to learn the hard way. You go through so many emotions after you retire. I never expected it to be so trying. I’m still adjusting, but I’ve come a long way. I thank God for this opportunity to find myself all over again!

What things did you struggle with when you first retired?

What I Realize About Retirement

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Ramel

Boredom is a real thing, especially in retirement. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being retired, but there are days that I really don’t want to do anything but lay down or watch television. I tend to feel guilty about those days, but on the other days I really do try to be productive.

What I need to realize though is that it’s ok to do nothing for a day. Being retired IS my job now. I’m not “less than” because I don’t work outside of the home. I have a husband and dog that I take care of now! LOL

Cedric & Moki

My son Ramel has his own place and job, so the Mommy part of my life is quite different now. I’m so thankful that Ramel is self-sufficient and happy. When he was small, our life was nothing like it is now. We’ve been without a home, car and so many other things, but God has truly blessed us.

My retirement is one of those blessings! I was burnt out at work and my health (especially mental) was on a downward spiral. God has granted me the time to concentrate on myself and I refuse to feel guilty about resting when it’s necessary!