What Do You Do All Day?

On more than one occasion, my daughter has said to me, “What do you do all day?”  I am sure it is difficult for her to visualize me as a retired person, having lived my previous life in the fast lane.  I decided to reflect on that question for my own benefit.  The last thing I want is to be “busy doing nothing” all day.  Whenever I was asked, “What are you going to do when you retire?” my response was always, “Wherever God takes me.”  That mindset seemed to justify my “no plan” plan.  Now 5 months into retirement, it’s probably a great time to assess my plan.  Here goes:

• Exercise.  Although we all intend on exercising daily, face it - how many times did a date with the gym have to be cancelled due to a meeting or emergency at work?  I know I had to cancel on many occasions.  In retirement you actually have the time to take care of yourself.  I get to the gym every morning at least 5 days a week, even when I’m out of town.  
• Appointments.  Remember squeezing in all of those doctor and dentist appointments to your work schedule?  Your 6 month check-up became a 12 month check-up because you just didn’t have the time to waste taking care of your health.  How about trying to do something with your hair that should have been cut 3 weeks earlier but you couldn’t find a couple of hours that both you and your stylist were available?  I'm finally on a preventative health schedule that I will stick with faithfully.
• Helping Friends and Family.  Since retiring, I have been available to help my dad, cook for and sit with a friend with cancer, and drive and accompany another friend to the hospital for her medical procedures.  
• Projects.  My daughter likes giving me projects to do for her.  Right now I am working on curtains for her classroom as well as a handmade mobile for her baby (due in a couple of months).  I do love being creative  - the planning, securing the supplies then putting it all together - it’s very therapeutic.  Gardening and canning this year were wonderful projects I have always wanted to do.  I didn’t have the luxury of time to work on projects before retirement.  
  
• Organize.  Still organizing and going through closets, it’s a great feeling to get rid of things and organize what you want to keep.  (I think I found some Beanie Babies worth big bucks!  LOL)  
• Party Planning.  With two grandbabies coming, I have planned one baby shower and helped with another, not to mention a World Series party for some friends (Go Cubs!).  
• Keeping In Touch With Friends and Family.  From regular breakfast dates with friends to mini trips with friends and family to traveling to the east coast to see my son and daughter-in-law, relationships with loved ones are a priority.  
  
• Cooking.  It’s refreshing and so much healthier to eat a majority of our meals at home.  Again, living such a fast-paced life meant that we either ate out or picked up take-out more often than we liked.
• Writing.  I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog.  Even if only 1 reader gets something out of it, like teaching and reaching one student, that 1 reader will most likely pay it forward. 
• Just Being There.  Just the other day, I had a friend whose husband became acutely ill.  She picked up the phone, dialed me, and asked me to come over immediately.  90 seconds later, I was there.  During your working life, you develop relationships with family and friends with the understanding that although you will always be there for them, it comes with some limitations.  During your retired life, it’s comforting to have the freedom to really “be there” for your loved ones.  

So - when people say that once they retired, they didn’t know how they had time to work, they mean it!  Although I have toyed with the notion of a 2nd career - educational consultant, real estate, writing a book is definitely on my to-do list - for now I’m still good with going wherever God takes me.  I have two grandbabies coming.  I want to enjoy them.  Last but not least - stop and smell the roses without guilt. 

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Finally Time to Read

One of the benefits of retirement is having more time to read for enjoyment.  Much of the reading we do during our working years is “have to” reading - research, contracts, etc…   Before retirement, I was lucky if I had time to read a couple of books a year.   A lot of times, I would start a book, get so busy with work that I wouldn’t pick it up for a while, then have to re-read it when I finally got back to it.  Happy retirees choose a life that involves hobbies or interests that are both social and those that are done in isolation.  Reading is an interest that you can do with other people or by yourself. 

Although many will argue that reading has become too social and it should remain a fundamentally private experience, there are many benefits to joining a book club.  Book clubs allow you the opportunity to meet new people.  It’s more interesting when your close friends are not in the book club.  Chances are, you’re going to talk about the books you are reading with your close friends anyway.  Not only will joining a book club introduce you to new and interesting people, but it will also push you to read books you wouldn’t otherwise read.  People outside your immediate circle of friends are more likely to have different literary tastes.  Sometimes it’s fun just to chat and eat great food.  Don’t know how to find a book club?  Go online to sites such as readerscircle.org and type in your zip code.  

If you don’t want to join a book club but you enjoy the opinions and suggestions of other readers, Goodreads is a social networking avenue that connects you with other readers.  When I first looked at Goodreads, I was hesitant to jump in - I thought it was just another social networking site.  But once I found friends on Goodreads that have the same literary tastes as I do, I started using them as barometers while creating my “to read” list.  It’s fun to check out the reviews and ratings of my Goodreads friends, then add their favorites to my ever-expanding “to read” list.  In turn, you can review and rate the books you have read.  

It’s great to find a good book that’s hard to put down, however, reading too much can dangerously lead to a sedentary lifestyle.  You might think about saving your reading for times you are naturally inactive - sitting at the doctor’s office, on a plane or at the airport, turning in for the night and whatnot.  I always have my book with me “just in case” I have to wait for someone or something somewhere.   

One of the best things I did for my dad was equip him with an iPad and iTunes cards.  He has dozens of books on his iPad (purchased using his iTunes card) and reads books on the plane, at the airport or wherever he may be at the time.  When my mother was in the nursing home, he sat by her side all day.  While she was sleeping, he was reading from his iPad.  Reading is a great escape, no matter how old you are.         

Phoenix Favorites

A lot of people become snowbirds when they retire, migrating to second homes in the south for the winter, or “the season.”   Taking flight to the balmy south means never having to deal with another snowstorm.  The top 5 favorite U.S. states to retire to include Florida, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.   Phoenix, Arizona is my favorite escape from the unpleasant weather we sometimes experience in the midwest.

One of the best months to be in the Phoenix area is March.  15 Major League Baseball teams play Spring Training baseball in the Phoenix area.  10 Major League baseball stadiums and 15 Major League baseball teams make up the Cactus League.  Chances are, you can see a Major League baseball game every day somewhere in the Phoenix area during the month of March.   

Here are some of my favorite Phoenix activities: 

Spa: Gold Canyon Golf Resort and Spa is a nice, clean, trendy spa in Gold Canyon with a comprehensive menu of services - hair, nails, massage, body, skin care, etc.  If you are not seeking a “stay all day” spa with extra amenities, it’s a great, reasonably priced spa to visit for a service (or two).    

Lunch:  Lakeshore Restaurant on Saguaro Lake in Tonto National Forest is an enjoyable place to have lunch outside while admiring the lake, forest and beautiful mountains.  After lunch you can go on an informational and sight-seeing cruise of the lake on the Desert Belle.  Lunch and cruise prices are all reasonable. 

Shopping: The Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale has shops, restaurants and a movie theater as well as special events such as concerts.  If you like to try unique, healthy food, eat at True Food Kitchen.  To shop at boutiques and specialty shops, you might want to check out 5th Avenue Boutiques and Shops in Old Town Scottsdale.  I especially like Nestdown, a Bedding, Bath and Baby Boutique.     

Movies:  For $3.00 movies, go to Pollack Tempe Cinemas in Tempe.  You can pick from at least 10 different movies played throughout the day and evening.  For a fancier outing at the movies, you can have wine, dinner and watch a movie in a recliner with a blanket and pillow at the iPic at the Scottsdale Quarter. 

Fitness:  If you belong to LA Fitness, there is an abundance of clubs you can visit for your workouts so you can use your membership while in Arizona.  I also like Cyclebar (see my post on Cyclebar) and hiking the beautiful trails in the mountains.  I have hiked both Superstition and Camelback Mountains.  If you can walk, you can hike.  

How About a Bike Ride?

My retired friend, Kathy, gave me a call on a beautiful fall morning and asked, “Want to go for a bike ride today?”  Always up for a new activity, I immediately said yes.  Kathy has been retired for a few years so her experience with activities for retirees is a great advantage to me.  We like to do a lot of the same things - travel, exercise, new and interesting activities, reading, sight-seeing, and of course spa visits!  Kathy has been bike riding since her retirement a few years ago - my bike riding is scanty at best.  Her suggestion was to bike the Cal-Sag Trail, a 26 mile public greenway linking marinas, golf courses, nature and forest preserves.  It’s pretty.  It sounded like a splendid idea - exercise, fresh air, beautiful scenery, nice fall day, and of course the best part - it’s free!

As a new retiree, you become involved with a lot of new activities and hobbies - some you continue and others you try once and choose not to repeat.  As I muddle through new activities, I don’t invest a lot of money until I am sure that I want to continue with them.  The bicycle I have is an older Schwinn that I know needs to be replaced with a lighter road bike that’s more comfortable to ride.  Before leaving for the bike ride, my husband checked my old bike and deemed it safe for riding.  We loaded my Schwinn onto Kathy’s bike rack next to her cool, aerodynamic Trek and off we went to the Cal-Sag Trail about 10 minutes away.  

We chose to ride 18 miles - 9 miles one way and 9 miles back.  It was a fantastic workout, taking us about 90 minutes.  We stopped once for a picture and once for a drink of water.  If you have good balance and an average fitness level, bike riding is definitely feasible.  Here are some basics:

• Take water
• Wear a helmet!
• Ride on the right side of the trail - if you want to pass someone, ring your bell or shout something like, “Coming up on your left!”  
• If you're going up a hill and it’s too difficult, shift down to a lower gear.
• If you’re legs are spinning too fast, shift up to a higher gear.  
• Get a basket if you want to carry things - we carried our cell phones and jackets in Kathy's basket.

My review on Bike Riding:  I will definitely repeat this activity on a regular basis.  It was an awesome workout, the scenery was lovely, and the fresh air allowed me to get a great sleep!  I look forward to going again (on my new bike) as we ride and peep at the beautiful leaves while they turn from green to orange and red. 

After researching bike riding for the 50 and over crowd, I learned that there is a substantial amount of information online.  Baby boomer bike use is soaring, seniors can take cycling tours all over the U.S. as well as Europe, and no one can argue with the countless health benefits for seniors that cycling has to offer.  

Creating Memory Books II

I just finished my second Girls’ Getaway since retiring in June.  It’s time to create the Memory Book.  Almost a year ago, I purchased a DSLR digital camera with the intention of using it to take pictures of my travels during retirement and of my grandkids (once I had them).  I fully intended on creating a Memory Book for each of my trips for me and for my fellow travelers.  

Since retiring in June, I have created a Memory Book for the Asheville, NC girls’ trip and am now working on a Memory Book for my Galena, IL girls’ trip.  I have two grand babies coming in January so I am honing my photography skills, gearing up for plenty of pictures.  I remember how much my children loved sitting with my mother and father looking through the pictures of all of their adventures from their travels during retirement.  I hope to share the same experiences with my grandchildren.   

When shooting the pictures that will go in your Memory Book, grab picturesque photos of your accommodations, interesting restaurants, attractions and activities, scenery and by all means, the people you were with.  I am even guilty of taking pictures of food if it’s interesting enough.  I transfer the pictures that I want to use to my computer and crop them if necessary then edit them for light and effect.  

Choose an internet-based image publishing service such as Snapfish, Shutterfly, Walgreens etc. to download your pictures and create a Memory Book.  I have been using Snapfish - it’s easy to use and has great sales.  I also like to use captions to tell the story of my trip.  Usually, your Memory Book will be published and shipped to you in 7-10 days.  

Call your travel buddies, meet for lunch, dinner and/or drinks and deliver the Memory Book.  They will love it!  It’s also great to hand to your friends that come over if they ask about your trips.  Although keeping your snaps on your phone or computer are convenient ways to store the photos, they are not always easy ways to show them.  

Creating a Memory Book is not only a great way to be creative, but it’s also a great way to memorialize your adventures and memories. 

3 Days in Galena

To celebrate our first fall as retired teachers, my friend Serena and I decided on a 3 day getaway to Galena, Il, a short 2.5 hour trip from home.  The drive from Chicago to Galena in October was beautiful.  We admired the colorful leaves on the trees covering the rolling hills as well as the valleys dotted with farmhouses and red/white painted barns.  Our first stop once we arrived in Galena was Otto’s Place for lunch.  After noshing on the House Salad and mushroom soup, we shared a piece of the Pumpkin Cheesecake and it was fabulous!  Shopping was on our agenda after lunch so we covered about half the shops on Main Street before checking into our hotel, the Irish Cottage Boutique Hotel.  

I booked the Irish Cottage Boutique Hotel through Trip Advisor after reading the reviews and without a doubt we were not disappointed.  The hotel is charming, well decorated, clean and updated.  Conveniently located on the outskirts of town, the Irish Cottage Boutique Hotel was very reasonably priced.  In the morning for breakfast, we were provided with a delicious basket of warm scones and fruit which we ate in the library along with a savory cup of coffee.  

Dinner on Day 1 was at Frank O’Dowd’s Irish Pub.  We shared the yummy Reuben Flatbread Pizza and Jumbo Stuffed Mushrooms while listening to live music.  Our day concluded with some paranormal activity on Amelia’s Ghost Tour.  We used divining rods, K2 meters and EMF detectors to detect and talk to spirits, and visited the Ryan Mansion as well as a cemetery from the 1800’s.  

We started Day 2 with a visit to the home of Ulysses S. Grant.  Take your camera - you get a great view of beautiful Galena from the top of the hill near Grant’s home.  We had plenty of time to finish off browsing the many boutiques, antiques stores and specialty shops by lunch time.  Lunch was at Dirty Gurt’s - a must visit.  My Hawaii Five-O burger was one of the best I’ve ever eaten and the service was delightful!  Our afternoon was busy with wine tasting and a tour of the Galena Cellars Winery.  We found plenty of wine we liked well enough to bring home.  Later on, we had dinner at Fried Green Tomatoes and of course our scrumptious appetizer was fried green tomatoes.

A girls’ getaway would not be complete without spa treatments.  Day 3 in Galena was spent at the Galena Day Spa which just happened to be located in our hotel.  Although you would not spend an entire day here, it has a full menu of services from facials to massages to body treatments at reasonable prices.  The spa includes locker rooms for showering and changing and above all, it’s relaxing.  

I highly recommend visiting Galena in October.  Galena is host to special events each weekend in October, so if you like special events and don’t mind crowds, definitely check out the weekends.  But if you like quiet escapes of casual shopping and no waiting at restaurants and attractions (like me) go during the week. 

Massage Therapy Is Not Just for Vacations

Massage therapy has once again proven to be just what the doctor ordered.  Today’s Spa Day was spent near home and turned out to be a great Girl’s Day with my daughter.  She is expecting a baby in January,  and I thought this would be a great time to spend a few hours at the Kohler Spa, have lunch and do a little shopping.  My daughter could have a maternity massage while I treat myself to a deep tissue massage.  

Initially, my massage addiction was purely based on the fact that it helps alleviate pain and stiffness, especially in problem areas common to most people, such as the neck and shoulders.  After researching more about the benefits of massage therapy, I have become aware that the advantages reach beyond pain relief.  Massage improves sleep habits, lowers anxiety, helps alleviate depression, decreases the build-up of cortisol (stress hormone), improves circulation, lowers blood pressure and alleviates pain from disease such as arthritis.  

We chose the Kohler Spa primarily because they have several services to choose from including a maternity massage, but also so that we could take advantage of other amenities including the pool and tranquility room.  If you are combining a massage treatment with the use of other facilities such as a pool, steam room, sauna, etc. then find a good day spa.  Remember to check your local hotels - many of them have spa facilities - such as Le Méridien.  If you are interested only in a massage treatment, check out a physical therapy facility in your area.  Many of them offer massage packages and are more reasonably priced than day spas. 

Regardless of what you choose, whether it be a deep tissue massage, aromatherapy massage or acupressure,  think about adding some type of massage therapy to your wellness routine.