Gearing Up for Retirement

The Mr. is planning (once again;) to retire (for good) at the end of 2013.  That gives us one year to adjust our budget (and attitudes) for life on his pension(s) and what savings we've squirreled away.  He deserves to hang up his badge after 25+ years of community service.  We have plans .. and then the Lord has plans .. hopefully some will be the same.

You can bet (Lord willing) we won't be sitting around (much).  We have fire wood to gather this summer, mini vacations to take (Glacier National Park), family to visit (us), and odd home repairs not to put off. Grandchildren to fuss over.

We've worked like dawgs paying off debt the past few years (knock on wood .. ) and have learned to be content not needing the latest or greatest gadgets; this all on one income.

We won't be jet setters or pet sitters.  We have a special needs son, Nathan, that will keep us young at heart and close to home; he's a blessing.

So with the New Year about to begin, may the good Lord prepare our hearts, minds AND finances to be adequate and sustaining.  May He give us peace and servant's hearts to give of our time and help to others.  Welcome 2013

... On Being A Keeper At Home

I have to confess, since we got rid of our cable TV, life has taken a much slower, less hectic pace! Either silence or beautiful Christmas music fills the air ... and the pitter patter of my grandson's little feet. Reading books, knitting, writing letters, baking and occasionally watching an old movie have been rediscovered. A friend and I get together once a week for prayer time as well. Then there's my weekly trip into town for perishable groceries. Exciting life, eh? But it suites me well. There's no place like home, aaaah!

The Way We ...

... Were

I have finally put up my portrait on the wall above the office desk. Next to it is Mr. Mac's gun toting portrait in uniform. The way we were ... in the mid 1990's. Funny to see these two much younger versions of ourselves staring back at us from the days of our youth. I wasn't going to put my pic up, but my blank 'trophy' wall next to Mr. Mac's 20+ year career trophy wall was beginning to get 'occupied' with more of his plaques of platitude. I had to put a stop to that! Now intermixed with his official looking certificates and professional on the job pictures, I have hung a few of my unrelated items ... hey, it's my wall, ahem. BTW for the record, that's my shotgun he's holding :)


Next month we celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary. He's making plans for a romantic get-a-way here and here

On a New Beat

Tomorrow, at 08:00 hours, Mr. Mac will begin a new watch. He's been called out of mothballs to help make the world a safer place. I hope he doesn't go back to eating do-nuts or drinking ice blended mochas every day ... he's dropped 16 pounds since retiring last May ;) As an old gunslinger once told him, "keep your powder dry" Mac.

Training The Mr.

A neighbor lady of my mom's recently passed away. She was a 'doer' and did everything for her husband. Now that she is no longer with him, he's had a very hard time getting by day to day. So the thought occurred to me that I needed to train the Mr. how to run the home ... and surprisingly, he agreed. With notebook and pen in hand, he has been following me around the place like a puppy dog, taking notes about washing and drying the laundry, where Nathan's doctor's office is located, what brands of food to buy, etc, etc. Yesterday, I got out the ironing board and a select group of ironing (his shirts, and table napkins). This was a safe bet for sure. The end result: I have a husband with a heart of gold. He now knows the basics of the laundry room ... my inconvenience of having to 'refold' stuff the way I prefer is of little consequence (although it adds a bit more work) ... in the long run, he will regain some skills that haven't been used since boot camp. Imagine: He actually got along just fine before I married him!

Lunch Time Snooze

What a relaxing way to spend lunch time, eh? I think I could get used to 'staycations' everyday!

Take A Hike

The past week was as good as it gets. Vacation at home. No need to pack a bag. Just impromptu jaunts around town. Visiting with the kids and our grandson. A great booming display of God's might as a thunderstorm rolled in and caught us off guard. Hiking and splended scenery. Fresh air to fill one's lungs and near perfect temps.

Photos: Falls (Falls Park, Post Falls, ID, Mrs. Mac hiking Tubbs Hill, Coeur d'Alene, ID

Why Oh Why?

... am I gravitating to senior citizens magazines? Maybe there are just more such periodicals on coffee tables at doctor's offices ... or arriving in the mail now that dh has retired. I don't feel 'senior' ... but the geriatric crowd is breathing down my neck everywhere I turn. I am having a few senior moments (but don't tell dh). One such magazine I picked up today had an interesting idea about supper clubs. A group of 3-4 couples rotates hosting a themed dinner (think of traveling abroad and what you might eat while dining out). I'm halfway between the baby diaper bag set and the other diaper bag set ;) Is this what people with too much time on their hands do??? Feedback please.

Update on going gray: My children now call me Calico.

Walk This Way

.... getting with the routine. Dh has unknowingly kept me in stitches as he learns the ropes around here. So far this morning (his first at home on a school day morning after retiring) Nathan's closet doors have gotten off their track ... the little fellow's shoes have been misplaced and I almost had to send him to the bus stop wearing his snow boots (84F outside today). A week ago this man was toting a gun at work ... now he's gone from jailbirds to wanting to put out food for the bluebirds ;) ... what a life ... this morning when hubby mentioned something about needing a dumb waiter I had to bite my tongue very hard ... (to be continued)

Homeward Bound

Ok ... I just can't seem to find the will to come out of the beautiful sunshine to blog. Winter blahs are hard to shake off and need fresh outdoor air to get rid of. My yard has been raked, new trees and bushes have been planted ... flower boxes are just waiting a bit longer for frost free nights until they get adorned.

Mr. Mac's last work day is May 10th. The first few days of next week will be spent in the administration office or working the front desk ... he's keeping a low profile and using up some 'sick' time ;) Wednesday is his going away roast/luncheon (would I love to be there ... but it's not going to happen) ... Thursday & Friday he's off to the Peace Officer's Memorial ... Saturday (last work day) he may show up in blue jeans and a T-shirt sporting two guys and two dogs sitting in the front of an old beat up pick-up truck with the caption "Double Dating" ... Sunday is Mother's Day ... which he'll spend with his mom and family ... Monday (5/12) is a send off with some of his 'utes' from his childhood ... Tuesday 5/13 he's off on the final trek making a stop at my folks and a to visit a friend in Oregon. On 5/16 (LORD WILLING) he will pull up in the driveway at our home with the comforting thought that he doesn't have to leave in two weeks. By then I'll have my honey do list completed for his first day back ... and will add to it incrementally :)

Savor -vs- Squander

How many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds does a body have here on this blue planet? Only the Lord knows the exact amount ... just as he knows how many hairs you have on top of your head. How many of these units of time do you savor and enjoy. How many do you throw away down the drain? Earlier this year I turned FIFTY years young and I've had time this week to think about this new decade I'm entering. My younger decades were spent in school, and raising a family. Now with that semi behind me ... I'm starting to savor every breath I take and realizing life is too short to not slow down to smell the roses. Somehow, this week the sky seems bluer ... air cleaner ... life more precious. On my morning walks I try to drink in all of the glorious views from the top of the mountain. I enjoy my gardening hobbies and even my housework. And to think I was looking in the want ads a few months ago for a part time job ... silly me ... my hats are tipped to you ladies that can pull off working and homemaking. Exhaustion comes sweetly at the end of each day ... and the cycle of life ... ebb and flow ... arrives whether ready or not. How are you savoring your days?

Photo by Mrs. Mac

Going, Going, Gray

Some of you will think I'm nuts ... but I'm about to embark on a journey that will find out what the true color of my hair is. Of course, I know it's got a lot of gray in it ... but I'm curious as to HOW much gray there be! I'm a bit tired of keeping up with the continuous touch ups ... not to mention the drain in my wallet. Hollywood has been knocking at the doors of the everyday housewife and career woman young and old for the past fifty years ... youth has run amuck and I'm crying foul. Slavery was defeated years ago and I'm going to put down the box of Lady Clairol in preference for my natural state of age. This does not mean that Mrs. Mac is going to "let herself go." I've seen plenty of stylish gray haired women that can pull off the graceful aging gig. I don't plan on sporting pink or blue hair ... nor shall I cut it short and have a perm. Just wait and see ... along with me. If I never post a picture of myself again ... well, you will know that this experiment has failed! ... stay tuned, maybe not, eh?

Spoiled Mama

I'm just now coming down from could nine after all of the attention given to me by the Mr. this past week. The whirlwind has passed and now the dust must settle. Back to reality. My glass slippers are shelved until the next milestone. The tiara has been returned to the vault ... butler released from duty ... cook sent packing ... maid let go ... and I now sit at home alone with my feather duster and can of Endust ... boo, hoo. I'm a survivor ... and shall rise once again from the ashes. To what? Retirement beckons ... wait a minute sister ... my life won't really change. I still have motherly and grandmotherly duties to take care of. The dawg needs her daily cookie and walk ... garden seeds need to be planted in the pony pack trays ... there are countless tasks calling my name come spring. Window tracks to clean out ... flowerbeds to clean ... patio furniture to dust off once my snow mound melts ... a BBQ to rescue ... aaah, common life is beautiful; I'm not cut out to be a full time queen.

Mr. Mac Is Pulling The Plug

... no, not on life support silly, just his day job. Can't believe it, but his retirement is in the extreme countdown phase. He soon will say goodbye to the PD and hello dear family that I have missed for the last two years, except for occasional visits. End of watch date is set for May 9th. His locker count down clock must be sensing it's usefulness is about over. I'm beginning to prepare to live on his pension by paying off any outstanding bills and learning to just say no to items that call out to me from the shelves at Walmart ;) Looking for ad matches and coupon clipping will by my new past time. I've already begun limiting my extra trips to town to conserve gasoline. Mr. Mac is not ready to sit at home on our front porch rockers. He plans on getting another job for about five more years. This is definitely gonna require some adjustments.

In Case You're Curious ...

You may or may not wonder what would make a family just pick up and move 1400 miles from home to a "foreign" land with few friends, no home, very limited family, and cold winters. I've asked myself that question often the past year and a half. What exactly possessed dh and me to do such a thing. Well, I think the timing had all to do with everything. Dh was nearing his final two years of his law enforcement career, we still had unmarried children that would/could relocate. Most police officers retire out of the environs of the town they served ... especially if it's a mega crime laden city, to "greener pastures" so to speak. But how did we come to choose our new town??? First and foremost ... we asked God to guide us. Then we started researching on line random areas. A website popped up called "Find Your Spot.com" ... and the rest is history. I took a quiz, said to search for towns in the northwest area with certain criteria, and up popped about 13 towns from Colorado, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. After settling on our current town as one to explore, Dh informs me that he has some buddies that retired there. One thing led to another and we contacted a realtor to show us some property. Of course there was the whole discourse between dh and myself, "do we build or buy something existing?" Buying property and building became our first choice. So with our property do's & don'ts list in hand, we visited the area, met with the realtor, looked at property for one day, fell in love with the lot we ended up purchasing ... it had everything that was on our check list btw ... made the offer on day two and received word that it was accepted the morning before we flew home. That was in September of '05. By late October we had listed our home and by February '06 we had it sold. During this time of listing our home, we (I) searched on-line through probably 1500 house plans. There were certain things we needed to accommodate Nathan ... such as having the bedrooms on the same level and together. You've read how I have to get up at night with him, can you just imagine having to traipse through the house (?) ... most newer plans have the master bedroom on another floor or end of the house. So we hired a draftsman to take our scratches on a napkin and turn them into a house designed for our needs. This whole process took a spark of vision, lots of nerve, steel guts, and a pioneer spirit. Any regrets? Nope! Would I do it again? Nope! (edit ... no need to do it again!)