It's the Weekend

Thanks for sharing your stories regarding yesterday's post. I have come away with the feeling that the 'experts' don't know much, and we should create a realistic budget for us and make that our goal. Personally, I think a debt free start to retirement is a must. It's an obtainable goal. Thinking about it more makes me realise we can make it work. The last bit, when the time is right, it's just taking that leap! 

Today, I got up bright and early and did a quick walk down to the beavers' lodge to catch them bright and early. They were quite busy this morning. There was one who was quite curious and came really close to the shoreline to study me lol.

I didn't stay out long as we had plans. Today were the annual garage sales of a certain neighbourhood in town. We usually try to go. There are lots of sales and you can park the car and walk around. There were so many sales. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we had a good time. I found some clothes for Aurora and a few other goodies. 

By the time we were done I was pretty tired out. I must admit to falling asleep a bit in the afternoon! 

Good News Today - Ipswich Town Football Club has made it back into the Premier League! It was great to see all the photos and videos from the town. I belong to an Ipswich Ex-pat group on Facebook and a couple of the ladies were back in town and shared some videos. I admit that it did make me a little homesick!

125/366

 A couple of the dressed I got for Granddaughter. They made me smile and were pretty cheap so that's why I got them for her. 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend

Some Random Retirement Thoughts and Other Bits

This is a random post, but I've been thinking (and reading and researching) about this a lot in recent months. Husband turned 60 last year. He got a statement from Social Security saying when he could retire, what his full retirement age is, and how much he'd get monthly depending on when he retires. This is all different from retirement in England. In the US, his full retirement age is 67. He can start receiving his social security (pension) anywhere from 62 to 70. When he retires depends on the amount he will get monthly. It's quite confusing. Let's not even bring medical insurance into that lol. 

Anyway, that's only part of the equation. I made the mistake   I decided to look up the amount of money you 'need' to retire and - WOW - what a can of worms! The amount of money advised to have is, well, really out of our league. Millions. So, I'm wondering, how much money do we actually NEED to retire?

A lot of what I read about is assuming that you expect to live exactly how you do when you are working. It assumes that you've had a really high standard of living and high expenses. It assumes that you have a mortgage and lots of bills and payments. 

I'd like a little input, no numbers and such. I'm not that nosy. But a few generalisations. I'm going to use my Mum as an example. She was pretty frugal. She did buy things when she needed them, and some 'treats' for herself. She didn't have a retirement account. When she retired, she sold the house we grew up in and bought her flat. The difference in what she sold for and bought for was her 'extras'. Her state pension paid her bills and everyday expenses. She had no other payments except household expenses. She used her 'extra' to pay for holidays and her flat upkeep. To me, that's how I see our retirement. We aren't big spenders and we've never had a lot of extra money. Am I wrong in thinking this isn't the norm? 

Husband would like to retire sooner rather than later. And I would like him too as well (well, sometimes lol). I'm thinking somewhere in the middle - he can retire at 62 but his full retirement age is at 67, so maybe 65. Our house will be paid off next year and the extra we plan to put away in our savings account. Realistically, and health permitting, we'd like to at least be active (with our Sunday Adventures and camping) for another 10 years after retirement. 

Do you take into account lifestyle and monetary value or just taking time (after 45+ years of working including 10 years in the military) to enjoy the last few years of life? 

A lot of rambling in this one. It's a big leap to take when there is no 'income'. We both do some things on the side to make extra money, so that will continue, but can't be relied upon. 

Thanks for any input. 

Hopefully tomorrow's post will be a bit more cheerful!!

Things That Make Me Smile 123/366

Taking time to enjoy the sunrise

124/366

After the Rain

April Round-Up (turns into a bit of a ramble)

The only thing (house ways) I was really proud of last month was the number of books I sorted out and got rid of. I well surpassed my goal of 30 books. It actually made me feel really good. So, I am planning on getting rid of more this month. I did read 5 books. More than 5 books. Yeah! I am well on track to reach my Goodreads Goal again this year. I seem to go in fits and spurts with reading lately. Sometimes I can't put books down and read and read, and other times I struggled to pick up a book. Not sure why. Perhaps this is why I'm finding it easier to get rid of books lately. 

I did work on the downstairs bookshelves, but I did not get them totally sorted. I only wiped down part of the kitchen. Sigh. I also did not get a cross stitch project sorted. Not sure why I am struggling to pick one up!

As I am writing this I am really struggling to think about where April went. It seemed to disappear without me knowing lol. I really, really need to do better with time management. I think that's part of the struggle. Lists do help so I need to make sure I keep doing them, perhaps breaking it down into monthly goals, weekly goals and daily goals. 

Today - just an example - really flew by. I went for a walk. I had an appointment at 11.30 to renew my driving licence. In Michigan you have to renew it every 4 years. You're supposed to be able to renew by mail and only go into the office once every 8 years, but for some reason I had to go in again (I'd been in 4 years ago in the middle of Covid). I think it might have something to do with having a green card and not being a citizen. As with most things, the thought of going made me quite anxious. It also didn't help last night that our water pressure suddenly dropped, and I was anxious about that too. Sigh. Anyway, by the time I got done with the appointment (all went well), stopped at the Dollar store, came home, ate something, picked up the house (daily stuff) husband was on his way home. I video chatted with daughter, chatted with MIL and then sat for a bit before cooking the evening meal, doing the washing up and that was that! 

Hopefully, I'll sleep better tonight. The water went back to normal about 2pm. We didn't think it was on our end. Husband had checked pipes and the water readings, and all was okay. They are doing water stuff nearby so maybe it was just that. 

I suppose that's enough for today lol. I'll work on May goals and hopefully achieve a bit more!

121/366

It's beginning to look a lot like Spring and that makes me smile!

122/366

Beautiful clouds and a lovely morning walk. That makes me smile and relax. 

  

Monday Monday - a bit of this and that

Not as much got done today as I hoped. I did get up and go for a walk. The weather was forecasting rain all day, but luckily it held off until after we had got done. I did go and do a little food shop. I haven't meal planned. I didn't want to do it when we got back last night so I wanted to pick up enough for a couple of meals. The rest will be whatever we have on hand. I plan on doing a somewhat meal plan tomorrow. I did a couple of loads of wash but need to do some more. We didn't do any while we were at daughter's house. It was just easier to wait until we got back. I still have some bits to put away. I brought back the rest of what I'd left at daughter's and a few other bits. They have to be found a new home tomorrow, so that's on the list. 

I ended up dyeing my hair today. It has been a LONG time since I had done it. I thought about letting it go grey, but it's a horribly steaky colour, that looks horrible. I didn't like it. I did it myself and I really like it. I took a photograph of the packet, so I remember the colour. Usually, I end up going too dark and it doesn't look right. I have dark hair naturally, but it also gets a lot lighter in the sun. I went a bit lighter, and it blended lovely. I think it looks really natural. 

Also tomorrow, I need to drop off my camera in the mail. Sigh. Unfortunately, while I was away, the bit where one of the straps attach broke. Luckily, I did not drop the camera so nothing else was damaged. There was an issue with this part on this particular camera, but I thought (not a smart move!) that because I hadn't got my camera right away mine wouldn't be affected. I checked and apparently my model of camera is on the recall list. I have registered it and have a prepaid mailing label to attach to get it repaired. I'm hoping it doesn't take long! I didn't get rid of the last one I had so I'm using that. I am realising now that I have been spoiled. My mirrorless camera (the one that needs to be repaired) is really silent as it takes photos, the old one (not mirrorless) sounds really loud in comparison!

Today was Baby A's first day of daycare. Daughter goes back to work next week - how time has flown! - and she wanted to get her started a bit early, so they get into a routine. Apparently, Baby A got a bit teary-eyed when they first entered as it was quite loud. She did settle, took lots of naps, drank her milk and was tired out when daughter picked her up! The daycare sent daughter lots of updates which she sent me, lol.

I have been taking all my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile daily project, but a lot of them last week were of Baby A, so I shall be starting up again from today. 

120/366

Back to my walk. It made me smile to see how green everything has got in one week away!

Normal Service to Resume

We're back from Minnesota. It was rather sad to leave Baby A. She is getting so big. She is cooing and ahing and yesterday she learned to fake cough. Daughter has had a cough the last week or so and Baby A has picked up on it, mimicking a false cough. It is so obviously fake, and she smiles afterwards. She really is delightful. She is copying sticking out tongues and such. She loves trying to sit up though she isn't quite strong enough to do it by herself right now. 

Tomorrow, I have lots of catching up to do, lots of washing to do and then it's back to making lists for the coming weeks ahead. I really enjoyed my time away and it really makes me want to work towards husband retiring so we can do more of this kind of thing. Lots to think about and plans to make. 

I wanted to share this fun video. I drove quite a lot to the Wildlife Drive at the local Refuge. Basically, it's just a huge area of green space. There is a seven mile drive where you can wander along (drive, walk or bike) to look at the local wildlife. There are other areas with trails and such. Anyway, as I was going along the drive I came across a Cockerel! It was there several days. Not sure where it came from. It always seemed to be in the same spot. 

Back tomorrow. I'll be (hopefully) catching up with blogs. 

Quick Check-in From Minnesota

Having a lovely time. It's amazing how much Baby A has grown in just a few weeks. She is smiling and babbling away. She's trying to grab things too. She is drooling away and trying to shove anything she can into her mouth. She does sleep really well at night, but in the daytime 30 minute naps are all she seems to manage. She does not like to go to sleep during the daytime. It would be rather funny if it wasn't frustrating as she gets really tired if she hasn't napped. She doesn't like laying down when you hold her. I think she then thinks you're trying to get her to sleep! She'd rather sit up though she can't sit up alone yet. She does hold her head up pretty well though. 

I'll obviously have to play catch-up when I get back. I'm enjoying spending the time with daughter and baby and enjoying trips to the wildlife refuge. The computer and daily life will still be there when I return lol. 

Yesterday's Things That Make Me Smile - 115/364 

A beautiful Sunrise

Be Back Soon!

Off to Daughter's House

We're off early in the morning to visit daughter and her family and to get much needed cuddles from Baby A. I'm debating whether to take the computer or not. I will try to check in, but I really want to just enjoy baby A and spend time with the little family. I can't wait!

I stayed away from sorting anything today. I really didn't have time. I had a couple of stops to make, some washing to do and then some packing. I didn't hear from the opticians, so I decided to stop in and ask about the glasses. They were there. They said they had texted. I told them I hadn't received one. They weren't sure why I hadn't. While I was picking up the glasses someone came out and asked whether I had left a message. Apparently, the messages left are transcribed. I don't know if it's my accent, but the transcription bore absolutely no resemblance to the message I left. We had a good laugh about it. The glasses will take a bit of getting used to. I'm afraid I'm going to trip over my feet. I wore them a while, but they gave me a bit of a headache. Hopefully, it won't be long until I get used to them!

I'm off to bed so I can get up early, early in the morning. Night!

109/366

Things are starting to look a lot greener. I wonder how much will change in just a week!

Slow and Steady

It's not been a bad week. I've been making lists and checking things off. I have added another...ta da...30 books to the donate pile! I have another 2 boxes of items ready to go to the charity shop. I've absolutely smashed the book donation total I wanted to meet this month. It feels good though there are still many more to go. I'm finding it a little easier to let go of them. The craft room is still a mess, but I'm slowly sorting through things and letting go of some of them. I wish I found this a little easier! I am trying to keep focus on what I want the house to look like and just keep chipping away at bits until it might, someday, get that way!

I've been getting out for walks each morning. It's been warmer this week, so it's been lovely to get out. Some storms came through this afternoon, but that was well after I'd got the outdoors things done for the day. We're heading to daughter's for a week-long visit on Friday so I'm trying to get a few things finished up before we leave. It will be nice to have a little break from the house stuff and hopefully I'll come back full of energy and raring to go! 

Tomorrow, I have to go pick up some snacks for the road trip, fill up the car so we can leave early on Friday, do some washing and pack. I'm also messaging with my sister tomorrow instead of Friday. I want to go check on my glasses. They haven't come in yet. Husband got his second pair yesterday and, when he asked, they said mine were in and I would be getting a text today. I heard nothing. I tried ringing them but they didn't answer so I left a message. When I ordered them I was told it would be 7-10 business days. It's been well over that now. Sigh. 

Things That Make Me Smile - all outside ones. The weather has been glorious. The sunrise yesterday was lovely and today it was the clouds that made me smile 

106/366

107/366

108/366

Back tomorrow. 

Sunday Adventure

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. A lovely burst of almost summer-like weather. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature reached 76F/24C!!!! We decided to go for a walk on the beach at Michigan City, Indiana and then down to Indiana Dunes National Park. I really like visiting there. There were a lot of people walking the trails, but we found one that wasn't too bad. It was really lovely being outside. 

The trees are still mostly bare, but you can see the beginnings of leaves and some of the blossom is now blooming. There weren't too many birds around, but we could hear the spring peepers (frogs) making lots of noise. There were a few early ground flowers if you looked closely. 

Later, when we were home, middle son and his girlfriend stopped by. They had gone with our other son (the older one who lives with us) to a Comic Con that was in town. They stayed for a little while before heading back to their respective houses. All-in-all it was a pretty good day. 

Some phone photos from our adventure

They are starting to get the beaches ready for the summer season. This means evening out the sand.

This made me smile today (105). Somebody had left their mark in the sand!

The trail that we walked along

Lovely sunny skies!

Saturday

The sun was shining this morning. Really lovely. I got out early and sat and watched the beavers for a while and then had a nice walk. There was a fisherman right by the beavers' lodge, but he moved soon after I arrived and then the beavers came out. I'm not sure why they fish right there as the sticks and tree logs line the bottom of the lake. It seems there are other, clearer areas where the fishing would be better, but what do I know? 

Anyway, it was very relaxing. After watching the beavers, I took a walk. I heard lots of bird sounds. Up in the field the Tree Swallows and the Blue Birds were competing over who would get to occupy the two bird houses. A little Chickadee even took a lot in one of the houses while the Tree Swallows and Blue Birds were flying around.

A little later husband and I went out to do a bit of shopping and to take a look around for poly greenhouses (not sure that's the right term). We don't want anything too big, but something that would protect plants from the deer. It has to be able to be taken down and stored in winter. We think we've found one, but we want to do more research as to what else (food) we can grow there in pots. 

I did actually do a bit of sorting today too. I'm on a roll! No books today but I was up in the craft room. Some hard decisions will have to be made. Sigh.

Question - how long should an item be kept if it's not been used so far? 

Question - when decluttering, is the price you paid for something a consideration in whether you get rid of it or not? Or do you just chalk it up to a purchasing error and - hopefully - going forward you avoid that error? 

Some things I really have to think about. I think that second one is holding me back in some areas. 

One of my beaver photos from this week

Some phone photos from my walk today and my Things That Make Me Smile photo

104/366 - it's sunny!