Good afternoon! I like hearing all your thoughts on retirement. We‘re mulling a lot of things over. DH is closer to retirement than I am. We have a lot to do this year for him. Our CPA does financial planning so we will talk to him about all of it this year. I am at a point where my pension is growing nicely, so I have to balance that with stress at work, as well as health insurance until I’m of Medicare age. Lots to consider. I love what I do, but there are things about it that are super stressful. Still, it could be worse. My schedule is pretty good and I enjoy my patients. High acuity environment, but I’m used to it and have adapted - same job for many yrs. Commute stinks. People are mostly nice.
We had children kind of late, so we didn’t have a lot of years in between them finishing school and us retiring. It kind of came up fast on us. I think we’re in a pretty good place, but then I look at how high costs are where we live, and how costs are increasing for everything, and I worry. Both of us are very likely to still work when we retire, DH doing some very part time consulting work, but he won’t have to go to bed and get up at ungodly hours, and I can do some home visits or Cinderella hours in a hospital, something different than what I do now, maybe in one closer to home than where I am now, without the commute. Or I might just stay super part time where I am. We’ll have to see what makes the most sense and which I prefer after testing the waters a bit. I don’t think I would want to work from home even if I could find something suitable. I like being with people, and helping people. Human interaction and things like eye contact and touch are important to me on the job and I wouldn’t want to be without it - that, I know. Unless something happens and that’s all I can manage physically.
We envision doing some traveling, but it’s not the end all, be all for us. Trying to stay healthy and bopping around locally would be nice for us. Looking forward to grandchildren and very likely to help out with them (as it’s very likely that when our kids finally buy their homes they will need to salaries to afford them here). We like to travel with our dogs and that presents some challenges, especially now that we’ve got a big one again. (Last big one, for sure.) We think about snowbirding. (Who doesn’t?) Not sure we’ll be able to afford it but it’s fun to look and see what’s available. That’s really about it. DH is of Scottish heritage and we’ve always wanted to see the UK, so that would be somewhere we’d like to go - if I can get past flying there. (DS assures me it’s not bad.) I’d like to do Alaska on the Disney ship; as a matter of fact, we would be more likely to go anywhere on a Disney ship! We have no interest in things like going on safaris or seeing pyramids. Both of us have Italian heritage, as well, that might also be somewhere we’d like to go. And maybe the islands more (have been to quite a few). US and Canada travel also interests us. While working, we’ve always had to limit our time away in order to get back to work. It would be nice to take a month or at least several weeks to go somewhere without having to be back in any special time frame, other than to get back for the dogs, but chances are that the kids could watch them rather than them languishing in a kennel for that long, though we’re hoping the kids might be able to join us for some trips or part of our trips as we enjoy traveling together. (Hopefully with DS working for the airlines he might get some discounts, as well.) So yes to travel, with some caveats, but more just not having to get up to go into work as much as we do now would be really nice.
Had a quiet New Year and it was enjoyable. Got out a little bit but it was super cold out. And Snowysmom, we’re finding it cold in the house, too, I think it’s just because it’s so cold outside. I have my fuzzy hooded vest that keeps my upper body warm and little Toto next to my legs! Enjoy the evening, everyone!
I start a work stretch tomorrow.
. Guess I'll wait until February when the next season starts.
All of you needed a happy and plain fun time together!
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extra to you always!
Extra blessed, of course, to have shelter, clothing and blankets! Cocoa, too 
As I get older, truly living simply, humbly, as kindly as possible means all the more. I choose forever Jesus and I pray following His daily call to me with a grateful heart of joy and witness. Zero need for drama or negativity or just too much be it stuff, plans, etc. This new year ahead especially given my feet journey I pray to more fully cherish health, of course, and daily miracles small, big, and in between for every moment of life is a miraculous gift from Him. I definitely agree with those of you that have said keep it simple is the way to go! Prayers those of you who enjoy travel are of course able to do so safely and have a fantastic time, you know that. Love always to each of you!
dear Taz. Waiting is no fun at all 
God is with you and your daughter, of course, forever!
Love, of course, to you.
