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Normie and I were City-Data friends and had a rich posting history together. Private Messages and sometimes similar and other times differing opinions. Her post #13 influenced my post#14 considerably and I might not have been as up tempo at the time without Normie's post. Normie had a lot of challenges and still managed to smell the roses and find each day to be a positive one. How could I not be as positive with so many more advantages? Over the next few years we became fairly good CD comrades. Especially in the political arena. Often a lot of disagreement and many times agreement. Always up tempo and positive Normie was voice of reason for many. Unfortunately a few years ago many of us began to worry the worse or accept the worse, that health problems had eliminated posting or perhaps even worse. There is a reality for all of us and on here we often lose people and never are sure we lost them.
Speaking of people who have "disappeared", Caladium has not posted on City-Data at all for over a year now. Her case may be different, as in her last post she announced she was irritated and was going to take a break. (She had been a regular in the Retirement Forum).
Speaking of people who have "disappeared", Caladium has not posted on City-Data at all for over a year now. Her case may be different, as in her last post she announced she was irritated and was going to take a break. (She had been a regular in the Retirement Forum).
I suspect she is ok as I have wondered like you. She was in the Pittsburgh for awhile and that seemed contentious for her and I suspect she just said the heck with it all. She was also defining retirement and as with many people that takes us in different directions. I am finding that and post much less frequently on here. Often now while I am cooking when I do. We are in a different retirement mindset that is still unfolding and not really discussed much on here.
I also have enjoyed Caladium's earlier posts. Did she not retire to the Williamsburg area? She sounded like she was integrating well into the community with her helpful and outgoing ways.
As far as the 'different retirement mindset', don't you think C-D needs more posts with *your* mindset? True, some retirees are struggling to keep their heads above water, and those posts provide a useful perspective, but that needs some balance by those with additional kinds of observations.
And I hope normie is in a good place now, no matter what.
Oh and to get back on topic, who knows if our best days are behind us or not? It is all so relative. If you loved aspects of your older days a lot it would be difficult to predict, wouldn't it? The bar might be pretty high.
We have definitely had some good times, and I think our best are still ahead. Since moving here in 2013 we have made so many new friends and discovered even more enjoyable activities and places to go than we ever imagined. We are always struck by the kindness of both the locals and the other transplant neighbors. I knew more neighbors within the first week here than I did in 10 years in any of my CA homes. We feel beyond blessed to live in such a beautiful place with so much to offer. We are looking forward to getting an RV and experiencing more of our amazing country.
I also have enjoyed Caladium's earlier posts. Did she not retire to the Williamsburg area? She sounded like she was integrating well into the community with her helpful and outgoing ways.
As far as the 'different retirement mindset', don't you think C-D needs more posts with *your* mindset? True, some retirees are struggling to keep their heads above water, and those posts provide a useful perspective, but that needs some balance by those with additional kinds of observations.
And I hope normie is in a good place now, no matter what.
Oh and to get back on topic, who knows if our best days are behind us or not? It is all so relative. If you loved aspects of your older days a lot it would be difficult to predict, wouldn't it? The bar might be pretty high.
A different mind set maybe but there are other differences that might not be helpful I am finding. I had a poster a few months ago tell me I wasn't like most posters on here and that gave me reason to pause and realize they were right. That makes it difficult for this not to be the echo chamber it sometimes become. I even found CD not to be a very helpful place to find info on appliance purchases as there seems to be a common mindset and deviating is not always desired. There are joys of life that can only be found in retirement or more easily appreciated in retirement. Working and grand kids just can't compete with retirement and being able to travel and see them. We are blessed and retirement gives us the time and opportunity to enjoy those blessings in a stress free life. Are landscaping has become spectacular and a Facebook favorite we are fortunate to be able to have it professionally maintained and all we have to do is enjoy it along with the beach/ocean when there. How I could not consider these the best times is beyond me. More grand kids bring them on. In the months of June, July we will not have been in town for a full week. August is shaping up the same way and that is awesome. We are off to visit friends in VA today who we have not seen in awhile and the time for leisure is another blessing. We are finishing up our semi annual medical checkups and all is good. I even had my Colonoscopy and don't need another for ten years. To not be up tempo and feeling blessed would be to allow the good Lord to call me an ingrate and change it all. Not many want to hear this or talk about how to get there and I am sure just my sharing this with you will raise the ire of a few. In fact my wife took us the other day to visit and senior facility we often drove by. It was a Kisco community which had no buy in but a high monthy rent charge. They had Independent, Assisted and Memory care living with a waiting list. Not cheap in fact the monthly rents ranged from and these are starting at rates add $595 more for a second occupant:
480 Sq foot Alcove-$2,414 per month
1456 sq foot Cottage- $5,170 per month
The above are independent living prices and obviously the cost for Assisted and Memory Care would be more.
They have five other floor plans that fit between these two. No need to discuss what you get for the money as if I started a thread on the possibilities there would be demands to have the thread shut down! Yes it is more than many make a month in retirement but it is a living consideration for many.
They have five other floor plans that fit between these two. No need to discuss what you get for the money as if I started a thread on the possibilities there would be demands to have the thread shut down! Yes it is more than many make a month in retirement but it is a living consideration for many.
Really? People would want it shut down? That's not right. There are all kinds of retirements and I don't see why they should do that. People need to discuss all kinds of places they might want to go and everyone has their own budget. I'm glad I joined the C-D Tennessee forum way back when. It has changed our life.
Really? People would want it shut down? That's not right. There are all kinds of retirements and I don't see why they should do that. People need to discuss all kinds of places they might want to go and everyone has their own budget. I'm glad I joined the C-D Tennessee forum way back when. It has changed our life.
This forum in my mind has changed of late and yes the value it once had might be gone. Local forums are much better and the Raleigh forum was very helpful to me. I could post about Kisco facilities in that forum and no one would blink an eye. There are multiple ones in the Triangle and they are priced for the wealth in the area. Someone from elsewhere might find the prices and thought of outrageous. So local can be better and more appropriate. It also gives us a glimpse of what could be ours in retirement and encouraged me back in 2007 to feel our best days were ahead of us and that was on target. Topics like these are important as for some it can influence them and make them delay taking SS in order to be able to afford a targeted retirement home later in life. For others no they want their money now. Unfortunately dialog between the two opinions can go South quickly these days. Use to be good advice around here.
Okay I just checked it. Looks good and while the rents are higher than similar facilities here, they do have several price points and levels of "luxury". Not bad if you are ready for IL or AL.
This forum in my mind has changed of late and yes the value it once had might be gone
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Topics like these are important as for some it can influence them and make them delay taking SS in order to be able to afford a targeted retirement home later in life. For others no they want their money now. Unfortunately dialog between the two opinions can go South quickly these days. Use to be good advice around here.
I am relatively new here so I don't know what has changed. From what you wrote, it appeared that forum was more informative before the participants became more 'fractious'?
Do you have any hypothesis or explanations for the perceived changes? From little that I have read, some of the regulars are long time posters. Do they change with time (afflicted by the grumpy old men/crabby old ladies syndrome)? Is this to do with the economy (people were more optimistic before the 2007-2008 crash)? Is this because the new posters are more opiniated? I hope that I did not contribute to this downward trend ;-)
One thing that may have changed over time is the age of posters here, and where they stand in relation to their projected date of retirement. I think that some people have had to delay or downsize their retirement plans due to the economy/job issues and, understandably, this could lead to bitterness and cranky postings.
We have definitely seen an "age gap" in our community because some boomers are working longer than their earlier counterparts. So we see a huge amount of folks in their upper 60's to low 70's and very few in their upper 50's to low 60's. We're starting to see a few more trickle in lately. I am acutely aware of the shortage. Home sales are starting to pick up here, so that should help.
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