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im not even allowed in the kitchen... if i cook we say our prayers after we eat . ha ha
My husband is a better and more creative cook than I am so he does about 95% of the cooking in our house. I clean up. Works very well.
I do plan on experimenting with homemade soups and different types of bread (in bread machine). I used to bake goodies years ago but since I'm on a perpetual diet and hub doesn't like sweets, I've no plans to take it up again.
Well, I have about seven years before retirement but I'm already thinking of what I'd like to do.
I'm planning to have a serious vegetable garden and learn how to preserve foods.
Raise milk goats to make cheese. I love animals and goat's cheese!
Have a few chickens.
And, hopefully, resume horseback riding (if my purse -and body- can afford it)!
The horseback riding part scares me, I love horses, I am the worlds worst rider and now at my age I'm sure my back would protest (and the horse)!
Great pictures, mathjak107, thanks for sharing! A friend of mine, who retired when I did, got his real estate license but wasn't totally into it as much as he loved photography. He does what you said, takes pictures for realtors, keeps him busy!
we have special techniques we do that lend itself well to real estate photography so what the heck we figure we will take a stab at making a little money at it..
i also wanted to always work in the financial field so i may go for the series 7 exam too... its all more a hobby then im looking to really work but non the less it gives us a purpose.
I'm sure this was posted somewhere but I haven't found it. So I'm wondering what everyone else plans to do or is doing in retirment. I'm amazed by people who say they dread retirement because they'll be bored! I realize many things are expensive when you're on a limited income, but there are also many which are cheap or free.
My interests are:
reading
learning history, specifically local history, general Celtic, Scottish, Irish
photography
writing, blogging
genealogy
studying/practicing buddhism
bicycling, kayaking, canoeing, hiking
travel
many things on the internet
There are ways to expand your hobbies in retirement, too. I like to read, also, but in retirement I joined a book discussion group, something I didn't have time for when I was working. We go out to lunch after we meet, too.
Photography can get you into a whole bunch of different interests. Mine went to birds but there are also camera clubs with competitions in all different categories, guest speakers and outings/events that might interest a person who likes to take photos but didn't have the time or energy to join a camera club when they were working.
If you take classes in some kind of retiree program, you will probably have an opportunity to learn all about the area where you live. I've had classes on the towns in my county from longtime residents/retirees who had first hand experiences growing up in the area and seeing it change over the decades. The town police have given classes about the police department. We've toured the utilities building and had presentations from the electric, water/sewer, traffic lights, vehicle (school bus, police cars, fire trucks, utility) maintenance folks and town signs workers. We've even had a presentation from the town on the commercial and residential development going on and planned.
We've toured the federal government lab facilities, the new high school and before I got here, they tell me they even toured a prison in the next county. A TVA engineer went with us to a wind farm on top of a mountain. Plus there are day trips like backroads tours, backstage playhouse tours, train excursions and boat tours (like by the state parks rangers). We went to a culinary college and besides a presentation about their program, the students prepared and served us lunch. That was different. And some of the classes taught by local business people include a tour of their facilities. I believe we had a trip to a robotics plant, not too long ago. I'm currently taking a class given by a local FBI agent about the FBI which has a large office building in the area. (The day trips by the way, give you new photo ideas.)
There are so many bicycling, kayaking, canoeing, hiking groups if you move to an area with a lot of state and/or national parks or a town with a lake/river and trails. The thing is, you probably squeezed this stuff in on a Saturday or Sunday when you were working but you'd be surprised (or maybe not) about what goes on outdoors during the mornings and afternoons during the work week. I had no idea when I was working.
There's a garden club in my town that makes the grounds of the community college look beautiful. I don't know if it's the same garden club but a garden club does the area in front of the town library, too. The thing is, I bet when those people were in the workforce, they barely had time for their own yard but once retired they've expanded their hobby/interest and have met others who like to garden, too.
There are ways to expand your hobbies in retirement, too. I like to read, also, but in retirement I joined a book discussion group, something I didn't have time for when I was working. We go out to lunch after we meet, too.
Photography can get you into a whole bunch of different interests. Mine went to birds but there are also camera clubs with competitions in all different categories, guest speakers and outings/events that might interest a person who likes to take photos but didn't have the time or energy to join a camera club when they were working.
If you take classes in some kind of retiree program, you will probably have an opportunity to learn all about the area where you live. I've had classes on the towns in my county from longtime residents/retirees who had first hand experiences growing up in the area and seeing it change over the decades. The town police have given classes about the police department. We've toured the utilities building and had presentations from the electric, water/sewer, traffic lights, vehicle (school bus, police cars, fire trucks, utility) maintenance folks and town signs workers. We've even had a presentation from the town on the commercial and residential development going on and planned.
We've toured the federal government lab facilities, the new high school and before I got here, they tell me they even toured a prison in the next county. A TVA engineer went with us to a wind farm on top of a mountain. Plus there are day trips like backroads tours, backstage playhouse tours, train excursions and boat tours (like by the state parks rangers). We went to a culinary college and besides a presentation about their program, the students prepared and served us lunch. That was different. And some of the classes taught by local business people include a tour of their facilities. I believe we had a trip to a robotics plant, not too long ago. I'm currently taking a class given by a local FBI agent about the FBI which has a large office building in the area. (The day trips by the way, give you new photo ideas.)
There are so many bicycling, kayaking, canoeing, hiking groups if you move to an area with a lot of state and/or national parks or a town with a lake/river and trails. The thing is, you probably squeezed this stuff in on a Saturday or Sunday when you were working but you'd be surprised (or maybe not) about what goes on outdoors during the mornings and afternoons during the work week. I had no idea when I was working.
There's a garden club in my town that makes the grounds of the community college look beautiful. I don't know if it's the same garden club but a garden club does the area in front of the town library, too. The thing is, I bet when those people were in the workforce, they barely had time for their own yard but once retired they've expanded their hobby/interest and have met others who like to garden, too.
Thanks Laura. All excellent tips. I'm in a rural area and our nearest town of 10,000 is 10 miles away. The cities are a ferry trip away from us. There is a very small college in the town that has language and other classes and I haven't checked to see if there is a photography class or club. I know there's an archaeology club but not sure if I want to join.
We're in Scotland and we actually live in what has recently become the only national park in Scotland. We live on a sea loch so can put in the canoe or kayak outside the front door. There are excellent places to ride our bikes and also to hike. My hub and I do it together but it would be nice to go with others sometimes. We have acquaintances who are soon to retire and we just discovered they do long bike rides, so we'll arrange something.
My area has an ancient history (as in up to 5,000 years old) and many books have been written on the county of Argyll. I do blogging and I'm thinking that since I can easily while away an entire day on the internet I need to set goals for myself such as write essays on things I've learned about the area or about any aspect of Celtic history I'm interested in, and publish them on my blog. I'll remember what I've learned plus improve my writing skills. Can add pics as well.
We'll be spending the next 2 months travelling and then at least a month remodeling the kitchen and other redecorating in the house. By then it'll be springtime and we can start going outside. Anxious to take new pics of springtime!
Where in Tennessee do you live? I left Knoxville to move to Scotland nearly 10 years ago. East TN was fantastic for hiking the Smokies and kayaking on all the lakes!
Last edited by yankinscotland; 10-31-2009 at 09:22 AM..
We're moving to Las Vegas and I will be playing tennis during the day and poker at night. And if I get into a rut, I'll change things around and play poker during the day and tennis at night!
I was happy to learn that my back injury at age 42 did not affect horseback riding (it was a crush-down soft tissue injury, lower back). Using proper posture to ride a horse is actually the proper position to counteract my injury and slight scoliosis.
(Anyway, it beats doing pelvic tilts out in public. You gals might know what I mean).
I've been utterly ruined by taking week-long riding vacations in the Mountain West. There's really few places to ride here in eastern Mass., and I'm not interested in ring riding.
Ring riding is boring, if you are going to do it, get out in the fresh air! I was fortunate to be able to ride friends horses when I was in high school (before the area got too built up)! I was never very good but I did enjoy it!
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can afford it)!
