Jump to content

Menu

Miss Mousie

Members
  • Posts

    1,530
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Miss Mousie

  1. DH and I retired 10 months ago (which is why it took me so long to see this thread - I spend much less time reading online than I used to). I can't say there is a "typical day," but there is a general routine. It may take you a while to find it and work out the kinks so it suits you. I second the suggestion upthread to take time to research and plan before pulling the plug. I too liked Holy Schmidt and some other YouTubers, and I read the Mr. Money Mustache forum extensively before retiring. That forum was by far the most helpful. DH and I are on the early side for retiring, and neither of us gets a pension (but we will get SS when the time comes), so we have to watch the money very carefully. I track expenses to the penny and made a budget for the first time ever, but those things function more as guardrails and signposts rather than strict limitations. Navigating our ACA health insurance plan has been a challenge but we've only had it for a month; I imagine I'll get the hang of it soon enough. We are each other's best friend, and after decades of seeing so little of each other, it has been marvelous to be able to share our days - ALL of them. We are also introverts, and feel no need to be together constantly, or active constantly. Reading side by side in companionable silence suits us just fine, as does spending time in separate areas of the house doing our own thing. One more thing: I expected to find that time moves much more slowly without a schedule and the hustle-bustle. Wrong! I have found that it moves even faster than before. The days have a way of filling themselves up, and all of a sudden it's bedtime again, and then all of a sudden it's a new week, and a new month. Be careful not to over-schedule or over-commit yourselves until you find your footing and your balance.
  2. Quill, I think it's good that he's staying in the college town (as long as he has some kind of job). I imagine it will be so much easier for him to lean on existing friendships and, possibly, meet a new Someone Special. And, of course, everything will be OK. As some boardies have so wisely said, no one is dead or in jail - a good reminder to keep perspective. Hugs to you!
  3. Wow, catz, I could have written every word of this.... (especially the last line. LOL)
  4. I should also say that the transition has been different, in some ways more difficult, for DH. DH still "demands" a weekly phone call (which doesn't always come). I'm fine with less frequent calls and find that there's usually more interesting conversation than the one-sided Q&A of weekly calls. When the kid is home on break, my attitude about food is "There is plenty in the house, kid can read and follow a recipe or make a sandwich, he can eat when he's hungry." DH, on the other hand, still wants to cook (or reheat) food and have it on the table at DH's idea of "dinnertime." Then he gets upset when the kid doesn't come running to the table to eat it. I think, if it weren't for me, DH would encourage the kid to live at home forever. I, on the other hand, seem to be pushing and shoving as hard as I can to get him fully out of the nest!
  5. I absolutely LOVE the empty nest. It's so peaceful and pleasant, and DH and I can spend the precious little time we have together just focused on each other and our solo pursuits. Breaks home from college are challenging. Day 1 is usually fine. Days 2-5 can be a rough re-adjustment period. Then, almost as soon as we are all back in the groove, it's time to go back to campus (or to the summer job, or whatever). Some things have improved as the kid matures, but the visits still grate on me. I'm just really ready for the kid to have his own place, and visits can be daytime-only or maybe a single overnight. Another challenge for me has been returning to standard work hours. I had cut back to 31 hrs/wk to homeschool, and I could have retained that schedule, but I wanted to get my old paycheck back, LOL. So now I've lost my peaceful/productive mornings at home and instead have lots of downtime (boredom and resentment that I could be doing XYZ at home instead of being chained to my cubicle) on top of the stupid commute. I cannot wait to retire!
  6. I'm the youngest ... [edited for privacy] there is rarely if ever any drama.
  7. Until your most recent post, covering more amicable circumstances, I was very suspicious of what "catching up" could entail. I mean, it sounded like something unpleasant was going to be sprung on you. If I were in your shoes, I would have to prepare with some brainstorming. What topics could possibly be involved in the "catching up"? What responses should I practice for off-limits topics? What inconsequential conversations could I start to steer away from off-limits subjects? Stuff like that. And of course all of that would fly out of my head in the moment and I'd be left stammering, but my "pre-game jitters" would insist I try to prepare anyway. I hope it goes well and is pleasant for everyone.
  8. Two weeks on/off may be worth considering. At every switch of custody there is a readjustment period that can be difficult, and it may be easier on the child to have a longer term, including a weekend without travel/upheaval. Also, I like the idea of the child staying in the same home and the parents swapping out for their custody period. If the parents can agree on an apartment to be used for non-custodial periods (and can be mature enough to keep both places clean and in good order), then there will still be only two households to maintain, and the child will have more stability (and not need two wardrobes, two favorite blankies/bed toys, two toothbrushes, etc.).
  9. That's my guess. Plenty of Germans all across the Midwest. Including the Pennsylvania Dutch (= Deutsch, = German).
  10. Off-topic: Recipes with handwritten modifications are the best. ❤️
  11. OMG, drooooollllling.... I LOVE noodles on mashed potatoes. Mom made it with chicken and with beef - with more of a gravy than a broth in both cases. OMG, so good. The only time I make noodles now is for turkey noodle soup after Thanksgiving. IMO, they are very, very different in texture/bite from any commercial dried noodle. Mom was born in Chicago, 1st gen from German immigrants. Dad was rural IL. Both sides were crazy about the combo! Our noodles - like PeterPan's recipe, but just eggs & flour. The flour on the noodles is usually enough to thicken the broth a bit, but one can sneak in a little extra slurry if needed. Our mashed potatoes - mashed with a masher, never ever whipped! Taters, butter, a splash of milk. Period. Salt & pepper added at the table. I'd give anything to have Mom's noodles taters & gravy again. 😢
  12. It's not for nothing that we took to calling it the Mathroom....
  13. When I was a kid, I absolutely LOVED Dell puzzle magazines - mostly crosswords and Pencil Puzzles & Word Games. It appears Dell has been bought by Penny Press, which I did not like nearly as much way back then, but it's probably worth checking them out. They have many different kinds. https://www.pennydellpuzzles.com/variety-puzzles/ https://www.pennydellpuzzles.com/logic-math/
  14. Nope, not too harsh, especially because he seems not to have learned from last weekend.
  15. It sounds like the last 10 years or so have brought many good, happy changes here and there, and it also sounds like that trend has plateaued lately. That, plus the mention of "if no job then baby" leads me to think you're just looking for another "something new." Of course, I could be totally off-base. I hope you get the job, but if not, I'd maybe suggest learning some new skills or joining/starting a community group or getting a cat or something before going for another baby.
  16. Knock, knock ... I have an 18 yo who just started college. May I join? And is it OK to slug whiskey by the fire? 😉 Sometimes coffee just won't cut it....
  17. Taste of Home used to have a magazine called Cooking for Two. It seems to be out of circulation now, but there is still a website that may prove useful to you in getting a sense of proportions. https://www.tasteofhome.com/publication/cooking-for-two-magazine/ It also appears that Amazon etc. have back issues available.
  18. I have dreamed about each of my parents, and I LOVE those dreams. They are almost always hilariously funny in the dreams, and, while I'd still call it bittersweet, the sweet feeling is really strong.
  19. Try to get your hands on a copy of Rodale's Organic Gardening. It is essentially an encyclopedia. Also try contacting your county extension office. AFAIK, they tend to have many expert gardeners ready to help. Good luck, and best wishes for a bountiful first season! 🙂
  20. Agree with all of this. My son did the "intensive" (3-week) session, which was great for getting it done and not letting it drag out forever. Her feedback was very helpful (especially considering DS didn't give her much to work with at first!) and I know his final essay was far better than it would have been otherwise. I looked into some of Ethan Sawyer's stuff (mentioned by another poster), and I liked it, but DS didn't seem to click with it. I'd recommend having your child investigate the site and see if it's a match, and decide from there whether to try more than one source.
  21. Finally weighing in.... DS applied to 4 schools and was accepted to all with merit scholarships at each: Beloit College (Presidential Scholarship), Knox College, Northern Illinois University, and South Dakota State University. He has chosen Beloit! To say I am thrilled doesn't quite capture it.... I am ecstatic!
  22. If you think about it, an oatmeal cookie is just granola that hasn't been crumbled yet.
  23. February has always been rough here, and I have only one student. The first two weeks were actually pretty good, but the back half of the month has been the worst yet. We've had some sad personal events in the family lately, but more than that, he is a senior, and seems hell-bent on trashing the subjects we enjoy together more than anything else (like lit). I'm trying to chalk it up to "fouling the nest" and not take it personally, but THAT IS HARD! I don't know whether I can even hope that March etc. will be any better.
  24. HOORAY! And CONGRATULATIONS!! That is just the best news.
×
×
  • Create New...