Hmm..................

[Eileen K.]

Wow, here's a forum I've missed. We can talk about anything under the sun; just as if we were at a sit and sew.
Anybody got anything they want to talk about? Doesn't even have to be quilting related.
I'll start---------------------
DH is eligible to retire from his job in July 2010. He has enough annual leave that he'll be able to actually stop working in May of that year. He'll have some sick leave left over but not enough to give him another month of service. So now he's thinking of staying until January 2011.
The reason this is a problem for me is that he hates his job. He used to love it but the place has gone downhill and it's breaking his heart. I don't know if staying the extra 6 months will be good for him.
He's thinking of taking an online course to become a pharmacy technician for a part time career for after he retires. He's not the kind of person to stay home. He'll go crazy.
What would your advice be for him? I know what my feelings are but I'd like to hear yours.
Thanks,
eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

My husband who retired at the end of January this year, is considering getting certification as a Research Genealogist. So far he is just working on sorting out our family history. This is involving alot of paper piles on the dining room table. But he loves searching out family puzzles so I think he could definitely do work for other people someday. It's early in retirement. We'll see what happens. I do know this.............you need something to pursue and keep you busy and interested.

[Sandy F.]

If he liked his job I would say go for it but if not then I would retire and think about a second career doing something I enjoyed. I have several more years to go before I can even think about retiring but if I am still working for and with the same people I work with now I would stay in a heart beat. I enjoy my job so unless I could make money quilting I can't think of anything I would rather be doing.

[Sandy F.]

Eileenly if he is not happy he needs to do something that wil make him happy if that is to retire early maybe he can find some thing part time to help him get out and be with people other than be in or at the house all day Happy

[Frances L.]

Eileen,
My husband retired in 2000. He
was flying about 100,000 miles a year and was tired and hated the politics at work. We decided that if he retired then, we would have to downsize and make some changes in our lifestyle around now, and we are. He is so much happier being retired. He now has a second career as a PI and a computer forensics examiner. It took him some time to relax and get used to being retired. It took me some time to get used to him being here all the time but now I love it. I miss him when he's working. Now we volunteer usher at some local theaters. I say that if he hates it so much and you can live with what you have in 2010, then he should retire.
Frances in sunny 96 degree Austin

[Frances L.]

hi frances, this is gramslams from bakersfield. still working on my quilt . i got side tracked and was playing with my embroidery. hope to work on it this weekend, since dh is working. karen from sunny bakersfield

[Lynn K.]

Eileen, push, push, push to get him to retire. and while he's looking at pharm tech, have him just plain look at everything! Go to the library and read some books........what ever...........maybe he's the world's next Champion Whittler! Or a butterfly photographer. Or bag boy at the local grocery.

There are so many things............. just find something he loves to do.

I'm one for following your bliss.............but first you gotta find it!
Lynn

[Annette R.]

My dh retired in 1998 after 30 yrs with the state highway dept in our former state (which at the moment I will leave nameless) He had always enjoyed his job but the last four to five years became more stressful and the "politics" were getting worse. So at 60 he retired. For two summers, we worked camped which he enjoyed because he could do a lot of outside things and still have time to himself. After the campground where we worked was sold we retired totally. He does not have any major hobbies but seems to keep busy puttering on either the motorhome or our mobile. I am so glad that he retired when he did because he is a much happier person. There are times I wish he had a hobby but all in all I am a happy camper because we do not have to live in a northern state in the winter and he is so much more relaxed.

(only caveat if you plan to sell your home and seriously downsize, you better have time before he retires because unless he is really in tune with what is a keepsake and what is garbage in your house, you better do the downsizing and just let him haul the garbage.----ask me how I know that!!!!!)

Ann - glad to be retired and on the road!!! Home is where we park it.

[Gloria H.]

I am 2 1/2 years from full retirement at age 66. My husband retired many years ago from full time 40 hour weeks which has shackled me to my job. I have to keep going if we want any kind of income after I retire. I'm tired. Spent last week on vacation then came back to the week from "He double hockey sticks". I resent my husband for not contributing more. He does do the wash, vacuum the carpets and cook supper on days I work but it just doesn't feel like enough. I do love my job which helps most of the time but I'm tired. Boy, that just sort of all came spilling out ops:

[Gloria H.]

This is probably going to sound depressing or morbid. I was a Hospice nurse for several years and a nurse in several nursing homes. So please understand where this is coming from. All to often I would see a patient and their loved one sit together and say "we always were going to do this someday". Someday never comes because they were working jobs they hate or waiting for the planets to align properly. I don't know. It was just the excuses were always poor. Take today it is the only one that is guarenteed. Strokes, heartattacks, and alzhiemers take away precious time. If he does not feel rewardes from his job; by all means quit. Become a greeter at Walmart. My bestfriends Dad did and he loves it. The point is Find your bliss and make the most of the time that is here and now. Don't be the one saying we were going to do this or that. Be the one saying boy we really had a good time. Rachel. (By the way this goes for all ages my hubby's and my first vacation was to Myrtle Beach SC with $350.00 and 4 days off . the three of us came back with $7.00 and 1/4 tank of gas. It was the best vacation ever) :wink:

[Gloria H.]

I retired last June at the age of 55, as did my husband. I'm happy at home (at the sewing machine) and doing a little vounteering and occasional "grandma duty" but he chose to go back to teaching (which he loves) on a part-time basis, and is also very satisfied. Which is the key, to me - be sure you're spending time doing what makes you feel good. I watched my dad retire at 62, spend 3 good years with my mom, receive a lung cancer diagnosis, and die 2 years later, and decided life is too short to waste it being unhappy.

[Annette R.]

Rachel what you wrote is so true. I am just a retired woman but have seen the same thing so many times even in my own family. You never know what tomorrow will bring and with a small amount of money a lot of things can be accomplished.

My dh came from a family whose summer vacations were a half day between field work and whose holidays were less than fun. It took me a while but I taught him what vacations were and that holidays could be fun. Our first vacation was with no more than $600 and some very generous relatives. We had almost three weeks and made it from Minnesota to California and back. That was forty years ago but we even had a luxurious night in Las Vegas in that budget (gas was cheap those days) but even though we weren't sure where the next dollar was coming from we never regretted it. Later we had a camper and the kids still talk about the fun times we had so we must have done something right. I have never regretted a penny we spent on those vacations and on our fun times because we never expected to live to this age (bad history on both sides of the family) but now we can enjoy even more things. Live life today and eat dessert first.

Ann still living life today and loving it.

[Carla G.]

Gloria,
I soooo know what u mean. My hubby retired at 50 from law enforcement because he could and started collecting his retirement, because he could, instead of developing a seocnd career and saving our retirement for when we really need it.

Now "I" have to work, probably until I am 80 to earn enough to keep us both going in our old age and until medicare kicks in for some sort of health insurance.

Like u I resent that I continue to have to work 40 - 60 hours a week and there is no end in sight.

U are not alone baby.

Carla

[Carla G.]

I feel we only have one life to live,so be happy and live it to the fulliest, job included.

We have been pretty fortunate in all we have achieved through out our life here and its been alot of hard work and a great commitment towards our goals in life.
We have been saving for retirement age for many years now and still saving and still have 15-20 years to go before retirement

Though with the way the economy looks with high pricing on everything and the high gas prices. I look for the gov. to throw us straight into a great depression, Horse & Buggies! Families will be living like many of the spanish families 2-3 families together. Yeah the gov. handed us stimulance check thinking this was going to help the ecomomy grow, thinking people would get out there and spend more. "They are draining the people dry". Thier will be more violence due to all this.
Hopefully they will make some changes soon or buisnesses will begin to fall one after the other, It really doesn't look good.

"Hope we can keep maintaining a good Living for all we have worked for"

[Judy M.]

Eileen, I vote for July, 2010. Everyone has made really good comments. I think the way your husband feels about his job is a very good reason to go for the earliest date. My husband will probably retire in about two years. We're still thinking about WHERE to retire. I don't want to be very far from my kids and grandchildren, but California is awfully expensive and living near the beach is an arthritic nightmare at times. Judy in Torrance