What's on your Tuesday Menu?

Oh Chrissy,

I am so sorry for your losses of friends. We are at such a weird point in life. Hugs to you. Snuggle with Rudy when you get home. XOXO

I'm so sorry Teenie. I'll still be your friend. But, stay in Pittsburgh for now, ok?

oh my gosh, that had to have been such a shock, on top of the shock of this weekend. I'm so sorry!

I'm sorry, Chrissy. The doctor Saturday said my heart looked great, so you've got me for a couple of years.

My husband fought cancer for 8 years and I spent a lot of time in hospitals and watching how quickly health can change and life can end. That changed my perspective on how much I wanted to continue to work and what I wanted to do instead. I had also started losing friends to heart attacks, cancers, and other diseases.

I learned that there is always a way to make money if you are willing to work and that I can choose if and when I do work. I did believe that you needed less money after you got older. I found out after a few years that my spending did not decrease and in my case I wanted to supplement my retirement savings, pension, and social security income by working part-time.

Giving up your 9 to 5 and retiring does not mean you will never work again. It could mean that you will find work that you enjoy but that gives you much more freedom over how you spend your time.

I am 75 now. I work approximately five months a year and am free the other seven. I like what I do, enjoy the challenge and set my own hours and work from my own home. I have just been asked to take on more management responsibilities this year and am debating that right now. I finish work on April 15 and have off until mid September. I take all of December off. I enjoy the work and the extra income.

I take continuing education courses in income tax and this summer I am also taking some college courses on management and leadership. I love mentoring people my age who are interested in a second career during retirement years. I can show them how to use their years of work experience to have additional income but still enjoy the freedom of being retired and able to control their time and be free from the stress of a full-time job.

I'm so sorry about your friend - and I can completely relate. It seems like this happens more and more with every passing year. But...we're in that period of life when people start dying of cancer and heart attacks (as opposed to the occasional freak accident when we were younger). SO MANY of my childhood friends have died - I'm starting to feel lucky that I'm still among the living!

and I also relate to White Dove. I've known too many people who've retired at 65 or 70 and either got a bad cancer diagnosis soon afterward or just dropped dead. They never really got a chance to enjoy their retirement. I decided that wasn't going to be me. I want to have a few good years to do what I want to. That's also why I've traveled overseas more frequently the last couple of years - it occurred to me that I may only have another 15 or so years to do that - that is, if I'm lucky. I realize that not everyone can afford to retire early, but I was able to swing it and so I took advantage of that.

Sorry for another loss, heart breaking.

I'm so sorry Chrissy. Sending a lot of love your way today and always.

Lots of hugs, I know how hard it is to lose a coworker. I still send my friend messages in Teams and he's been gone since October. It just makes me feel closer to him.