Looking Ahead
Amazing Possibilities – YES – Even In Retirement!
So here it is; retirement is looming. Some enter this phase of life with trepidation, while others transition in a seamless way and never look back. The options today in retirement are endless. We all have choices. Some plan ahead and things work out just fine, but for some, this new period, despite the planning leads to unhappiness, boredom and lo...Read More
Ahhhhh – The Dreaded High School Reunion!
Dear “Oh Carol:” I just got a notice that our high school reunion (50th) will be held late next summer. I went to one, maybe it was the 5th or the 10th – but haven’t seen anyone since then. I went to high school in NY and then moved to the southwest when we retired. My wife has passed on but I live nearby to my son and his family. Even so, I fee...Read More
What If…We Actually DID Something?
A “personal opinion?” You bet. And…one to be proud of! Garret Mathews lived in Southern West Virginia from 1972 until 1987 where he wrote feature stories and, later, columns for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. The newspaper’s circulation area includes McDowell County, one of the poorest counties in Appalachia. Before mine mechaniz...Read More
2 Critical Questions to Ask Senior Parents
You may think that sticky conversations and awkward questions between you and your parents are a thing of the past. Get ready for a little role reversal. As your parents age, you’re more likely to be the one asking uncomfortable questions. Although some parents are transparent with their adult children and provide them with a complete plan fo...Read More
Are You Afraid of Retirement?
All of your ducks are in a row. You have saved and carefully invested for years, and the personal discipline is about to pay off. So why is there apprehension in the bottom of your belly? Let’s be honest. There is risk involved, and the future no longer seems certain or familiar. “What if I forgot about something?” you think, and ...Read More
The Interval Between
It’s the week after Christmas, or ‘holiday’ if you’re part of the alchemist crowd that mixed Jesus with Visa and got Santa. Hopefully you dodged the dictates of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that mandated all celebrations be generic. Whichever season it’s called, the last week in the year seems to be a peaceful one. The frenzy is over. The ...Read More
What Do I Do Now?
In speaking to various groups and consulting with people either in retirement or approaching retirement, one of the common concerns is what does one do in the future? For many of us, our work or family life defines our identity. When work comes to an end or when the children have all grown up and left home, it can leave a void in our lives. Most p...Read More
A Shared Story: My Bucket List
Hi, want to share some of my bucket list with you all. It started last April when for three years prior, I worked on throwing myself my 70th Birthday party. And it was so so so so awesome. I did a 50's theme, and one of my cousins made 11 poodle skirts for those of us who wanted to do the stroll. We took care of the rest of the attire and we a...Read More
A Shared Story: Before the Griswolds
Before the Griswolds . . . were my dad and his buddy, Harold. These two men grew up during the Great Depression and served in World War II. It didn’t take much to entertain them. It just had to be shiny. Our family’s tradition was to put up the Christmas tree on Dad’s birthday, which was fine except for one small problem. Have you...Read More
The Hot Breathe of Christmas
It’s happening again…the hot breath of Christmas breathes down our necks like fire. Tempers get testy. Time eats up our hours faster than a politician asking for money. The plague of not- enough cash consumes our checkbooks. Visa elves work overtime. Platoons of catalogs clog our mail boxes. So many choices¦who can decide? The hot...Read More
A Shared Story: Half-Lit
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde When it comes to Christmas trees, less is more, proclaimed our friend Bud. Convinced that he had found the secret to simplicity, sensibilities and holiday sanity, he initiated the SCTC: The Small Christmas Tree Comeback Initiative. ...Read More