What I learned in a year

I just hit the one-year mark on my retirement, although I was still on the payroll through most of October burning up the last of the vacation I could never seem to take for one reason or another. That means a year of not getting up at 4 a.m. or commuting 2.5 hours a day. Bliss!

What have I learned in a year?

  1. I was better at work than I am at golf.
  2. The house gets messier when you actually live there.
  3. Libraries rock.
  4. There is no shame in going to bed early and waking up late.
  5. My husband never says no when I say, “I’m going to Target, do you want to come along?”
  6. The kitchen gets messier when you actually cook.
  7. An occasional beer with lunch is a nice treat.
  8. Worrying about money doesn’t make the stock market go up or down.
  9. Housework sucks but keeps you moving and burns calories.
  10. My wardrobe fits into a laundry basket.
  11. Cannabis in small doses reduces pain and makes me happy.
  12. The dishwasher runs more than I do.
  13. Crocs make great slippers.
  14. Writing for pleasure and practice is fun and therapeutic.
  15. Sometimes I start thinking about lunch as soon as I finish breakfast.
  16. It’s better to say nothing than to criticize my husband’s driving.
  17. Cooking delicious food at home ruins you for most restaurants.
  18. Men don’t see dirt.
  19. Birkenstocks go with everything.
  20. The idea of a job has become increasingly unattractive.
  21. Change is good.
  22. I still can’t get rid of my work clothes.
  23. My inside voice and my outside voice are converging.
  24. It’s no big deal to squander a day – lots more where those came from.
  25. Gray hair looks good and saves time and money.
  26. You can have a social life without social media.
  27. I like Kohl’s better than Nordstrom.
  28. Homemade yogurt is worth the trouble.
  29. My husband does not report to me.
  30. Walking is good exercise, and it’s free.

5 thoughts on “What I learned in a year”

    1. I don’t see any reason to wait. They are both worthy of your time. After retirement, I found the two crashing into each other, what with the late start.

  1. The most of the points you make apply to me (or us).
    Nr. 31 could be that I do almost no ironing any more because my wardrobe is about the same as yours.
    Do you prepare yogurt with the IP?

    1. I should have added a bullet about no ironing!

      Interesting you should ask about yogurt. I have a Euro Cuisine yogurt machine, which makes the yogurt in individual glass jars. It’s delicious — more like a European yogurt. I tried making Greek yogurt once in the IP using a recipe that did not include heating it to 180 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooling it down to 110 degrees, as it usually does. It failed.

      That recipe was from the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, which I love, love, love. The recipes have been quite reliable. Her way would be a lot easier, but it didn’t work for me.

      I’ve been reading about older adults needing more protein, and Greek yogurt has twice as much as regular, so I want to try again. Straining the yogurt from the little glass jars seems silly, so I’m back to making it in a big jar in the IP. I’m going to try the recipe on the IP homepage.

      https://recipes.instantpot.com/recipe/instant-pot-yogurt-for-newbies/

  2. Those yogurt machines are still sold here. Never tried to make my own because we have such a variety here, and of course also Original Greek yogurt.
    Definately older adults need more protein. Otherwise you loose your muscles.
    My daily breakfast is unsweetened yogurt with fruits and linseed oil.

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