The fun things in life and potty!

We've had an exciting two weeks! Woody and I have been in Greenville, SC working with a wonderful physician practice.  This is my first two week engagement and it was a real experience. We had a delightful stay at Marriott's Residence Inn with Andy the Yorkie and Harley the cat! I love hotels that allow pets. As long as I have my babies and hubby, we can be at home anywhere. There are wonderful restaurants in Greenville...loved Pomegranite, TakoSushi and California Dreamin! Woody got to go visit his sister in Anderson and on Saturday, we drove up to Hendersonville, NC and did a little Christmas shopping...I've already given away two of my "Christmas" presents because they were so cool I couldn't wait...sorry Ginny and Libby! Oh yes...I did work about 10 or 11 hours a day, not counting the work at night!

The fun parts of Hendersonville, NC were the Curb Market and Jump Off Rock...as we were hiking up to the rock, we saw a beautiful young woman in a Notre Dame shirt. We stopped to chat and her husband Michael turned out to be on the 1988 Championship team the year I was on campus finishing my MBA! There are always new friends when you travel. We had a great chat about ND and football and Lou Holtz. We also met a delightful older couple who reminded us of how much we should treasure our time and the ability to travel while we are "young enough" to enjoy it! We talked about how lucky we are to be able to travel while we still have our health. So my tip for the day: Don't put off things too long...you may not have the chance again!

Now for the potty! Savannah came home and told mommy that she had to go poo poo in the potty! And success! She's a ways from being totally trained....but baby steps! Her potty plays music when she's successful. I guess the Elmo Potty CD and her wonderful day care are working!! Her mommy is traveling this week so we're keeping her a few days to give daddy a break. Our beautiful niece Olivia is playing soccer at Cumberland on Tuesday so we'll take Savannah to her first college game.

Hope you have a wonderful week...and don't put off the fun things in life!

Fall Pilgrimage in Natchez, MS

Stanton Hall

We had the most wonderful trip to the Fall Pilgrimage in Natchez! The tour of antebellum homes was so much fun. The lovely families of Natchez open their homes during the fall and spring and other special times during the year with some homes offering tours year round. If you've ever had an interest in the south, the Civil War, priceless antiques and homes to die for...you must plan a trip to Natchez. Our favorite event was the Amos Polk's Voices of Hope Gospel Choir and dinner at the Carriage House Restaurant at Stanton Hall. I even got to sing along on Amazing Grace...and got invited to sing with them whenever I wanted! Obviously all those choirs in church and nursing school paid off! Woody and I took so many pictures...I just have to get them uploaded for sale soon!

Longwood

Several of the homes are really interesting...Longwood is the largest hexagonal home in the country...the basement is completely finished and the family was forced to live there when the war of northern aggression interrupted the building process. The main floor, second floor and up are unfinished just as left by the workers when the war started.

Rosalie

Our favorite house was Rosalie...it is owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution and beautifully furnished and maintained. What was so fun was to hear the stories of so many of the houses from descendants! Several of the houses have been in the same families for decades. We even met the grandson of the family that owned TuJacque's Restaurant in New Orleans and the daughter of the CEO of Howard Hughes' Empire, Ginger Hyland, who has a collection of antique purses and crowns! We also met Jimmy the Crickett, aka Scott Smith of Spring Hill, who helps his friends with the tours. He is the most knowledgeable young man you could ever hope to meet about the traditions and antiques of the the era. His own home in Spring Hill is open for tours so I think we might have to drop in on him!


I could post dozens of pictures since we saw 23 houses! And the food was fabulous...Sandbar just across the river in Vidalia, LA serves fried shrimp that is oh so close to Dewey's in Destin. Magnolia Grill's shrimp and grits and pan seared redfish are also divine. Cotton Alley Cafe was great for lunch and Breaud's Seafood had great grilled oysters. There was a cute little casino, Isle of Capri, that had a great southern foods buffet but I must say their slots were generous early in the evening and then got tight so you gave back all your winnings.

The piece of advice for this post is to wear comfortable shoes! We walked and climbed stairs and hills over uneven surfaces but it was well worth it. You can have so much fun if your feet don't hurt. We watched people hobbling around...if they had worn comfortable shoes they would have had much more fun...besides, they'll never see any of these people again. Comfort over style when you're a tourist. There is a second piece of advice...look for local or near by festivals and events. You don't always have to leave the country or even the state to have an adventure! Now on to the next excellent adventure!

Staying Intellectually Challenged!

One of the problems with retirement is that you can get dull! I don't want to be like the "old folks" (and yes, I know I'm one of them) that sit around and talk about how great it used to be or their latest malady! Falling into a rut and doing the same thing day in and day out is dangerous. If you sit in front of the TV, never go anywhere, rarely leave town, and don't seek out new opportunities, you will decline both mentally and physically. All this talk about staying active is valid...get out, try new things and live life. There is a cute ad for a Toyota Venza that shows the daughter in front of facebook, while the parents are out riding bikes! I want my children to complain that I am too busy for them!

As my frequent readers know, I'm a compulsive Groupon and Living Social addict! If you haven't signed up, what are you waiting for? There are always coupons for restaurants and events if you actively seek them out. Car shows are free or low cost and lots of fun! We recently bought a Nashville City Saver Coupon Book sold by our local schools to raise money. The first week we had it, we recouped our $25 investment while enjoying a night out at the Whippoorwill Cafe with entertainment by the WannaBeatles and dinner out with our granddaughter! The WannaBeatles are a tribute band for, you guessed it, the Beatles. Our other favorite local band is Boomerang, a 60's and 70's tribute band. OK, OK...I did say not to dwell on the past, but the music was great!

Intellectually stimulated for me is easy...I still work occasionally as a consultant and medical editor. It requires me to stay current in the field of cancer care and to fire up the synapses to edit manuscripts for non-English speaking medical professionals. When you read something besides the depressing newspapers, you realize there is a whole world out there that could be fun! Have you considered volunteering with a community agency to teach literacy? What about dog walking at the Humane Society? Local schools often need volunteers...if you have a skill in math or science or English...have you considered tutoring kids with learning needs? Offer to do a story time at the library if you're creative! If you like plays or athletic events and can't afford a ticket, volunteer as an usher! Volunteer to visit residents in nursing homes in your community...read to them, help them to write notes, or just listen. Bottom line...get off your bottom and do something! The nice thing about being retired is you can do things during the week when everyone else is working so you don't fight the crowds!

Have a great week...and my tip for today...start making plans to stay physically and mentally active!

Reconnecting with "Old" Friends

One of the fun things about retirement is you can travel whenever you want! We just spent a wonderful weekend at Harrah's in Tunica with Janet, my dear friend for life. Sometimes you get so busy that you forget to reconnect with friends and family on a timely basis. My tip for today is schedule time to reconnect with friends and family. The nice thing about casinos and motorhomes is that they often connect at an inexpensive campground! We love MidSouth RV Resort in Tunica on the campus of Harrah's Tunica!

We planned the trip and everything was going well until the driveshaft disconnect on the Mustang failed. You can't tow an automatic unless you can disconnect the driveshaft! Soooo....plan B. One of the great things about Harrah's MidSouth RV Resort is that they run a shuttle to the casino and to Horseshoe Casino so you really don't need a car. Janet was coming on Saturday so she would have a car if there was a real need. Off we went with a naked motorhome...meaning we weren't towing a car! First time for everything. Once we got to the park, we were so glad that the pads are FLAT concrete because the jacks wouldn't go down...for you novices....without jacks to stabilize, you feel like you're on a boat when Woody walks through the coach...it's rocking! So those were the only two problems.

The best part of the weekend (other than seeing Janet of course) was the Paula Deen's Buffet. It is some of the best food we've ever eaten and it's reasonably priced...cheap even, if you have a Total Rewards card from Harrah's and have lost a bit of money gambling! And of course, let's talk about gambling.  It was a good weekend...I came home with all the money I had budgeted for losing and still gambled Friday night and all day Saturday! I would get up a few hundred and then put it all back trying to win a big jackpot!! Janet is now a big girl and has her own Rewards card and I may have her addicted too...she does have more self control than I do! Woody was ecstatic because he flirted his way into the owners' reception Friday night for the car show that was happening over the weekend with a barbeque contest and then saw cars all day Saturday.  All in all it was a great weekend.

Now we have to get the RV and car fixed because we head out to the Fall Pilgrimage in Natchez, MS the first part of October. We'll reconnect with Mike and Janis and Estelle and David...and who knows who else we'll run into along the way. We are so blessed to have friends and family that we stay in touch with...sometimes you get so busy when you're working that visiting suffers...when you are retired, take advantage of your free time and reconnect with people you've neglected. Even if you haven't seen someone in years, you'll find that those years quickly fall away when you take the time to reconnect!

Making a List and Checking it Twice!

Did you think I had vanished? It's been a while since I've posted because we've been so busy. We hit the road a bit in the RV this summer and remembered why we love it so much. Sometimes you have to reactivate your feelings when you get old...that includes our use of the RV. As you age, things do tend to get a bit stale so you have to shake things up a bit. We tend to get into a rut and forget to try new things. When we decided to travel this summer, we sat down with the Atlas and figured out how to work a trip around the wedding of a dear friend, picking Mackinac Island and the UP of Michigan and northern Wisconsin since we hadn't been there. When you travel as much as we do, you tend to struggle to find new places. The last two years we've done cruises to both coasts of Canada and Alaska, but really didn't want to cruise again this year. The international instability is also a concern...when there are riots in London, you know things are in turmoil. This turmoil is a great reason to explore the U.S.! We spent Labor Day at a family reunion in East TN with the kiddos and grandkiddos followed by a quick trip to NC, leave soon for a weekend with a dear friend in Tunica, MS, and head to the Natchez, MS Fall Pilgrimage in October. We can't wait to tour the Antebellum Mansions!

The other compelling reason to stay closer to home is money! The stock market is fluctuating to the point that I'm dizzy. When you are retired, you don't have a lot of time for the market to rebound! I think that I also would prefer that my little dab of money be spent at home to help our faltering economy since our fearful leaders in DC don't seem to be doing anything. We have been so blessed to have traveled so much internationally over the years that if we never leave the U.S. again, we'll be fine. I still want to go to Ireland, but I still have a few more good years so hopefully I will get there some day!!

So your tip for the day...re-energize and shake things up a bit. Get out of your rut. Even if you can't afford the trip of a lifetime, look closer to home and see what the U.S. has to offer...it doesn't even have to be far from home. Most of our trips have been regional and we are having a ball. We have a nephew and his family that recently moved to Nashville and find more to do here than we even realized. Shakespeare in the Park, lots of local and neighborhood festivals, art gallery crawls and plays and programs at local colleges are all things they've discovered. We just forget to look and then complain that there is nothing to do! When I worked, I always had a "to do" list and plans for the upcoming month. Crack open your favorite beverage and sit down with your significant other and make a list of places you'd like to see and things you like to do.They don't have to be costly and, in fact, many local events are free. 

Enjoying life requires a little effort on your part! Activities just don't drop in your lap...if you sit in front of the TV day in and day out, or do the same old things over and over, you may not shorten your life, but you'll certainly shorten your fun! So check the paper on Friday or Sunday for upcoming activities, check local and regional websites for festivals and celebrations, and don't forget your local colleges with theater departments who often offer plays very inexpensively! Be proactive and get out of the house! You'll be glad you did.

Friends and Family Time!

One of the nice things about being old is that you have gathered tons of friends over the ages. Whether from family or work or neighborhood or church, it's always fun to get together even if it's been years since you've been face to face! With facebook and classmates.com, it is easy to reconnect with people you've lost touch with over the years. We just had a great weekend with Mike and Janis, Woody's brother and his wife at the Indy 500!  Our friend Cathy and our soon to be new friend, her husband David, are on their way from Raleigh to Chicago with a brief stop at the Edens' B&B! Or in this case B&D&B! Planning a lovely dinner at home to have lots of time for conversation and catching up.

Consider finding old friends and inviting them to come visit! It doesn't have to be fancy, just fun. Even if you haven't seen them in years, you'll love catching up, checking out who has the most wrinkles, and the cutest grandkids. You have more time now that you're retired so use it to reconnect with special people in your life.

And then, of course, there are fun times with grandkids. Off to Florida later this summer for a family vacation on the beach...the only struggle we've had thus far is our lead foot daughter and son-in-law and the slow pokes (that would be us!). I'm just going to be sure that we have the address because I'm too old to drive fast. After that trip, it's off in the RV. The housesitter is ready to guard and protect the house, the lawn and pool service engaged...all we have to do now is pack.  We're going to try to check in with some of our Florida trailer park friends that have headed north for the summer. 

You can collect new friends to go with the old ones whenever you open yourself to the possibility. Have fun this summer and collect some memories and new people to add to your circle of life.

Create Your Own Economic Stimulus Package!

Part time work in retirement is the best way to survive turmoil in the stock market. I am fortunate enough to work as a contract healthcare consultant for a wonderful company, The Oncology Group. When you retire, consider what skills you have that others might use. If you can afford to volunteer your skills, that's great, but most people need additional income given that retirement funds have taken a hit in the economic downturn. There are always healthcare options if that's your field, or if you've been a teacher, consider tutoring on your own or for a company that provides the service. What talents do you have that could translate into work? Can you play an instrument or are you really good at photography? Teaching a continuing education course at a local community college in quilt making or scrapbooking can earn you a little travel money with a minimal time commitment. Writing and editing are also good ways to make a little extra money if you have an English or journalism background or just had a really good high school English experience! There are several web based companies that are always looking for writers. Check out Demand Studios or just type freelance writers or freelance writing in your search engine. Copy editing is another option if you have an eye for finding errors...you know who you are...you can't read a book, ad or magazine article without finding a misspelling or weird sentence! Consider jobs that compliment your interests such as working in a bookstore or movie theater. I think if I didn't have my consulting option, I would work at Chicos! I love their clothes and would love to get a discount! Many businesses are eager to get mature, part-time workers that are dependable and have skills that are desirable without the drama. Because you are retired, you don't have to struggle with explaining why you want to go back to work...just tell them you need extra money or you've gotten bored!

I have talked to many people over the last few years that have gotten bored in retirement. While they enjoy the money, lots of them enjoy the social outlet of work almost as much. If you are single or your significant other is still working, going back to work part time may be fun, especially if you choose a job that is your avocation. At one point, Woody and I thought we wanted a gallery but that requires too much commitment...the key is to determine how much freedom you are willing to give up for extra cash. If you're working too much, you can't have fun with all your extra money!

So your lesson for today...don't be afraid to go back to work if you need extra cash but think outside the box a bit. You might be tired of your "old" job, but trying something new could be just the economic stimulus you need!

Trip Planning!

It's time to hit the road again! As you know we stayed home this winter rather than leave our beautiful granddaughter! But now that she's a year old, we might be able to leave for a few weeks without having withdrawal. First trip though will be to the beach with the baby and the kiddos! This will be our first family vacation in a while...in fact...the last one I can remember was our Christmas cruise with Libby and Chris. So first stop...Panama City Beach because they have more things for Savannah to do.  Then we head out in the motor home to Brown County, Indiana, South Bend, Indiana for a wedding, then up the Lake Michigan coast...finally to Mackinac Island! We've wanted to go there for about 100 years but just never got it together. Then to Sault St. Marie and on to Door County, Green Bay and then? We haven't figured out where to go next....that's the fun of being retired and owning an RV. Of course....gas is the highest since we went to Montana for 6 months when it hit $4.50 a gallon! We just can't start a road trip without gas going up. As always there is a tip embedded here....if you shop at Kroger, you can earn big discounts on gas. We are Publix people and they just ran a promotion that gave us a $50 Shell card for $40! I think it was to compete with Kroger. So watch for specials on gas and compare pricing between stations. We have a 5-8 cent swing just in our little town.

I just scanned through about 200 channels on TV and can't find a thing to watch..it may be time to down size my Comcast subscription! It must be bad because I'm watching the Kardashian's...I am embarrassed! So I think I'll scan on to something else. How about music videos? Not a bad choice. So second tip...how many of the channels that you pay for do you really watch? I did just save about $20 on my cell phone by changing my plan a bit. So that's at least one dinner out a month at Cracker Barrel or anywhere I have a coupon. I have a purse full of dining coupons...can't remember coupons for the grocery, but I always have one or two for meals.  I guess it's the little things that will add up over time. Like making coffee at home rather than Starbucks! Or if I just have to have Starbucks, getting regular coffee with room for milk instead of a Latte.

Can you believe the floods we're having...and storms...and earthquakes...and demonstrations across the world? I am beginning to wonder if the Mayans had it right that 2012 might be all we get. Our weather here in H'ville has been weird...in the 90's one day and a high of 58 the next. My sinuses are going crazy. Our world is really in a tizzy right now...Nostradamus may be on to something. So...final tip for tonight...never go to bed angry...hug your family and tell them you love them...be kind to others...do random acts of kindness even when no one is looking...and have a little fun along the way! Have a wonderful week peeps!