Many retirees I know claim to be retired, but their life resembles a 40 hour work week. At a thrift shop where I volunteer twice a month, there are several retirees who work 4 or 5 days a week. They are in charge of departments—jewelry, furniture, house wares etc. Nobody made them an official boss, …more

While saving enough money to pay for retirement is important, it’s also essential to plan what you’ll do with all that free time. Sure, at first you’ll be happy relaxing, watching movies, reading books, and gardening. However, now that we’re all living longer, these activities probably won’t keep you entertained for the next 20 to …more

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I’m a sixty two year old ex-pat Englishman living in an old house (which I am restoring) on an estuary in western France, I am also in the process of renovating an old 1960’s classic sailing boat. My life and my boat restoration activities are the subjects of two blogs which I try to keep …more

My friend sat before us like a sentinel guarding an important event. He was like I had always remembered him, regal, majestic, exuding an air of superiority as if he really knew that he belonged in this time and in this place. In fact, he truly did. March was his time to shine. It had …more

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Before retiring, many of my more recent jobs and consulting assignments required the use of, or software development for the Internet. The reach of the Web always fascinated me. How else can something you write, record, photograph or video have the potential to be instantly available to hundreds, thousands or even millions of people around …more

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The question I’m asked most often in retirement is, “What do you do all day?” Sometimes, the person asking is just curious. Sometimes, they are comparing their possible retirement activities to mine in order to gauge whether or not they have enough in the way of hobbies, volunteer work and other passions to replace their …more

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Even by the mildest standards, I would not describe myself as adventurous, but on vacations I seem to be willing to try things I wouldn’t normally do at home. Maybe it is the idea of broadening my horizons or maybe it is the idea that I can make an absolute fool of myself in front …more

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As a restless spirit in my youth, I responded with impatience and irritation if anyone mentioned the word ‘crafts.’ Such endeavors took skill, time, patience, and reasonable coordination—none of which I possessed. I flirted with a sewing machine but lost interest if the project took more than 2 hours. Now, slowed by the progression of …more