Monday, November 7, 2011

Post Retirement

I thought perhaps I should give a little update on Honey Bear's 'retirement'.
He worked his last day for U S Zinc on October 14. The first few days were like an extension of the weekend and he had taken a Monday or Friday off now and then so that wasn't unusual. On the next Wednesday we went on our mini Fall vacation and didn't return home until Saturday. On the following Monday, I left for conference and didn't return until Thursday so, again, it just seemed like long weekends.

On October 31, he started school and he is home every night which is great. It has been so long since this has been the case, about 8 years because even before we moved here and he began commuting during the week, with 4 nights in Memphis, he was traveling on business at least 3 nights a week. It has been so good to have him home for dinner and bedtime. He is so thankful, not to be traveling and spending so much time apart.

We've always spent most of our free time together. While we were out walking on the Greenway this past Saturday, we met a friend from my Women's Club. She was walking alone. After pausing to chat for a moment we went on our separate ways. Honey Bear and I remarked on the fact that she wasn't walking with her husband and since it was the weekend, wondered what he might be doing. See, I would never think about taking off for a long walk like that without mine. I might walk around the block if he was busy in the yard. Things do come up where we have to spend time apart but not often.

Another thing that's changed is time spent in the kitchen. I am cooking full meals more often but he will set the table while I'm finishing dinner and then help me clean up after we finish eating. Its never been our habit to have 3 meals a day together even when he is home. We cook and eat breakfast together on Saturdays and most evenings but the rest of the weekend, we'll just do our own thing when it comes to meals.

He began his clinical rotation yesterday and came home so excited to share his day with me. He is doing something he enjoys which he believes God has called him to do. It isn't just something to do to make a living as was his other jobs. I'm so happy for him. He told me about the patient he was assigned and what he did to help them. Then he told me how he visited with the other residents in the Convalescent Home.

I have many acquaintances who have expressed their unhappy feelings about their husbands' retirement. So far, I can't see me joining that group.

8 comments:

  1. Sounds really good! We're the same way about breakfast and lunch -- I pretty much just cook dinner.

    We were just talking earlier this week about possible ideas for retirement. Like your husband, mine wouldn't be content to just lounge around, He's much more content when he has something to do.

    What exactly is it your husband is doing now? I think you said, but I forgot.

    Thanks for sending the recipe!

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  2. Sounds wonderful. I look forward to my husband being home more someday.

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  3. It is good that you can enjoy your time together. I think the secret of retirement is to keep fairly busy. When I was working, patients who had retired and were doing nothing, went down hill so much faster than those that kept busy.

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  4. May God bless your days with dear Honey Bear.

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  5. Glad it is going well and you are enjoying your extra time together ... for so many of these changes in life it is our attitudes that make the difference....
    Hugz

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  6. Glad you are enjoying his retirement! My husband is semi-retired, he teaches part-time at the college here. He also helps me a lot in the kitchen, etc!

    Katherine

    P.S. - Great that you are getting a Home Goods there! (Somewhere else for me to visit when I come!) Where will it be?

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  7. I think it's wonderful when someone can retire after working so hard most of their lives, they deserve to have lazy days with no thought of time:-) I'm so glad that you're enjoying having your hubby home, I can well imagine how thrilled you are to be able to do so many things with him now! xoxo

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  8. I'm stopping by to "catch up". So glad retirement is going well. It's sounds like both of you are staying busy!

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