Our Spanish residence visas have just expired and we decided not to renew them. Now that we are both septuagenarians, we are ready for something else.
My Credo
We haven’t been hiking for a couple weeks because I sort of hurt myself. I’ve been enjoying the recovery time by watching clouds and thinking.
Our Three Year After Action Review
After three years we hadn’t quite worked out all of the “We’re retired and what the hell are we going to do with ourselves now?” details. So we spent some time…
Morning coffee
I was on my second cup of coffee at the Starbucks in downtown Corvallis Oregon when I noticed a cute woman walking a pair of dogs. It was Friday morning the day after Thanksgiving. That …
Joy is Good Enough
With time looking both more precious due to the pandemic and more endless during the recent lockdown, I decided to take up a new activity: oil painting. It was actually round three for me. Once …
My Reckoning With Hidden Consumption: Part 1 — Clothing
One of my many interests and aspirations is to lower my impact on earth. I feel a little guilty that I’m just getting around to this with my new retired lifestyle, but timing is everything. …
Our Gentle Values and Their Measures
We are trying to live gently in the world, more gently than we ever have. We’ve been at this point before, when we were young, and again, and yet again — only to fall short. …
Before the Sun: A Photo Project
My project wasn’t to create a portfolio of publication quality photos. I really just wanted to get myself to reclassify my morning excursions with Lizzie from a category labeled CHORE to one labeled JOY
My Downsize Push Back… Can I Be Helped?
The culling that happens with any downsizing effort should kick the twin beasts of want and really want right in the butt. But not always. We moved into a new, unfurnished apartment and all of a sudden creature comforts seem necessary again.
Living Small: Our Approach to Consumption
When Susan and I decided to retire a year early, I worked out a comprehensive financial plan for early-retirement. The plan called for us to conscientiously economize for two years, our last working year and …
I Thought My Stuff Was Different
I thought my stuff was different, confessions after a first time garage sale. We aren’t garage sale types. Working for a nonprofit that operates a thrift store has been a constant reminder of how we …