Hubby and I both retired in 2016. I retired April 30 (the day our 2nd grandson was born!) and hubby retired that August. We had such WONDERFUL travel plans...
...sigh...
At the time, we had the Nissan XTerra. While it wasn't a 4 wheel drive model, it WAS high clearance and we did do a little bit of exploring off road with it. But, hubby never wanted to really push it. I did! He didn't want it scratched. He didn't want it muddied...you get the picture.
Then, this summer, he traded it in for a... HYBRID! YES! He bought a Nissan Rogue hybrid (probably the last car we will ever buy)...We LOVE IT, but off roading? Uh...nope. We love the gas mileage and we both forget to fill it up! (GOOD THING, with the price of gasoline here in California). On the way to our daughter's home in Indio yesterday afternoon, gas prices ranged from $2.89 to $3.39, depending on the station.
So...our plans?
We have... NONE. He's still recovering from a horrible cold (and has coughing fits). I'm content working on my journals and my art books. Hmmmm.....
I NEVER would have thought that he would be the homebody that he is! As the oldest of 4 children, the other 3 are all over California! But, hubby has settled down to within a mile of his parents' house in Rancho Mirage! GO FIGURE! If you had made me a bet when we were in our 30's, I would have bet we would have moved several times. Instead, we have now been in our home for...41 years! I guess we are turning into our grandparents!
I enjoy feeding the birds out front and back and doing a little gardening. The Swiss chard I planted last fall made it through the summer and is now thriving. So is the mint I planted out back and the 2 kinds of lavender! I threw out sunflower seeds and I have little seedlings coming up ALL OVER out back! HA! The birds will have a feast this spring! We both enjoy watching the Cooper's hawks (2 of them) that terrorize the neighborhood and the black & white feral cat showed up yesterday morning. She was out back chewing on SOMETHING and after she left (she's VERY wary of people)...I couldn't find anything on the ground, so I guess it wasn't a bird she was eating. Maybe it was a tree rat!?
So, life is slower now, but, you know, we are both enjoying it. Hubby sits and watches the news all day and harasses readers on the Washington Post. I feed the birds, do a little gardening, occasionally rake up the yard, and work on my journals.
We are content.
~~Cheryl Ann~
Sounds like retirement isn't everything you thought it would be. However, you live in a beautiful part of the country and there are plenty of places to travel and stay on the asphalt.
ReplyDeleteThis will probably be my last journey to the southwest and I will have to be content living in the central Illinois cornfields.
I hear you, Doug. I think last summer was OUR last trip up to the Mogollon Rim in Arizona. Hubby fell off the bed and hurt his shoulder and he was MISERABLE for 2 days. Of course, I had to do the 6 hour drive there AND back home with no relief or help. Just too far for us now...sigh...that's reality!
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