Silver age Blues

Nevada Ed

Nevada Ed

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Many of us waited to get old enough to retire and sit back and enjoy life.
It has been a great ride for twelve years but I am starting to notice things
are not quite working out the way that I planed.

With all the kids finally growing up and getting married and having children of their own,
it is getting harder to get together with all their friends and work times.

My wife and I owe one of the kids a home cooked meal to catch up on our visits to their home but it has been three weeks and no green light , for a good day, as yet.
I have planed three meals and have had to put the fresh meats into the freezer, to see what might take place?

It has been 42 days since our last indoor range session and I now have
390 rounds ready, just for the 9mm pistols.

Maybe I am just getting "Antzy" with all the snow that has us in its grasp?

Maybe I just need some Waffles, tomarrow morning, to cheer me up?

Later.
 
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I know what you mean! We have 4 kids, one lives 20 minutes away the other are 500+ miles to the East. When are trying to keep the local granddaughter overnight once or twice a month and that helps, but not seeing the other 3 families for 3 to 12 months at a time is rough.

Before the oldest 2 grandkids started High School, we'd meet halfway and keep them for a week or 10 days a summer for a few years. Trips to the range, museums and parks seem to be a hit. Since my kids all had to work the garden every day they weren't in school, they wanted their kids to "enjoy the experience" even if that meant borrowing some stranger's garden! (never will happen!). The kids had a good time so they want more, their cousins want in on the action too, but lining up wulti-family vacation schedules is next to impossible!

Ivan
 
I guess my wife and I got lucky. Our daughter lives 4 minutes away. They have us over to dinner every night . We get to see the two grandkids every night. They send us home with waffles or pancakes made from scratch for breakfast the next day.
 
I put some miles between my folks and my family because I was really busy between kids and trying to get my own business off of the ground and the same thing has happened with my kids-harrumph!!
 
My mother always cautioned me about have what she called a "Currier and Ives" outlook, overly sentimental-"the way it's supposed to be". Board members have mentioned Thanksgiving dinners they'd just as soon have avoided, one woman told she had a grandfather who was a motormouth, you couldn't get a word in edgewise, another woman said because of her parents late marriage she had first cousins who were all 10-15 years older, they had little in common.
My mother's family were Christian Scientists, one thing I was spared was family gatherings where they had "organ recitals".
 
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When I was a kid we had a big dining room and the entire family came over for Christmas.

When I got married, I now had 2 families, so we split our Christmas celebrations and had to go to 2 houses.

When we built our dream house and had room, we went back to one celebration. Everyone came to our house.

Then, as the oldest generation could no longer travel, we went back to multiple visits on multiple days.

Today, WE are the oldest generation. We try to have the party at our house, but one son is half way across the country and married, so he is in the position I was after first getting married.

My retirement is a blessing. I go out in the boat, swim in the pool and go shooting more than I ever did before because now I have the time. My garden is the best on the street. With all that time, a lot is also taken up with doctors visits.

My only complaint is that my 2 fishing and shooting buddies are not here to enjoy it with me. But so be it, there are a lot of old codgers at the club.

Life changes. People grow up, some grow old and some pass away. If I'm still driving my car, and NOT in a nursing home, I figure life is good.
 
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While my oldest was still a 8th or 9th grader, I started a "Un-revokable Tradition." From then on Every other Thanksgiving was at my house! We get odd numbered years. There were exemption handed out for being in a combat zone. Also for newborn grandchildren too young to travel, and the Covid lock down. But that's it for over 25 years. This year should see 4 kids + spouses, 9 grandkids, my wife's siblings + spouses, their 5 kids and 7 grandkids, along with our surviving parents. (36 total) Plus another 6 to 20 guests and visitors! Makes for a real crowd in a 2 BR condo, but the joy of parents, siblings and cousins getting to "Connect" is priceless!

Ivan.

I understand the age distance in with cousins being 8 to 30 years younger than me and some 2000 miles away! We didn't see each other much when younger, and they don't care to see my branch of the family now!
ITB
 
One branch of my family-now gone alas-celebrated Thanksgiving on Friday so I often had 2 Thanksgivings. There's something to be said for the 12 days of Christmas.
 
I understand the down and blue feelings.
My son and his family will join me for Christmas this week end.My oldest daughter and her family will visit next week. Between their work schedules, my prostate, and cardio ablation issues somethings just get pushed to the side.
But alas a new year is here and new opportunities to do things differently.
 
When I was getting ready to retire, I had good role models, my dad and his three brothers. When they worked they worked hard, but when they retired they walked away with no regrets. And my former cardiologist gave me some good advice, to make sure I had something going on to keep my mind active. And after he retired he asked me if I had anything I had going on, which he was happy to hear when I told him what I had been doing.

I've been fortunate that I've had an aunt and uncle close by for most of the last 35+ years. For the last 17 years we[ve lived 4 blocks apart. Years ago, they used to help look after me, and now I'm helping to look after them. And their children all live reasonably close by so I have nearby cousins I watched grow up.

So now I have family close by to celebrate with, time to go to the range, a volunteer position with the Borough Government and this forum to join in each day. Life is pretty good.
 
It took me 6 months but I finally went out and got another dog. I didn't realize how depressed I was. I try to teach her little things and it makes us both happy. My son will text or call often with questions on what he's having an issue with (HVACR) and I can usually figure it out for him. Daughter #1 will call most often. Everyone in immediate family lives inside an hour's drive, if needed. Wife is younger & still works, so I have my privacy all day to do as I please. The dog, Angel, and I are starting to work out the ESP like Daisy & I had. (If you know, you know.) Tough part is getting my grandson out shooting; summer's coming soon. I also have a good doctor when all else fails. Been a while since I've seen her.
 
We have no grandkids and never will so that experience is not in the plan for my wife and I. Our daughter lives only a few miles away so we see her quite often. Our son lives about 150 miles away and seldom makes contact. He is to self absorbed in jobs and his chosen path in life. He manages to work us in for a few hours on Christmas day if we are lucky.
Not we wanted or hoped for but it is what it is.
So we make the best of it and do what we want and can afford.
 
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