Month: January 2024

Sensory Living

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Have you ever thought how dull our world would be without our five senses? Just ask anyone who has lost one of them. Our five senses remind us to live with awareness and a sense of wonder. I am trying to notice and appreciate my world more. Every. Single. Day. And one of the best ways to do that is to stay attune to your five senses. I want to be fully present to the aroma of bread baking and indulge my sense of taste with that first bite, fresh out of the oven… with butter slathered on top. I want to embrace that warm, comforting feeling that all is right with the world, when hugging a grandchild. I want to get lost in the beauty of a sunset and allow it to melt my worries away. I want to stop everything and listen to the crackling fire on a cold night. Our senses are a gift. A reminder to be fully present in the moment and take it all in. However, we often get dullened to them. We forget to notice. To appreciate. To live with a sense of awe.

Mid-January through March is arguably the dreariest time of year here in the PNW. The sky is often gray and cloudy, the earth is dull brown and either frozen solid or muddy. There is no new growth on the branches yet to give us a glimpse of brighter days ahead. It is the time of hibernation. It is also a perfect time to remind myself to appreciate living life through my five senses because beauty can be found everywhere, in any season, if we just pay attention. It is the simple things that can take our breath away if we are aware enough to notice them. We choose how we want to live. To notice…. or not.

An article by Jessica Monet in the May 2021 issue of Bella Grace Magazine captures this sentiment of living in our five senses. Monet created a list of the beautiful little things she wants to “live in.” Her list reminds me to live in the moment and to do more of what we love. It inspired me to consider my own list of what I want to “live in:”

  • I want to live in the smell of my fresh herb garden
  • I want to live in the laughter of family around the table
  • I want to live in the quiet parting of the water as my kayak glides through it
  • I want to live in the wind on my face as I whiz along on my bike
  • I want to live in the smell of the barbeque cooking while I sip wine on the patio
  • I want to live in quiet conversation by candlelight
  • I want to live in crisp fall days collecting acorns and pinecones to bring in and decorate with
  • I want to live in a really good book
  • I want to live in the weightlessness of bobbing in salty waves
  • I want to live in a sultry summer afternoon on my back imaging shapes in the clouds
  • I want to live in morning snuggles with my grandchildren while their bodies are still limp from sleep
  • I want to live in the quiet magic of the first snow fall
  • I want to live in colorful fresh picked flowers from the garden
  • I want to live in the discovery of a quirky new store
  • I want to live in the satisfaction of finishing a creative project that turned out better than planned
  • I want to live in the aroma of fresh baked bread
  • I want to live in soup simmering on the stove all afternoon
  • I want to live in a walking in the rain
  • I want to live in the sand, letting it sift through my hand

It is interesting that these little things I want to live in have nothing to do with working, building a career or job success and everything to do with living a life.   They have everything to do with feeding our senses and being aware of the stuff that truly satisfies.  What do you want to “live in” this year?

On the home front

A couple of weeks ago we were fortunate to be the guests at my nephew’s wedding. The couple chose an intimate ceremony on a cruise boat the first part of January. It sounded chilly to me, but we love this couple, and Mr. U was honored to be asked to officiate. (There is a reason I call him Renaissance Man.) So, we wrapped up and joined the party. It turned out beautiful! The boat cruised slowly down the lake while the guests chatted inside, sipped drinks and had some mouthwatering appetizers. When it was time for the ceremony, the boat tucked into a calm bay with a beautiful backdrop of snow-covered mountains. The ceremony was held on the top deck outside. Loveleee. It just reminded me that life is beautiful, any time of the year, if we are just ready and willing to “live in” the moment.

On the left is Mr. U, my BIL with his two sons (groom is second from right).
The happy couple!

I challenge you to stop and notice something delightful with each of your five senses every day this week. Better yet, write them down and use them to start your own list of what you want to “live in” during your one precious life. Have a great week!

Pondering…

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Years ago, I worked with an older nurse who was the quintessential wonder woman that balanced all of her roles with beauty and grace.  We younger girls adored her.  She was our role model and mentor.  She was creative, gracious, and had a lovely home and family.  And she taught several of us to quilt. We would often hear her remark, “I will have to ponder that.”  What a lovely word, ponder.  It speaks of reflection, deep thinking, and mulling things over in our brains.  It allows ideas to simmer until an answer emerges.  It is wisdom. 

And so it is with every new year.  I ponder my life.  I review the highs and lows of the previous year and then I ponder how I want to shape the upcoming year ahead.  How do I want to show up at this point in my life?  I reflect on what I want less of and what I want more of in the next twelve months.  I find that I am constantly seeking balance.  My wonderful, busy DIL chose “balance” for her WOTY.  She is in those crazy busy years of balancing a career with a family and home.  I remember those years well.  When I look back on my journals, I notice that the word balance keeps resurfacing.  (Yes, I was journaling long before journaling was cool.)

Since I have been seeking it most of my adult life, you would think I would have this balance thing down by now, but it is a moving target.  It changes with each phase of our lives.  Like my DIL, there were the years of trying to balance all my various roles while raising a family.  Now I am finding I don’t need to, and frankly I simply can’t, juggle as many balls. So, balance looks a little different now.  It is more about taking enough time to ponder.   I need to take time to “ponder” for my mental/emotional health.  It centers me.  However, pondering requires balance as well.  It can become a slippery slope. Too much of it evolves into overthinking or worrying.  Not enough and I feel clogged up.

I also find that I need to take more time for my physical health. We used to be able to ignore our bodies and still look and feel fine.   Now I notice immediately if I eat too much sugar, consume one too many cups of coffee or eat a whole bag of salty popcorn at the movies.  I need physical exercise just to keep my joints limber, my balance intact, and not run out of breath going upstairs.  I am finding that I need to carve out more time for myself.  I probably should have done that all along, but like most working moms, I put everyone and everything else first.  You can get away with that for years but now I am finding I can’t do that anymore.  Fortunately, I no longer need to either.  So, this year I am committing to caring for myself more: physically, mentally and emotionally. 

“As you get older, it takes twice as long to look and feel half as good.”

The Retired Alchemist

Looking back, it has been a super busy year.  Sometimes I just need time to stop and process it all.  I need time to reflect and appreciate the blessings, wonders and gifts of 2023 and forgive myself for failures.  And I need time to consider how I want to move forward into 2024.  So, now that things have quieted down around here and we are semi-snowed in, I am pondering the year ahead, just like women have been doing for centuries.   And I continue to seek that elusive balance.   

Taking a snowy day to ponder.

“But Mary treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19

On the home front

Like much of the country, we experienced extremely cold temperatures and a huge snowstorm last week.  Mr. U spent a lot of time worrying about checking and rechecking heat lamps, making sure faucets were dripping all night, supervising that the garage door remained closed, and keeping wood on the fire.  One great thing about retirement is that you don’t have to brave the cold and snowy roads to go to work in this weather.  Instead, we choose when/if we want to go out. When we have been inside too long and need to be aired out, we can bundle up to go play outside and then come inside to hunker down by the fire.

Over 14 inches of snow in 24 hours. Those are snow flurries in the far-right pic.

We always have a late second Christmas with our immediate family in January when son #4 and his lovely wife can come visit.  Even though it was extremely cold and snowy, we had a wonderful time playing games, exchanging gifts, working on a puzzle, watching football, and eating way too much food.  Last year we started doing the Saran Wrap Ball Game. I make the ball ahead of time. You start with a good prize in the middle (I did money) and then you wrap small gifts around it as you continue to roll the Saran Wrap around to create a ball. Be sure to cut and restart the Saran Wrap frequently so it is more challenging. I used candy, small Slim Jim’s, fun socks, cash, gum, mints, movie tickets, scratch off tickets, etc. It is about the size of a basketball when you are done. When you are ready to play, you sit in a circle and the first person tries to unwrap the ball with oven mitts on while the person on their left tries to roll doubles with two dice. Once they hit doubles, the ball is passed grabbed by the next person to try. You keep the gifts that you unwrap during your turns. It is a great game for a group. Catch Phrase is another fun, humorous game that works well for a large group. Monopoly Deal is a good game if you have a smaller group of 5 or 6 people. It is a much quicker version of Monopoly but played with cards.

My “boys” do not like posing for pictures.  So much that, a couple years ago, they all shaved their facial hair in ugly odd shapes so that I would not want to take photos of them.  (See last year’s crazy facial hair pic here.) I knew it was going to happen again this year when they all started growing out their facial hair about a month ago.

This is what happens when you have a family full of boys!

Fortunately, they were willing to shave their faces for a family photo.  I tried desperately to get a good picture, but with nine adults, three grandkids and two rambunctious dogs, it was nearly impossible.  I threatened to get a professional photographer to do it next time, which resulted in one photo where at least everyone is looking forward. Well, except the dogs.

Take #179.

 Precious family time.  My mother heart is full. And exhausted. And now it is time to go ponder…

The Upcycled Life

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

In keeping with my word(s) of the year, “the upcycled life.” I decided to share some of my favorite upcycled items I have created.  In my household decorating, I prefer a mix of new, upcycled and do it yourself (DIY) items.  When done well, it can be a perfect combination.  I think that the key is knowing your style.  Knowing what brings you pleasure to look at and makes you feel comfortable and at home.   If you only choose things that you love, they will typically work well together. 

I have made way too many decorating mistakes by picking something because it was the latest style, or I was in a hurry and did not want to look any further, or I was trying to save money and bought something I did not really love.  I can’t unsee that pink floral couch and loveseat that I bought years ago.  Ugh. The cover photo is a cabinet that we inherited over 30 years ago. I painted it white and sanded the edges afterwards to give it a distressed look, long before I even knew what chalk paint was. It has been my craft cabinet ever since. Mr. U added the dowel so I could hang rolls of ribbon on it. Unfortunately, I do not have before pics to show you.

I thrifted the old coat hanger and painted over the dated oak. Perfect for bathroom towels. I found the shelf at a garage sale years ago. It was a dark, ugly mess, but I loved the towel holder that hung below it, so I picked it up for $2.00. After a little sanding and giving it a coat of paint, it was as good as new. It has hung in my bathrooms ever since.

Upcycling takes a discarded object that may end up in the landfill and gives it new life. It is a reinvention of sorts. It requires a vision and creativity to upcycle something and give it a second existence. But why upcycle and DIY when it so much easier and quicker to buy an item readymade?

  • It is typically less expensive. We all know that the cost of things has gone up exponentially, particularly in the past couple of years. A few cans of paint and sheets of sandpaper are a whole lot cheaper than buying a new piece of furniture.
  • It is satisfying to complete a project yourself. It is satisfying to know that you revived something that would go to the landfill or gave beauty to something that was an eyesore.
  • It builds confidence and independence. Maybe it goes back to the frontier days when people had to get creative and make do with what they had. Think of all the women that picked up a needle and thread to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind quilts out of old worn-out shirts and dresses.
  • It is more unique and can be tailored to your specific colors and style. Amazon and Walmart have made us into cookie cutter consumers. Shopping online with a simple click of a button lacks imagination and creativity. Don’t get me wrong. I love the convenience of online shopping and I do my share to feed the pig. But when you upcycle something, no one else is going to have the exact same thing. It puts your own unique stamp on it.
  • It is good for the environment. This one goes without saying. According to Environment America the average American throws out 4.9 pounds of trash per day. That is almost 1,800 pounds of material/year. Well above our body weight! Of course, a lot of this waste is organic material, but it still gives us pause to consider how we can help decrease this waste in our little corner of the world.
  • I can’t really put my finger on it, but it just feels cozier. More homey. It brings me joy to use and look at items I have upcycled. It contributes to my unique style. It can be something I thrifted or something I did myself. Either way, it just feels good and cozier to surround yourself with a few of these items.

How you upcycle may depend on what is available to you. Most people have unique opportunities for upcycling, based on where they live or people they know. We are very fortunate in that son #2 is part owner of a wood mill. He supplies us with left over wood ends that we use for projects, or as firewood. Every year we also get a couple bags of sawdust from his mill to put around our rose bushes to protect them the winter freeze. Mr. U has upcycled the wood ends in multiple ways.

Mr. U made the rotating cutting board and the red Adirondack chairs mostly from left over scrap wood.

Upcycling does not necessarily require remaking something, it can simply be reusing items in a new, creative, and different way. An old teapot becomes a planter. Tattered maps or sheet music can be framed, made into cards or used as wrapping paper. I have used the light tissue that old sewing patterns are stamped on as tissue for a gift basket instead of store bought. It makes a fun, unique way to wrap items, particularly if the gift is for someone else that sews. My sister-in-law gets old candles from the thrift store and melts them down. Then she pours them into cardboard egg cartons to use as fire starters. I think of Roadsidea as a form of upcycling. You are using objects from nature in new, creative ways. And don’t forget all of that leftover food sitting in your fridge that can be upcycled into a soup, salad or stir fry.

Thrifting as a form of upcycling

Thrifting (aka: buying something at a secondhand store) is a great way to reuse items that may eventually be discarded. When I see beautiful items that someone has thrifted and/or upcycled it stirs my creative juices. It is infectious, in a good way. We feed off of each other’s creativity. I am inspired every time I eat at Sorella’s restaurant. The young owner thrifted frames and gave them all a coat of bronze paint. Then she scoured secondhand and vintage shops for unique Italian pictures to put in them and they became the gallery wall that you see as soon as you enter the restaurant. She also thrifted mismatched pieces of china, serving dishes and glassware to use at the tables. Who says thrifting can’t be beautiful and elegant.

The gallery wall and upcycled wine glasses (left) and serving dishes used at Sorella’s Restaurant.

We are a throw away society. Just stop in at a secondhand store and you will find all kinds of treasures, waiting to be given new life. My good friend rummages through thrift shops for quality wool and leather clothes that she transforms into one-of-a-kind bags. She recently opened an Etsy shop, LoLo Upcycled, to sell her beautiful, unique bags. If you want some thrifting inspo, check out Liz Marie Galvan’s IG page or her recent book, Create Your Own Cozy. She has curated a lovely home with upcycled and thrifted items.

A bag made from a men’s wool shirt and pumpkins made from thrifted sweaters.

While I enjoy upcycling, I am not a purist. I do it when I see a fun and interesting project I want to try, or when I don’t want to spend the money on something new. It is a great creative outlet and is satisfying to see something transform by the work of your own hands. Have you upcycled anything lately?

Soar Like an Eagle

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

A wonderful thing happens in our area every winter.  A magical thing that leaves you feeling holy, blessed and allows your spirit to soar.  No, it is not Christmas, and it is not the blanket of white snow that brings a hushed reverence to our neck of the woods.  Although both of those are wonderful and have a similar effect on me.   

Every winter, starting in November, we get a visit from the world of bald eagles.  Hundreds of eagles settle in along the north shores of Coeur d’Alene Lake to rest in the pine trees and feast on the spawning kokanee salmon before they continue to migrate south for the season. 

Kokanee are a smaller salmon, about 10-15 inches and are a popular catch for fishermen. They are good to eat grilled fresh but are even better when they are smoked.  Like other salmon, eating them at least twice a week helps reduce the risk of heart disease.  However, unlike other sockeye salmon that travel to the ocean and then come inland to spawn, the kokanee are land-locked salmon that spawn in the cool lake in early November.  The females live 3-4 four years before they spawn.  In the fall, the female kokanee lay their eggs in the clean gravel along the lake shores.  Then, sadly, they die.  But, these dying salmon are exactly what bring the eagles into the area for a few months. The Bureau of Land Management, who keeps track of such things, counted 379 Eagles this year.  The eagles stay in the area until the first part of January, depending on the kokanee fish population, before they continue migrating south. 

Going out to observe the bald eagles is an anticipated activity in our area.  People at the coffee shops will discuss when the birds have arrived, and the local newspaper will run an article or two on them.  Once here, the birds will perch in the tall pine trees and with their “eagle eyes” they will watch for a kokanee to surface. Then they will swoop down and clutch the fish in their talons and return to a tree to eat it.  You will often see 2-5 eagles sitting in a tree.   I try to go out once or twice a year to bear witness to this display of tranquility and beauty. 

My friend (left) & me (right) trekking around Eagle spotting.
Of course, we have to take time for a hot cup of coffee & Bailey’s on the beach.

It is magnificent to watch this display of nature.  Spectators will gather on the rocky hillside at Higgens Point or along the gravel beach to observe and experience the world at its best.  There is a hushed reverence among us as we watch in awe, hoping not to disturb the beauty and silence.  Trying not to break the magical spell that settles over us.  Big game photographers gather with their camouflaged large lens cameras, hoping to capture the perfect picture of our national bird in its own habitat.   And then there are those of us with our little I-phone cameras trying to get a halfway decent picture.  Either way, we are all here in common unity to be part of an ethereal experience.

“The eagle does not escape the storm. The eagle simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It spreads its mighty wings and rises on the winds that bring the storm.”

Jack White

The bald eagle is the national symbol of strength, majestic beauty, and longevity.   There is a story that claims Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird.  Franklin said the turkey was a more respectable bird and an original native of America.  Bearing witness to both birds in our area, I am going with the bald eagle.  The turkeys trample through our yard and leave messes behind.  And there is a reason that we sometimes refer to people as “turkeys.”  These birds are not the smartest.  They will peck at their own reflection in the glass door at our house or clean car bumper (which we seldom have) and they will answer to Mr. U when he does his imitation of a turkey gobble.  Although, I have to admit that he is pretty good at it.  Hum…

Turkey or Eagle? You decide.

“If you want to soar like an eagle in life, you can’t be flocking with the turkeys.”

Warren Buffett

What does an eagle have to do with retirement?

Not only does the eagle make a great national bird, but I think that it represents healthy aging and a well lived retirement lifestyle.  The phrase “to soar like an eagle” describes a feeling of being free and unencumbered.  This is exactly what our lives should be like in retirement.  We are no longer bound by work schedules and expectations.  If we have planned our finances well, we are not weighed down by worry about paying our bills.  We are free to soar, explore and live life to its fullest.   

These birds naturally live a healthy lifestyle that we could stand to emulate in our retirement years.  They eat lots of salmon that are packed with omega-3 fatty acids.   When migrating, eagles fly up to 100 miles per day.  That is some pretty hefty exercise, which we all know is good for us both physically and mentally.  It is particularly good for our mental health when it is done outside.  While Eagles do not typically travel in flocks, they do mate for life, so they have a partner to share the ups and downs of life with.  While it does not have to be a spouse, we all know that significant relationships in our lives help keep us engaged and prevent depression.  Also, eagles often migrate south for the winter.  Smart birds – they are the real, original “snowbirds.”  They enjoy the journey by stopping at favorite places to rest, hang out together and eat some great food along the way.   I’d say they are a pretty good representation of a great retirement lifestyle. Let’s soar like an eagle.

Reflecting Back & Planning Ahead

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Happy New Year! It feels like 2024 went by in a flash.  Do you feel the same?  Looking back, I realize how full and textured it was.  Rather than ringing in the new year with horns, fireworks, and drinks, I usually find New Years Eve a time of reflection.  Did I live the past year the way I hoped and planned?   What stands out?  And of course, how do I want the next year to take shape?   I don’t like to make new year’s resolutions, but I find that choosing a word to help guide my life for the year is a good way to keep centered. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join me as I look back on 2023 and forward to 2024.

Looking Back – My WOTY for 2023

I chose “awe” for my word of the year (WOTY) last year. I wanted to spend more time really seeing, and truly appreciating the beauty and wonder in my life. I experienced so many “awe” moments in 2024, but I was also breezing through life so quickly, I missed a lot of them.  Probably too many.  I would give myself a B for my goal of “awe spotting” in 2023.  Having been a college professor for many years, I feel compelled to breakdown how I got to the grade of a B for 2023.  Below are the bullet points I identified in January 2023 to move me towards experiencing more awe in my life and how I graded each one at the end of the semester year.

Get out in nature.   I always feel better physically and mentally when I am out in the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.  We went camping several times, did some foraging, I took a lot of walks, and did some kayaking and biking, but I would like to have gotten out even more than I did. No weather excuses.  We had a lovely wedding out in our yard last summer when son #3 got married.  And we did a pizza party around our outdoor pizza oven for the rehearsal dinner, so I am counting that as being out in nature. I would give myself a grade of B in this section.

Experience life in person and not from a screen.  I don’t watch a lot of T.V. so that is not an issue for me.  As a matter of fact, I was trying to watch a little more T.V. in the evenings with Mr. U just so I could stay up on the conversations that always flow from the latest series and shows.  However, I do spend a lot of time on my laptop, reading other blogs and of course, writing this one.  I wrote 50 blog posts last year; one a week, with the exception a few weeks when we were gone on a trip. It surprises me how quickly two or three hours can go by when I am in the flow of writing.  I would give myself a B+ in this section.

Spend time with a child.  My grandchildren always help me experience awe. This year I was blessed with a new granddaughter.  Holding her and watching her start to smile and giggle gives me deep awe-inspiring joy. My other two grands (7 & 9 years old) also leave me in awe. We took them camping and had a sleep over at the lake, as well as several other overnights. Time with them makes me laugh and puts life in perspective.  I would give myself an A- in this section (only because I wish we had even more time together) and they all get an A+ in my book!

Extend kindness.  It has been engrained in me to always be polite and nice, but I get so busy that sometimes I forget to extend kindness to others beyond that.  Of course, it is easy to show kindness to those we love, but my intention with this was to extend more kindness to complete strangers, like paying for the coffee of the person behind me in line. Sadly, I give myself a C in this section, just because I got so busy that I did not seek out enough ways to extend kindness to strangers. Have to work on that one.

Travel.  New sites, sounds and smells always elicit awe for me. We did a couple macro trips this year to Cabo and over to the east coast. We also made several mini and micro trips this year: Seattle for a game, helped son #1 and DIL move from Texas to Omaha, Priest Lake to celebrate my dad’s 96th birthday, Leavenworth to see the Christmas lights, Yakima wine tour with a group, Quinn Hot Springs in Montana, Glacier National Park, and Scottsdale for some winter sunshine.  We did not go on a river cruise in Europe so that is still on my list. And while we did several trips, I would still like to do a little more travel. I would give myself a B in this section.

These grades all averaged out to a solid “B” and made for a wonderful and satisfying year.

Looking Ahead – My WOTY for 2024

It is difficult to pick just one word to help drive your intentions for a year.   There are so many options.  I considered the word “savor,” because I want to savor every beautiful minute of this one precious life.  But it is too similar to “awe” and we all know how that went last year; B average and all.  Besides, it is a commonly used WOTY and I wanted something unique that would express who I am and how I want to live out this year. Something I can hang my hat on.  I chose the word… drumroll please… upcycled.  Or, if I can indulge and use three words, it would be “the upcycled life.” I plan to live an upcycled life in two ways. One is the typical meaning of upcycle and the other is a different twist on the concept of upcycling, which has stuck with me ever since I wrote about it in a previous post about upcycling.

In our throw away world, I want to try to reduce waste and reuse items in new and unique ways. The definition of upcycle is to reuse items in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original, such as we did when we painted our kitchen cabinets – what were we thinking? We plan to downsize in 2024 and move into a much smaller home that I grew up in.  One that my dad and grandpa built themselves. However, it will need a major rebuild, so we are hoping to embark on that this fall.  We want to upcycle a lot of the wood, logs and interior into the rebuild, which will be a huge undertaking.  Stay tuned.

While I will be using the word upcycled in the traditional sense of reusing old things in new ways, I also want to use it as a prompt for how I live this year.  If the very definition of upcycling is to create something that is of higher quality and a better version than the original one, then why shouldn’t that be true for our lives as well? Upcycled speaks of living creatively – of finding unique and creative ways of living better. I always want to challenge myself to be my best, so living the upcycled life fits perfectly with that commitment. And now that I am retired, I have the time, freedom and opportunity to live my best life and be the best version of myself that I can. No excuses.

So, I am planning to live an upcycled life this year. Not to lose weight necessarily (although that would be a welcome byproduct) and certainly not try and look 30 years old again, but to live creatively and to be the best version of myself that I can. I want to be strong and healthy and happy so that I can enjoy life fully, unencumbered by joint pain, low stamina or concern for how I look or compare to others.

Happy New Year to each of you! Thank you for following along on my retirement journey.  I hope the year ahead is full of blessings for you.  Cheers to you, cheers to the new year and…. cheers to the retirement years!