Journeys

Liv’n On Someday Isle

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

How much of your life have you lived on Someday Isle? Someday Isle is that ambiguous position between how I am living right now and how I want to be living. It is that time of waiting for “something” to happen in order to be happy. We spend so much of our lives waiting for something to change or happen in order to fully appreciate life. Waiting to start school, waiting to be done with school, waiting to leave home for the first time, waiting for the wedding day, waiting to hear back on the job interview, waiting to buy that first home, waiting for the baby to arrive, waiting for the empty nest, waiting to retire. Now what are you waiting for? Maybe it is time to quit living on Someday Isle.

Another boat to Someday Isle is procrastination. It comes in all sorts of forms. Someday I will lose those pesky ten pounds. Someday I will start the exercise class. Someday I will eat healthier. Someday I will put self-care first, or a million other promises we make to ourselves… someday. Today is the someday that we have been waiting for.

When Mr. U’s aunt passed away, we had to clean out the house she lived in since childhood. The upstairs had not been lived in for years and had become a storage area. In it we found unopened tins of Christmas cookies and unopened boxes of chocolates that were now stale. There were beautiful hand embroidered pillowcases. They were all being saved for someday. There were also stacks of styrofoam containers and even bags of cut hair. His aunt lived through the depression, and she kept these items for that elusive someday. Not really sure how the hair was going to be used though???

Many times, when you reach a certain age, there are less “somedays” to look forward to, so we start looking back. We remember, with rose colored glasses, the good ole days. The one perfect touchdown made, the soul stirring first kiss, the award we won, the big deal we landed at work, the abundant feeling of a full nest. As you get older, it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like the best of life is behind you. Instead of living in the abyss of waiting for someday or remembering the good ole days on replay, why not enjoy the abundance of living in the here and now. As the song by Gabby Barrett says, “cause right here, right now, I say these are the glory days.”

Using some SKI fund money on the cheap. Yeah, we are “fancy like” two buck chuck wine in plastic cups with a gorgeous view.

SKI fund

A couple that was traveling in our area recently told us that they were here using some of their SKI fund for the trip. It was the middle of summer so of course we had to ask what a SKI fund was. It was their acronym for “spending the kid’s inheritance.” Smile.

We have never been freer to do as we please than we are in retirement. Our children are grown and building their own lives, and we get to reap the rewards from that. If we planned our retirement finances well, we are free from a work schedule and financial concerns. Yet, even in the glory days of retirement, it is still too easy to live on Someday Isle, especially if you have been living there most of your life. It can become our normal. It used to be called delayed gratification, which I believe in. However, we have delayed and saved and now is the time to enjoy the benefits of that.

We keep waiting to take the next big trip to Europe because my dad is 97 years old, and I worry about being that far away from him. We are reluctant to buy that condo in the sun because we wonder if we will use it enough to be worth it. And then there is the fact that we really need to downsize… someday. This is what liv’n on Someday Isle looks like in retirement and it is time to get off and start using our SKI fund.

Getting off of Someday Isle

Of course we want to be prudent with our money in retirement. We don’t want to run out of money before we run out of life. And of course we want to leave something to our children when we leave this earth. But we also need to enjoy the here and now. After all, have you ever seen a U-Haul trailer behind a hearse?

We spend our whole life being responsible, doing the right thing, being the good girl, and we forget to live out some of our dreams. The majority of people that are close to death have more regrets about what they didn’t do than what they did do. I don’t want to get to my deathbed and have regrets that I did not live out the things on my someday list, and retirement is the perfect time to do that. All it takes is one good health scare to remind you that THIS is the someday that we have been saving for. It is a beautiful life waiting to be lived. So, let’s take the plunge and swim off of Someday Isle.

Take the first available boat and get off of Someday Isle to live life to the fullest now.

My Mother Heart

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

This post is for all of the mothers out there. Mothers who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Mothers who have spent countless nights on their knees. Mothers whose hearts swell with joy and pride until they feel like they might burst. To be a mother is to experience all of life’s emotions at their deepest level and to come out on the other side completely wrung dry and totally fulfilled. For one is never the same once you have experienced a mother heart.

Mr. U and I dated for five years before we got married. It gave us a lot of time to discuss our goals in life and how we saw our future together. We both agreed that we wanted a big family. Him, because he was an only child and felt like he missed out on a lot of life as a result. Me, because I came from a family of six kids and loved it. That is how we ended up having four sons. Best thing we ever did. But… there were many times we wondered what in the hell we were doing – we had absolutely no business being parents.

The fact is that raising children is not for the faint of heart. When they hurt, you hurt twice as much. When they make poor choices, you question your abilities as a parent. When your kids are faced with the inevitable challenges of life, you want to sweep in and save them from it, even though you know that working it through themselves is part of growing up.

You invest your life blood into raising your family and you worry. And then you worry some more. There were numerous moments when I questioned whether I was made of the right stuff to be an adequate parent. And many, many times when I questioned if I was doing the right thing by them. The opportunities to do it all wrong are endless. You worry that you have ruined their lives because of one thoughtless comment or one error in judgement.

But mothers (and fathers) of young children, and especially teenagers, take heart. The payoff is yet to come. Suddenly they grow up to be these amazing human beings, and you wonder how they ever did that… apparently, despite our numerous failures as parents. But when it does, you will be forever grateful that you lived your life with a mother heart.

Then…
and now.

When it all comes back to you

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. U and I got to experience life at its very best. A week that will fill our hearts and carry us through the winter months ahead. We were able to gather all four of our boys (yes, they will always be my “boys” even though they are grown men) and their families together for a week at the Oregon coast. It was magical. My mother heart is full.

It is not easy to gather everyone together. They are in the thrust of their careers. A couple of them have started families and they all have their own commitments in life. We are no longer the center that their world gravitates around, which is exactly as it should be. But it does make it challenging to get everyone together for a full week of vacation. Therefore, we settled on dates and booked the VRBO months ahead. It has been a rough summer for us, and we were really looking forward to unstructured time together.

We had all three, and a half, grandchildren on the trip. Yep, on the first night son #3 and his wife announced that they are expecting a new addition to their family. What a fun surprise to start out our week! Being a grandparent is the best. All of the fun without all of the work. It is amazing to see your sons being these awesome fathers. But something I did not expect was how your heart swells when you observe your sons playing and sharing moments with their nieces and nephew. Mother heart be still.

The grands playing in the sand.

Rockaway, Oregon

Our family has a long history of spending time at the Oregon coast. My parents took us there on the rare vacations we had as a family. Mr. U and I lived in Portland, Oregon for our first four years of married life and it was always a treat to take a weekend over at the coast. And ever since our own children were small, we have made a point of bringing them to the coast to experience the sand squishing up between their toes, the salty spray on their lips and running from the roaring waves with reckless abandon. What a pleasure to experience this with them as adults and with our grandkids.

We spent time playing on the beach, flying kites, making sandcastles, running from waves, walking and reading. The brothers even braved the cold waters to try boogie boarding. Brrr. They made a hasty dash for the hot tub after that. Nothing makes my mother heart stir quite like seeing my four boys, and now grandson, playing football together. It is something they all enjoy and have done for years. I flash back 25 years when they were around my grandson’s age and see them throwing the football in our yard. Mother hearts remember the important stuff.

Mother heart be still.

Getting crabby

One of our favorite things to do when we are at Rockaway is to go crabbing at Garibaldi. Garibaldi marina has been there as long as I can remember and they rent out boats, bait and crab rings. Bait being ugly, slimy dead fish or chicken carcasses. Long before we had kids, we would rent a boat and motor out to the bay to throw in a few crab rings. The very first time we went crabbing we hauled in a net full of crabs and set it in the bottom of the boat. Immediately crabs started walking sideways all over. I jumped up on the seat screaming to get them out, which is a bit of a trick to do without getting pinched. However, by the third ring pull, I was in there grabbing the small or female crabs (you can only keep males that are 5 3/4 inches wide) and throwing them overboard. It was so much fun that we have kept up the tradition since. So of course, we had to try catching a few crabs one day while we were there. If you love fresh crab and have not tried this before, I highly recommend it.

We caught enough crab to fix a seafood cajun boil that night. So good. Just throw seafood, potatoes, corn, brat sausages, lemon and cajun seasoning into a huge pot and let it simmer. Once it is done you drain it and throw it out on the table for everyone to help themselves. Perfect with some hot crispy french bread.

The seafood cajun boil was especially good with fresh crab.

I have written before about the importance of traditions and building memories. They create bonds that last a lifetime. They are the cement that holds a family together. And they are fodder for stories and laughter that fuel a family through the years. One of our greatest hopes in our lives is that our children will remain close. That they will share in each other’s joys and hold each other up through life’s tough times, long after we are no longer walking on this earth. So, make the effort, take the time, spend the money. It is something you will never regret.

The gang holding the cooked crabs. Moi is kneeling, center.

Living with a mother heart

People do not have to be physical mothers to experience a mother heart for the world. Once you experience having a mother heart, you feel life with raw emotions. Your soul weeps when you see children that are hungry, displaced or lonely. Your heart goes out to the people that lost family and homes in the hurricanes on the gulf coast, or the wars and devastation in the middle east. A mother heart is one that cares about the poor, the needy, the brokenhearted and the downtrodden. A mother heart feels the world on a deeper level. But they also feel the joy on a deeper level too because they know, deep down in their souls, what a gift it is to be alive and breathing in this world of ours.

Our granddaughter practicing her gymnastics on the beach as the sun sets for our final night at the ocean.

Happy Fall Y’all

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

If you have followed my blog for very long, you know that fall, or more delicately called autumn, is my favorite season. I want to indulge my senses with the textures, aromas, foods and colors that feed my soul during this time of year. One of our favorite fall traditions is going to Green Bluff. Green Bluff is a community of farmers that cooperate and share their efforts to promote sustainable farming. There are approximately 30 member farms that are all owned and operated independently. These are their personal homes, but they open their farms to the public for you-picks and festivities throughout the year. Each has a unique offering of produce, food, gifts and things to do. A couple weeks ago, on a perfect sunny fall day, we jumped in the convertible and drove to Green Bluff to spend a leisurely afternoon.

Below is a map of the farms and produce stands at Green Bluff.

There is an abundance of fresh produce, with apples and pumpkins taking center stage.

First on the list was picking a few apples, just for the experience of it. We have access to my dad’s apple tree too, but you simply have to pick a few apples while you are there. Mr. U was happy because the plums were also ripe, so we got a few of those as well. We don’t typically buy any of their pumpkins, gourds or vegetables because Mr. U grows them in his garden, but it is still delightful to look at them. Of course I HAVE to have the fresh pumpkin doughnuts. I look forward to them all year long. Sorry, I did not get a picture of them because, well… you know. They had to be eaten quickly while they were still warm.

Each farm has its own unique flair.

Towards the end of the afternoon, the sun was getting low, and we were parched. Time for our final destination at Green Bluff… the Big Barn Brewery. It is a delightful little brewery with a low-key, relaxed vibe. They have a large yard where you can pull up a chair and listen to music while you sip their beer that is brewed on site.

Thanks for joining me on a beautiful autumn afternoon. Be sure to take the time to indulge in fall y’all! It is coming to an end all too quickly.

Rocky Mountain High

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

We try not to travel much in the summer for two reasons. First, everyone is traveling, so places are crowed. Secondly, we live in a beautiful area during the summer, and I want to stay home and enjoy it. Heck, people travel to be here in the summer months. But now, Labor Day is over, the kids are back in school, and it is the off season for many travel destinations. Sounds like the perfect time for two retirees to pack up their bags for a little mini vacation. (Mini means not too far away.) Oddly enough, we have never spent any time in Colorado, even though it is a short two-hour flight from our home. We have dropped down in Denver briefly many times, or spent a few nights there at conferences, but that is about it. We have never explored the Rocky Mountains. It was time for a little “Rocky Mountain High.” Warning: proceed with caution – photo bomb ahead.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it has been a busy summer, which seems to be continuing into the fall. Thus, we could only carve out four nights to be away. We dropped down in Denver early in the morning and jumped into our rental car. The first stop was Golden, Colorado. I did not even know it existed, but what a charming little town. It’s claim to fame is that Adolph Coors opened the first Coors brewery there. It is still a thriving brewery, so we had to stop in to see it and do a little test tasting. The town of Golden also has a festive main street with Clear Creek running through it.

We enjoyed the paved walking path along Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado.

If we had time, I definitely would have rented a tube and joined the float down the river (above). But we had reservations that night in Breckenridge, Colorado, so we headed over the (11,000 feet) pass to Breckenridge. What a lovely town tucked up in the Colorado Mountains with Breckenridge and Copper Mountain ski resorts close by. We found the rest we craved in this lovely town tucked in the Rocky Mountains. We stayed at the Lodge at Breckenridge for two nights. It is an older lodge, so the bathrooms were small, but it maintained the cozy wood beam, mountain lodge look and the views were amazing. Bonus that a hot breakfast and free parking were included.

The Lodge at Breckenridge sits up on the mountain with beautiful views.
Now this is my idea of having morning coffee (left). We had an amazing view of Breckenridge Ski Resort from our deck (right).

Breckenridge was probably our favorite town. It had a charming main street with lots of restaurants, shops and pubs. We stopped to visit the iconic troll – what a work of art! My grands would have loved this character.

My grands would have loved this troll in the woods.

We underestimated the change in altitude. After dinner that evening, we returned to our car, which was parked a couple blocks up hill, and we were both out of breath. It felt like COVID all over again. I know that I have not exercised as much as usual this summer, but it shocked me, until we realized that it was from the “thin air.”

To go even higher, the next day we traveled across Independence Pass (elevation 12,095 feet). I am not a fan of heights, so the drive was a little unnerving, to say the least. But the views! Amazing to see the Continental Divide from that vantage point. We are such small specs in the universe.

It was windy and chilly (not shorts weather) up over 12,000 feet overlooking the continental divide.

We headed over the pass for a short stop in Aspen, Colorado. Not impressed. The downtown was full of VERY expensive name brand shops and there wasn’t really a fun, downtown area otherwise. We walked around for about an hour and then headed to Vail, Colorado for the night. We expected Vail to be what Aspen was, so it was a pleasant surprise to see a Bavarian themed village with brick walks winding through it. We were fortunate to hit the last night of Oktoberfest, so we enjoyed a German beer and listened to the Polkanauts play. They describe their band as, “bringing Poka fear and destruction to the masses!” They play metal, rock, punk and surf songs with a decided polka twist. So different and fun to listen to. Afterwards, we meandered down the brick streets to Alpenrose for a German meal of sausage, a pretzel and fondue.

The Polkanauts (left). All of the streets, shops and restaurants had either a ski or Bavarian theme.
Mr. U eating dinner at Alpenrose (left). Same restaurant with a night view (right).
Vail had beautiful flowers and mood lighting everywhere.
We enjoyed a soak in the hot tub at our hotel after a full day of sightseeing (right).

While Vail was overpriced, as expected (you pay about 1/3 more for everything,) it was worth it for the night. We stayed at Tivoli Lodge in Vail Village, so we were able to walk everywhere, although they have free bus/shuttle services available too. Our hotel provided a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival, and we took advantage of the hot tub before bed that night. They also had e-bikes to use, so we took a bike ride the next morning before checking out. Both of us had a little “holier-than-thou” attitude toward e-bikes, but I have to admit that we really enjoyed using them. Something we may consider… in the future. There was a lovely, paved bike/walking path along the river. What a great way to start the day, but we were excited to jump in the car and head through Rocky Mountain National Park.

Wow! The views in the park were amazing. I could hear John Denver quietly singing in my ear, “rocky mountain high.” We came across several herds of elk. Just for the record, a male elk with those big horns is a bull and not a buck. Won’t make that mistake again.

The elk in the park were undisturbed by the gawking humans.
There were quite a few glaciers near the summit in Rocky Mountain National Park.

We spent our final night in Estes Park and enjoyed a delicious, abundant BBQ dinner at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ. The price was a welcome respite after Aspen and Vail.

Delicious BBQ dinner (no greens on this platter). Almost ran into this guy (literally) on our way home from dinner (right). Apparently, these are the street gangs that roam at night in Estes Park.

After our night in Estes Park we headed back through Boulder towards Denver to catch an evening flight home. It was a delightful mini get-a-way that gave me a new appreciation for the song “Rocky Mountain High.” Who needs mood altering drugs when you can get high on nature?

Boulder, Colorado

The Great Columbia River Gorge

Posted on by The Retired Alchemist

Guess who turned 97 years old last month? No, not me, but my dad did. Ever since my mom passed away two years ago, my sister, BIL, Mr. U and I take my dad on a trip for his birthday. Last year we celebrated his birthday by Heading to the Hills with him. The year before that we took him to the Oregon coast to fly kites on the beach. As part of his birthday gift this year, we took him on a trip to Hood River, Oregon. And being retired, we were able to do it during the week when it is not so crowded. Fair warning – this post has waaaay too many pictures.

Celebrating my dad’s 95th birthday at the Oregon Coast two years ago. It was his desire to fly kites on the beach.

Hood River is a small, eclectic city nestled in the Columbia River Gorge. It is home to lush vegetation, fishing, hiking trails and beautiful wineries. Hood River is also considered the wind surfing capital of the world. The wind pushes through the gorge creating perfect conditions for kite surfing. We propped our chairs up and observed the talented surfers, adorned in wet suits and helmets, do jumps and flips off of the chilly river waves.

Watching the kite surfers prep their gear (left) before taking off (right).

Between the river and the high winds, the area has excellent conditions for energy sources. There are numerous dams along the Columbia River and the high winds that run through the gorge are harnessed into energy through wind turbines. There are over 600 wind turbines throughout the gorge. While these wind turbines look like small windmills from a distance, they are actually quite massive in size. According to the office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy the average wingspan of one turbine is about 430 feet (longer than a football field) and stands over 400 feet tall.

Some of the massive wind turbines along the gorge.

We’ve stayed at two different places when we have been to Hood River. Both overlook the Columbia River but have two totally different vibes. Our first trip we stayed at the Historic Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa. It was built in the early 1900’s and has maintained the historic appearance. While lovely, I felt like the rooms were a little austere and the windows were small that overlook the river. The last couple of times we stayed at the Westcliff Lodge. As the name indicates, it has a little more causal lodge feel. I would definitely recommend getting a river view room with a balcony so that you can sit outside and enjoy the views. They even have glamping tents for the hardier travelers. Both places have beautiful grounds. Western Oregon gets quite a bit of rain, which makes for gorgeous flowers, ferns and vegetation. Rhododendrons flourish in these weather conditions.

These are some of the flowers on the grounds at Westcliff Lodge. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the Lodge itself. (Me, who is accused of taking way too many pictures. Go figure.)
This is the Columbia Gorge Hotel and some of their gorgeous grounds. (At least I did take pics of that when we were there.)

My dad loves nature and being outdoors, but at 97 he is not able to get out and walk far, so, we decided to take the Waterfall Trolley tour to do a little site seeing. The open-air trolley traverses along the historic Columbia River Highway, where you experience the lush vegetation and waterfalls, the most well-known being Multnomah Falls. We used to live in Portland and traveled past Multnomah Falls many times on our way to see family in Idaho. We would frequently stop to admire this amazing waterfall. One time, when we were much younger, we hiked up to the base of the waterfall and carefully worked our way over slippery rocks to stand under the ledge that the water drops off of. It was loud and you get soaked from all of the water spraying as it hit the rocks, cascading just past our noses. It certainly gives you a good perspective of the force of the water falling. A great experience… once.

You catch this cute trolley in Corbett, Oregon (left). One of the stops was Horsetail Falls (right). You can see how it got the name.
Beautiful Multnomah Falls.

We ended day two with a stop at Maryhill Winery. This family-owned winery sits on a hill overlooking the gorge. You can relax and enjoy the view while sipping wine in their outdoor tasting room. Notice how the lush greenery changes to dry, sage brush covered hills in the picture below. Hood River is nestled on the western side of the Columbia River Gorge, in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountains. Thus, it gets a lot of rain, while it is much drier as you travel just 30 miles east toward The Dalles.

Maryhill Winery

I am sure that Lewis & Clark were quite surprised (or maybe discouraged) to see Mount Hood rise in the distance as they traveled west through the Columbia River Gorge. Mount Hood is the tallest peak in Oregon. The weather was gorgeous for our trip, so we were able to get a breathtaking view of Mount Hood in the distance.

Mount Hood stands crisp against the blue, almost cloudless, sky.

My dad has been a wonderful father, as well as a very successful entrepreneur. He is an example of how to live a life of wisdom, faith, hard work and integrity to all of his kids, grandkids and even great grands. We have been blessed by this great man our entire lives, so it was such a gift to be able to take this trip with him to celebrate his 97th birthday. We do not take it for granted.

“The most beautiful things are not associated with money; they are memories and moments. If you don’t celebrate those, they can pass you by.”

Alex Wek