Mark and I are looking forward to our upcoming trip to visit Sara and Zach in Colorado! Wish Holly, Erich, Zoe, and Ezra were going there, too! Finally...a Christmas with SNOW!!! Plan to take lots of pictures again and look at some real estate, too. It'll be good to see the area in different seasons.
Mark and I sure had a wonderful time this year for the Thanksgiving holiday! Had a total of 16 people for Thanksgiving dinner including: Holly, Erich, Zoe, and Ezra (the California bunch), Sara and Zach (Colorado Longmont-ites), Mom and Gene (Swarthmoreans), Julie, Ray, Alex, and Zachary (the NJ Pinelands crew), and Larry and Stephanie (the Delaware duo). It went by way too quickly, too! :(
I have to admit, I've been "bluer" than normal since everybody left. Mark had to leave two days after Thanksgiving on a business trip to Oslo, Norway and we haven't had very much communications since then (between the time zone difference--Oslo is 6 hours ahead of me--and he left his computer power cord here at home; so, he's had to ration his computer time.) I think our ancestors had it right...families are NOT meant to live so far apart!!! It just kills me that our daughters and grandkids are thousands of miles away!
This economic recession couldn't have come at a worse time...just when Mark and I were thinking of retiring early! We're going to try our best to save a bunch of cash so we don't have to push our plans out too far. Forget the stock market...we can't risk it anymore.
So, this Thanksgiving I'm very thankful for my family, friends, health, home, and a job right now. I truly enjoyed everyone's company and appreciate the long flights and drives that everybody made to share the holiday with us!
Mark will be contributing to this blog, too as we are both a part of Plan B. His perspective differs a bit from mine as he believes we are working towards "Plan A" versus "Plan B". But, my thought was that "Plan A" was actually what we were experiencing today...and that if we ever got tired of "Plan A", we would always have a "Plan B" to turn to! But, in any event, our next plan is a shared venture so you'll be seeing inputs from both of us.
Mark and I had a wonderful time in Minnesota with Mark's family! It was so great seeing everyone again and we did so many things! We had two opportunities to have a cook out at Mark and Carol's new place on the lake! The weather was gorgeous both days and we had a great boat ride on the lake. Beautiful house, too!
We really enjoyed ourselves at the Farmer's Market with Sue...wouldn't want to miss that! It seems like it gets bigger every time we go!
One of our "must do" activities is a visit to eat at Culver's! This is the In and Out Burger of Minnesota!
We had fantastic weather the whole time which worked out great for our visit to the Minnesota State Fair this year! Seems like we only saw half of what we usually see but it filled up the whole day! We were soooo pooped by the end of the day!
A new stop on this trip this year included a visit with Sue to the Arboretum. Absolutely gorgeous flowers and trees! And, we had a great lunch at their visitor center! This will be a future "must see" stop whenever we visit Minnesota.
We had a nice visit with our nephew, Joe and his wife, Heather. They introduced us to their new baby, Colton, who was just a couple of weeks old! What a cutie! Sue is definitely enjoying being a Grandma!
We are certainly looking forward to our next visit!
Our trip out to Colorado to visit Sara this month was fantastic!!! Not only did we have a great time visiting her and meeting Zach and his Mom and Dad, but the place was prettier than we'd expected! And, the pace of living is definitely something we can learn to like very quickly! Much better than the rat race of the East Coast I-95 corridor or the Los Angeles metro area traffic! And, it was a pleasure to see that the community actually encourages bicycle riding and walking with all the bike lanes on the roads and walking paths.
We hiked up the Flatirons, a smaller mountain range right in Boulder. And, we also took a long drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park and walked out on several paths and overlooks...at 12,000 feet MSL! Simply awesome panoramic views! There were even a few glaciers left!
Did a little house shopping comparisons in the local area, too. This is definitely a place we want to retire to. The decision is which town? Boulder? Denver? Fort Collins? Longmont? Lafayette? Louisville? We liked them all! Mark is a little partial to Fort Collins, but I'm favoring Louisville and Boulder more. We'll have an opportunity to decide later because when we leave here, we'll probably put our stuff in storage and rent for at least 6 months to a year to figure out the area where we want to buy a house.
Just hoping Holly, Erich, Zoe, and Ezra can make a move to Colorado in a few years, too! (Wish all our family--East, West, and Midwest relatives could all meet up in Colorado!)
So, our focus is to save, save, save!!! We want to stop working out here as soon as we can. In the meantime, we'll be staying abreast of the housing market out there and here and readying this house to sell.
A song I've recently heard which comes from the movie version of "Mama Mia" will touch the heart of every mother (and father) and will most likely bring tears to the eyes of the Grandmas and Grandpas reflecting upon the experience of raising children. It's an Abba song called "Slipping Through My Fingers". I love Meryl Streep's version.
Here's a brief clip from the movie where she and her daughter sing towards the end of the song (you'll probably have to copy and paste the link)...http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3889758489/
As I sit here by myself, I think about where I've been and where I'm going. I'm at the point in my life where I realize that each day is certainly a blessing. You never know what tomorrow is going to bring so I know I need to make the best of today. It's this point that causes me significant angst because what I'm doing in my job here in Virginia feels useless and artificial. My insignificant contribution to my company and the Department of the Navy seems worthless when I think of all the other things in our country (not to mention the rest of the world) that need focused attention and effort.
There are so many examples I can think of: Our education system (the lack of pay for good teachers, the lack of books and supplies in our rural and lower income areas); the global environment crisis (global warming, the loss of the glaciers); the energy crisis (the need to create fuel and energy alternatives), health care (making it affordable for all Americans and changing the focus to preventative measures rather than the focus doctors and health companies currently have--just prescribe medication); healthier lifestyles for people as well as the environment (educating people about healthly choices and making those choices affordable, as well as holding community leaders personally responsible to work for a better environment and neighborhood); ensuring local farmers and small businesses can survive (buying local produce and supporting the mom and pop shops). I could go on and on.
I know I can't solve everything, but even working on one small area...focusing my efforts on one thing may give me so much more "job" satisfaction than what I'm currently doing. I need to make a change but admittedly don't know how to. I know what my current pay check has allowed me to do. If I eliminate that now, we will have a dramatic lifestyle change, leading to much more infrequent visits with our families. Plus, selecting a single area to focus on is a challenge for me because I am passionate about all the areas.
So, I continue to read and research things and hope to narrow down my focus real soon. I'm looking forward to Mark coming home in a couple of weeks so we can discuss our near future. And, I'm definitely ready to see Sara and see what Colorado may hold!
I am so excited about our upcoming trip to Boulder! Can't wait to see Sara again! It's been 4 months since I last saw her...way too long! I am also looking forward to meeting Zach, her boyfriend.
Just saw where CNN's Money magazine has listed Fort Collins, CO as the #2 best place to live in America. Plymouth, MN (about 30 minutes outside of Minneapolis) was #1. And, the Sully area (where we're living) ranked #25.
So much information (sometimes too much) making it difficult to decide where to relocate for Plan B. We want to look at different towns while we're out visiting Sara. We can do that in the day while Sara's working. We're definitely looking forward to spending time with her!
Those 6 days I got to spend in California last week with Holly, Erich, Zoe, and Ezra certainly solidified what I already knew...there is nothing more important than family! I'm sure this fact will be played over again in about 3 weeks when I get to visit Sara in Colorado. This is why I'm so anxious to move on to my Plan B!
Because the stock market has taken a tumble (and doesn't show any signs of changing for the positive any time soon), my 401K continues to drop in value. I may not be able to retire as early as I'd hoped. This is one of the reasons I'm looking for a job in Colorado Springs. It's more affordable to live in the Midwest. (I guess Colorado is considered the Midwest.) I could still earn a living and while at the same time get familiar with the Colorado life style and determine if this is an area I'd like to retire to. (Mark already thinks he would like it a lot.) And, I'm hoping my stress level will go down--less traffic and more time (hopefully) to focus on my health and fitness.
My dream is to have both daughters (and their families) in the same state and preferably within a couple of hours of each other. I wish my Mom, sister, brothers and Mark's family could all be close, too, but that's probably too big a dream.
Gas prices have rediculously risen to now $4.35+ for premium gas here in the Northern Virginia area! I'm tired of the oil company executives in the U.S. as well as the oil suppliers overseas become richer and richer while Americans pay the brunt for corporate oil executive's luxuries and lavish lifestyles. In my little way to help lessen their profits, I chose to implement "Plan B" for my car.
I sold my 2006 Infiniti M35X (a gas guzzling, 19 mpg car) and bought a 35 mpg highway Mini Cooper S Clubman. What a great decision, too! Not only is it a great handling car with good gas mileage, but it makes me smile every time I sit in the car and turn on the ignition. I'm pleased when I think of all the other people who are having the same epiphany and are now implementing their own "Plan Bs" to change their modes or size of transportation!
Okay, so it took me 2+months but with so many passwords buzzing around, I couldn't remember which one I'd set this blog up with. So...I'm back in business now. Time to catch up...
Sara did move to Boulder and is loving it (although I think she has a bit of homesickness). Can't blame her as it's not the same around here without her either! She's made some nice friends (including a "special" one that we're looking forward to meeting in August when we visit her)! All her efforts have been focused on job hunting and hopefully she'll get some good news next week!
We had a fantastic trip to California in April! Met our new grandson, Ezra...what a cutie! And Zoe just keeps getting more amazing as she grows! (Her Papa is going to have to screen those boys carefully when she gets older!)
Shortly after we returned home, Holly and Erich found a wonderful house to rent not far from their apartment. We'll be visiting once again 4th of July to see the new place and to celebrate Zoe's 3rd birthday!!!
So, where are we now on our Plan B route? I've reconnected with a friend in Colorado Springs and am hoping to get a job in late summer/early fall out there. Mark will continue to get the house ready for sale or rent. This will give me the opportunity to decide if Colorado is the place for us to retire. If that appears to be our retirement location, then Mark will look for a job there, too. (We still want to work a few more years before we retire, retire.)
We are really ready to leave the East Coast--too much traffic and too many people who think their time is so much more important than anyone else's! Not to mention a general lack of customer service in many retail stores and restaurants. And, there is way too much focus on politics (all too depressing thoughts).
We want to live where there is space and you can walk outside on your deck and hear birds instead of airplanes flying directly overhead. We'd like clean, fresh air, and a community that cares about the environment. (Unlike what we've seen happen in Fairfax County over the past 18 years, where every tree is removed and wall-to-wall townhouses are erected to maximize builders' profits and fatten community officials' wallets.)
Yes, I am very apprehensive about moving further away from my Mom & Gene, sister, Julie, Ray, and the boys, and my brother, Larry. It's a decision I don't take lightly, but think for us it's the right thing to do at this stage of our lives.
There are two things certain about life and they are--time does not stand still and things always change! Since my last post, we've been blessed with a new grandson, Ezra Gordon Schaffer, who was born on February 24th!!! We're anxiously awaiting our trip to California on April 5th to meet him and to see our beautiful granddaughter, Zoe and mom and dad, Holly and Erich! And, along with a new grandchild coming into the world, we find our household here in Virginia soon to be come void of children once again as Sara will be leaving to find a new home and new beginnings! She will move to Boulder, CO instead of San Diego, CA! We are excited for her but will definitely miss her!
So, with these new plans for Sara, comes new possibilities for our retirement plans! Both CA and CO seem like they would be great places for retirement but will take a lot more research and comparisons on our part. We're much more familiar with CA since we've lived there and have visited Holly and Erich many times. But, CO is pretty much an unknown, so, we'll need some visits with Sara before we settle on anything. Who knows...perhaps we could have two homes, 1 in CA and 1 in CO! It all depends upon how much we can save between now and when we retire. Lots to think about!
Seems like I spend a part of every day going online and searching real estate all across the country. I look for existing homes (new and older) as well as land from one coast to the other trying to find the perfect "fit" for our retirement home... from Virginia to Vermont to Minnesota and to California. As of today, we're focusing on California but 5 years is still a long time and plans can always change.
So, where in California? What can we afford? What do we want to spend? What do we get for the money? What about the average daily temperatures--between the mountains, the valley, the ocean, or way up north in CA?
Then there's our girls...Sara's moving to San Diego soon and Holly and family are an hour north of Los Angeles. What are their plans down the road? Who knows. So, it's up to Mark and I to pursue an area where we would be happy to live in. These are the areas we're currently researching: San Luis Obispo, Lompoc, El Dorado Hills, Placerville, Catheys Valley, Mariposa, Sacramento. I'll write about what I'm finding in a future blog.
We've lived in our house 18 years this coming June and in that time have accumulated so many things: mementos, our daughters' childhood toys, books, books, and books! I think Mark could open a store on his aircraft and car models alone! He's been spending a lot of time sorting through things in the basement. He said it's going to be a five year process just to move! I believe that's a fairly accurate estimate! During our military careers, we moved every few years so we were used to packing and unpacking. It got us in the habit of streamlining our "things". But 18 years in one place...we're in for a surprise!
Several months ago, I came across a box...What's this? Old maternity clothes? Hmmm...wonder when I'll need those again...:) Not only are they awfully out of style, but I couldn't get pregnant if I tried...I passed that magic age years ago! Well, maybe I can keep one outfit...maybe my favorite one...just a memento, dear.
We have a whole storage room to go through but I won't get to it for a month or so. Then, it's onto the attic. That has never been sorted or organized because it's only accessible by ladder through my closet. I'm sure there are many boxes of our daughters' childhood toys. I vowed I would not get rid of their toys. I remember the angst I experienced after my parents divorced and virtually all of my childhood toys disappeared. My mother only managed to retrieve my one and only Barbie doll and my teddy bear. No...those boxes will go to both of them within the next 5 years.
I'll have to post our success at "downsizing" over the next few years. More on this later!
My Plan B involves the next phase of my life with my husband, Mark. What do I want to do after both of us retire (for the second time)? Where do we want to live? What have I always wanted to do but never had the time for? What does Mark want to pursue after retirement? And most of all, when should Plan B be implemented?
Lots of factors impact our decision...where our daughters live, parents health, sibling locations, climate, financial goals, grandchildren, traffic, lifestyle, and so on. But there needs to be something to plan towards so April 2013 is our goal to move into Plan B!
