This weekend we are celebrating nine years in our new home town. Rearranging as we do from time to time, My Rogue and I are enjoying the best views of rain storms and snow flurries from as many locations inside as is reasonably feasible. Like most of our neighbors, we are eagerly looking forward to springtime. But today, a pot of soup and some tasty snacks will do as we hibernate another day inside looking out.
Many of us baby boomers most likely would never retire; why would we? Working is too familiar, too comfortable, and for all its inherent negatives, successfully keeps us in the lifestyles we have become accustomed to. Some of us just are not ready to break open that diary of blank pages and pen our yet incomplete bio … we aren’t THAT old! Not as long as we can shop!
Whether we like it or not, few of us are going to escape the passage of double duty roles of parenting and the caretaking of our own parents; the phrase, the sandwich generation, was coined several years ago, and has provided common ground from all walks of life. At first glance, today’s sandwich participants will be dealing with a few more challenges, both fiscal and emotional, than those of us who have already completed this phase. Increasingly, the finer print tells of fewer medical costs covered and, therefore, a bit more “cushion” needed to cover the deficits. Even our nation’s economic indicators demonstrate a rise in home businesses these past few years…gee, any relationship to the increasing numbers of working poor without medical benefits???
But I digress. I have my own collection of economic indicators. Besides, my idea of fiscal stability is the ability to maintain what I already own. And it will take part time work augmenting my early retirement, as neither my FrogHaven Envelope System nor the Real McCoys’ Rainy Day Savings Cookie Jar will provide enough cushion – literally and figuratively – to cover all the gaps without careful planning. Case in point:
I love light, so as is my habit, I open the east facing shutters in the morning. I can observe our bare limbed Cleveland Pear dotting the front yard landscaping; even without my glasses I can see the birds and hear they are as impatient as I for spring. Then my eyes focus a bit closer onto the patio set sitting on our covered front porch. My Rogue has left his sunglasses out there once again, but it is his chair that catches my eye…and I begin to chuckle. Apparently, there is not a squirrel around that doesn’t sense some natural kinship with My Rogue. Once again, he has become an unwilling participant in the natural order of things flora and fauna around here; this was just too good not to enjoy a bit of fun…
Come here, Honey.
What for?
You have to see this…
What are you talking about?
Look out the library window and tell me what you see…
You’ve got to be kidding!
Afraid not, Honey…
It’s got to be those squirrels…
Looks like the critters have once again chosen YOUR cushion to rip apart and pull out the stuffing for their winter nests…look how deep they’ve dug into it!
Do you realize that is the third patio chair cushion in the last three years they’ve destroyed? We still haven’t replaced the originals from the back deck.
Yes, and did you notice that all the cushions have been YOURS, not mine…
So, what is that suppose to mean?
Perhaps the local critters have an extremely discriminating taste for all things er…grumpy or… perhaps your squirrely friends just like your scent??? Wonder if it is the Right Guard that is attracting them…
Very funny. And just what type of cushion are we going to replace this one with?
No problem. I have it all under control, Honey
Last time I reviewed our monthly budget, some initial goals had been achieved: keeping a half-tank of gas in the truck at all times; paper toweling, Kleenex, bath tissue and personal care items stocked up ahead to last through month’s end; limes, cheeses, canned smoked oysters for the cocktail hour; some pretzels for the little critters next door; frozen chicken parts, sausage or ham hocks for my soup pot creations; canned tomatoes and seafood for a quick spaghetti sauce; the canisters on my kitchen counter filled with rice, cereal, and cornmeal…my list of priorities go on and on.
I’ve already penned in some long-term household maintenance.
Bulbs for the recessed ceiling lights, one new fluorescent for the walk-in closet, and plenty of batteries in all sizes; of course the necessary toner and computer paper for the printer normally trumps most of the before-mentioned items, so I re-prioritize any of these when necessary.
Per my calculations, we will have indestructible cushions by late summer of 2013, barring any unexpected downturns in our household income and, of course, after sending a special gift package to celebrate the birth of a new granddaughter this month…
Life is good.