I retired a year before my husband and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I left the house shortly after he went to work @ 7 AM and walked 3-5 mi. every day before noon. Then if the weather was really nice, I'd go another couple miles in the afternoon. I had all the hours enjoying the air, seeing friends, thinking and planning the days my husband would retire and all the things we could do together. This was in 1984 .... he retired in 1985 and we began researching our family history shortly thereafter. We traveled in our camper or van over 300,000 miles the next ten years....visiting all the places our ancestors had lived. One year we went from the central part of the US to Maine and Vermont and then back across the length of the country to southern California. Stopping at court houses, libraries, genealogy societies, newspaper offices and any place that looked interested, we compiled tons of information. The time we spent at home then was spent writing a book and researching via the US mail. I can honestly say we've never had a moment we didn't enjoy together.....even with inclement weather or disappointments that some things didn't turn out as planned. We thank God for our health and the ability to enjoy each day. I tell everyone to enjoy life ... the years fly by much too quickly. I'm thankful for every moment - the marriage my dad once told me would never last, will reach 70 years next year. We'd do it all over again. juanita > I hope you have many years of retirement...Hubby has been hanging > around bugging me full time for more than 10 years now.........and has > finally settled into getting enough' make work' to keep him fairly > busy....I had a horrible time getting used to not having any alone > time at all...and THAT still bothers me....I have my own room, so can > spend all the time I want to in here...Going to bed any old time, > getting up when I want , and lying down for a nap as needed are the > perks....Jeannie T > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On Mon, > 28 Feb 2011 11:09:39 -0600 <ddcrim@gmail.com> writes: > My > bride is on her last day on the job. By close of business today, she > will be retired... Oh yes, we have our jobs lined up but there ain't > nothing or nobody to tell us we can't quit when we get tired... That's > the joy of being retired... lol

The only time I would take a walk after John left for work was after I retired in 1987 and he was on a job in Santa Barbara CA. After he left for work, I would walk the beach, going a couple of miles.Going cross country searching for genealogy would be a good trip. He wasn't that interested in genealogy at first and he had had such a bad childhood, he didn't want to go to his home town. I went there after he died, and got the information.Have a good 70th anniversary. I hope your kids give you a really bang up celebration.Emma > From: juanita2@cox.net > To: memory-lane@rootsweb.com > Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2011 17:20:15 -0600 > Subject: Re: [ML] a day's work/retiring > > I retired a year before my husband and thoroughly enjoyed every > moment. I left the house shortly after he went to work @ 7 AM and > walked 3-5 mi. every day before noon. Then if the weather was really > nice, I'd go another couple miles in the afternoon. I had all the > hours enjoying the air, seeing friends, thinking and planning the > days my husband would retire and all the things we could do together. > > This was in 1984 .... he retired in 1985 and we began researching our > family history shortly thereafter. We traveled in our camper or van > over 300,000 miles the next ten years....visiting all the places our > ancestors had lived. One year we went from the central part of the > US to Maine and Vermont and then back across the length of the > country to southern California. Stopping at court houses, libraries, > genealogy societies, newspaper offices and any place that looked > interested, we compiled tons of information. The time we spent at > home then was spent writing a book and researching via the US mail. > > I can honestly say we've never had a moment we didn't enjoy > together.....even with inclement weather or disappointments that some > things didn't turn out as planned. We thank God for our health and > the ability to enjoy each day. > > I tell everyone to enjoy life ... the years fly by much too > quickly. I'm thankful for every moment - the marriage my dad once > told me would never last, will reach 70 years next year. We'd do it > all over again. > > juanita >

WOW! Juanita-Seventy years is a long time(more years than I am old)God bless you both! My Mom's parents had a most wonderful marriage like that-they were married over sixty years when she passed away! They did everything together and they danced and won trophies for the beautiful waltzes they could dance-she bought pretty dresses and shoes for these dance competititions! Gram never drove so they would go off shopping together and go to different stores, eat out and have fun. He complimented her for every meal she cooked and every pie she baked-they were the model couple to us! I was sure when I married my life would be just like that--but after thirty four wonderful years of what I thought was the perfect marriage-my husband ran off with his office manager and my heart was broken! So I really do admire all of you lucky couples that have been together for many years and still enjoy each others company. Helen