Retirement Photo of the day 37: Seek renewal.

I often try to predict how many days before the flower emerges.

As I continue my wanderings in the neighborhood, I’m enjoying the early signs of spring.

It makes me savor the unhurried, yet methodical arrival of each season.

 

Retirement Photo of the Day 36: Sometimes, wisdom finds you, part II.

No kidding. Let’s just keep moving forward.

Retirement Photo of the Day 35: Sometimes, wisdom finds you.

This is a favorite stop on one of our favorite dog walking routes.

Retirement Photo of the Day 34: Try a brain-stretch.

Follow this link:  Get a Harvard-Level Education in 15 Minutes a Day

To get to this link: The Harvard Classics

 

Retirement photo of the day 33: Look at the big picture.

For some reason, every time I look up at the night sky [assuming the clouds have been whisked away and the stars are out], memories of long ago spring forth. Hide-and-go-seek with neighborhood kids well past dark, cheers from the football stadium down the street, watching G train under the streetlights… I can’t explain it, but there they are.

Give it a try and see what materializes.

Consider making this part of your daily wander.

Here’s a shot from my Friday ‘wander’.

I courageously opened our front door and ventured to these first crocuses of the season.

Based on past winters, it would have taken me at least another couple of days before I homed in on these short-term visitors. But wanderings have landed on my daily habits list and, as a result, sharpened my instincts.

 

Retirement photo of the day 32: Follow your gut.

It was just one of those moments…

Last summer, I was back in my old stomping grounds and, as I drove with my wife and relatives around Pacific Grove, I made a decision. I would drop in on long-time friends whom, since my move out-of-state, I hadn’t seen for two decades.

Unannounced visits are something I prefer not to do, but ‘seize the moment’ overtook me.

When the door opened, I needed an extra second [in hindsight, it felt like an eternity] to recognize the Mrs.

Her husband came to the door and invited me in for a beer, but told them both I just wanted to touch base.

He and I chatted outside for five minutes and I left fulfilled, but concerned for the wife.

A couple of days later, I found out she had battled cancer for the last nine years.

Just this last week, she left us.

And if I had not heeded that persistent nudge, I would never have shown their importance to me.

And I would have forever regretted not heeding that gut feeling.

Folks, it’s not as if we’re leaving this earth anytime soon, but we also don’t have 50 more years to leisurely let others guide us.

So, give your intuition its due and follow the wisdom of today’s photo.

 

Photo-a-day 31: Do a little wandering of your own.

According to The Wander Society author, Keri Smith, one of the wandering precepts is:

Do not plan your wanderings.

Is this man a member of The Wander Society? Could be.

More from Keri Smith:

You probably haven’t heard about the Wander Society because its members don’t want to be known…They maintain a solitary existence, preferring to remain anonymous and blend into their surroundings.

I appreciate the randomness of ‘wandering’.

If I hadn’t chosen to stray from my routine this late afternoon, I wouldn’t have caught our mid-winter sunset.

I’ve clearly found another retirement resource.

Thank you, Keri Smith.

 

Photo-a-day 30: Start a new book.

Consider something outside of your usual preferred genre.

I opened this book last night and was immediately taken in by the premise of The Wander Society.

Fellow retirees, assuming you have a little extra time, think about doing a little wandering of your own.

Photo-a-day 29: Try gardening. Yes, even in winter.

Even amidst the gray and muck of winter…

when you’re applying for federal wetland protection status, it’s nice to see something new like those mustard greens** emerging from the soil.

Give it a try.

**At least, I think they are. Been a while since I planted them.

Photo-a-day 28: Embrace your ‘crazy’

Reminder: This blog is just as much a one-way conversation…with myself.

So, take a look at these glasses.

I wore these babies at least an hour and wondered why everything was blurry.

Yeahhh, those ‘Remove Before Use’ labels…they do tend to detract from optimal reading glass performance.

Note: This was one of a set of three I bought. I’m blanketing the house with these since I can never seem to find them.

So, while I’m encouraging you to accept your own brand of ‘crazy’, here are some ideas to perhaps fend it off a little bit…How To Stay Sharp As You Age.

One of the suggestions: Stimulate your brain. I’m doing that by cutting down considerably on listening to sports talk. I already feel downright Einstein-ish.