How to Keep Down The Cost of Gardening in Retirement
Here’s a hobby that many of us up the ante on when we stop work. To be honest I wasn’t very green fingered in my earlier life. In fact, as a singleton I chose my house with its small backyard…
Category Lifestyle
Trailblazing: What I Did Years Ago That’s Become Mainstream
Here’s a picture of a sign on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. As someone who’s walked over six hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail I was very excited to discover it. Up until the time that I saw this I didn’t…
Finishing My Duolingo Spanish Course: What Now?
Instead of using a picture of Duo, the green owl of Duolingo fame, I thought that I’d use this photo of a wise old bird that I took myself. This little fellow lives in St David’s Cathedral at the western…
A Personal Journey: Writing for Fun and Challenge
Since childhood I always wanted to be a writer. I loved English composition at school, writing stories and the like. Sometimes my tales would fill a whole exercise book. I just got carried away with my Enid Blyton-esque ramblings. Much…
Life Begins at Sixty: What This Birthday Milestone Means
This week I hit the age of sixty, a veritable achievement as birthdays go. Did you know that in China it would signify that I’ve completed an entire cycle of the Zodiac calendar. I certainly didn’t until I asked Chat…
What Does Modern Day Retirement Look Like?
In my seventies childhood my grandparents seemed very ancient but were actually only a few years older than I am today. They wore frumpy clothes that were entirely different to those of the younger generations of the era. No hotpants…
Rise and Shine! Introducing my Ideal Early Morning Routine
I’ve always been an early bird in spite of trying to force myself into a late night habit in my teens and early twenties. Silly sausage! These days I hit the sack most nights before 9:30pm and I’m usually far…
Thrifty Hobbies: How to Keep Costs of Leisure Down in Retirement”
Here’s the sea kayak that my Paul bought me early on in our relationship for Valentine’s Day. ‘But it’s not red!’ I said when I saw it. You can imagine the response that I got from my sweetheart! I’ve always…
Southend-on-Sea: A Fond Farewell After Fifty Years?
A few weeks ago I left Essex with my partner and my parents in tow. I thought I’d be back in a few weeks to clear my Mum and Dad’s home of 56 years in preparation for their move to…
Why I’m In Love With My Phone’s Camera App
In the winter of 2011 I took my son Louis to Yellowstone for his first visit. We shared the park with a group of people on a photography course. Goodness me the kit they carried around. Some of those lenses…