Finally, Done With Work--Hurray!

We are beginning a new phase of our life together since my hubby's last day of work was Friday.  He turns 62 on December 3 and will put off taking any Social Security, but he couldn't wait to be done with work.  After working at the same warehouse for over 40 years he is ready to take it easy and certainly deserves it!  Sue (a friend and temporary co-worker) surprised him with a big cookie earlier in the week and one of the guys took him to lunch at Manners--a favorite restaurant of his since he was a kid. 

This is a picture of one happy guy with his retirement gifts:  a fancy wristwatch and a Manners Big Boy Bobblehead, wearing his high school t-shirt in honor of them winning last night and coming one more game closer to the State Championship.  He also got a juicy check we were not expecting (which he already gave to me) that we deposited into our savings account today. 

Finally, he brought home half a sheet cake from Giant Eagle to share with me!  It is very good so we won't have to buy any bakery for a while.

Here is a list of some things he says he will not miss:

1)  Driving to and from work every day, especially in bad weather.

2)  Eating lunch and taking breaks only at specific times each day.

3)  Being stuck inside on nice days.

4)  Getting so dirty every day and all the heavy lifting.

5)  Listening to the same radio station all day long Monday through Friday.

Here is a list of some things he looks forward to:

1)  Not having to juggle the cars back and forth and leaving one out in the drive all night.  We got a $5,509 check Thursday for selling our KIA to save on insurance and repairs.

2)  Being home with the pets more, especially Abby Dabby Doo and taking her for an extra walk each day.

3)  Not having to rush to get all his housework done.

4)  Having more time in the spring and summer to work in the yard.

5)  Visiting the zoo more often on weekdays and hanging out at the library.

6)  Maybe volunteering to be a dog walker for the Parma animal shelter.

7)  Being able to stay up later to watch his sports teams when they have night games.

8)  Not having to get up at 4:15 a.m. during the week.

I am so happy for him and glad that we are able to manage on just one salary and our savings.  It will be nice having him home to run errands or be there when repairmen have to come.  It will definitely be nice not hearing him moan when it's time to get up every morning.  Since we are now down to just one car, he has agreed to be my helper in my Sunday School class, at least until the weather gets nice again when he may choose to walk home earlier.  But for now, I'm glad to have him! 

HAPPY RETIREMENT, GERARD!  I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY I CAN JOIN YOU!

Share this:

My First Shawl

I actually like my new shawl that my hubby gave me on the anniversary of the day we met.  He, of course, consulted the pets and came up with the perfect one for me that he found on the Animal Rescue Site (those are paw prints, sorry a bit blurry).  It's soft, gives me just enough added warmth so we can keep the thermostat in the 60s, and even has two pockets in it!  I keep telling myself, shawls are NOT just for old ladies, are they?

Share this:

My Letter to My Dog

After reading A Letter to My Dog by Robin Layten featuring letters from various dog owners, I was inspired to write a letter to our dog, Abby.  Here it is:

Dear Abby a/k/a Dabby Doo,

You are the best dog we could ever have!  You won our hearts the first day we met you with your soft thick fur, your big beautiful brown eyes, your sweet personality, your curly fluffy tail, your big smile and your gentleness.  I am amazed at how well-behaved you were from the first day we met you.  You got along with our two cats just fine and fit right into our family with no problem at all. 

I love how all kinds of people are drawn to you.  It was so much fun taking you to dog training classes at PetSmart because you managed to make people laugh and still were the best at following commands most days.  You are so eager to please and easy to train.  We are so proud of you!  I love to watch you enjoy the outdoors and wish we had an area where you could run off leash like you did at the park the one day when the clasp broke off and you got in a good run.  I couldn’t believe how fast you could go and how happy you were that day! 

The bond you have with Gerard is heartwarming to me.  I know you will always be a daddy’s girl, but just hope you know how much I love you too.  I enjoy feeding you breakfast every morning and reviewing the commands you learned.  I like giving you big hugs and belly rubs too.  You are such a good dog and I am so glad we decided to look on Petfinder for you when we did.  You have certainly enriched our lives!

Also got to read A Letter to My Cat. The pictures in this book are gorgeous!  Why not write a letter to your pet and post it on your blog.  Then leave the link in the comments.

Share this: