Satisfying Retirement has ceased publishing new content. All previous posts are accessible by either date or topic by using the archives on the left sidebar. The blogroll and the Ultimate Retirement Resources Guide remain available. Thank you for 12 memorable years. Bob ..read more

Over twelve years of blogging, several books, a national magazine profile, and countless friends, both virtual and real, Satisfying Retirement has been a central part of my retired life. In fact, I have spent more than half of my time away from work on this project. Every day, I check for new comments to leave a response. At least three days a week, I plop down in front of the laptop to write about a topic that will have some appeal to you. Ideas for posts come from reading, random ideas, suggestions from you, or things I am wondering about myself. To all things there is a season. There is a ..read more

Today, retirement comes with certain expectations. Popular literature, feedback from friends, books, blogs, podcats, Internet articles....all sorts of sources paint a picture of this stage of life. Getting an accurate overview of what is likely to happen is not that difficult. When I stopped full-time work in 2001 things were different. There was very little retirement information that dealt with anything other than financial preparation. Sure, Sun City-type retirement communities painted a picture of never-ending leisure, happy folks playing cards, swimming laps in the pool, or enjoyi ..read more

One of many takeaways from our trip to France a few weeks ago was that much of the world seems so much younger than us. Sure, Paris and Normandy were teeming with tourists, many aging, white-haired folks, along with plenty of middle-aged locals. But, the cafes or boulangeries (bread shops), shops, or walkways along the Seine reminded us that young people are the future and they are everywhere. The energy, infectious laughter, exotic (for us) fashions, and even the accepted habit of lingering over a cafè for two hours over cigarettes and drinks were vivid reminders of youth and leisure. All t ..read more

When someone has been looking forward to something for several years and then realizes that dream,  there is always the risk that the actual event doesn't live up to the fantasy. Such was definitely not the case with our trip to France a few weeks ago. Paris was everything I had been told to expect and more. The week-long cruise on the Seine River was perfection. Betty fulfilled her wish to retrace her dad's steps during the D-Day invasion and afterward. We had a private tour guide take us to her ancestral castles and mansions, some dating back to William the Conquerer. In the town of ..read more

  A good friend of mine sent me a quote that seems to perfectly summarize what our attitude should be. It was:   "TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE. SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS." Doesn't that put it all into simple perspective? Those of us who have less of our life ahead of us than behind are constantly reminded about our age. Companies don't usually advertise with us in mind.  Doctors and airline pilots seem to all be just past puberty. Too many political figures look for ways to make our life tougher by threatening our ..read more

 A while ago, I read a book by Wayne Muller, "A Life of Being, Having, and Doing Enough." His premise was simple and powerful: our striving for a life of constant motion, commitment, and responsibility guarantees we miss what is most important: living fully now and understanding what we have is entirely sufficient for a full, joyful life. If you envision your most perfect, beautiful day, does it include a meeting at work? How about becoming very involved as the never5-ending political drama ramps up again. How about becoming excited by commitments around your home along with fam ..read more

  I am a sucker for lists. To-do lists, productivity lists, how to be happy lists, the best movies in a foreign language list...doesn't matter. I like lists.  If enjoyable aging could be reduced to a simple nine-point list, wouldn't life be easier! This may be a fool's errand, but here's my attempt:  1. It’s time to use some of the money you saved up. Use and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a long-lost releative with big ideas for your hard earned capi ..read more

  After spending well over our travel budget this year for the train trip to Portland and the just-completed trip to France, this topic is on my mind. Debt is powerful. In our culture, it is a fact of life. A study in the Wall Street Journal showed that 32% of all households with someone 65-74 years old is carrying credit card debt, while 41% have a housing debt. In fact, the median value of that mortgage debt is just under $70,000.  We are familiar with bad debt: that is debt that drains our resources and puts a stable financial situation at risk. E ..read more

  No, I am not Gene Kelly, and Betty is not Leslie Caron. Even so we are a couple of Americans off to France for a few weeks. We begin with a two-day chance to overcome our jet lag and see some of Paris. Then, it will be time to board a long boat for an eight-day river cruise along the Seine River from the heart of Paris to Normandy. Every day features a chance to explore the towns and locations, like Monet's gardens in Giverny.  Upon our return to Paris, we take a train to the city of Caen where a  private tour has been planned so Betty and I can explore some of the very ..read more