Year Four of Retirement During the 2020 Pandemic

Year Four of Retirement

Winter Travel

Our year four of retirement began better than most of my adult life.  In January and February we took two distinctly different trips, both of which were wonderful.

Phoenix 

We were fortunate in January to spend several days in Phoenix, Phoenix, A Winter Getaway in the Desert.   It was a outstanding winter trip!  The weather was dry and warm and we were well entertained by local sights including the Arizona Capital Museum, Desert Botanical Garden,  Japanese Friendship Garden, and Phoenix Art Museum.   Our hotel, The Hilton, was in the heart of downtown and near some incredible restaurants.  Our meals on this trip were outstanding, better than most of our travels.

However, we did not exclusively stay in the city.  One day, we took the Metro to Scottsdale and on another an Uber to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home.    I highly recommended both.

 Camping in Florida

For almost a year, we’ve had a winter trip planned along Florida’s coastline, with most stops at state parks.  We met friends at several of  the campgrounds, which greatly enhanced our trip.   Highlights of our trip were Topsail State Park, the Florida Keys, and Everglades National Park.  This was truly a dream trip!

COVID-19

Just after our winter travel, it became known that COVID-19 was a serious thing.  Undoubtedly, 2020 will go down in infamy for its devastating impacts.  It was horrific for many families with loss of life and livelihood.  Some survived, but with lasting impacts to health.  We actively strived to avoid exposure to the virus and it appears we have succeeded.  The promise of a vaccine in a few months does much to brighten our hopes for next year.

Quarantine Activities

We spent much more time at home this year than our other retirement years.  So, there was the search for things to keep me entertained and engaged.  My husband is more comfortable than I just puttering around.

Sewing

I entertained myself by dusting off my limited 40 year-old sewing skills on a used machine I bought from a friend.  I made many masks and altered a few of my clothes.  It is good to have a working sewing machine again.

Painting

Paint by Number kits helped me while away many hours and I found the painting to be quite relaxing.   After completing one kit, I ordered a custom one using a personal photo.   I think we are recognizable in the painting below.

My husband actually painted a kit too,  but he was far more freestyle than I.  I believe he has more actual talent.

Exercise

Lastly, as a person who had a regular routine at our local gym, I needed a way to continue my exercise.  We had purchased a stationary bike before the pandemic and it helped immensely.  However, a major part of my exercise regimen was Body Pump classes with weights.   Just using hand weights was not doing it for me.   I learned that Les  Mills classes, including Body Pump, was available by subscription.    So, I ordered weights and a bench and could do those classes I loved at home.  I do miss seeing my friends at the gym though.

Pandemic Camping

When the pandemic lessened during the summer, we took several camping trips.  The breaks really made it easier getting through the isolation.  We felt  that camping was relatively safe because we were social distancing.

The Midwest

We took an amazing five-week trip to the Midwest in the summer, Midwest Camping in a Pandemic. It was different camping for us however.  We like to eat out a lot while camping.  This trip we had a few outdoor meals that were great, but so many were in our car or camper.  Museums and libraries that we would normally visit were closed, but we did get to visit the Lincoln Library.  Masks and a reservation were required to limit the number of people.  We also visited  parks and gardens, which greatly enhanced our trip.

Camping With Friends

We met some friends at  Myrtle Beach, Pandemic Camping with Friends .
It was a wonderful time, but the weather could have been better.  A couple of days were sunny, but there was a lot of wind and rain.

We also met our SE T@B group for a couple of short trips, one at Vogel State Park and the other at Fort Mountain.  While we made these two trips, we cancelled three others because the weather was colder and virus cases increased  dramatically.

Family During Year Four of Retirement

Sadly, our time with family suffered during the pandemic.  We were fortunate to spend several weeks with our son and his wife who stayed with us, but didn’t see the rest of the family very much.   The photo below is our granddaughters and one of their friends who visited us once.  Our visits with family members were mostly outdoors or limited time inside with masks.  There were no birthday parties nor holidays gatherings.  A very strange year indeed!

We ventured out to a local restaurant for my husband’s birthday.  It was a bit hot, but felt luxurious.

Health

My lung issues escalated this year.  This meant many rounds of antibiotics and steroids, plus a cough has not gone away.   At one point, my doctor was recommending a hospital visit.  I managed to stay home though. Using a nebulizer daily has become a part of my routine.  I am happy that it has not prevented me from doing most things I enjoy and am grateful for that.

I am delighted to say that my husband’s health has been good!  The knee replacement is all healed and he is doing better than when we first retired.

Year Four Retirement and a New Family Member

We have considered getting a puppy for awhile, but were concerned it would limit our travel.   It is still a concern, but we took the plunge.  We picked up Sophie a week before Christmas.  She is such a sweet pup, but despite our research, far more work than we realized.  We are committed though to getting through the puppy stage.

In Conclusion

We were truly blessed this year, especially knowing that so many have died or suffered greatly with the virus.  The economic toll that has been experienced by a large portion of our population is also heartbreaking.  I hope that we can come together in 2021— physically and emotionally.  Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!