Encore Careers: worth waiting for?

Most retirees get involved in SOMETHING after they retire.

Their avocations may be volunteer work, or they may get paid for their time & effort. Or it may be a self-employment initiative for which they HOPE to get paid--eventually.

It may be related to something they did as a career during their pre-retirement days--or it may be something entirely different.

The buzz word for this is "encore careers."

In today's economy, interest income is lower than anticipated, so many retirees are seeking something that pays at least a little--to supplement their Social Security and/or pension checks.

Bob and I both engage in encore careers: Bob by running his art gallery, framing and digital printing business (plus managing some rental property) and me through my hodge-podge enterprise, Amy Wilde Connections.

Since neither of these  encore enterprises brings in a whole lot of profit, I also do a little part-time work. It's kind of my "grandchild, entertainment and travel money."

This fall I'm working a few afternoons each week at the local apple orchard--mostly in the orchard's warehouse and retail shop. Customer service is, well, customer service--no matter what you're selling. I hope to put the money I'm earning toward Christmas shopping--and some overdue dental work.

Through Amy Wilde Connections, I have funneled a small amount of contract lobbying, grant consultation, custodial work at my church, per diems for my participation on several boards and advisory committees, and desktop publishing work. (I expect that my Schedule C income next spring will include a pile of 1099s. Now you see why I call it a "hodge podge" business.)

In addition, I have done volunteer work, some of which reimburses my expenses. Most of this volunteering has been through the Area Agency on Aging, Meeker Council on Aging and the Dassel History Center. Most volunteer time finds me driving people to medical appointments and scanning and accessioning photos at the history center. Other volunteering has been at church, teaching Vacation Bible School or helping with nursing home services, or community service for the Dassel Red Rooster Committee and Community Chest.

Several friends are also engaged in Encore Careers. One is working part-time at a senior citizens residence; another is supervising student nurses at a state university. Another is working at a museum. Two guys I know are donning black suits and helping out during funeral services.  Others are doing seasonal farm work, housecleaning or custodial work. One retired friend spent several years working part-time at McDonalds. One is a part-time director for a health and human services advocacy group. Two others help the county auditor during election season. Others babysit their grandchildren one or two days per week.

Volunteer activities also run the gamut, from Council on Aging work, to being a youth mentor, to political activism, to instrumental music.

I am interested in knowing what other retired friends are doing as their "Encore Careers." Let me know.

Adapting to retirement

Several retired and semi-retired women assist with a birthday party at the nursing home.

A major challenge to retirement is adapting to collecting Social Security and pension checks instead of collecting a paycheck.

This may seem like a welcome relief to some, but to many of the over-62 set, it is a difficult adjustment.

Many retirements do not take place as originally planned. People get laid off from their jobs, or are bought out through early retirement incentive packages. A self-owned business may falter. Changes in health may have forced an earlier-than-anticipated retirement.

There are also financial realities. Most people earn less in retirement than they did during their working years. The cost of COBRA or Medicare supplement premiums may be more than anticipated. Part-time work may not be as available as had been anticipated--or it may pay significantly less than expected. Perhaps interest income or dividends from investments or income from the sale of real estate had been anticipated--and we all know what the 2008 market crash and subsequent recession did to those sources of income. Although statistically, retirees are better off in today's economy than young families--especially single-parent families--that "fact" is cold comfort to an individual retiree who is having a hard time making ends meet.

But perhaps the greatest difficulty is the fact that, in American society, value is often related to what one does or how much they earn. We may be the same people on the inside, but society views retirees and volunteers differently than it does people who have "real" jobs.

I lobbied for public libraries at the Minnesota legislature.

Like young parents and housewives who feel their tasks are unappreciated or mundane compared to a "paying" job, new retirees often flounder with their sense of self worth.  The walls of the house may seem to be closing in. Volunteer work may be boring or unsatisfying. Family expectations may be greater now that one is no longer working.

These retirees volunteer regularly at the Dassel History Center.

It takes time for retirees to adjust to a new routine and a new level of income. When I retired a year and a half ago, I got involved in several new activities and got more involved in a few places where I had been only marginally engaged. For spiritual enrichment, I joined a ladies Bible study group and got more involved at church. I was elected vice chair of the Minnesota Library Trustees Association and got more involved on the regional library board. I applied for and was appointed to two advisory committees in areas where I had expertise from my past career. I became a volunteer driver and continued work at the Dassel History Center. Many of these positions include some compensation or expense reimbursement, so they augment a reduced income. I planted a larger garden to aid the grocery budget--and also because I enjoy the activity. I've been helping with a couple of political campaigns. There has been a little more time for coffee or lunch with friends--several of whom are facing their own struggles with health and personal problems.

Dressing up in fancy hats for a birthday tea with old friends.

Despite all this activity, I experience "bad days" when I feel less beneficial to my family and community than in my previous career. The job market remains dismal--especially for people over age 65 who are regarded by many employers as being "over the hill." (In reality, I have little desire to work more than part-time anyhow.) Like many retirees, I sometimes feel as if I am not making the best use of my time and talents--but in reality, time management has been a lifelong struggle.

Since retirement, I also cut back on my involvement on a couple of committees that did not seem to be as good as a "fit," where my participation caused too much personal stress, or where it appeared that perhaps somebody else could do a better job.  That's okay, too.  Our bodies are not as young as they used to be, things take longer to do, and there is no point in doing something because we feel "obligated" rather than because we enjoy it.

Retirement is one of the seasons of life. It may be the autumn of our lives instead of full summer, but autumn can also be a glorious time of year. 

My ladies Bible study group.

Camping after surgery

Our first night out: National Grasslands in the North Dakota Badlands near Medora.

Could my husband and I go tent camping after he had his lower back rebuilt?

Good question. This would mean pitching our 45-year-old canvas Hoiggards tent and sleeping on the ground on an air mattress. We wanted to travel to Idaho to see our grandchildren in Coeur d'Alene and our niece compete in USA Cycling Mountain Bike nationals at Sun Valley. Camping would be the only affordable way for us to accomplish that this summer. We also decided to take our dog Oscar with us; he is a docile, companion pooch and we did not wish to leave him for a week and a half.

Certain adaptations were decided upon. We would stick to camping out of the trunk of our car. The rear seats were taken out to accommodate the extra load in our 4-cylinder Chrysler PT Cruiser. We would stick to simple, convenience meals that could be heated from cans or boxes on the Coleman stove. Bob has an air mattress pump that connects to our car cigarette lighter so we did not need to rely on lung power at high altitudes. Bob also brought along the back brace he wore for the first 3 months after surgery--as a precaution. Although we knew we'd be in back country, we opted for the car with air conditioning & cruise control instead of his 4-wheel-drive Subaru wagon.

PT Cruiser exploring Salmon River Mts.

In retrospect, all were good choices. The second day's drive, across Montana, was in scorching temperatures that approached 100 degrees F.  A.C. is good. The PT Cruiser "pretended" to be an SUV on a few back roads, but we turned around after a few miles as a precaution: it lacks a protective shield over its oil pan.

Bob wearing his back brace while rolling up the tent.

Bob and Oscar at camp along Clark Fork near
St. Regis, Montana

After not wearing it for the first few days, Bob decided that the back brace was useful for putting up and taking down the tent and, on a few occasions, helped support his tired rebuilt back better while driving.

The dog, after pulling up his "stake out" pin the first night out & disappearing for a short time, dragging his long tie-out cable, in the Badlands campground, adjusted to his new life and learned to appreciate his new canvas home.

Oscar enjoyed waking me up early in the morning to take a long walk so he could "do his business" and sniff out the place. (Those long walks also kept me from gaining weight on this trip--something that inevitably seems to happen when I travel.)

Halle is delighted that Oscar would "shake" with her.

Beyond walking the dog, we did not take any long hikes. The high altitude (two camp sites were at 6,000-foot levels) and the hot temperatures during the day sapped our strength for much beyond leisurely strolls.


I discovered that camping with a dog means you meet a lot more people.
Everyone in the campgrounds seemed to want to learn his name and pet him.

Sun Valley is a very dog-friendly venue and Oscar enjoyed meeting lots of new friends: human and canine. Granddaughter Halle, age 5, enjoyed asking him to "sit" and "shake" in exchange for a dog biscuit.

Bob would find a shady spot for him and Oscar during the cross-country bike races, and we learned that the dog prefers drinking from flowing streams better than out of his dog dish. He made himself at home both at David's house in CdA and at Jena's apartment in Sun Valley.

Another piece of excitement: Jena and her boyfriend and fellow cyclist Ryan O'Hara are now engaged!

Also, they have both found seasonal employment in Sun Valley and are looking for more permanent venues that will make use of their degrees in environmental science and civil engineering and planning, as well as fulfill Jena's desire to coach and work with young people.

Uncle Phil, Uncle Bob, Oscar, John (her dad) and Ryan encourage Jena prior to her first Pro-level national competition.

At camp site along Yankee Fork of Salmon River.

Being over age 62 is an advantage, because we got free admission and camped for half-price every night using our Golden Age Passport (also known as Senior Access Pass) available free of charge at every staffed National Park, National Monument or National Forest site.

The tent was a wedding present from my parents, 45 years ago. Bob is very strict about putting it away clean and dry after every use, and it has lasted all these years. Have replaced the zipper once, done some patching and waterproofed it several times. The center pole gives us something to grab onto when getting out of our sleeping bags in the morning, and the center part of the tent is high enough for an average-sized person to stand up straight.

Stanley, Idaho, and upper Salmon River

Lesson learned: we can tent camp, even after Bob's back surgery. In retrospect, when possible we will tent camp  only for two or more nights: single-night stayovers were hard on Bob's back and too stressful, making for a less-relaxing vacation. Longer stays (we had two of them) allowed plenty of time to relax between putting up and taking down equipment. In the future, we may try making a bed in the back of a van or pickup topper  for "traveling" camping trips. Or resort to occasional motel stayovers. We found an affordable, dog-friendly motel on our last night coming home in eastern Montana.  It also allowed us to shower someplace other than at a truck stop. Accommodations totaled about $135 for the entire trip and gas about $300. Meals were what we'd have probably spent at home.

Our extra medical expenses, lost work due to the illness and tenant problems of the past year made a budget vacation essential for 2012. But it was still a great time.

Bonanza ghost town on Yankee Fork of Salmon River.

We saw lots of beautiful scenery via short walks from the car. I will close this post with a few of the photos. I also took film photos that have not yet been developed; may add a few of those later.

Salmon River Mountains

Redfish Lake, Sawtooth Mountains

Canoeing the Crow

Connie at our lunch break in a bucolic pasture along the river.

Connie Scott and I spent many happy hours together during junior and senior high school. We attended the same school, the same summer camp, the same church and the same Girl Scout troop. Our mothers were friends and we often thought they conspired to enroll us as a pair to encourage us to take part in various cultural and recreational activities.

During the summer months, Connie and I spent a lot of time on the water of two of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes: Lake Harriet in south Minneapolis and Linwood Lake in Anoka County. We passed lifesaving training at the 46th Street beach and spent the summer of 1964 as lifeguards and junior counselors at Camp Ajawah at Linwood Lake. Many long summer afternoons were spent in my family's Alumacraft canoe, which was kept at the Lake Harriet dock.

During most of our adult years, Connie was an elementary school principal and I was a newspaper reporter, county commissioner and mother of four. We were too busy to get together. Then we both retired--and her older brother purchased a lake cabin near Dassel. Suddenly the opportunity to see one another regularly became a reality.

This spring we both turned 65. I suggested that us gals go canoeing again together. We tried a short paddle on a nearby lake on Memorial Day weekend. Then I offered to take her on a day canoe trip down the North Fork of the Crow River in Meeker County. I had taken the four-hour trip numerous times, but not for about five years. Connie had not had access to a canoe for many years.

We were also a LOT older. Could two 65-year-old women load, unload and paddle a quick-moving river without help from anyone else?

We looked like zombies after coating our skin with zinc oxide sunblock

Pulling up the canoe at the Kingston landing

What a great day.  My first mishap was falling into the water as we were getting the canoe into the river. It was a warm day & my bathing suit was underneath my shorts, so it was no big deal, but I started out a muddy and soggy. Twice we pulled the 50-pound cedar-strip canoe (lighter than the old Alumacraft!) over logs that had fallen across the full width of the river. I almost lost my hat and Connie fished my stray paddle out of the water before it headed downstream without us. We saw songbirds, water birds, big snapping turtles and followed a huge, beautiful bald eagle, up close, for approximately one mile.



We couldn't take many photos because the current made keeping a camera outside of a waterproof bag hazardous, so we had to settle for shots during our lunch break and while pulling the canoe out at the Kingston Park landing.

Connie admitted that she had been more apprehensive than she had let on, but says she can now cross something off her "Bucket List." I hope we can go again sometime--maybe try a different stretch of the river.

The photos tell the story. Old ladies can still have fun on the water.

Amy had mostly dried off by lunch break.

30 Days of Creativity

Decided last month that I would attempt to take on the "30 Days of Creativity" challenge by creating something every day during the month of June. A person should never be too old to create, right?

Day 1 - 01 June

My project was transplanting 15 small trees to create better bird & wildlife habitat on our new homestead. I had planted 60-some trees a month ago, but a few of them were too close to a power line and one got accidentally snapped off by the lawnmower. So I relocated several chokecherry and plum trees into a strip of native grass planting. When mature, those brushy trees should provide food and habitat for birds.

Day 2 - 02 June

Today's project was cooking. Made pumpkin bars and homemade fudge sauce for ice cream. Since I am trying to cut back on fat and sugar, I adapted a couple of "tried and true" recipes. Substituted additional pumpkin for part of the oil in the bars and also cut back a little on the sugar. Then I used skim milk instead of whole milk for the fudge sauce & served it over fat-free frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. These dessert treats are still tasty. Since the pumpkin was home-grown & frozen last fall, it really melts in the mouth.

Day 3 - 03 June

It was Sunday, so wanted to take things easy. Decided to do an embroidered dish towel. Here is what I've done so far. This project will take another day or two to finish.

Day 4 - 04 June

Watered the transplanted trees and the transplanted vegetables in my garden. But that's not really creativity--just maintenance. So my "creative challenge" was starting this blog post and figuring out how to add photos to it. Not difficult at all, really, even for a late-blooming computer user like myself. Also took a few photos of the beautiful pastoral views from our homestead. From top to bottom: looking east, looking northwest, looking northeast.

Day 5: 05 June

More landscaping today. Put ground cloth under the deck we are building in preparation for landscaping rock. Nothing I care to take a photo of since more work needs to be done.

Day 6: 06 June

Today's challenge: public policy problem solving. Spent an exhilarating two hours with other members of the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging NE Advisory Council discussing and brainstorming about how our senior services contractors are adjusting to reduced federal funding, and changes in rural infrastructure and demographics, and the preferences of our senior citizens in obtaining affordable housing with services and nutritious meals. I chaired the meeting (on short notice) due to the absence of our usual chairperson. Home-delivered meals remain a popular option for frail elders who live alone and lack transportation. The old-style congregate meals are down in numbers in some communities, but nutritious "Diners' Club" meals contracted with local restaurants are growing in popularity & contribute to the local economy, along with the well-being of rural elders who live alone.  Nothing to photograph today--but the creative juices flowed during this exercise in group dynamics.

Day 7: 07 June

At the Kingston Park landing.

My most fun creativity challenge yet! At age 65 I can still navigate a quick-moving river & successfully (at least most of the time) select a route through downed trees, rocks, sandbars, etc. that didn't topple the canoe. My girlhood chum Connie Scott (also 65) and I canoed a stretch of the North Fork of the Crow River today and I took a few photos (the current was too fast to safely use a camera most of the time) and blogged about it. See my separate post on this blogspot site, "Canoeing the Crow" for more details.

Days 8 and 9: 08 and 09 June

Musical creativity yesterday and today! Practiced and played guitar with my daughter and husband (yes, he still plays washtub bass on occasion.) Due to play again this evening at the "Best of 12" Wagon Train encampment, so music will be a two-day project.

Day 10: 10 June

Am working on an Op-Ed piece. Since it's as a volunteer and not as part of my business, I guess that makes it more "creativity" than "work." Also did a little more embroidery.

Day 11: 11 June

Finished and sent off the Op-Ed piece. Time will tell if it gets published. If it does, I will share on my Facebook business page. (Amy Wilde Connections)


Follow up: the piece was published as a guest editorial in this week's D-C Enterprise Dispatch, but that newspaper does not publish its entire edition on line, and I cannot figure out how to post a MS Word document on Facebook. I also submitted the piece to another paper, and may be able to link to that one if it's ever published there. In the meantime, anyone interested in reading "Why I Am No Longer a Republican" may message me w/their email & I'll forward a MS Word attachment.

Day 12 & 13: 12 & 13 June

The first "vegetable basket" tea towel.

Had three volunteer driving gigs early this week, so spent time in doctors' waiting rooms finishing this embroidered tea towel. Then I started another.

Daughter Beth knows I like garden vegetables, so for my birthday, she gave me these patterns to iron on to flour-sack dish towels. Was challenging to locate "eggplant purple" embroidery floss, but I found it. Now am using the same color on a bunch of beets on the 2nd vegetable towel project.









Day 14: 14 June

The table is ready for my Ladies' Bible Study group.

Gwen, Diane and June are ready to dig into the Book of Matthew with me.

Today's project was hospitality. It was my turn to host the Thursday morning Dassel Ladies' Fellowship Bible Study group.  I prepared a simple snack (fruit, muffins & nuts) and set the table with my Grandma Hazel's china and three gifts from our foreign exchange students as a centerpiece.  Our group is studying the Gospel of Matthew. The Jacobian oak table & chairs also once belonged to my grandmother. Dassel's talented Harriet Berg had re-caned the chairs for us. I had done the refinishing myself.

June is the facilitator for our group. How many people in their 80s do you know who are guiding a weekly study group? June is a great example of Titus 2:1-5.

Took photos of recent projects and undated this blog. Now to think of projects for the second half of June!

Day 15: 15 June

Busy day clearing out and organizing our home office. Not a favorite task--trying to figure out what to toss and what to save and how to save it so that I can find it when we need it.  I guess that is creative, after a fashion. I found a photo of one of my granddaughters that I had been looking for, and re-read some of the  notes of support received at my retirement party--and filled a bag full full of papers to throw away. Also took time in the evening to practice a few new songs on my guitar.

Day 16: 16 June

Ellie relaxes with her favorite barn kitten, "Wiggles"

Beth and Ellie with the quilt.

Granddaughter Ellie visited today. (Also her dad Chris--to help Bob with the deck for Fathers' Day.) We played with the many multi-colored kittens in the barn--most of which Elisabeth has managed to tame after finding them in various nooks and crannies around the farm. Beth also asked me to help her lay out and put together a quilt top she has finished.  The only flat surface large enough to lay out the quilt was the floor of the church basement. Nice to have a creative daughter--and the granddaughter assisted as well.

Look what was waiting for us in the barn!

One of my favorite kittens.

Beth is looking for good homes for several of the kitens, if anyone is interested. Their mothers are all good hunters, so they would make good "outdoor" cats.





















 Day 17: 17 June

Chicken-Barley Stew with garden vegetables.

Made a Father's Day dinner for six of us;  made chicken and barley stew and Beth and Dan brought their fresh-picked berries. Most of the vegetables came from last summer's garden. Then Chris and Ellie left to drive back to Iowa.

Spent the rest of the day relaxing and editing the photos I took yesterday in Photoshop. Also did a little work on photo albums and some embroidery.



Days 18 and 19: 18 & 19 June

Peterson's Jewelry Store in Dassel, circa 1940s.

Interior of Bengtson Motors garage, Dassel, circa late 1930s-early 1940s.

A two-day creative exercise: helping complete an upcoming Dassel Area Historical Society publication, Main Street Kids. It consists of memories and stories from the children of Dassel business owners, dating from 1930-1970. For the past couple of months, I have been scanning old photos & formatting them in Photoshop Elements for publication. Many of the 100-plus photos were on temporary loan and some needed to be located in the DAHS collection. All of them needed to be re-formatted.

The book is due at the publisher on Friday, so the pressure is on to "get 'er done." It's a pretty intense project this week, working with my former boss, retired newspaper editor Carolyn Holje.

Judy Gudmundson, Don Berg, Mary Jensen and several others are also assisting with this project. A couple of the great classic photos we plan to use are shown above.
 
Day 20: 20 June

Developed a short study on Isaiah 42 for Lake Jennie's Women's Fellowship. Used a book of short, published devotions  as a "starter," then expanded on it to the full 12 verses of the passage. We met at Bonnie Hahn's home in the old Lake Jennie townsite. Got heavy rain that evening after we got home, but nothing like what hit Duluth & that part of NE Minnesota.

Day 21: 21 June

This was the first day I've been so busy that I did not have even one minute to devote to something creative. Had three meetings, with lots of driving in between. Although I did not create anything new, a second newspaper published my Op-Ed piece. A colleague posted it on my Amy Wilde Facebook timeline.

Day 22: 22 June

Spent most of the day cleaning an apartment that had been trashed by one of our vacating tenants. At this point in time, I am just happy that this troubled little parasite is OUT of our building; she owed several months' back rent besides being a very "casual" housekeeper. But I did have time to do a little embroidery this afternoon, while waiting at a St. Cloud therapist's office for a very sweet lady who cannot drive because of her broken wrist. Am grateful that I have my health so I am physically able to drive, haul trash to the county dump and do the cleaning. Am also grateful that a dear, old friend (who enjoys cleaning--what a gift) came to help with the dirty kitchen this evening.

Day 23: 23 June

More heavy cleaning. Whew. Also did a little photo scanning at the museum and attended my sister and brother-in-law's 50th wedding anniversary party. Not a really creative day, but we did show the cleaned apartment and got a new tenant. One that appears to have a work ethic.

Day 24: 24 June

Marcia & Gene Kath, Amy, Kay and Bob at the Falls.

Minnehaha Falls in mid-summer.

Created an extended family get-together on fairly short notice. My sister was in town and so we, two of my kids, a daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and my second cousin Gene and his wife met her at Minnehaha Falls Park in Minneapolis for a Sunday evening picnic: ham sandwiches, fruit, relishes and a delicious pie made from Beth's fresh-picked wild raspberries. The falls were gorgeous--there has been plenty of rain this summer to make the water flow impressive. Kay and I spent many happy summer afternoons biking to Minnehaha Falls with our friends when we were girls, so there are a lot of memories in that place. 

Son Joe and his children enjoyed wading below the falls.

The weather was "What is so rare as a day in June?" perfect.
















Days 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29: 25-29 June

Another embroidery project in process.

My creativity challenge kind of fell apart during the last week of June.  There was a lot of just plain HARD WORK needed.

We are getting ready for a week and a half of vacation next week, and there is a lot of work to get done before we leave. The garden needed weeding, lawn needed mowing, the vacated apartment needed repainting for the new tenant. I also helped a friend with her political campaign and had two volunteer driving gigs, a doctor's appointment, my weekly Bible study, and two housing authority meetings. Whew. A lot of pressure for a retired lady.

Early vegetables from my garden.

Although most of the work was not very "creative," it was satisfying to "create" a clean, welcoming apartment out of a trashed mess. There was also vegetable creativity on two fronts: The fresh peas, lettuce, radishes and brocolli made good meals (see photo at left) and I had a chance to embroider more vegetables while waiting for my driving clients at their appointments. Still working on that piece.

But I wasn't really being very "intentional" about my creativity. My daughter commented that she does "creative" things like this every day of her life, but has never taken the time to blog about them.



Day 30: 30 June

I hauled an entire pickup load to the dump.

Here are before and after photos of my apartment cleaning & renovation project. The new tenant started moving in today. I hope she will enjoy her new home. I'm ready for vacation!

The other creative thing I did on the last day of this challenge was play my guitar and try to figure out the chording for the four songs Beth selected to sing at the annual Sunday School picnic. No guitar chords were listed, so I did it by ear. They were familiar tunes, but one included 6 or 7 different chords.

The completed kitchen.

The completed sitting room and bedroom.

The kitchen prior to cleaning and painting. The insides of the fridge & range were also dirty.

Discovering Strength

As we age, we are told that we lose muscle strength and bone mass and that oxygen does not move as efficiently through our bodies as it did when we were teenagers. That information may discourage some people from trying to get "back in shape," but it's been my experience that you only lose it when you don't use it.

Since my father died of a heart attack when he was only 48, and since I seem to have inherited a family tendency to manufacture "bad cholesterol" in my blood stream, I've made it a habit to exercise three or four days a week for a number of years. Wish I could say that all that exercise has caused me to lose weight, but it has not. One consolation is that perhaps I would look worse if I did not exercise, and that perhaps heavier, denser muscle has replaced some of the fat. Yeah, sure. But it is a fact that I feel better, anyhow.

Last summer when Bob's back failed him and he required major surgery, I had to do all of the yard and garden work. He could not do anything physical. Although still recuperating, he is still not supposed to lift anything more than about 25 pounds. So I'm still toting dog food and softener salt bags, mowing the lawn, etc. Because I knew he wouldn't be able to do anything at all last summer, I deferred doing major landscaping at our new house.  In 2011, I opted for only a small vegetable garden and mowing the grass I'd started the previous year, and watering two apple and two spruce trees, also planted in 2010.

But this house, situated on an old hay field and next to a plowed field, looks awfully barren with no trees. Also, since it has a walk-out basement, the soil erodes along the steep hillside slopes on the north and south walls. I'd talked to a landscaper two years ago, and was quoted a price of $1,500. Since that was too spendy, the only alternative was to dig in terraces ourselves. I remembered terracing slopes myself, after we had a new basement with a walkout entrance put underneath the old farmhouse. But that was 30 years ago. I was a lot younger then. Would this aging body be up to it?

One reality to physical labor as we age, is that we can't work for hours, but need to divide things into small steps. Age also brings wisdom, and it is possible to figure out labor-saving steps and tactics. 

My friend Judy offered to help me last fall, but I thought, wisely as it turned out, that the soil would be softer and easier to dig in the spring. 

On an early April Saturday, Judy and I took spades to the north slope of the house. It took the two of us two hours to dig slots into which we laid old railroad ties which had been discarded by Burlington Northern maintenance crews along the tracks. Since the crews cut the ties into chunks as they remove them, they were in half-lengths. Since they've been piled down at the farm for a long time, until Dan, Beth and I hauled them up here two years ago, they are also somewhat rotted out, making them lighter to lift. It worked..We had no problem hand-carrying them from a pile in front of the machine shed to the hillside.

After a water break, Judy persuaded me to plant something in the terraces right away, to prevent further erosion. The only thing I could think of, close at hand, were several clumps of hosta I'd planted two years ago in a too-sunny location. So I spaded up five clumps, cut them into 22 pieces and we transplanted them into the terraces. That took another hour.

Bob brought us a six-pack of beer, which we consumed, along with additional water, before dousing ourselves in the shower. I took three aspirin before falling into bed that night, since I did not want sore muscles keeping me awake. I was amazed the next day that, although a little stiff, there was no pain. The regular workout routine at the gym had served me well.

Total cost for our landscaping project: one six-pack of beer. Everything else was recycled stuff and hand labor.

The next landscaping project was planting 60-some trees. The most affordable place to buy trees is the annual bulk, bare-root tree distribution through our Soil and Water Conservation District. I ordered 10 maple, 10 Black Hills spruce, 25 chokecherry and 25 wild plum. (Sold a few leftover trees to a neighbor.) Spent Arbor Day weekend digging in those trees--half on Friday, the other half Sunday evening--by hand with a wheelbarrow and shovel. The hardest part was probably hauling water to "settle them in" after I was worn out from planting. (Mother Nature sent bountiful rain for the next week, which was much appreciated.) Most of the trees are now leafing out.

Again, by splitting a daunting task into segments, it was hard work, but manageable. Total cost: $110 for the SWCD trees, less $10 from the neighbor for the ones he bought.

Since two women in their 60s had dug in terraces on the north side of the house, I figured I could do the south slope, which is shorter, myself. I was right. Got most of that done this past Friday morning. It used up the six remaining chunks of railroad ties. Since I lacked another "hand" for lifting the ties, managed to balance them on a wheelbarrow and roll them into place.Total cost: $0. (Just drank ice water, not beer.) Since these terraces will go under our deck, I plan to cover them with leftover landscape plastic, overlayed with wood chips or landscape rock.

Yes, we move a little slower and take more frequent breaks--but older people can still get tough jobs done. If we don't use it, we'll lose it.

Stepping Aside

Attended a gathering this evening at the home of a friend who recently decided to run for the Legislature. A former co-worker, I had helped her with an attempt 20 years ago--when she lost by only 41 votes. She made two other failed attempts at public office, in between advocating for small cities at the state capitol. She is an expert on city government issues.

Now that she's of retirement age, she's decided to try again. With years of advocacy under her belt, she would not be a "newbie" to the Legislative process. Only challenge: winning in a district that is ultra-conservative. Being a devout Catholic, she is pro-life, but she also cares about "unplanned" babies after they are born. She also cares about the future of public schools and public health. That makes her a :"liberal" in the eyes of many of our neighbors.

For the past 16 years, it's been me running for office. Gotta admit that, even after winning four of my five campaigns, I was hoping to sit this one out. The campaign trail is brutal, and there is little appreciation these days for seeking or achieving public service. The populist trend is to hate the "government." And God knows, the salary pales in comparison to what it costs to put together a campaign and run for office.

But I find the idea of stepping aside and cheering on someone from the sidelines strangely appealing. I won't just be helping this Legislative wannabee, but a couple of other people who are seeking county positions.
One interesting thing is that these people are all of "retirement" age. Yet they are willing to either continue on in public service or begin service after many folks our age have migrated to Arizona golf courses.

In 2012, I am stepping aside in several ways. Three months ago, I decided to not seek re-appointment to my seat on the county housing authority, and at the end of the year, my term as chair of the regional library board will be over, although I hope to continue as a board trustee. I've scaled back my responsibilities on the community festival committee. There have been inquiries into a few other appointments or opportunities, but nothing has panned out so far. My only "new" leadership challenge is serving as an elder at my church--in the past, I've been a deaconess, but it's been several years since I've been on the Church Council.

Thanks to Social Security and Pension payments, we don't have to worry about paying the electric bill, so there is not a pressing need to earn a pile of money at this time. I still have plenty of energy and have been enjoying volunteering as a driver for the Council on Aging--more support service.

The one part of public service I always disliked was promoting myself at election time. So this year it feels better to be on the sidelines, promoting others.