nitemare of quitting

This morning I woke from a troubling dream ,. I could not Walk !,..got up and went downstairs and lay on the couch , very relaxing. But it Got me to thinking Again , about dismantling my Legacy .My Sara Came Down about 20 minutes later and made coffee , and now we are watching the weather and what mischief the citiots got into lastnite ,.

With Last yrs bout with cancer and the consequence of neuropathy in my legs and feet ..I think i need a counselor to help steer me thru ,. Been thinking a lot lately about how to "Unring my Bell"
But , I just cannot shake that horrible dream , Not so much the thought I could not Walk , But How to Shut everything Down Gracefully. ,I know that I WILL have to make changes as I Age ,,.I am 60,My wife of 12 yrs. Sara is 56 with 3 operations for back troubles , she could care less if we lived in a apartment or on 200 acres and another 200 rented which i do with help from my neighbor and friends, very little from my children and brothers , my nephews have grown up with real jobs and real girlfriends and have limited time.. and besides my measely 25 bux for helping in hay was just gas money , the real THRILL to them was running equipment and working together and
dinner..
I find myself , not enjoying the alone time making repairs , and i just am not as eager to put something back in the field as i used to be , the spark just aint there.
and the frustrations are far too many .. i dont like feeling OVWERWhelmed , when my body is doing all i can make it do ..
Has Anyone found a easy way to come to terms with all these dicisions ?.I Have talked with my children , to try to see if my sons and daughters can take hold..Frankly They Dont . I think They would welcome money if i sold out and quit, my oldest daughter seems disappointed that my cancer has not taken me out ..at least that is the vibe i get ...but i am in a No Good Funk Rite now and am THINKING TOO HARD ..
.. if i paid all the bills and home farm mortgage off , i would have the home and 2 farms free and clear. andstill have a comfortable nestegg in savings .. and i would have all my LOL junkie equipment ..yes ,a few pcs and tractors are nice. but its condition probably mirrors a lot of your stuff
if i dont draw SS until age 66, i get 1475 per month.. at age 62 it would be south of 1200.. AWWH Heck !
Maybe I ought to just get another cup of coffee and walk around outside and get moving again ,i have to roll hay before t-storms come thru this afternoon .. need to get a tire for the baler ,fuel the 4020 ,grab a few teeth for the baler pikup so it does a better job, now where can i find more used oil for the baler chains..?..//?.....

About 5 years ago at age 60 I started to cut back,gave up some rented pasture land and sold some cattle so I didn't have to make as much hay, freed up some time for me.And one side benefit was the farms and cows that aggravated me the most were gone so that was a big plus.Took some of the money and bought some better equipment so that's been good.Sometimes I think we all just need to reaccess what we're doing and where we're headed.I'm actually slowly increasing the cows and goats now a little and picked up a small place to run goats the other day.

Trust me, I feel your pain. I turn 60 this year, and I get to thinking the same way.

welcome to the world ......

I obsessed over it for 10 years. Now I'm 62 and don't give a wit about retiring. Thank God I don't have your health problems or I'd be having the same thoughts that you're having. Funny you should mention not being able to walk,because a year ago,for two weeks,I couldn't walk. Thoughts of getting rid of my collector tractors and just keeping what was bare bones necessary ran through my mind constantly.

I guess I'm just the kind of guy who has to dig in and find answers when there's a problem,but then when I figure it out,I move on,because once I figured out how to retire,all thoughts of ever doing it went away.

I just remember this:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ

good for you, you are feeding the monster again ,.. LOl .
. Glad to get empathy . figured there were more like me with problems instead of answers. If Some one did have a clearcut Answer they THOUGHT would work for me , I probably would not like It,.Just wondered if Farm Bureau or some organization out there had a roadmap of options,to help get me thru ..

What happened, Randy ?/ Why Could you not walk for 2 weeks .?.

I have no where near what it sounds like you have ,but there have been several days I think of calling an auctioneer and selling it all off and hope I'd have enough left to buy a motor home and wander around in it. But I'm not to fond of being stuck repairing a motor home either ! and of being stuck in traffic ! yuck !

I pulled my adductor muscle somehow. Had to use a walker and even then it was slow going. Of course I strained every other muscle in my legs and abdomen trying to compensate for the first few days. I was a mess. To this day that muscle still gets tight once and a while. Sacred the daylights out of the wife. She couldn't feel where I was hurting and she thought I had MS or something.

I think every situation is unique Jim. Something we all just have to figure out for ourselves. I know when the price of steel was high,I wouldn't have had an auction. I'm two miles from the scrap yard and the bulk of this stuff would have gone straight over there. The rest would have gone on Craigslist.
A guy two miles the other side of the scrapyard had a sale about that time,when steel was nosebleed high,and I'll bet 80% of that stuff ended up there. He had to pay the commission and somebody still made money off it. It doesn't matter how well you plan,things change.
I remember when the bank president here retired. The crash of 08 happened and he said he might have to go back to work. Said he thought he could always count on at least 7% on his investments,but those days were gone.
The best laid plans of mice and men....

Don't know if I will ever retire, but I am still young. But I look at my dad he will be 70 this coming September. He still works every day on a job in an oil refinery down on the coast, and he keeps saying he will fully retire next year. He has already retired twice, once from the military, and once from the state. He still has plans and keeps asking when I am going to get the new ground pushed so he can get started on the new fence, so we can get more cows. He wants a new hay barn, a new equipment shed, new trailer to pull the bulldozer and backhoe. He just never quits planning, it is all I can do to keep up with his projects some time. But I would not have it any other way. Just thankful he is still here and able to do what he wants.

Well, if you just quit, what will you do to entertain yourself? Sit in a rocking chair waiting to die? Or even helping it along? That doesn't help anybody.
Every day is gift from God. Use them well. Enjoy them.
Retirement was a choice I made some time ago. I could have waited longer, but things were starting to get to me. A job I was starting to hate. Not the work, just everything else that went with it. But, I still need things to keep me busy and occupy my time. Starting a new job in the same line of work was simply not even appealing to me. We all have days that nothing seems to go right. They pass. Life goes on.

My wife just retired a month ago. As soon as we sell our house in the suburbs (on the market now), I'll retire, hopefully by Labor Day.

Retirement for us means no longer driving an hour each way to work for someone else. I think we'll still be busy as all get out. We'll be moving to a second house we own in the country and building a couple of barns and retirement home on vacant property. (I just bought another tractor to help with the property maintenance.) The thought of retiring and getting up in the morning with no list of things to do is scary to me. A majority of my close relatives (sibs, BILs,SILs) are retired and they're all younger than me. They say they stay busy but for the life of me I can't figure it out. They live in condos, have few hobbies, (play golf every couple of weeks). I suspect they spent a lot of time in front of the computer playing stupid games.

I feel the same way jimg.allentown does.

It's a process we all have to go through. We've been doing the same thing for many years and figuring how to move into that last phase of our life can be tough. It can be exciting, nerve-wracking, scary, depressing, relaxing... it's all what you make of it.

It is positive that you are aware of your situation and are thinking about options rather than blindly moving forward. I too am in a spot similar to other posters. Slowly winding down, but sharecrops some land now with a nephew, whom I help as well with cropping. I am still uneasy about what I will do when full retirement arrives. My wife and I are planning more travelling, we may put up a few head of cattle....like 5 or so...just to keep something in the barn ....as grass fed beef, something along the line of the Rare Breed Conservancy to maintain rare breed numbers. I still have a well equipped and heated shop I can spend time in, away from any interior decorating my wife wants me to do, LOL! Ben

I read your post with great interest. I feel the same as you. I have downsized over the last 10 years. I am 64.

I just sold the last of our cows this week. It is not fun to me anymore. I baled hay last week. I have newer equipment that gives little problems but I was in a horrible mood all that week.

I still have farms and have them rented. I am thankful for the life I have had and God has richly blessed us. More than we ever deserved. With that being said I would like to be footloose and free for the last part of my life.

It is most folks dream to retire to a small farm and spend the rest of their life chasing cows and building fence. I have lived this life on a big scale and it is a burden rather than a blessing now.

Only bad part for me is I basically have no hobbies. Don't hunt Don't fish. Just always worked.

I look at it this way if this ain't making me happy, if I get the burden off my back then maybe I can find another way of life that gives me a challenge.

Sorry for jumping around like a squirrel in a tree with my thoughts.

I know exactly how you feel.

just read up on the adductor muscles , What a PIA .. LOL ,. but you did get over it rite ?,. Few Nites last week.in bed i was getting terrible leg lox cramps... From during long days in the field , i guess I was not drinkin enuf water ,. or my electralites were low,..

you mentioned scrappin , I certainly would sell a lot of my stuff that way,, rather than mess with a auctioneer that cant tell the difference between a spray boom and a milk stand shelf , I am not kidding !.. when it comes that time . anyone wanting my running equipment that i kept going can have it for for a little above scrap price ,.. Most of it was bought that cheap anyway , Just Not Sure How to market ? Maybe a vidio and Put in all on You Tube and craigs list ...always thought i would go auction .but not Now . The best Auctioneer around here went to the Casino ,sunk himself and his farm and business ,. all the other Yuppi auctioneers are quoting 10%,.and they do a poor job getting merchandise ready,,.kindalike "Next gonna sell the tires Up There in the Hayloft ,who will start with all one money 500 bid ? , why hek , I have no idea what is up there , and the auctionneer is vague ...most of us cant see them , let alone count them , it is dark due to the cloudy day and there is no way to easily get a big Ol boy like me up there ..they end up selling for 50 bux..,for about 30 , 14s,15s,16s and a couple like new tires were up there for the barefoot 4020 that sold earlier for a song ..those tires shouldabeen sold =Rite after the 4020 sold,, or with it .. A Big auction that most thought would take until dark is wrapt up by 2 in the afternoon , bargains and steals galore , and a few very hi prices from bidwars , but most of all " A Public Free for All "..and thatswhat most folx want these days ,,. No one wants to visit until dark .waiting for the auctioneer to get to the ladders ,or 3 pt tiller or seeder

Its unbelievable how many of us are kinda in the same situations! I am 61 and have some of the same thoughts you are having. I think Its hard to give advice,,because,although many situations sound somewhat the same,,each one is different. The good thing is,,on this site,,everyone does understand because we all seem to have a passion for tractors,gardens,farming,,etc. Most other people you talk to ,even therapists,,don't understand the passion we have completely.Many people think my garden is kind of silly,,,on here,,people understand the passion.So,,My advice to you is keep talking here on this site,,it helps me,,IM pretty sure it will help through these troubling times too.

Sigh !! I never gave quitting a thought before , but this year has been a real Beech ! If my son didn't want to farm , I think I would be crazy to keep on milking cows , and working my guts out 7 days a week . I want a new barn !!! Tired of forking out gutters , fighting with gutter cleaners , and generally working like I am living in indentured servitude. I think this has a lot to do with knowing there is more good years behind me , than ahead .

Bob Most Us Guys Here Are Used to and conditioned by our life style to " jumpin like a squrril in a tree with our thoughts" , No Bad there,. and I cant type worth a hoot neither , i know pucuation and spelling well , but cant proof read everything ,.

my Dad loved to fish , me not so much , topping that ,,people with ponds,lakes and streams have changed //. traveling costs money , and is not without its tragedies and snares and pitfalls / may as well buy a boat LOL
you could volunteer at the church , if yoiu are handy they will keep ya busy 24/7changing furnace filters , hot water heaters and cutting grass for little old ladies..
a nap in the afternoon is best

hang in there ,Bruce ..and keep that Canuck Spirit Up.. You have a young fella waiting to take over and inspire ..that is Good and and not so ,,.gotta be careful with ideas and disagreements,. and dreams and goals must be shared ..///'
my lament ,," You got big Problems wHen your Dreams and Goals are not the same as those that You Love and Care about around You .. IDo have a nearly 2yr old shaver that is the" apple of my eye" to hang on for from son #2 ,.My other 2 grandsons who are 10-12, my#1 D-I-L fears will pik up more of my bad habits instead of finding any of my good ones.. which My Sara will readily admit , they are hard to see and enjoy at times

Larry , I did not intend to answer every post,.. But I Must Agreewith your comment ,,. To the Rest of You Guys that i did not personally respond to ,. please know the hay field begs for my time ..// could it be that we in this age of transfering thoughts and words so much more easily and annonymousely ,and given the fact , That,We All have witnessed others dwindle away as the motor"body"gave out pitifully ,,. That we Resolve and wish to do that better..and more Gracefully ,. /// to be honest ,. if i were not typing these thoughts and recieving yours in the privacy of home ,,..i Very likely WOULD NOT share such Thoughts with Joe across the fence , or Bill at the feed store, or Stan at the parts counter.. gota go.......

olgent,

I think change is tough for most of us - but we just have to try to remember that it's not necessarily bad... it's just different. (But I will admit to you that I too struggle with some aspects of aging and some thoughts just make me downright sad... but I try to fight it with prayer and a positive attitude.)

If you can pay-off your land - then rent it out... that might be something to consider.

Would your health conditions allow you to do some custom work for another farmer?

Or even maybe sell your machinery... and just hire-out to help another farmer?

Either way mentioned above, would permit you to still do some of the farming activities that you have enjoyed all these years - but would remove a lot of stress/worry from the equation.

Are there things you have always wanted to do - or places you have always wanted to see... but farming kept you from doing those things? If yes, maybe now is the time to do those things (if you and your wife's health issues would permit it.)

Everybody has a different story, different thoughts, different feelings.

And while it is NOT the same because my husband is NOT battling cancer...Here are a couple of ways that we came about change:

ONE:
In his mid-40's my husband broke is foot very badly so he could not harvest our crop. Some great folks from our church harvested for us. I think this "break in the action" of farming... gave my husband the insight that he wanted to do more than put in 10-hour days at a factory all week long - then come home and do chores, clean barns, and jump on a tractor for field work (or do mechanical work on a tractor or piece of equipment).

I remember him asking my dad, "Joe, how did you know when it was time to quit farming?". My Dad replied, "I knew... when it just wasn't fun anymore." (Dad also worked full-time at a factory in addition to farming.)

After one more crazy-busy year of farming on top of working 65-68 hours per week in a factory... my husband decided to rent out our farmland. It was his decision alone - because I told him it had to be his decision and I'd support whatever he decided.

And it was hard... for both of us. The first couple of years when the renter pulled in to plant or harvest - we both got tears in our eyes.

BUT it turned out to be a wonderful thing!!!
Now in his upper 50's my husband has the time to just tinker and do projects for the fun of it. He is really enjoying the freedom to do more of the things he'd like to do. We linger longer over coffee on the weekends. Projects that he does take-on, don't have to be completed at a frenzied pace anymore. If we wish to go to an auction or a threshing show - we don't have to hurry home because he's got to go do some field work.

TWO:
I do have a health issue, that while not deadly at this point... it will get worse with age, and it does definitely slow me down now. Sometimes slows me down to a pace that is dang frustrating! But all I can do at those times is, well... slow it down. If I have to go sleep for an hour to get through the rest of the day, then that's just what I have to do. And I have to make a conscious effort to remember to be thankful about it all because it could be worse.

I hope all goes well for you, sir. I will keep you in my prayers regarding both your health issues and regarding your decisions about what direction to take your life from here.

Best wishes to your and your wife,
SweetFeet

Hang in there! It sounds like you are in much better financial shape than most people and your only only absolute necessity in life is to care for your wife and yourself. That gives you a lot more flexibility than most people. You don't have anyone pressing you for a solution today, this month or even this year, so you can (and should) relax. A solution will come to you. It's hard to accept that we are not 35 anymore, LOL.

FYI, ten years ago high grain prices force a lot of small dairy farmers to re-evaluate their situations. Many in Minnesota realized they would have more income from renting out their land at $250 plus per acre than they would make from farming it themselves. In effect continuing to farm would have paid them nothing for their labor input.

Health issues forced me into retirement about 14 years ago. That Dr telling me don't go to work, don't look for work, you are retired was like getting punched in the gut. I was 48. The first 6 months were horrible. I was bored to death. Then I picked up on things I've always wanted to do. Started messing with model trains. And doing grandpa's daycare. I do get to run tractors again. Picked up a couple of old tractors and a dozer. Then put in a few head of beef. That changed everything. Now I had to make hay and feed critters. Plus I got to do grandpa's daycare. When watching grandkids got in the way of putting up hay before expected rain it got me to thinking. What was I doing? I was being stupid! That was on a Thursday, Monday the cows were at the sale barn. For some of us retiring isn't easy. Can't just sit back and do nothing.

Wife will retire after the new year. We are buying a motor home. Nothing huge or fancy, don't plan on being gone more than a couple of weeks at a time. Going to take in some tractor shows I want to see. Few of the really big model train shows too. Wife wants to see the big hole in the ground.....I think they call it the Grand Canyon and Mt Rushmore. Thing is you have to make sure you find things to do.

As far as our legacy? We ain't famous. Unlike some politicians or war heroes no one is remembered for long. All famous actors in Hollywood? They ain't squat. Once they die only their fans will remember them. Once the fans are dead? Who will care? Same thing with us. Once our kids/grandkids/great grandkids are gone no one will remember us nor care.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Rick

Your comments brought his to mind. I am 59 and just went a round with cancer. That was fun. 20% chance it will return in two years. KMA. Retirement for me will be at age 60. I am not as well off as I would like to be, then again, I keep buying lottery tickets not for "financial gain" but rather for retirement purposes. Cleaning up my mess will take two years after I retire. Guess I better stick around for awhile. Kids are grown and gone, no grand kids on the horizon. Wife is 6 years older than me and she has her problems as well. I have a few things not done on my bucket list. Retire? Yes. Give up on life? Not yet. Will I live long enough to see grand kids?
Not holding my breath on that one.
As for the kids....Hee hee....Not going to fund their laziness. 1/2 will go to charity. The other 1/2 can be earned through a trust in which I will match their paychecks for a given year. The more you earn, the more you get. After it's gone, your done. At the end of 10 years, it all goes to charity. Case being your in jail.
Not paying for jail time. Going to school? Get a job. I am still matching that paycheck. Your motivation is at the end of school a higher income for a bigger piece of pie. Unless you desire to say "Fries up!" for the rest of your life. Am I a hard nosed sob? Well, At least I ain't named you "Sue" for life. Then again....


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Very well said, Sweetfeet! Ben

I would look at what you still enjoy and work from there. It sounds like your financially sound so you have choices. So start to weed out the things you do not enjoy anymore. Then look long and hard at the things you own. Try to be honest with yourself. So projects that you will never get to should be turned into cash so you can do the things you can/want to do. Maybe update some of the equipment you do use so it is easier getting things done. An example of this is I rarely use a non cab tractor anymore. Heat and AC just make life easier in hot or cold weather.

An example: I always wanted a JD 4320, wanted not needed. I started rounding up parts to build one 20 years ago. Complete running ones just where bring more money than I wanted to spend on a "want". Two years ago I sold all of the parts and pieces to a younger fellow. He has one done now out of the parts.

By the time I had the parts and money to build one I no longer had the drive to do it. I also am thinning out things that rarely get ran or used. Collecting is just getting like work to me. I have several project tractors that are more than likely going down the road before next spring.

Reading these posts I find I am the same age range, (60) as most here. I have learned so much over the past few years from the posts of all of you. I am just promoted to my final position in my career. I tinker with about 20 hd of cattle, and an old tractor and old crawler and enjoy working on them so much in my off time. I feel so blessed when I read what some of you are having to endure, but so impressed with the way you all handle the issues you have. God Bless all of you and I continue to learn from all of you.

You have it easier than most, in that you have options. Not more pleasant, but easier.

About the only reason to keep a "legacy" together is if the next generation wants it. Yours clearly doesn't, so if I were you, I'd cash rent the farms out, maybe keep 10 or 20 acres near the farmstead to play with hay and your equipment. But it sounds like "the thrill is gone", so you might just want to get out of farming completely.

I quit hay when I was in my late 50's, and realized that haying while holding down a full time job was kind of like banging your head against a wall- it feels so good when you stop! Oh, I liked the cutting, raking and baling, but with old equipment it seemed like something was always breaking at just the wrong time, and you're out there in 95? heat rolling around in the dirt trying to get it fixed. Remember to put your tools in the shade, or you'll burn your hand the next time you pick it up. Grrrr. . .

You have the luxury of taking some time this winter to think about what you'd like to be doing in your life, and then proceed accordingly.

"I keep buying lottery tickets not for "financial gain" but rather for retirement purposes."

There's your problem. You should have been spending that money on commemorative plates all these years. lol

hey Bruce? who wrote that poem?,. it seems a bit like the last of "Knights in White Satin " moody blues

thank you sweetfeet ,,. Do You Care to enlighten us about your Own health issues ?

I'm in different point in my life being that I am 36 but have found myself asking the same question. My best friend and farm in the side along with our full time careers.My two sons are 6 and 4 and like being around farming. They also have other interests. My wife has no interest in farming. Really almost a dislike for it...lol. With so much else happening in life, there is never enough time to do everything 100% like it should be done. I am fortunate that my farming bug can be filled by a farm that I have been helping at for the last 18 years. They have become family and even ask me my thoughts on things at this juncture. I could have endless hours there. At times it's a pride thing. This is what my dad did, and my grandpa did. My buddy and I are lucky in that every ounce of our farming hobby is paid for. Thanks for bringing this topic up. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Olgent, you need an interest that gives you something to look forward to the next day. I am 68 and I still work at a job that is challenging and interesting yet doesn't cut into my time to much. I still do a little hay, and have my tractors, and go to some tractor pulls. I also have an old car that I am putting a lot of time into, and in the winter I snowmobile with some odd the tractor pullers. I am also custodian of my church and that gives me a challenge now and then, and some of my best friends are now at church. When this scenario comes up in other places some advice that is frequently given is to look for some volunteer work where your skills can be valuable. Along with the rest of the things that I have going on I just rejoined the fire department as a driver operator. I bet that there are a lot of places nearby that could use some one who can fix things.

Dylan Thomas

We don't all get to keep our bearings greased for a smooth trip thru life. I have Neuropathy in all four limbs, both feet numb and tingly, same with left hand. I work a few hours five days a week in the factory on a stool or in a wheelchair. I have 17 miniature horses here at home that I take care of myself. Dixie has COPD and has only been out to the horses twice this year with a walker. When I fell off a ladder in January some of my Grand kids did chores for a few days. I am building another shelter for the horses even though it is a normal day and a half job I am on my second week because of the short time I can work at it until I am to weak to stand. I have an electric wheelchair here at home that works well out in the yard. I baled 170 some bales of hay a month ago. My Grandson came and picked them up.

I am 79 and I REFUSE to give up or let any of it to get me down. I love work and have always loved work. I don't worry about what family members think or say. When they say negative things about slowing down I just smile. Then I never think about what they said. I still plan on doing the same when I am old. My Mom will soon be 101 and lives alone and takes care of her own affairs. I hope to do the same.

Stick around and stop worrying. Time takes care of things one way or the other regardless of our worry.

Maybe you should rent most of the ground, and just keep a few acres around the home. You are like my Dad, he just worked all his life. Work was his hobby I guess. You are still young enough to do some traveling. Buy a motorhome, and see the country. I wish I had done that sooner my self. I got my motorhome when I was around 69. I am 75 now, and get out a few times a year. I am still able to have my mowing business, which is about 4-5 months a year. And I tell you am starting to lose interest in it. I do it because I still can, and it gives me a chance to keep busy, for a few months. If you can get a old beat up tractor and get it in good shape again, this may turn into a good hobby. Stan

I'm like many of you, will be age 62 in October and thinking more seriously of retiring from a company I've been with for 37 yrs. While in the same department almost all that time, the work has varied over the years to keep me interested.

But now the younger management crowd is changing what we do and how we do it to the point I just am rapidly losing that interest. As many people in management do, they don't want to listen to my suggestions based on having gone through all the same things they are dealing with in years past. The fact that there is no hope of any promotion and raises have been stingy is making me think long and hard of leaving in the next year or so. My wife works in a similar line of work but now in a different department and we work on projects together on occasion. She is pretty well fed up with a new boss, will be 62 next year and wants to retire next year. She has 43 yrs. with the company. The company has a retirement plan, we both put money in a 401k and have an outside annuity we can draw on in a few years. Of course there is Social Security, but not sure when to start that. The company also subsidizes some of our health insurance in retirement but that isn't offered to the newer employees now, one perk of being an old timer there. So I think we will be OK financially, not well off but OK. I'm thinking I might try to find something part time too but my feet and ankles are giving out to the point I can't do something that takes walking or standing for long. Definitely not in the same line of business however, unless it's an offer I can't refuse.

At home we have our llamas we raise and show, she likes dealing with the fiber part of it but is also a workhorse in cleaning the barn, feeding, grooming and showing. I have a couple of old Ford Ns I play with and like working on old garden tractors, mostly so I have something to mow with. I've been doing all the auto and truck maintenance and repair now too and mostly enjoy that. I've told people that I have so many projects around the farm that I could stay busy in retirement until I can't move anymore. I often get discouraged however by all the things that need to be done. We bought this old farm about 15 yrs. ago and the buildings are deteriorating and we haven't had the time or money to work on them properly, just patching them together for now.

Lots of decisions to make and some of them can't be undone once made, so that is stressful. Good luck to all!

Hit the link. Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. It is an option that I have chosen not to exercise.
Untitled URL Link

I am 83, I get up at 6:00 am. I keep at least 3 projects going at all times. Pouring concrete, welding, yard work, gardening. My objective is to die with my boots on. I expect, if I quit, I die.