A Retirement Blog by Caree Risover

  I had an unexpected visit to the dentist today. Unexpected on two scores: first, because I never thought it possible to ring at 3pm and get an appointment for 4.15 pm (courtesy of a last minute cancellation); second, because apart from check ups I have had no need for dental treatment for over 40 years. Unfortunately that changed when, chewing on a slice of toast (I swear it wasn't even crisp) a molar at the back of my mouth broke. I wasn't in any pain but knowing from the experiences of Mister E that these things, if left, tend to fester and cause problems when you least want them, decided to get it checked over as soon as possible. Now on my last foray for dental treatment, back in my twenties, I recall being absolutely petrified. It was for a filling and a decade had passed since the sadist who posed as my childhood dentist had wielded a drill in my direction and filled my back teeth; no anaesthetic, nothing but the drill constantly hitting a nerve and he insisting it woul...

Back in the early days of retirement I acquired a new car . I freely admitted on this blog that, of habit, I gave all my cars names and on that occasion, over 10 years ago now, the vehicle was named Miss Scarlet. Until the last 12 months we have had a happy relationship and I confess that I had never before hung onto a car so long. On reflection, however, my very first motor car (Sunshine Brum Brum - it was a rather bright and distinctive yellow) was elderly when I acquired it and probably outdid Miss Scarlet in vehicular years when, for reasons of reliability, we were obliged to part company. I have discovered in retirement that dependability is not quite as important as it was when the daily commute to work was a necessity. Cancelling or postponing leisure plans is no big deal and where I feel that I am obligated to commit, then cadging a lift from Mister E  has worked well too. Unfortunately there comes a time when, after a couple of big repairs, the fear of continuously haemorr...

We have just returned from one of our twice yearly stays in the Langdale Valley in the Lake District. It is not unusual for an August visit to be tinged with hints of autumn. This year, however, we were surprised to note that yellowing leaves and the first signs of autumnal colours are more noticeable at home in  North Yorkshire, attributable, I guess, to our summer of drought. The Lake District never seems to suffer from a shortage of rain, or at least not when we visit. This year was no exception and whilst the weather was warm, we certainly experienced some atrocious downpours.  We were delighted to be accompanied by all the family including, of course, Grandotty and Little Sister. The great benefit of grandchildren those ages (two and a half and  four months) is that neither is particularly suited for long and high fell walking. This means that Grandma had the perfect excuse, in addition to her dodgy knee, to opt out too and instead spent her days by the river, tracki...

  One of my pleasures in retirement has been my garden, particularly the  greenhouse and vegetable patch. Sadly, because of the excavation work that took place starting in the autumn of 2023 and followed in 2024 by our vacating the house, the whole garden has been very much neglected. I had to abandon any thought of planting this year when there were so many other chores to contend with inside the house, after we returned at the end of March.  In light of the persistent dry conditions and high temperatures, a fallow plot may well have been fortuitous and, with the hosepipe ban, has certainly saved me hours of carrying watering cans.  Nevertheless, a reduction in the temperature, cloud cover and some free afternoons over the past week have finally encouraged me to try to regain a semblance of order outside and, ever the organiser, to consider  a game plan for next year. That's not easy when in recent years we have never known whether the earth is going to drown o...

  The past couple of weeks have flown by. During it I have repeatedly felt like the filling between a slice of young and a slice of old, as I've dashed between the family's oldest and youngest generations. Grandotty had her first ever sleepover with us when her parents travelled north for a week, before they left with Little Sister  to attend and stay overnight at a wedding celebration. I'm glad to say the grandparents survived unscathed and Grandotty was an absolute delight. The only cloud on the horizon, apart from the post-babysitting fatigue,  was that due to a technical oversight on the part of her parents, we were provided with only 3 spare pairs of disposable training pants for the whole 24 hours that she was in our care. A little slow on the uptake, we didn't realise until after the nearest supermarket (8 miles away) had closed on late Sunday afternoon. Hats off to Grandotty, we didn't quite manage to complete a crash course in toilet training but she did as...

  An opportunity presented itself and Mister E and I took full advantage to escape for 16 nights. It started only a few days after a long weekend back in London with the grandchildren and ended with a repeat visit to them. In between, we made our way to Chester and onwards, staying on the Llyn Peninsula, at Portmeirion, the Ironbridge Gorge and the Cotswolds. There's actually something quite special about being able to holiday in the UK whilst basking in sunshine. All in all, not that dissimilar to travelling in foreign climes: we returned relaxed, suntanned and sporting insect bites!  There are periods in retirement where I can be very settled within the company of "my tribe" surrounded by familiar places and scenery. Travel always broadens horizons and in your own country can challenge previously held perceptions. Flora and fauna vary; people differ; roads and architecture are unfamiliar. The joy of conversing with strangers; exploring local history; admiring the views;...

  There’s a meme circulating on the internet at the moment to the effect that for the first time ever a British woman finally went out, leaving her cardigan at home. Today, amidst all this glorious sunshine and stifling heat, I did likewise! There are some things that never change though: I still had an umbrella in my bag! Image by  emmabeyjd  from  Pixabay