Wednesday, January 13, 2010

New On the Retirement Life Matters Website

New On the Retirement Life Matters Website
As someone who is moving, as well as has an aging parent surrounded with too much, Vickie Dellaquillas’ book
Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash is a treasure trove of information about how to get started, move through the daunting process to downsizing and moving.


Who doesn’t want to be healthy? Jim Donovan thinks we should take responsibility for our health. Read how he builds his own
health team.

As the New Year begins, many look for a place to volunteer or donate money. Read how researchers have documented that
Heifer International is changing the face of hunger in the world.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Create A Great Retirement Teleseries Begins

The Internet is an amazing place, especially in retirement life. There is a wealth of information to access. Sometimes we need more.
You Are Invited to the...

"The Myths and Realities of Retirement"

with Cathy Severson
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

One Man's Trash is JUST Trash


As I mentioned before, I hate sending stuff to the dump unless I absolutely have to. Case in point. We have an old sofa we'd like to get rid of. There's a guy in our neighborhood that drives by on trash day going through looking for the good junk to take. We put the sofa out for him and he didn't want it. So, I decided to give it to the local transitional housing nonprofit. I've been calling different numbers for over a week, leaving my phone number, but no one returned my call. I was going to be in the area yesterday, so I drove by specifically to see if they can use it. Yes, they can. But, she wouldn’t give me a number to call. They have to call me. A man phoned, said he was coming today to get the sofa and then called to say he’d come get it tomorrow. I hope he comes to get it. I spend a lot of time to get rid of this couch. I don’t want to put in the dump, but I don’t have the time to research and work this hard to get rid of the things I don’t want.

Now, I’m faced with a new challenge. My father had the complete set of Horizon Magazines, a wonderfully bound set that dealt with culture, history, arts, etc. I’d love to give them to the local jail or school, but I have no idea who to contact. I called a local used bookstore to see if they wanted them. He said there wasn’t a market for them. Are there schools that could use them? Maybe. The problem is I once again don’t have the time to find a new home for them.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Clearing Clutter

It had been my intention to update this blog with daily tips of preparing a home to sell and the process involved in moving as a part of retirement life. Unfortunately, it seemed like I had a choice to either write about packing or actually pack.

Having watched my eighty-three year old mother struggle with downsizing and observing neighbors who have lived in their homes in excess of thirty years, it occurred to me that people should go through this purging process whether they plan on moving or not. One week plus into this endeavor, I’ve concluded no one with half a brain would subject themselves to this unless they absolutely have to. Every room is in disarray as we sort, discard (toss or put aside to give away or sell) and pack. I've received great suggestions from Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash, by Vicky Dellaquila. The purging feels good, but we’re currently in that place where it doesn’t feel like we’ll ever be done.

Here’s my suggestion on day nine of a major move. If you’re not moving, but want to free yourself from some of your possessions, start with one thing.

I hate throwing anything in the trash, so yesterday I gathered all the old pairs of glasses and put them in an envelop to:

Lions Club International
Attention: Receiving Dept
300 W. 22nd St.
Oak Brook, IL 60523

Put all you photos in one location. Even if you don’t put them in albums, having them all together will feel great.

Give something you cherish away. This is tough. I have wonderful antique furniture pieces that we can’t take with us. My husband made a solid roll top desk that is too big to fit in our new home. The thought of giving these items away that have been a part of my life seemed impossible. Once we did a floor plan of the new house and we realized we couldn’t take them with us, I took photos and thought about what they have meant to me. Somehow, it all came into perspective. It’s just stuff. It’s stuff that I’ve loved and has been an important part of my life, but it’s still just stuff.

I’d love to hear about your move or declutter projects.