Posts Tagged ‘Simplify’
Tip #160: Consider Partial Retirement
That’s right, Retirement Yenta is not yet ready to retire. She’s been “trying it on” for a while now…a week or two here and there. What your dear Yenta has noticed is that she enjoys having projects and work to do. By the end of a second week of “practice retirement,” this little Yenta is chomping at the bit to get back to work. Retirement Yenta has a friend who says “idle hands are the devil’s playground”–and she knows how easy it is to get bored and stir up some trouble. SO, dear Readers, with this in mind, Retirement Yenta urges you to consider stepping into the Retirement Pool slowly–one toe at a time. Consider backing off your hours at your job and starting to find your way around life with free time…this way it won’t come as a shock to your system when you go “full time retiree status.”
Tip #159: Get Fit
Tip #151: Look Up and Let Go!
Retirement Yenta’s little boychik (son) is taking a trip to Israel and is heading out tomorrow. Her sweet tokhter (daughter) is off at summer camp. Seeing her kinderlekh (children) growing up gives this little Yenta some anxiety. Oy Veh! What’s a Yenta to do? Well, dear Readers, Retirment Yenta has the solution: Look Up and Let Go! Your dear Yenta knows that anxiety is a self-defeating attitude and is now thinking about the good time her kids are going to have! This alleviates her fears. Plus, she knows that if all else fails, don’t worry, she’ll have a cocktail and just let everything go in one ear and out her liver.
Tip #148: Don’t Disconnect
Retirement Yenta occasionally misplaces her things. That happens when you are as busy as a beaver giving advice and preparing for your impending retirement. Once, your dear Yenta searched for hours and hours for her readers, only to find them atop her own head. The one thing this little Yenta cannot go without is her phone–AND, it is one of the easiest things for her to misplace. With this in mind, your dear Yenta suggests you keep a landline or another cell close by for those times when you lose your cell phone. Retirement Yenta says: Keep your land line wired for the times when you are tired and can’t find your phone. You can call yourself–like ET: Phone Home.
Tip #144: Become a Conversation Partner
Retirement Yenta is trying her best to learn Spanish. Oy veh! (¡Veh de Oy!) It’s hard to learn a language later in life! With this in mind, your dear Yenta was going to recommend you hire a conversation partner to practice speaking Spanish with. But, then she remembered how much she likes to save a buck, and she had a GREAT idea. Retirement Yenta recommends you become a conversation partner! You can trade conversation partnering with a Spanish speaking person who is learning English. This a great service to provide to someone learning your mother tongue, and you will get something out of it too. Now, keep in mind, dear Readers, you will need to choose someone who speaks the language you are trying to learn! Spanish speakers will not make good conversation partners if you are trying to learn Mandarin Chinese (unless they actually speak Mandarin)!
Tip #141: Thread Up Your Clothing
As you may well know, dear Readers, Retirement Yenta loves to save a buck. She recently returned from the tailor, where she picked up a newly mended sweater. This was one of her favorite cashmere cardigans, black with tan leather shoulder patches. When holes appeared in the elbows, your dear Yenta could not imagine parting ways with this dear cashmere. At first, she started kvetching then she remembered the tailor. Now, her dear cashmere has elbows a-patched with tan leather. This little patch job made the sweater go from gross to good-n-stylish, practically overnight. Retirement Yenta says: “If your clothing is dear, keep your tailor near, that way, you have nothing to fear!”
Tip #138: Don’t Forget the Ice Cream Cone!
As you may well know, Retirement Yenta is a size queen–to her bigger IS better (See Tips #79 & 96), BUT there is one thing that your dear Yenta thinks should remain small and taut. She’s talking about her cheeks. Yep, both sets–the ones on her face, and the ones on which she sits. Now, this is not to say that this little Yenta starves herself, or works out obsessively, but she does try to keep herself in shape. Still, your dear Yenta knows that one should allow oneself treats. With this in mind, Retirement Yenta suggests eating ice cream. She even suggests that if you like the added crunch of a cone, that you go ahead and have a cake cone–they are ONLY 20 extra calories. Be careful of the other cones! Sugar cones add 50 calories, waffle cones add 125, and chocolate dipped waffle cones add 220 calories <shriek>! And that’s not to mention that with each cone upgrade comes a larger portion of ice cream! Retirement Yenta says: “Eat ice cream and add a cone, your dear Yenta doesn’t want you to be all skin and bone!”
