Name some things you appreciate MUCH more or notice now

**very_inky_fingers** · 06-23-2008, 03:55 PM

I love the quiet time and sitting on the deck with my hubby eating breakfast, drinking coffee and reading the papers.

**Russ** · 06-23-2008, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by jamie79

I appreciate the quiet more now.

Sums it up perfectly. We were babysitting a 3 y/o and a 1y/o for her niece. The minute they were picked up.... ahhhhhhhhhhh peace and quiet. We didn't even turn the TV on that night.

**MessyKat** · 06-23-2008, 04:55 PM

I'm not retired and I do not have children. I have had a couple of rough years losing both parents within 8 months of each other. I do notice things more now.

I like to watch the tv shows my Mother and I used to watch when I was taking care of her before she died. I can just hear some of the comments she would make.

I love digging through her old recipies and finding things in her handwriting. I'm making other members of my family scrapbooks for Christmas and I am including some of these things.

I love looking at my Dad's coffee cup collection and his hat collection. He had some really cool ones.

I love how I learned to treat everyone the same regardless of who they are from my Dad. I love how I learned to be a better woman who expects more from myself and my relationships from my Mom.

**Clutterbug Jen** · 06-23-2008, 05:06 PM

I appreciate the peace and quiet.

Actually I wish I could do it all again because now that I'm older, I am sure I'd be a much better mom than when I was young.

But ... other than that, what else do I appreciate? I appreciate that the remote is now mine ... all mine.

Love,

Jen

**vwalker99999** · 06-30-2008, 04:54 AM

Though I never had kids of my own, my friends call me "earthmama." I'm sure you know, or are, the type... always there to help. Now I'm helping MY mama. Trying to make her golden years as bright as a bunch of Van Gogh's sunflowers. The unexpected result is how much I'm getting out of it.

We spend our time together dealing with our day to day lives. We've gone to a largely raw diet. Lots of fresh organic fruits and veggies. I do the shopping and the ordering (we've got a great guy who delivers local grown organics to the door), she handles the prep, and then I deal with the compost. For those times we want something different, I make soups and chilis and stews and casseroles and pestos and she... makes cookies. A fair trade I think. She loads the dishwasher, I handle the laundry. It's a great system.

We're both home bodies, both night owls, both love BBC period pieces, both into various but different artistic endeavors. She tats, really tats... made a whole tablecloth once. Whereas I dabble. Tatting, Russian punch needle, lucet, kumihimo, toothbrush rug making, beading, temari, and an as of yet unrealized desire to make mosaics. And I write... mostly poetry at the moment. Friends come to call and we occasionally go to visit. We both love puzzles, murder mysteries, happy endings, kitties and time to ourselves. I call it extreme symbiosis.

It's all helped me to understand something that was always inside of me. I don't want a big, bold, bombastic life. I never had the desire to be famous, though I've been told that I had the personality for it often enough. That's just not for me. I want a small life. I want to putter. I want to make things. I want to spend time with those that I love. I want... what I've got.

Lucky me.

**Monner 1** · 06-30-2008, 11:32 AM

I have to say that since we are retired now that we enjoy the peace and quiet of the household and being able to talk without interruptions. I love seeing the grandchildren but I also love sending them home too. I love the sounds of nature and watching my birds at the birdfeeder in the evening. I also like to watch my husband working on something that he is really into it with thought. I also enjoy my veggie garden and all of the goodies that it produces. Retirement is great!

Monner

**katholc** · 06-30-2008, 04:18 PM

What I enjoy now is peace, quiet, not having kids running around screaming at the top of their lungs (not that I didn't enjoy it when they were little, I did, but now it just hurts my ears) being able to go when I want to and not having to take school schedules or kids schedules into account.

Being an empty nester totally ROCKS!!!

Kathye

**Russ** · 06-30-2008, 04:23 PM

hmmm Peace and quiet seems to be the common theme.

My wife was lamenting yesterday..."my grandmother was always saying "be quiet"". "Does this mean we're getting old?"

**chettasmom** · 07-01-2008, 02:59 AM

I get to take "rides" with DH on Sundays-and the only time we have to make potty stops are when his "elderly" bladder decides to kick in..at least I don't have to carry a diaper bag around anymore!

**Thrifty Mom** · 07-02-2008, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by dolphin

Although I like being able to read a book a day (yes, I do it, lol) and not have to worry about what else I should be doing, I miss all the child rearing years.

I absolutely loved all the noise and confusion and demands on me and if I could, I'd have 3 or 4 more children right now.

Mommyhood went by way to fast for me and I'd love to have it all back. I think mostly it's because I've not filled my life with other interests and I don't have any connections with children now. Not a grandma and neices and nephews are too far away.

Just my thoughts....

Maybe you could volunteer @ a school, they need helpers & people to read to the kids.

**wanderinggrandma** · 07-02-2008, 03:35 AM

I'm really surprised by what I don't miss and what has become important. I do not AT ALL miss sitting in the gym on hard bleachers watching volleyball, basketball, band programs and such. We spent many many hours doing this having 3 dd close together.

I love it when we all get together and visit, tell stories and just enjoy each others company.

We have taken up bike riding again and so have our favorite friends. We can find beauty everywhere, get some exercise and great visits with our friends.

On of my "surprises" that I'm still amazed at-- we've been blessed with our the beautiful granddaughters. Didn;t think we would ever have any and had adjusted my mindset to be ok with this. Then wowzer right out of the blue comes Miss Kaylee and 11 months later Miss Ashley and Miss Alexes. I've found a new well of love to lavish on these little treasures.

I love a calm orderly house and that is what I have now, lots of music, books, friends and family. This is a great stage of life and I'm really trying to savor the moments.

Good thread-reminded me how very blessed i have been.

**msgail1953** · 07-06-2008, 01:45 AM

The best part of growing older is that I've learned things are not really a big deal. I am now able to enjoy the good stuff and know that all the bad stuff will pass. I learned to appreciate all those horrible events I had to suffer. I am who I am because of them. I love spending time with myself. It's not lonely, it's peaceful.

**cab54** · 07-06-2008, 12:11 PM

wanderinggandma---I don't miss the seats and bleachers, either! How about hard old metal seats in a FREEZING cold ice rink? (hockey for 7 years with 2 boys). Oh, I couldn't wait to get home to my freshly baked bread in the timed breadmaker, and the hot meal in the crockpot, that I had put on at 4:30 am! And a hot bath! Brrrrrrr! Loved their sports and activities, but glad it's done.

msgail1953--Yes! I am so glad the horrible and hard things that make us strong are over (hopefully), but I am grateful that I went through them and proud to have come out whole on the other side.....now I know what's worth worrying about. And I adore being alone. LOVE when the family gets back together, (my sons live far away) but I am soaking up the silence. We always had the whole neighborhood in or in the yard when they were kids. I'm tired.....

**IamBlessed** · 07-11-2008, 01:16 PM

I appreciate my Mom more and understand a lot more about where she was coming from when we grew up. I appreciate my older sister more. I guess I appreciate family more, overall. The older you get, the more people you have to tell goodby and the busy-ness of life keeps you out of touch with all but those in your little day-to-day circle. I enjoy having everyone over to my house for dinner, especially if someone else cleans up!

I enjoy weekends with my dh just puttering around and doing what we like. We aren't retired yet, so this is when we can reconnect.

Shoot! I just appreciate everything more, I think. Younger folks don't realize how blessed they are!