Well it's now a done deal. I'm officially retired.
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
Midland, Michigan
December 30, 2023 9:47am CST
I'm retired only from my cashiering job. I'll still be washing windows and designing my books.
I started a retirement diary in my phone so I can keep track of the days and also to be able to look back and see what I'm accomplishing and what still needs to be done.
We finally got all the updates for my husband's book on kdp. I'm hoping it does well enough that it gets picked up by another publisher that will do the formatting etc.
I'm trying to get some projects worked on every day at least during the winter months while I have more time.
A bit ago I went through five small boxes and did some filing and throwing things away. I still have five boxes to go through but those will probably take longer as there are papers I'll need to look at individually.
I'm hoping to also begin going through drawers and giving away what's not been written in a long time. After that it'll be our closets.
I'm taking a break from organizing, so I thought I'd stop by and catch up a little bit.
Pic coming shortly
15 people like this
16 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
Thank you, Valerie. I'm hoping to utilize my time wisely this winter to work on projects waiting for my attention for several years.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec
@just4him I was pretty busy when I was working too. But I was so busy that I didn't have time to keep up around the house and I'm hoping to be better prepared now for anyone to drop in on a whim.
I do look forward to taking breaks when I want and seeing my grandkids more often.
1 person likes this
@just4him (306853)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 Dec
@MarshaMusselman You're welcome. One thing I found about retirement is that you're busier than you were when you were working. But your time is your own.
Have fun with the projects.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48521)
• Canada
30 Dec
Congratulations on your retirement.
It is a big change, and you are so very wise to journal it.
My hubby retired earlier this year, time flies by so quickly, that the first few days, weeks and even months melt away quickly and we lose track of what those days looked like.
I am striving to work until the end of the calendar year of 2028, and I am journaling the final years of my working career.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
Good for you to begin journaling now.
Have a happy new year, Julia, and your husband too.
Are you working full time?
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (48521)
• Canada
30 Dec
@MarshaMusselman Thank you. I wish you and your hubby a happy and healthy new year also.
I do work full time. I enjoy what I do, although it can be stressful at times, and yes, it is full time.
Working full time provides for the health benefits that we require. After I retire we will purchase them ourselves, but for the next few years, my employer pays for them.
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@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec
@Juliaacv my new insurance begins on Monday. My INS through work was a little cheaper than what I'll be paying now for permits but the overall cost might be less. The deductible will be much lower at least.
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@snowy22315 (170352)
• United States
30 Dec
A new phase of life. I hope it is one that is enjoyable for you.
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@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
That particular job was getting to be too much for my body among other things.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec
I'm sure I will. Right now, though, I'm hoping to get some projects done before I get older. I do hope to visit with friends and family more as I've not been able to do that a lot in recent years.
@LadyDuck (458890)
• Switzerland
30 Dec
@MarshaMusselman This is true, it was worth waiting to retire.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
I'm excited. It'll be a big cut in pay but at least I'll get a better pension that I expected some years back.
2 people like this
@2ndchances24 (4993)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
30 Dec
Congrats on your retirement hope you enjoy
everything you have going on & get where
you want to be in life & make wonderful
memories for the loved 1's.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
I hope I don't waste too much of my time.
I'm about ready for a short nap although I've learned to set an alarm so I don't sleep too long.
2 people like this
@2ndchances24 (4993)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
30 Dec
@MarshaMusselman I have a auto alarm that
wakes me up in about 4 hrs that's top for me.
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (35389)
• United States
30 Dec
Beautiful cake. Congrats on retirement.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
Thanks. My income will be less until my books begin selling more, but if we can do better on our spending we should be fine.
1 person likes this
. You earned it . . . enjoy!!!
!@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
31 Dec
I will enjoy, I'm sure of that. Once I have things more in order maybe there'll be other things I can dig into also.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79936)
• United States
12 Jan
Congratulations on your retirement from your cashiering job. It must be nice having some extra time now to do other things.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
15 Jan
I will still be working but more in the warmer months. This way I won't have to go from one job to the other which will be nice.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (79936)
• United States
15 Jan
@MarshaMusselman I'm happy for you and no more two jobs.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jan
@Marilynda1225 well... That's not entirely true. But I will no longer have to rush from one to the other. The ones I'm doing now are when I want to do them.
And I should get to my computer and do one right now. With Valentine's Day around the corner I should be working on some Valentine's journals.
@AliCanary (3045)
•
31 Dec
Enjoy your retirement! Sometimes you can just do nothing all day, and that's okay, too :)
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Jan
I've done a little of that but I don't like too because I'm afraid, a little, that it'll cause me to procrastinate and not get back at my various projects.
Today I spent a lot of time playing games on my phone until finally I made myself get up to get something done. I began going through file folders and was able to put a lot of what was filled into the shed bag. Matt of what's in my file cabinet is over ten years old.
Once I get a good portion done I hope to do better organizing my papers near my computer and get them into those files.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
7 Jan
@AliCanary I'm not getting much done this week but I took in what I thought was going to be a simple cleaning job. The wife wanted more done than the husband initially told me.
Since retiring I've been getting less than 3k steps per day and today I got over 8k. If it was just walking it would have been fine but I began in the finished basement.
What I have left should be a lot easier, I hope.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3045)
•
6 Jan
@MarshaMusselman it's good to keep yourself motivated! Sometimes when I have a few days off, I get excited thinking about all the things I'm going to get done, but then a lot of times I'll start strong and then end up playing games or watching tv. Relaxing, but not very productive!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
30 Dec
And it was huge too. No one wanted to have any until I got some first, but I was hoping to leave it alone. I also got balloons and a small mum.
I did bring home two pieces of the cake for hubby which I realized later was a good idea since it's his birthday today. He can have it later.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Jan
Hopefully it'll continue to be a blessing to not be working as much.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Jan
@porwest I can't say that we were able to plan that well financially, but I'm hoping my journals and related books do well as time passes.
I also have stories I wrote in the past I can work on and publish but first I have to find those.
Right now I'm trying to get my personal space more organized.
Whether we can ever do any traveling remains to be seen.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78759)
• United States
4 Jan
@MarshaMusselman So long as one has hobbies and things they like to do and planned well financially to be able to do those things...it will be.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28919)
•
5 Jan
Congratulations on your retirement! I hope you get to enjoy plenty of rest and fun. 
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
7 Jan
I'll be resting from that job but I'm hoping I'll accomplish the things that have been in hold for many years.
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@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
9 Jan
@MarieCoyle if I wait to long I might not be in good shape to do some of them. I'd rather work on them while I'm able. Don't worry, I'm taking plenty of time for myself too. There are games I play on my phone and when the weather gets nicer I hope to visit with those I've not hung out with for a very long time.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (28919)
•
7 Jan
@MarshaMusselman
I understand, but hey...give yourself some time to just be yourself and enjoy your retirement!
1 person likes this
@zhangxueying (2945)
• China
31 Dec
I'm glad you're retired now. You've lived a life that I envy
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Jan
What do you envy about my job? Or should I say about my life?
@MarshaMusselman (38663)
• Midland, Michigan
4 Jan
@zhangxueying yes, but I was in the workforce for seventy years before that was possible. Now I have a lot of catching up to do around the house.
@zhangxueying (2945)
• China
4 Jan
@MarshaMusselman Envy your retirement life, you can do what you like.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (86833)
• United States
31 Dec
Congratulations..Happy New Year too.
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