It is time to retire? Ask yourself these questions if you’re trying to decide. I’ve been sharing my retirement story online for several years now. However, I’ve never shared the list of questions that I asked myself as I was considering early retirement. It’s been five years since I formally announced my intent to retire […]
A Beautiful Summer Tour of Longwood Gardens
Come along for a beautiful summer tour of Longwood Gardens with Bill and me. Longwood Gardens is a public garden in Pennsylvania located in Kennett Square about an hour outside of Philadelphia. We had the joy of spending a day at the gardens in June 2025 and the tour lived up to our bucket list-worthy […]
Country Home Magazine: From Avid Reader to Cover Girl
Country Home Magazine: Today I’m sharing how I went from avid reader to cover girl. Since appearing on the summer 2025 cover of Country Home magazine, I have received not only lots of heartfelt congratulations, but also lots of questions about the process that led to appearing in the magazine. The three most often asked […]
Celebrating a New Year: Zinnias, Tomatoes and Happy Retirement
I’m celebrating a new year with the return of Zinnias, Tomatoes and Happy Retirement. Last year, I started a weekly edition of Zinnias, Tomatoes and Monday Musings…but I quickly realized that a weekly edition was a bit too much for someone (me) embracing a soft life. Read more here: So, after taking a long break […]
Why I Love Early Retirement
Today I’m sharing why I love early retirement and would make the same retirement decision if I had it to do all over again. In January 2021, on my 55th birthday, I submitted my letter of resignation. I was a Professor at Oklahoma State University and to my colleagues’ surprise had decided to take early […]
8 Reasons I Love Day Trips as a Retiree
Today I’m sharing 8 reasons I love day trips as a retiree. Since retiring, Bill and I have embraced day trips. We plan one about every other week and we always have the best time. For us, day trips have become part of our retirement routine and a perfect way to celebrate retired life. In […]