Retirement Clothing

I used to think when I retired that I would wear only clothing from Coldwater Creek while I filled my days supporting the arts, or lunching with the ladies.  Of course the reality is far different.  Mostly, its been Land's End.

I was discussing the concept of retirement wear with my sister and we thought a good retirement item would be some sort of vest or smock.   A funky garment that would have lots of big pockets to hold all the stuff you could possibly need.  I decided I would try to construct this garment.  A "utility" vest of sorts.  My first attempt was a disaster.  Ugly beyond comprehension and only good for the joke factor.  I will have to reconstruct it into a shopping bag or something.

I'm looking forward to casual wear.  A couple of weeks ago, I had to venture downtown in a business suit and it was 33 degrees.  I'm not going to miss that.  

I'm not going to be hanging out in stretchy pants the rest of my days, I'll stay presentable.  A happy medium between Coldwater Creek and Land's End with a the Utility Vest to pull it all together.  

Hobbies and Second Careers

I'm  a crafter.  I almost always have some sort of project on the go.  Lately, I've been making dolls and have sold one.  A custom doll.  I've decided the pressure was too great for any more custom dolls as it took me three attempts to get the doll just right.  Paying myself minimum wage, this doll was worth $500.00 but needless to say, I didn't get anywhere near that.

Crafting is a thankless task.  I've gone to church sales and seen beautiful hand-knit socks for $10 a pair.  That's robbery.  I have participated in Craft shows and sales and had people come up to my work (in this case intricate scarves) and scoff at a $30 price tag, which barely paid for the yarn.  They would walk away and say, "I could get my grandmother to make it for free!"  I'd like to know where these generous grannies with nothing but time to make items for demanding grandchildren are hiding.  I know mine would have said, "Make it yourself."

I'm thinking that although most of my items are made at a loss, if I pay myself minimum wage, I can still sell these dolls.  I enjoy making them and if I can recoup my costs while I'm keeping myself creative and occupied, why not?  Once I have enough dolls completed and clothed, I'll probably post them for sale on Etsy.

One of my good friends who is retired from a commercial and fine art career, has recently posted his photography which is stunning.  http://www.redbubble.com/people/bgbcreative/portfolio

Retired

Retired.  There I said it.  I’m retired.  This is a life-phase that I had not expected for about 5 or 6 more years.  After a long and well-respected career in capital market regulation, I was downsized in a re-organization.  Downsized and devastated.  Over the next year, I found that I was too old (55!) and expensive to be hired in my chosen field.  Depression ensued. Despite encouragement from my family and good chums (who are retired) that this was a rare opportunity, I felt like I had somehow failed.  Financially it is viable for me to be retired, but it took a long time for me to accept it.

Which brings me to my closet.  My closet was stuffed with the 46 pairs of shoes, previously mentioned, and lots of business wear.  So stuffed that I could not fit in anything else.  So everything that I wear with regularity was on the floor, dresser, and the strewn over the 4 boxes of office stuff that was also in there.  And as almost everything that I wear is black, it made hunting for specific clothing very frustrating.  The state of my closet suggested I was either optimistic at the prospect of finding a new job or I was depressed and unable to clear the stuff out.  I think it was a combination of both.  

I cleaned out the closet.  I kept two suits and a few things that I thought I might wear again and dispersed the rest hither and yon.  I can now see the back wall of the closet and clothes are hung up instead of on the floor. Yay.

So...I’m sorta kinda ready to accept that I am retired.  At least for now.  I won’t rule out another corporate opportunity if it comes along - although the thought of going downtown daily on the subway again gives me the shivers.  Instead, I’ll concentrate on this next phase of my journey.  I will try to write, make dolls and other crafty things and see how that goes.  It is good that I have this opportunity while I’m still relatively young enough to enjoy it.  I haven’t yet thrown my arms out and embraced it.  But I will, eventually.

Shoes

I've been slowly but surely tidying up our small bedroom.  For the past few years it has been my crap receptacle but for the past 18 months it has been in an unacceptable state.  Not a room I wanted to go in but as it contains my clothes and my escape bed, I couldn't always avoid it.  I'm at the closet cleaning stage as it occurred to me the clothes in the closet were not the clothes being worn (I'll address the reason why in another post).  I was taking out my shoes and it started to get funny then it got ridiculous.  There are 46 pairs in the picture and that is just what was in that closet.  It doesn't include the ones I'm wearing, my wedding shoes, a pair of Mickey Mouse sneakers, some killer green suede pumps and all my winter wear.  The total of my footwear is probably around 57 pairs.   Of these shoes, I could probably immediately cull out only about 5 pairs.  I need to be ruthless and ask myself: how often I wear them;  are they comfortable; are they out of style; do they still fit me; and, do I need them?  It's a challenge.  

I want to get this room in better order so that it is welcoming to me as I'd like to put a writing surface in there.  I'm typing this on a TV table in the living room, not the most comfortable or quiet spot.  

We're Having A Heat Wave...

I hate the heat.  I really do.  That is one of the reasons we chose Newfoundland as a travel destination. I used to go to Alberta in the summer where it was also cool in the mountains or near Edmonton.  I should start doing that again.

With the humidity, it is supposed to feel like 45C today.  That is like 120F.  No thanks.  It's cooler in California!  I have suggested to my Dad that he stay inside but who knows.  I was outside briefly yesterday at 5:00 a.m. for a dash to the 24 hour store for milk and contact lens solution for my spouse, (I swear he waits until there is nothing but vapour inside the bottle before getting refills.) and that was unpleasant.  I haven't been outside today and don't plan on it unless there is an emergency.  We are down to meagre rations so I will have to head out for supplies tomorrow but it will be the 24 hour store and before the sun is up!   We should be get relief by the weekend but I think the weather people are incapable of an accurate forecast.  Enough whining...

I'm keeping busy with doll-making.  I tried to make one that looks like a baby but the legs look too froggy.  I would take it apart as the head is rather nice, but after I make them, they become little personalities to me and I can't do it.  Here he is...no hair yet..or clothes.  

Iceberg!

Here is an iceberg that floated into a little bay in St. Anthony, Newfoundland.  A short walk from our B & B.  My husband & I just returned from a holiday there.  It's lovely.  Wild and desolate in places.  Pretty and quaint in others.   It was also nice and cool which I love.

The vacation was difficult to enjoy though because, like the iceberg which only shows about a 1/3 above water, my Dad kept his health from me and my siblings, until my plane had departed as he didn't want to "spoil my trip."  He had pneumonia and then partial kidney failure from being dehydrated and had to be hospitalised for almost a week!  All so I could have a vacation.  Very selfless of him but I would always choose a live father over any vacation.  Geeze.  He has been told this in no uncertain terms.  I am now staying with him for a week or two until he is back to his independent self.  Geeze again!

Dolls and Nostalgia

I've been keeping busy with more Waldorf-type dolls.  I have now made four and I think maybe one of them (red-headed girl below) is crafted well enough for full price.  It's definitely a learning process.  I just have to construct clothing and little shoes and I'll try them out on Etsy.

Taking a page from my friend Shelley, I have been clearing out some stuff.  Yesterday I filled 5 green garbage bags with clothes for Goodwill and I still haven't touched my main closet.  There are shoes to be donated that I haven't seen or worn in years.   I think I still have my Grade 8 graduation dress somewhere...

I get attached to clothes and not just mine.  I have lots of my Mum's that I don't wear but are so imbued with her that I can't part with them.  I put my hand in her pockets and come out with a safety pin or a wadded tissue, I smell her scarves for a hint of Covergirl foundation and it takes me to her.   

I often re-purpose fabric and clothing.  I was doing it long before there were whole magazines and websites devoted to it.  I like to incorporate bits of favourites in family gifts.  If I turn up that grad dress in my clearing frenzy, I'm going to cut the skirt off (it was a peasant dress circa 1970) and make it into a handbag!