Retire In Style Blog Too

Happy Halloween. In the spirit of modern day culture I think that since it is Halloween we can begin talking more about Christmas. Witchy says,  TEE HEE HEE! Cackle! I found a new attachment for our iPhone camera yesterday on ApartmentTherapy.com! They are little lenses let you take all those fun pictures you could not capture on your iPhone/smartphone before! And yes they work on you iPhone 5. The set of three little lenses let you take macro, fisheye and telephoto shots. This is a very good price on amazon.  I paid a lot more than this when I bought a set! Buy the Photojojo Phone Lens Series at the Photojojo Store! In fact if you look at the  Photojojo page  on Amazon you will be amazed at all of the cool stuff there is for your smart phone camera.  The quality is already on your cell phone camera.  All you need is some neat attachments to make it perfect! Photojojo has some things I could not find anywhere else. For example, if you invest in the lenses ...

English: A roll of silver, Scotch brand duct tape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) We are all watching the news from the East Coast. Devastation to property, loss of income, death and the national financial consequences for this storm may bring many their knees. However, some good might come of this event...maybe we will see if we can work together. I remember commenting on a blog recently about the hatred in our political rhetoric. My thoughts were that the hatred would only lessen in the face of a disaster. It seems we are at our best when we need to pull together toward a common goal. Hopefully no candidate will try to make political hay out of this. We will see. I didn't think that the talk after Libya was our finest hour. That brings me to the duct tape . You know what duct tape is don't you? It is a tape that is so sticky and tough that it can kill warts. At one time it only come in silver but it may be available in other colors now. Most importantly it has many many uses. In...

Where is the road sign for Frugal? Oh my gosh, retirement can be hard if we don't handle our finances in a responsible manner.  I talk about retirement finances a lot even though I am not an expert. It is always on my mind.  However, I rely on the experts when it comes to anything specific. However, when I am asked to write about "frugal" I can do that. I think I am the expert on that subject. Late last week I wrote a blog on brainstorming about possible things we might do to make retirement possible. I talked about ideas that I thought might work for you if you could just be creative. However, in the end I said that you cannot retire by using coupons and that you much always spend less than you spend. Frugality is not about coupons; it is about lifestyle. There are some specific things that experts have said on this blog.  This what we should all do to make sure we are on the right track: Not everything should be about "frugal". Be sure you have the right insur...

I don't how you could find a more beautiful place.  Even in the Fall rain, Washington Co. in the Willamette Valley of Oregon sparkles.  These images were taken at Garden Vineyard this afternoon. We had a wine tasting outside as the rain pelted down on the awnings and heater warmed the autumn air.  My life is so good! Garden Vineyards open on weekends or by appointment. Be sure to check their schedule of events. This is a family friendly place and perfect for the photographer.  Wine club members get their tastings free. b To arrive at the Vineyard House & Gardens follow these simple directions.  Don’t stop until the very end of Dick Rd. Address – 12960 NW Dick Rd. Hillsboro, OR 97124 1. Head northwest on US-26 W to Exit 61 2. Take Exit 61 for Helvetia Rd 3. Turn right at NW Helvetia Rd (follow signs for Helvetia Rd) 4. Turn right at NW Phillips Rd 5. Turn left at NW Dick Rd 6. Follow NW Dick Rd as it winds uphill to the Vineyard House & Garden

In a fireplace hopefully! The stove was on fire...really on fire. I was drying a grill pan and turned my back. It might have been me that spilled something. But I am not taking the blame! I don't think it is important. All I know is the tray underneath the burner was full of flammable liquid and it caught on fire. The fire alarm did not go off. I'm a little worried about that. You never really know how alert you are until the accident happens...right? My husband huffed and puffed on the flames. I got the box of soda and put it out. I know how to put out a fire...I've had some experience. The question was, how am I going to handle this blame stuff? I said in my most casual voice,   Well the house needed airing out anyway! Which goes to show you...it is not how big any fire is or who started it. It is how much soda you can throw on the blames! Be well. b

Do you remember your first Christmas with your new baby all those years ago? I do. I was very young and it was important to me that we spend that Christmas with my parents. I was not thinking of my child at that time or even how much my parents loved being with us to watch their grandchildren. I did not know how important it was to them. But now...now I am on the other end of the grandparenting. In fact I have been a grandmother for 20 years now. I have no idea if my husband and I are good in this role but we certainly have a lot of experience.  I thought I would share some lessons reflecting what we have learned and maybe you can find something that will help you. Tradition is very important. My husband always teased his grandchildren with the "piece of coal" in their stockings story. Then we taught them that even a rock can be a treasured gift. When I vist them in their home, I find the rocks somewhere in their room or toys. I don't know why but them love them. Everyone...

Santa and his pipe! Look how happy he is. There is a nasty rumor going around.  I don't know if it is true but if it is, it does not bode well for any of us at Christmas this year! See, I think they took Santa's pipe away from him...I am not sure who " they " are but I they might have done it. I am the last person in the world to promote tobacco smoking. I do not smoke and never have. But I know people that have smoked and quit. They got grumpy and twitchy. In fact, I found myself avoiding them during the first few weeks of their new life style. Quitting tobacco is very hard. Who in their right mind would take Santa's pipe away from him just before Christmas? The Jolly Old Fellow really needs to be in a good mood. And what about The Night Before Christmas? Do you think they will need to change the poem too?  This has me worried.              Count down to Christmas 2012                     ...

We have public information spots on TV about gambling here in Oregon. People get carried away, get in debt and do crazy things.  I think shopping is a lot like a game of chance. That is why I am giving you 10 rules for shopping to keep costs down. I do these things: Go to the bank and get the cash for what you can afford to spend. Limit the number of stores you will visit...make a list. Limit the amount of time you will spend in each store. Don't go shopping unless you have a specific need. Shopping when you are frugal cannot be your entertainment. Make a list of the items you need. Pre-shop for those big items online so you can make sure you are getting a good price at the store. Take shipping into account when you jot the price down on your list. Look for coupons online and in the paper. Always take into account the distance you will have to drive for a good deal. Gas is expensive. If you love something but it costs too much, wait for a while and shop outlet stores. Marshalls, Ho...

Note : I love it when I find a project or movie that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. The idea that we find a way to survive and grow at any age has a lot of appeal for me.  I think that is why I have become a follower of a movie project called  The Red Suitcase . The movie is written in the genre of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  Both are about aging in a state of crisis. This movie has not been released yet and is in fact not finished filming. But you get an inside look now. Connections Henrik Ibsen wrote timeless raw material that shocked his readers in the middle 19th century.  I remember reading what I think were his words in a literature class in college in the early 1960s.  Even at the age of 19 I recognized the truth in his words. I will paraphrase the story for you: Ibsen told about taking the old people to the poor house to live out their days. The family was busy, the old people were very hard to care for and they did not have any wealt...

I never am quite as interested in a YouTube performance than when I am watching a TED video. Here is the one I received today called Science is for everyone, kids included! Quote: "If you aren't sure what you see is a predator, it is too late" Read the published outcome at Biology Letters Blackhawton Bees Enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend. b

This post if for those of you that wonder what it would be like to live in less than 400 square feet. The very smallest of homes can be found in RV resorts across the country. People either come to visit in the winter or live in the tiny doll houses year around. The latter group does this mostly out of necessity but in some cases they have found ways to live beautifully as well as frugally in that small space. There are two couples that live year around on my street.  They have beautiful park models and everything they could want even though their space is very small.  The amenities in the park allow people to use their homes for all those personal things and the community space for activities that require spreading out. In many ways it is like a Cohousing arrangement.  A sewing room holds very large tables so those that love to quilt can have the room they need.  Sewing machines line one wall so they can be used by residents.  A shop has all kinds of tools for...

What can be new under the sun...have we talked about money and retirement so much we have worn the subject out? Well the answer is a resounding NO. It turns out that the technology sector is very creative when it comes to saving us money. The nerds are working for us again. You all know you need to be to sure to   check your bank account regularly . That is a given. But you need to check your smart phone too. S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your income is getting to be easier and easier thanks to those little devices and the people that write applications for them. Here are 5 downloads you can use on your smart phone to save you money and time: QR Code for my blog! scan it and see what it says! QR Readers:   Shopping can be very tricky these days. The better armed you are, the better you are at finding what you need and at the right price. That is where the QR Code works for you. QR stands for Quick Response. The little square actually contain a world of information.  You can fin...

We redecorated a room in our house and turned it into a dining room.  It is at the front of the house and has lots of light.  We had been using it as a TV room but it was not a comfortable room or attractive for that purpose. Before After We have painted, put down a cork floor, replaced the molding and moved the furniture in. My grandsons think watching Grandpa working is better than a TV show. My husband was in the room replacing the baseboard last Friday and the boys were here for a visit. They came running out to get me...." Grandma, grandpa is putting nails in the wall.  Wanna come watch with us?"  Well, of course I did.  I think Grandpa working is better than a TV show too. Have a wonderful day! b Notes: Paint - Sherwin Williams "Bagel" Sconces - Lowes Gavanized Zinc Exterior Lamps Floors - Cork Lamp Shade - Lowes Barrel Shade

Have you ever arrived from a dream in the morning thinking about where you would love to retire? If you have, I can almost guarantee you have let your mind wander to a foreign country. What would it be like to live in an ancient city or on a sunny shore? Could you actually do that? Well the answer is a definite resounding yes...yes you can. People from around the world move to foreign shores to become expats in their retirement...a lot of people. In my dreams this morning I thought about Panama or Spain. Then my mind wandered to the wonderful Kohs in Thailand. Island living can be the best for some people. I have always thought that Bulgaria would be interesting and I love the idea of living in a place like the Bahamas. However, dreaming is one thing and actually making that dream come true is another. Before you even begin, you need to think how you  will manage your financial affairs if you live overseas.  You need to remember that   having an international bank a...

Sapa Vietnam(Photo credit: Always at Home ) Travel is a passion and I love to talk about it, write about it and listen or read or watch movies about it. I once wrote in a journal about the need to travel.  It was in 2004. (I was 62...which proves it is never to late or early to be a beginner.) I said: If I were not traveling I think I would die from itching feet. My feet may bleed from the coarse sand and ill fitting shoes but at least they do not itch and I do not die.  I grow callouses that make me strong and even taller.  I seem to become smarter from the bottom up. This entry was written while my husband and I were traveling in Thailand with our son, his wife and our 16 month old granddaughter. The granddaughter is 9 now and we have been to the far east several times since that time. But the memories from our first trip are still alive. What I remember more than anything else was the feeling of being a beginning traveler. The first time in the Orient was wonderful an...