Friday Five - Pad Thai Anyone?
1. I made Pad Thai at home for the first time, and it was delicious! I thought it looked fun when I first spotted the recipe in the cookbook below, but when it came time to actually make it, I was a bit nervous. Nervous because it was a new-to-me cuisine, and I didn't know if the recipe would actually evoke the taste of the Pad Thai that I've enjoyed in restaurants over the years, including in the country of Thailand itself.
Plot spoiler: It did! And it turned out that it was quite easy to make. Sourcing the ingredients, on the other hand, primarily the rice noodles and the bamboo shoots, necessitated a trip to a specialty market, which then involved some hunting around. However, I now know where to find both items, so the next time I make it should be a snap.
We enjoyed it warm from the pan the first night, topped with fresh bamboo shoots, cilantro, fresh lime, and peanuts, and cold from the fridge the second night, topped with same. Both ways were delicious, and I'm not actually sure which I prefer!
2. We are helping my sister-in-law (SIL) re-settle into my mother's 55+ community, and it has been a process. My SIL doesn't drive, nor use a smart phone, so we've had to sort of train her to get to the places she'll need, which has involved a lot of sitting in our car and watching this week to make sure all goes well on her walking routes. She did have a few missed turns in the beginning, but she now seems to have her routes down, and this should be the last weekend we'll need to stick to her so closely. We know she is doing the 100% absolute best she can, and this transition has been a tremendous one for her, but my spouse and I do miss our daily walks together (generally we've been taking turns), and will be happy to get back to them.
3. Senior Centers are worth their weight in gold. My SIL now attends the senior center near her new home each day, Monday thru Friday, and it has made me realize the value these centers provide. She not only has lunch there, but also attends a variety of classes ranging from exercise to art to bingo to singing and dancing, and she is socializing and making new friends daily. It is providing the daily structure in her life, and she is increasingly excited each day to get there and visit with her steadily increasing group of friends.
4. I am thankful we were able to retire so young, and have 15 completely self-centered years. It's been a big change having both my mother and my husband's sister now so reliant on our help and guidance. I am deeply moved that we are able to do so at this phase of life, and that they are now both so close by, however I am also thankful that we had 15 years of Go-Go-Go when nobody needed us, not children nor parents, and we could live and be as hedonistic as we desired. We will absolutely continue to travel - we still have five upcoming trips just this year - but we'll no longer go away for months at a time. We'll contain our trips to 30 days or less, generally two or so weeks depending, and likely even shorter as time goes on and my mother and SIL continue thru the aging process.
5. Summer energy is building here for sure! Our walks at the beach and at the harbor are increasingly filled with buzz - kids, families, parents, couples - and it makes me both happy and appreciative to live somewhere people make big efforts to come visit. Yesterday at the harbor, I laughed watching one of our Coast Guard boats shoot water at a group of excited children playing in the water. The positive energy that one action created was wonderful, and stayed with me throughout my walk.
I lived the sandwich generation when my kids were young, especially the youngest, with aging parents. You truly had a gift of time as I was frequently exhausted those years. Both your mother and SIL are fortunate to have your help. The I ad Thai recipe looks fresher and tasty.
ReplyDeleteBecause we had so many to-ourselves years, I am able to extend much grace to my mother and SIL in this period of their lives. Would I be as patient had I not had those 15 years? I suspect that, no, I would not have quite the same level of patience.
DeleteTwo phrases I heard and read back when we first retired, that resonated now more than ever - "If not now, when?' and 'Postpone nothing.'
I know you have a great passion for travel, Sam, it comes thru in each post you write about your trips, both those you've done and those still to come. I hope you continue to Go-Go for many years to come, even as I know that doing so as a Single was not in your retirement plans.
How fortunate indeed that you were able to retire so young! I love reading about your adventures. Your SIL is lucky to have you to lean on. Family is so important and often times people, especially the elderly, are left to fend for themselves. Living in upstate NY (an hour north of NYC) I am not near enough to the beach as I would like. We (hubs and I) often go to Cape Cod or Martha's Vineyard though. There are many lakes and rivers where we live, so we enjoy kayaking or canoeing this time of year. We are planning a couple of trips this year. Iceland and Ireland in the Fall and the Redwood Forest in late summer. We've been to Ireland numerous times, however Iceland and CA will be a first. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteMaura
When I read through some of the earlier posts here, particularly those from my/our early retirement years of 2011 - 2014, I almost don't even know who that person is - she had SO MUCH ENERGY compared to who she is today.😒
DeleteI love that you are able to kayak and canoe as you desire. Being on any body of water, be it ocean, lake, or stream, is such a wonderful thing. I find myself mentally cleansed, always, afterward.
And I love the list of your upcoming travels! We will likewise be returning to Ireland this fall, with N. Ireland and Scotland on the same trip being new-to-us countries. And we'll be visiting Iceland next year!
You will, I hope, love the Redwood coastal region of our state. Just keep in mind that any trail, no matter how crowded, will thin considerably if you are willing to hike out even a mile. And Crescent City is a terrific day trip - there is a fabulous light house that can only be visited during low tide, which is wonderful fun.
Tamara, thanks for the tip on Crescent City!
DeleteMaura
I'm so happy for you that you had those go go years as well. What a gift to yourself. And, now you have the flexibility & time to support your mom & SIL. My mom has been in a caregiver role for the last almost 20 years, and it's been so hard on her. My mom's mom had dementia, which was terrible. Shortly after she passed, my mom's stepfather then required a significant amount of help & had no other family members. And then for inexplicable reasons, my mom's niece from California dropped her mom (my mom's sister) off at a nursing home in Washington where my parents live. Aunt has terrible dementia & after 2 years is hovering at the edge. In addition, my mom has a special needs sister that she has been primary for since my grandmother was unable to. Several years ago, my sister & I picked up as much of that work as we could. But, neither of us are local, so some of that still falls to my parents. Anyway, it's so difficult & hard on people.
ReplyDeleteDH & I are planning lots of fun trips, because you just never know. We have a few weekend trips, but also Zion/Las Vegas, and are in the works for planning potentially Sedona/Tucson & Iceland. We are trying our best to make the most of this time as well. - Hawaii Planner
Oh my, what a considerable load and array of responsibilities your mother had, and for so many years. From what I've gleaned about her over the years via your blog, she appears to be a wonderful and amazing human!
DeleteI of course do not know your specific financial situation, but I would still encourage you and M to "Go' as soon as you are able with regard to retirement. As I have detailed here multiple times over the years, we spent very little in our early retirement years, because we had so much energy to do physical events and pursuits to fill our lives, none of which were terribly expensive. Looking back, I have absolutely zero regrets. And because our withdrawal pull in the early years was so modest (just about 2%), our portfolio continued to grow robustely.
And your upcoming trips sound absolutely great!
You were super lucky to have had many years when no one needed help. We were in the sandwich generation in a big way, and then after three of our four parents had died, our son-in-law was diagnosed with a devastating terminal illness. Since his diagnosis and subsequent death our daughter and granddaughters have been more dependent on us than they would otherwise have been. Nonetheless, we are managing a good amount of travel and are fortunate that we are well enough and have the resources to be of help when it is needed. We never do know what will come to us in life. Good luck with your current responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteYes, we were very fortunate to have such a long run of years. My mother was quite young when she had me, which is one reason - she was only in her 60's when we first retired.
DeleteI am so terribly, terribly sorry to hear about the premature death of your son-in-law. And we would have done as you are doing should something similar occur in our family - we would absolutely change up our lives as need be.
You are so very correct when you state that we never know what will come to us next in life. Another reason to live as big as we can for as long as we can. It could all change tomorrow.
All the very best to you and your family, Maggie.
Helped take care of my uncle and of course my mom, who had Alzheimers. Virtual hugs as you navigate your new path. Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to complain about, really. Both are doing well and can navigate their respective days. Both needed assistance in adapting to their new community, but now that we are close to completing this for my husband's SIL, we should be able to resume our normal lives as we continue to keep on eye out for any deviations or people looking to take advantage. It's the sad reality that aging makes us increasingly vulnerable.
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