Lughnasa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waning Green Corn Moon<\/p>\n
Kate turns 65.\u00a0 Once in our culture this birthday was as important as 21.\u00a0 It meant the date when retirement began for most workers.\u00a0 Now it is another birthday since the retirement date has been sliding gradually forward as one of the “fixes” for social security.\u00a0 Kate and I both have a social security retirement date of 66.\u00a0 Those born after 1960 have a retirement date of 67.\u00a0 The consensus of things I’ve read suggest that age will have to get pushed to 70 in any new fix.<\/p>\n
It still seems like a milestone of sorts, halfway between 60 and the three score and ten of a good life in the Jewish tradition.\u00a0 Wonder if they’ve upped the age, maybe to three score and fifteen?\u00a0 I read a great sermon on aging by a rabbi.\u00a0 He is 92 or so.\u00a0 When asked how he felt about having lived so long, he said, “Surprised.”<\/p>\n
It will be good when Kate comes home for good.\u00a0 Her back needs the rest and her heart can use the freedom.\u00a0 We have a life here that is full and complete, one that needs the both of us with our increasing gardens alongside our creative and volunteer work.\u00a0 She’s worked hard all her life and earned good money, so our retirement will be fine from a financial perspective.<\/p>\n
Early on when she told me how money she made, my mouth dropped open.\u00a0 It didn’t occur to me that people I knew might make that much.\u00a0 Now I know she’s on the low end for docs, but it’s still a lot, plenty.\u00a0\u00a0 I said then and believe now that taking care of children is a morally unambiguous way to earn a living, one of the few I know.\u00a0 So there are no regrets with her level of income for either of us.<\/p>\n
Her gifts are much larger than that however.\u00a0 She’s kind, generous, imaginative and patient.\u00a0 She’s a great cook, a highly skilled seamstress and quilter and has a green thumb.\u00a0 I’m lucky to have found her in this big world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lughnasa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waning Green Corn Moon Kate turns 65.\u00a0 Once in our culture this birthday was as important as 21.\u00a0 It meant the date when retirement began for most workers.\u00a0 Now it is another birthday since the retirement date has been sliding gradually forward as one of the “fixes” for social security.\u00a0 Kate and I both … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Kate<\/span>