At the crack of dawn, my sister had a call to say that the mountain was closed because of high winds, so she and I zapped down the mountain to investigate the sales. 75% off is a good sale. A REAL sale. We had fun. We went really early because the storm was due to arrive around lunch time. Well, it sort of arrived a couple of hours ago and the snow is still falling. Apparetly Andermatt has had a metre and a half of snow today so far. I do hope Helen is not buried!
When we got back up the mountain, Marge's school friend was here - she is visiting her son in Zurich from SA and popped in to catch up with us all. That was wonderful - she is a delight.
You know, we were appalled to hear that she (she is 55) was thinking of putting her name down for an old age home for when she is 65. WHAT??? And that other friends of ours had already done so. The same age. The problem is that when your work provides board and lodging, you have nowhere to go when retirement looms.
The thought of considering old age homes, or senior citizens' abodes horrifies me. We are too young! And if we get into the mindset that there are no other alternatives, there will BE no other alternatives.
In my mind, I am still young. I want adventures, new experiences. Life. I am not that sure that adventures and old age homes can be used in the same sentence. I may be way off base. But still......
Dire. Just dire.
I need to win the lotto and buy a lovely big old home and all my friends can come and live there and we will have a commune. Hahahahahaha. Baby boomers to the end. We could all combine resources, actually, and have a place where we can grow old, supporting each other with combined skills and hobbies, and talents.
Hmmm.
The more I think about it, the more I like it. No-one wants to be a burden for the kids. We could look after each other. Gardening. Cooking. Crafting. Sewing. Woodwork. Among my friends we could muster a doctor, teachers, psychologists, banks, business gurus, DIY experts.......
Excellent idea. And the crew include superb chefs and gardeners and decorators.
We are all set.
I wonder why, getting back to reality, the SA contingent have not considered something like this. In actual fact, my local frineds have discussed this often. Combining resources to be able to afford heating and keeping costs down. A pipe dream maybe, but, if the only option was to go into an old age home, believe me, I would do everything possible to avoid that. I may consider it when I am in my 90s. That would be because I am also positive I will never get there. To the 90s.
Of couse, if Nostradamus was right, all the above is irrelevant.
I am off to investigate the depth of the snow. From the window.
It does give one pause, does it not? One must really decide early on what retirement will look like: where one wishes to be, how well that home will work for elderly folks (my home doesn't work so great). If independence is to be maintained, then retirement communities are sometimes great alternatives. That's why the waiting list is so long and why people sign up early so that when it's needed, their name comes up. I know so many older folks in their 70s and 80s who can not maintain, yet there's no room. Sad.
ReplyDeleteNow I like your idea a lot. May I put my name on the list? I can't cook; I clean a little; I chatter on incessantly; and I'm, in general, only a minor nuisance.
I really like your idea of a communal living arrangement. Count me in.
ReplyDeleteGreat. I can't think of better companions! You girls are in.(And your beloveds too, of course.) There will be music!!!!! Chatter is vital.
ReplyDeleteI would love to put my name down too!
ReplyDeleteI'll help with the garden, I can teach excercise and we MUST have dancing too!
And a trampoline!
What a great idea! Wick and I started thinking about retirement ten years ago, when we bought this property on the lake. We purposely built a small cabin, easy to take care of,with three-foot doors to accomodate a wheelchair if needed. We feel that we can live here until one or other of us needs round-the-clock nursing care. Your idea of a big old house with room for lots of friends sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWe could be on to something here, girls......
ReplyDeleteNot sure I want snow at present, sitting in the sun at the caravan on our summer hols, such fun :)
ReplyDeleteLove your idea...especially if there's vitality, laughter and "life". So hard to see those in homes.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing idea
ReplyDeleteAlthough, the nursing center my mother is in is pretty liberal about the activities their residents have and vacations they take. Of course, most of the residents need around the clock medical care, so it is a little different.
Maybe you should get the idea patented and sell franchises, that way you could help fund your Friends Home?!
As you asked...yes we are totally buried here in Andermatt - we're cut off from the outside world and who knows when or if we'll ever get down the mountain again!! But road and rail links are closed because of the danger of avalanches - and it's STILL snowing...We have 5 teenagers here with us and you can imagine that they are all praying hard that they will still be stuck here on Monday!!!
ReplyDeleteCount me in too, I think you're on to an excellent idea! hehe I find nursing homes depressing and just the thought of having to stay in one puts me in a panic. Seniors around here who do want to stay in one must put their names down as soon as they can because there's a waiting list of up to 5 years to get in one!! My mom is 80 and thank goodness she can still take care of herself and her apt. She really doesn't want to go into a nursing home but she also won't come live with me. She took care of her mom for 10 years and has always said she would never do that to her kids because it was much too hard.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at my mother in law's funeral a few years back, I met her half sister Mary, who was 94 at the time and still lived in her own home. I asked her what she did to keep so healthy and she said...I walk two miles every day to the Senior Citizen Home and help take care of the old folks!!" lol Absolutely priceless:-) xoxo
Old people's home at 65? Good grief! It amuses us that Michael will qualify for local "retirement" housing in March (minimum age 55), but somehow I don't think they would accept our 5 year old. I like the sound of the commune. I can provide music and can cook - though my muffins have been known to stick to the pan too. Could also knit endless amounts of woolly items for everyone. Sorry, gardening is a bust and cleaning not my strong point.
ReplyDelete