Christina, I thought I was the only one who remembered Cat Balou. It’s one of the movies I count on when I need a good chuckle. Lee Marvin was insanely brilliant!

Bella Mia, sorry to hear about your husband. Lyme is not fun - I hope he’s getting good treatment.

I’d love to live in the Harry Potter movies. I’m way too old to be a student, but I would love to be one of the teachers and hang out with Minerva and Albus - not sure about Severus. I could teach Magic Art Quilts. If I can’t live at Hogwarts, maybe The Milagro Beanfield War -I love all of the characters.

How lucky you all are that you still have a choice. I had to retire when I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease with Fibromyalgia. It took me a (long) while to adjust my self-identity, but now I can enjoy my retirement. I finally began to see retirement as a new challenge in my life - and I have always liked a good challenge.

“The Dialectic of Sex” by Shulamith Firestone changed my life. I knew I was a feminist before I read it, but after reading the book, I knew why. She is a genius. The other book that was pivotal in my life was Carl Jung’s “Memories, Dreams, Relfections”. Studying Jung’s theories about dreams changed my relationship with my own dreams. To this day, they remain an important tool for understanding how I fit in this world.

Thank you Debbie B. I thought I was the only one who liked balancing her checkbook because it feels good when it balances (and most of the time it does).

Most of the time I like being alone - almost too much. Once in a while I realize I haven’t spoken to another person for a few days and I’ll call a friend or just go hang out at the quilt shop. I think solitude is the biggest challenge for single retirees. I didn’t realize how much of my social interactions were work-based. Now that I”m retired I have to work harder to stay in contact with people, and the truth is I’m not very good at it. Lucky for me I have understanding friends.