Well this has been an exciting week!  Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays, my daughter booked one of those jewelry parties to help her friend get more jewelry for free.  Although my daughter’s home parties - whether for Tupperware, Thirty-One, or makeup – are always very well-attended by her many friends, she still always invites me and I always enjoy going.  She is an excellent hostess, so one of the things I really enjoy about going to her parties is the refreshments!  This time the treats included yummy meatballs in the crock pot, a variety of little sandwiches, crackers and cheese, pumpkin roll, cupcakes, cookies, fruit, etc., etc. 

At these parties, there is always the offer that you could become a consultant yourself and make some extra money, but this was never something I was interested in.  Between work and family, my schedule has always been pretty full with just the normal routine and I could not even think of adding becoming a consultant!  But … things are different now!  When I first retired, Hubby and I were not too sure how we would navigate this new schedule.  We have had a great time doing a little traveling, spending more quality time together and even starting our exercise program.  But Hubby has settled into his own routine, I am not as sensitive as I was about his suggestions on how to do things around the house, and he has even got the garage looking so great I came home the other day and thought perhaps I had pulled into a neighbor’s driveway instead of ours!  (…Not that I have ever done anything like that before!)  But now I find that on some days, I am actually missing having someplace to go and the interaction with my former coworkers.  So the opportunity to become a jewelry consultant sounded rather interesting.  As I investigated a little further, I convinced myself that I could do this!  First of all, I do love jewelry, and secondly, I have been blessed with the gift of gab so talking about the jewelry should not be a problem.  The jewelry is much easier to cart to and from parties than Tupperware or Thirty-One bags, and becoming a consultant will provide me the opportunity to interact with others while making a little mad money at the same time.  A “WIN-WIN” situation if there ever was one! 

I had originally thought I might do some consulting in the field I worked in before retirement, but as a jewelry consultant, I will be able to schedule parties around my plans, and a couple of the younger consultants have assured me that if I have a party booked at a time Hubby has his heart set on going someplace they will be happy to cover for me since they would like the extra income.  The other great part I am really looking forward to is getting to purchase jewelry for myself!  I can see me spending all of the money I make on getting more jewelry, but since our financial advisors at Afena have been so helpful over the years, I can do that.  It is really nice to be deciding I would like to have a job again rather than needing to have a job again!  We are so thankful the staff at Afena were always there for us, through good times and bad, helping us to improve our financial life.

Marci has already volunteered to host my first party!  Marci (AKA Suzie Homemaker) is always ready to entertain.  Her house is always perfect and she will take the party opportunity to show off her talent in cooking with several really special treats.  Best of all, I will get to have a couple of hours to interact with someone other than my husband.  I love him dearly and I do treasure our time together, but there is nothing like a little time with “the girls”.  Hubby has very little interest in talking about jewelry, clothes or hairstyles, although he does partake in a little “gossip” now and then!

Although I am very excited about this new venture, I will miss writing my “Retiring Tina” blog.  It has been really fun to share this time in our lives with you.  Since this is my last blog, may I share a few of my favorite blog quotes? 

• I am surprised at how quickly I’ve grown accustomed to having my days free. I suspect that part of it might wear off as these first few weeks turn into months, but for right now, I’m happily retired.
• After working and saving and planning for years, this doesn’t just feel like a great adventure, or a never ending vacation, although there’s a piece of that in there. It feels like a job well done, a goal accomplished, and a milestone worth celebrating. I plan to celebrate for a long time.
• “No problem”, I told my daughter, while “Grandparents to the rescue!” rang in my head!

• (I may tend to perhaps overrate my importance a bit sometimes…)
  • I must admit I have gotten quite a chuckle out of some of the DVD’s I have seen.  One titled “BIG Booty Butt Workout” promises to show you how to build a big, round booty … which I have already done without even trying!
  • As we hear the sound of the bells ringing, each of the little ones will get a few coins to drop in the kettle.  Our joy will be in not only helping to teach them about giving, but also to see the twinkle in their eyes and the little smiles on their faces.
  • Family … One of the sweetest treasures of this life.

Well, wish me well in my new endeavor and if you get an invitation to a party, by all means, be sure to go!  There just may be a new adventure awaiting you!