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- 🌞 Reinventing Retirement
🌞 Reinventing Retirement
Daily Upsider - Sunday, September 22nd, 2024
Sunday, September 22nd, 2024
Good Morning! 🌞
Today is Hobbit day! September 22nd is Bilbo and Frodo Baggins’ birthday. Today is a great day to do some hobbit themed activity.
You could plop down and read some of the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Maybe you want to watch one of the excellent movie adaptations. Or, if you like baking, try making some seed cake or seed muffins.
With that, I will leave you with this excellent scene from said birthday:
Today’s Upside
Culture
How Americans are Reinventing Retirement
A recent survey of 2,000 American retirees or those planning to retire before 2029 reveals that many are living lives their younger selves would envy. The concept of "retirement reinvention" is popular, with 60% of respondents either planning or already embracing a new, vibrant version of themselves. Over 25% believe their younger selves would "love" their current life.
Retirees are rediscovering old hobbies, learning new skills, and exploring activities like sports, writing, or learning a new language. Travel plays a significant role in this reinvention, with four in ten retirees taking or planning a "trip of a lifetime," and 59% intending to travel more in retirement than they did during their working years. Financial constraints during their careers, such as budget limit and lack of job flexibility , have motivated many to prioritize travel now, with half cutting back in other budget areas to fund these adventures.
The survey highlighted top retirement travel destinations, with 59% favoring U.S. locations, 31% choosing Europe, and some even eyeing Antarctica. Along with travel, 78% of retirees are considering starting a side gig for extra income and to keep boredom at bay. Socially, 15% are seeking love in retirement, while 16% are planning solo adventures.
Connor Smith, a vice president at IHG Hotels & Resorts, notes that retirement is becoming a time for adventure, reinvention, and living life to the fullest, countering the fear of boredom that often accompanies the transition.
Culture
Choctaw Nation Unveils Sculpture for the Irish
In Oklahoma's Choctaw Nation, a powerful new sculpture, “Eternal Heart,” has been unveiled to celebrate a remarkable bond that has endured for over 170 years. The sculpture, a heart intertwined with a Celtic trinity, symbolizes the enduring friendship between the Choctaw Nation and the Irish people.
The story begins in 1847, during Ireland’s devastating Great Famine. Despite having endured their own hardships, including the forced relocation from their ancestral lands, the Choctaw people raised $170 (equivalent to about $5,000 today) to help those suffering in Ireland. Their selfless donation was sent to Midleton, County Cork, a gesture of compassion across oceans and cultural divides.
Nine years ago, a silver monument in Cork was dedicated to commemorate the Choctaws' generosity, with tribal leaders invited to attend. Choctaw Chief Gary Batton reflected on this unique connection, noting, “The bond between our nations has strengthened over the years,”
This bond was rekindled in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Navajo and Hopi nations faced severe struggles, the Irish people responded by raising $2.7 million through GoFundMe, with many contributors leaving heartfelt messages of gratitude, remembering the Choctaws' generosity.
One remarkable aspect of this story is that the recipients of the Choctaw donation in 19th-century Ireland were unaware of its source until many years after the famine had ended. To their amazement, the aid came not from their fellow Catholics or countrymen but from the Native American Choctaw Nation—people they knew only from colonial writings and popularized depictions.
In 1995, Irish President Mary Robinson visited the Choctaw Nation to express formal thanks and was even made an honorary Choctaw chief. This visit marked a renewed commitment to this friendship, one that is now immortalized in the “Eternal Heart” sculpture. As sculptor Samuel Stitt said, “The Choctaw culture of giving and caring for others is passed down to each generation. The ‘Eternal Heart’ is an artistic interpretation of how the Irish people and Choctaw Nation will forever be connected by that human characteristic of compassion—one people for another.”
Culture
You Have Never Seen Characters Like This Before
YouTube - Jazza
Both the Lord of the Rings books and their movie adaptations are undoubtedly cultural events of enormous proportions. The effect has spawned countless pieces of art, literature, and cultural references that still capture people today.
With that, I would like to share two things today. The first is a video of an artist drawing some of the characters you know and love… but based only on the books. I find this type of art to be very fun because while the movies did a fantastic job bringing the world of Tolkien to life, some of the descriptions in the books could look very different depending on how you interpret it.
The second story is about Katherine, who built her very own hobbit home in Dordogne, France that she now lives in.
Katherine’s hobbit-inspired home, emerged from the remnants of an old stone wall, once hidden beneath overgrowth in a French forest. The house, adorned with an Art Nouveau theme, features Celtic beasts etched onto the cob walls, while a living earthen roof and a large green front door complete the enchanting look.
Katherine Wyvern
The story of this “Shire home” began in 2014 when the couple purchased a few acres in the Dordogne region. Scattered with old, walled ruins from when the land served as a vineyard before World War II, they began clearing away debris and overgrowth in 2016. By 2017 and 2018, they completed two small outbuildings. Inspired by their progress, Katherine decided, "That is where I will live," and thus began the construction of their hobbit home.
The couple intentionally built the house without heavy machinery. They created a living, reciprocal roof in 2017 and 2018, designed to avoid the need for a central beam, too heavy to install by hand. The roof was made with a waterproof membrane and straw insulation, then covered with topsoil planted with sun-loving vegetation, blending the structure into its woodland setting.
Katherine Wyvern
In 2019, they sculpted the cob walls—a mixture of clay, sand, and straw—on a stone foundation, making the structure resemble a piece of art. Wooden planks sourced from a sawmill became ceilings, shelves, and window frames, while the plastering and flooring, completed in 2020, made the home livable.
Katherine Wyvern
In 2021 and 2022, they added a shaded porch with sculpted tree pillars, finishing the exterior. Inside the cozy, 13-by-13-foot home is a kitchen, a work table in a bay window, and a sleeping loft accessible by ladder. The décor, a blend of vintage and handmade pieces, complements the natural setting, evoking “the imaginary landscape of the Shire.”
Katherine Wyvern
Despite its fairytale aesthetic, the home is practical too. Cob walls provide excellent sound insulation and keep the house cool during hot summers, while minimal heating is needed in the winter. It’s here, in the whimsical surroundings of this hobbit home, that Katherine creates her artwork, a craft she has pursued full-time since 2008.
Katherine Wyvern
Katherine’s unique home leaves a lasting impression on guests, many of whom are captivated by its fairytale charm. Some, she notes, can hardly believe it’s real.
Katherine Wyvern
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Digital Detox
In today’s hyper-connected world, we spend much of our time glued to screens—whether it’s for work, social media, or entertainment. While technology offers convenience, it can also drain our mental and emotional energy. A digital detox, especially on Sundays, can help reset our minds and create space for mindfulness and relaxation.
Benefits of a Digital Detox
Reduced Stress: Constant notifications and information overload can heighten stress levels. Taking time off gives your mind a break, helping you feel calmer and more in control.
Improved Focus: Disconnecting from screens allows you to engage fully with your surroundings and be present in the moment, whether you’re spending time with loved ones or enjoying a solo activity.
Better Sleep: Less screen time, particularly before bed, improves sleep quality, making you feel more refreshed and energized for the week ahead.
How to Implement a Sunday Digital Detox
Set Boundaries: Choose a specific time, like the morning or afternoon, to switch off your devices.
Plan Alternative Activities: Use this time for reading, journaling, cooking, or spending time outdoors.
Gradual Detox: If a full day seems too much, start with a few hours and slowly build up as you get comfortable with the idea.
A digital detox on Sundays can offer the mental space you need to recharge and enter the new week feeling grounded and refreshed.
Mind Stretchers
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Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
Big fish in a pond!
Gerry Moore got the correct answer first!
The first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.
From the Community
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