Even though I am entering into my 4th year of retirement I am still trying to find my way through this next chapter of life. I have to say I do enjoy every part of it. Even though I loved teaching, and I do mean the teaching part and the kids, and not so much the administrative and reporting part, I have come to realize that part of my life truly has ended. I have tried substituting, but my heart is not in it and it is not the same as having your own classroom and bonding with your students.

I love waking up each morning and deciding what I should do each day, or maybe not do. Now I know for some who love structure, this would probably drive them crazy, but I enjoy letting each day unfold as it may.

I love my gardening that takes up a large part of my Spring, Summer and Fall. And intertwined with that are my classes at my local gym. All of this along with my blogging, book club and dining out with friends, has filled my days pretty much.

But the fun part of retirement is the never ending choices I have in trying new things along with the routine. One of those new parts of my life has been in joining the Red Hat Society. Yes, I am now one of those 50+ (and in my case, many pluses) year old women who meet socially to enjoy life, kick up our heels and celebrate living. We are proud to identify ourselves with our red hats and purple outfits.

Even though I have recently joined and have attended only 2 meetings, I am looking forward to many more fun times to come. We had a potluck and planning meeting during this last meeting and here are some of the things we are considering:

• Wine tasting Event
• Dinner cruise on Lake Michigan
• Book Club
• Attending theater event in Chicago
• Christmas Holiday Brunch
• Mystery Dinner theater
• A trip to the local Art Museum
• Caribbean Cruise
• Art/Painting Party and more….

Right now we are in the planning stage, but moving forward to set dates and get details soon. Along with these future activities, I have met some wonderful new ladies who I am getting to know and am enjoying socializing with.

I do believe this is a good fit and I encourage any lady out there who is retired and trying to figure out what to do for fun, to contact the National Red Hat Society and they will give you a list of local groups you can join.