Happy Retirement Uncle Jim!

[Jim]

No Claire definitely not putting the feet up. Have 32 acres of land to tend to, a fishing boat, and a large Victorian house, 8 bedrooms, which the wife and I are considering turning into a Bed & Breakfast. Firstly though needs work and updating, which I am delighted to do, love carpentry and electrical wiring and so forth. Also considering becoming foster parents once more. We fostered many youngsters over a span of 10 years. Most keep in touch and are doing splendidly well, those who aren't know where to find us if need be. Would love to help more. So many desperately need a decent home, and we have that, at least we like to think so.

Jim.

 

[Claire]

You are going to be busy. That all sounds excellent. You'll looking for another day job for a rest!:loopy:

 

[Jim]

That is the way I prefer it Claire. Idle hands are the devil's tools, as Chaucer says.

Jim.

 

[Portabella]

Uncle Jim, Congratulations first off.....Secondly, Thank you for your service to your country, very impressive indeed.

 

[hodge]

The B & B sounds like a great project, Jim. I'm thinking it might be cool to come up with my husband and stay sometime when it's done.

Also, I just wanted to say how much I respect you and Kathy for being foster parents. I've often thought about doing that myself sometime when I'm better.

 

[Jim]

You would be welcome at any time hodge, B&B completed or no. Kathy and I enjoy visitors immensely.

If you love young people as we do, you would enjoy foster parenting. Takes a tremendous amount of work and patience, but well worth the effort, for the satisfying results.

Jim.

 

[Lisa]

Wow, congratulations Jim... I think it's fantastic what you plan to do in your retirement, fostering, B&B... so you are not retiring for a quiet busy-free life specifically! But it sounds very fulfilling, very exciting, and very much rewarding. Your house also sounds beautiful. I imagine it to be.

Yes, congratulations... 40 years is a long, long time to serve the army... time you do the other things in life that you want to do now! Best of luck.

 

[hodge]

You would be welcome at any time hodge, B&B completed or no. Kathy and I enjoy visitors immensely.

Thank you, Jim! Don't know when I will be up for making such a long trip, but that's really nice to know. Evie's told me a bit about the area you live in, plus your farm, and it sounds like such a beautiful place. I'd really like to get out there sometime.

If you love young people as we do, you would enjoy foster parenting. Takes a tremendous amount of work and patience, but well worth the effort, for the satisfying results.

I've always loved kids and been told I'm good with them. I have more of a ways to go on my healing before I'd feel confident about doing it, though. Plus, I'd definitely want to take some parenting classes first, since I've never been one. But it's still in the back of my mind.

Darn, I don't know how to get the quotes to work correctly, sorry.

 

[Jim]

However difficult others say children are Hodge, and however much one thinks oneself prepared, once the little buggers arrive they are 100x more trouble than imagined. But precious, so precious, and well worth all the troubles in the world. The US Army used to have the slogan "It's the toughest job you'll ever love". Well. Parents should steal that slogan in my opinion. It's far more accurate.

Jim.

 

[hodge]

I think I see what you are saying, Jim. I've always felt that being a parent was the most challenging, intimidating thing one could do in this life. It's probably because I could see how much can go wrong--and how much damage can be done by a parent doing something wrong. Anyway, I hope someday I'll be up for doing that. Thanks.

 

[Kathy]

It's not only the damage you can do to them Hodge, it's what the little darlings can do to you as well! :tongue: In fact children and teens are quite resilient and as long as you are not abusive of course, any mistakes you make with them are the least of your worries. It is just a tremendous amount of work, even at the best of times when you are getting on with them and enjoying them. And they don't stop being your children at 18. Far from it. They may move away, but they will always need you to some extent. Even our foster children, most of whom are in their 30s now, often ring us for advice, opinions and such. It never ends. But it is well worth it, ever so rewarding, and I do hope you get to experience it at some point. Nothing grounds you and brings you out of yourself better than children.

 

[hodge]

Thanks, Kathy, it's helpful to me to hear about your perspective and experience. Maybe someday... In any case,

I wish you both the best as you begin this new chapter in your lives together!