OK, real quick. I was born in 1946 which makes me an original “baby boomer”. I joined the Navy Reserve during my junior year of high school following in my father Ben’s footsteps. I was active as a Hospital Corpsman stationed at the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard from 1965 until 1967. When I got out there was no such thing as a paramedic or EMT so I just had some small time jobs until I joined the Evansville Police Department in January 0f 1970. I was on the department for over 30 years, specializing in areas there is not much use for after retirement.
After beginning retirement in June of 2000 I didn’t do very much… no hobbies, no jobs to speak of, just existed. But in 2007 Jeni and I decided to sell house and everything and move to Florida in a pop-up camper. That was changed to a 5th wheel trailer and we traveled and stayed in resort campgrounds. But strange thing started to happen – we got old.
In 2011 we sold our 5th wheel and bought a three bedroom CBS (concrete, block, stucco) house in Silver Springs Shores, Florida, just South of Ocala. It is perfect for our life style and our hobbies. We each have a bedroom we call our own for crafting or whatever. Jeni did miniature crafts and cross stitch sewing projects and I did Amateur Radio (W9CHA) and some crafting myself.
Around 2019 Jeni had some falls and broke a knee cap and then her right hip, which had to be replaced. Along with some other health issues Jeni developed mobility restrictions and since then just doing things around the house has limited her a lot. My Navy hospital corps training has come in handy and I became a care giver.
Jeni still has her hobbies and the room to work in for her hobbies. Not too much moving around in her room which is good and we don’t go out to eat or shop anymore. Jeni says there are “too many people out there there”. She is 81 now and we just take it one day at a time.
As time has gone on many of the care giver duties have eased up giving me some time for myself. But I discovered things I used to do that really interested me no longer held my interest. HAM radio wasn’t fun anymore – I couldn’t go to club meetings and leave Jeni alone, and they were in the evening and I don’t drive at night anymore. So, I took all my radios down and boxed all of it up.
Now my hobby interest revolves around a Cricut. It is basically a computerized cutting machine, buy crafty people who work with them have made it much more. I will be telling you all about what I do with my Cricut equipment and relaying where you can go to find out more for yourself. Who knows, you may get one too!
Have fun. Ed