Retirees offer sage advice

Retired? Here’s some advice from “How to Love Your Retirement” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundreds ofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

Give yourself a few months after retirement before you think about part-time work (if you have to think about it); plan fun activities for those first few months. As I worked on my finances, I came up with a plan that will let me be comfortable after 10 years of retirement. In the meantime, I will have to work part-time to enjoy the things I want to do. Among the considerations: working in a garden center during the heaviest season; working in a ski resort so that I can improve my skiing; becoming a “temp” so that I can experience a lot of new job situations and people; volunteering in national parks (room and board is free, but no salary); marketing my photos at crafts fairs or other venues. – Phil Mackall, Arlington, Virginia

I didn’t really want to quit working after I retired, but I didn’t want to be in another demanding career. I wanted to do something completely different and also had to work around the disability of my blindness. A business based in my home seemed ideal. My sister is a massage therapist, so I looked into that and found I enjoyed it. – J.S., Scotch Plains, New Jersey

In retirement, I’ve got a business with my husband. The work we’re doing now is a blessing in our lives. Our joy is doing it together and going out on our little trips. Along the way, we go for a bike ride or go for a picnic. It gives me joy. – Anonymous; St. Paul, Minnesota