If you had asked me to describe my relationship with my clothing, I would have told you I was a minimalist. I would have said I was anti-consumerist. I would have explained how my clothing did not define me, that I didn’t care about fashion and that I could easily get rid of most of…
Saying Goodbye to Buster
I had to say goodbye to my cat Buster today. We adopted Buster from a rescue organization when she was less than 10 weeks old. We learned that Buster’s mother was seen running across a street and getting hit by a car. The person who witnessed this saw something fall out of the cat’s mouth….
Getting Rid of Everything
I’ve moved 19 times in my life. My wife and I rented 4 homes, bought 6 and sold 5 of them together. As I mentioned in a recent post, since my wife died last year, I’d been thinking about selling my home. Well, the thinking is over. I listed my house this week and have already…
Letting Go of Lilly and Buster
One of the things I’ve agonized over is how to travel with my two cats Lilly and Buster. At first, I figured I’d buy a large trailer that could fit their litter box and give them several places to hang out inside. They would travel in the car with me and the dog. I’d keep…
Going On The Road
Since my wife died two months ago, it’s been terrible. I’ve been struggling just to get through each day. Not only was Ellen my wife, she was my best friend, she was my partner and she was my reason for living. Without her, I’ve lost meaning, purpose and direction. I wanted to take care of…
Going Off The Grid Or Off My Rocker?
Lately I’ve been thinking about selling my home, selling most of my possessions, buying a small trailer and living off the grid. If I did this right, I could retire (to a life of austerity). This was not a possibility when my wife Ellen was alive. When I told her I could retire early if we…
Selling My Home
I am planning to sell my house. I thought it was too big when it was me, my wife and the pets. Now that my wife is gone, it is much too big. The 2nd bedroom is empty all the time. The 3rd bedroom, my former office, is vacant except when one of the cats…
Cleaning My Home
For the first time in many years, I cleaned my entire house. I had to do it myself because I fired our cleaning lady last week. To my suprise, I had an epiphany while cleaning. While dusting, I noticed the beauty and craftsmanship of my inherited furniture. One chair has intricate raptor-like claw feet. The…
Why Does Widower = “Looking For A Date?”
I was looking for something – anything – that would help me deal with the loss of my wife. So I googled widower, widower at 50, widower blog and other similar phrases. I was surprised that the first 30 results were all focused on dating: Dating Tips for Widowers Sex and the Grieving Widower Widow and…
Half A Life
It’s hard to believe it’s been six weeks since my wife died. It feels like she died yesterday. SInce she’s been gone I’ve made some significant changes to my routine. I talk to my mom almost everyday by phone. She’s really come through for me listening to my ranting, raving and crying. I talk to…