Tag: #retirement

The Flying Machine

Posted on September 24, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

I’m a silly girl. A woman-girl growing inside her own womb, punching, kicking, absorbing nutrients, feeling excited, worried, and at peace, trusting that my caretaker-self won’t let her little girl down, has her best interest at heart, and would do anything to support, heal, comfort and… Continue Reading “The Flying Machine”

Category: #beachcamping, #camping, #hope, #lifeizgoodTags: #camping, #coastalcampiong, #fear, #grandparent, #iloveliterature, #iloveoregon, #journaling, #oregon, #pacficnorthwest, #raybradbury, #retirededucator, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #solowomencamping, #writing, facingfear, family, life, life-lessons, love, mental-health, pacificnorthwest

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Posted on May 23, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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“Every time my surroundings change, I feel enormous sadness. It’s not greater when I leave a place tied to memories, grief or happiness. It’s the change itself that unsettles me, just as liquid in a jar turns cloudy when you shake it.” ~ Italo Svevo… Continue Reading “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”

Category: #central coastTags: #cambria, #centralcoast, #classof2025, #faith, #grace, #graduation, #hope, #mindset, #ohtheplacesyoullgo, #passages, #peace, #retirement, #sansimeonbeach, #travelinggrandma, #writerslife, #writing, @retirement, blog, life, love, mental-health

The Three Bears

Posted on February 24, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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For those who have never lived on their own, might be afraid, anxious about silence, worried about fixing things, the idea of cooking for one, being responsible for paying one’s bills—-don’t be. You can do it. You can handle it. I know because not… Continue Reading “The Three Bears”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #California, #cambria, #faith, #grandmother, #hope, #livingmybestlife, #peace, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #roomofmyown, #thelittlethings, #vanlife, #writerslife, #writing, @retirement, blog, coastal-california, family, life, love, mental-health, retired-teacher, san-luis-obispo-county, tiny-home

Princess for a week

Posted on February 9, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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I poured my cousin’s prune juice into my coffee this morning. The cabin was dark, and I was stunned out of a glorious sleep-in sleep by room service or a stewart (not so sure what staff is called on a giant cruise vessel). Shadowy… Continue Reading “Princess for a week”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #adventure, #cruise, #cruiselife, #cruisingintoretirement, #enjoyinglife, #feelinggood, #grandparents, #hope, #lifeizgood, #livingthevidaloca, #love, #loveeverymoment, #princesscruise, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #travel, @retirement, cruises, cruising, cruisinggrandmas, cruisingwithfriends, cruisingwithfriends, happinessisprincesscruise, princess-cruises

Trust The Women

Posted on December 12, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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For all the years I’ve been visiting my daughter, I rarely explore The City solo. That’s the best way to learn, when you have to figure it out by yourself. Like learning a language, when all roads lead back to you, you eventually get hip. Or… Continue Reading “Trust The Women”

Category: #grandparents, #hope, #lifeizgood, UncategorizedTags: #adultchildren, #bestlifeever, #family, #grandchildren, #grandma #travelinggrandma, #lifeizgood, #lostinmanhattan, #loveofgrandchildren, #manhattan, #newyorkcity, #nyc, #peace, #retirement, #travel, @retirement, coffee, columbuscircle, family, food, life

Just one more day….

Posted on August 23, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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It was just the start of Summer. The boys were out of school and we had six weeks of exciting adventures ahead of us. And now it’s back to school and in a month, it will be Fall. Each season is welcomed, necessary, but… Continue Reading “Just one more day….”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #California, #education, #grandparents, #hope, #love, #retirement, #teaching, love

The Last Day

Posted on October 31, 2023 by JANET L BARKER

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To say I’m in mourning isn’t exactly accurate. I’m Grateful with a capital G, but also stunned that so much time passed so quickly. Almost two months. Gone. Just like that. Snap! A trip I imagined for years and years and years. My dream of taking off… Continue Reading “The Last Day”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #cambria, #campervanlife, #centralcoast, #faith, #findingpeace, #godslove, #grandmacamping, #gratitude, #hope, #love, #morrobay, #retirement, #sansimeon, #selfcare, #selflove, #solowomencamping, #vanlife, lifeizgood

Southwest Sojourn

Posted on October 13, 2023 by JANET L BARKER

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Week 5 of The Great Jan Z Solo Transformation Tour has me reverently writing in the veil of the setting sun here in Taos, New Mexico where I’ve lived for the last three nights at a pretty cool little RV park, Taos Valley RV. I never ever thought… Continue Reading “Southwest Sojourn”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #blessings, #findingpeace, #grandmascamping, #gratitude, #hope, #Ilovetaos, #newmexico, #pleasureway, #retirement, #solocamping, #taos, #taospueblo, #travelingsolo

Surrounded by Fireflies

Posted on August 2, 2023 by JANET L BARKER

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Life IZ Good. Sometimes, you just need to pivot to realize it, you know, the half full vs. half empty kind of thing. Drama happens. The toast gets burned. I lose a $100 bill. Skin cancer is detected. My blurry vision isn’t the scratched… Continue Reading “Surrounded by Fireflies”

Category: #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #teachingTags: #faith, #peacebythesea, #portofinohotel, #redondbeach, #redondobeachmarina, #retirement

Demons and Saints

Posted on June 16, 2023 by JANET L BARKER

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What makes a person sit down and write versus not wanting to write? Time, not enough. Distractions, too many. Demons, and the opposite: Joy or lack thereof. The list of excuses goes on. What I know for sure is that when I take a few… Continue Reading “Demons and Saints”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #cambria, #camping, #campinggrandma, #forgiveness, #glamping, #grandparents, #grandsons, #hope, #love, #loveeverymoment, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #workinprogress

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