For each newsletter, we reach out to members for their stories of what they have been up to. Whether its travel, spending time with the grand kids, volunteer work or what ever, we provide their short summaries. Its a great way to hear about colleagues we haven't seen for awhile.
Janice Geddes
I worked with Toronto Police Services for 10 1/2 years after Accenture layoff. Retirement to me means to keep busy on a daily basis & do what I enjoy doing. I still live in East York. I attend yoga & gentle fitness classes for the ‘over 60 group’ once a week. I am an aquafit instructor with the City of Toronto & Crescent Town Club & continue to enjoy every minute keeping active.
I have a 4 year old great niece who I love to bits & spend as much time with her playing in the park, taking her to gymnastics once a week, teaching her swimming, (& I’m so proud of her level of swimming she is at) and our road trips to the country & lakes. I also read story books at her school once a month to the 3 different age groups in the day care classes.
I fly west to Alberta to visit my niece, (who lives in Red Deer) a couple times a year. We also enjoy road trips, including beautiful Banff & British Columbia. In June 2022, we visited St John’s, Newfoundland for 2 weeks. We did several road trips there including Gander.
There are 2 locations in Gander where the NYC mayor donated 2 beams from the twin towers. One is at the Gander Town Hall & the other is a Peace Park. It was so interesting talking to the director
at the town hall about 9/11 & how the community came together to host all
the unexpected visitors.
For several years now I have attended NYC 9/11 Memorial with a group from Toronto Police Services. They have been attending NYC every year since that day of September 11, 2001.
Take care everyone!
Happy Retirement to all!
Hope to see everyone at the next function.
Donald Eagleson
Since my retirement in 2008 we moved to Dundas a beautiful valley town. We have travelled to Myrtle Beach, Arizona, Oregon, California and the Tuscany region of Italy. Since 2020 because of Covid and my wife's health issues we have stayed home.
I keep my self busy with our local Probus Club where I oversee finding speakers for our meetings. I have met several interesting retirees within the club.
I also love to take walks in Warren Park which is within 100 yards of our house. This is a nature trail that extends several miles. Deer and other wild animals live within the park.
Eneida Paulo
It is hard for me to believe that it has been 2 and 1/2 years since my retirement. The first year or so was quite uneventful as mostly I was just enjoying not having a strict schedule and no longer having to deal with that terrible commute. Also, the Covid lockdown was in full swing then, so travel and other pursuits were still quite restricted.
I did get a puppy, Maya, who occupied me with all her puppyhood antics. (she is now more manageable but still keeps me on my toes.)
Last summer, things were easing up and my life got busy. I hosted my nephew and niece from Portugal for the whole summer and we did quite a bit of sightseeing and travelling throughout Ontario.
I am now preparing to travel to Portugal for a couple of months and visit with my parents and other family which I have not seen in so long.
This year promises to be busy as well, with more travelling plans in the works.
Eric & Carol-Ann Jorgensen
Carol-Ann and I are doing well. Had a busy 2022 with our son Peter getting married in august. Then Carol-Ann and I had a wonderful trip to Portugal in late September. Spent two weeks touring the country and wanting to go back soon to explore more.
We then headed to Mexico for the first couple of weeks in December for some R&R. Had great weather with no rain at all.
Looking forward to March when we will be heading to Vancouver Island to see our daughter Emma and our two grandsons Mason and Liam. Our son and daughter in law Leah will be joining us for the family adventure.
We enjoy our summer home in Georgian Bluffs for six months. That sums things up for now.
Jenny Cooper
My day starts with a 4k walk along the shores of beautiful Lake Okanagan. I have three exercise classes a week, one line dancing session and one ukulele session. I am on the Fall Fair executive and also belong to a ‘Friendship Club’ for which I keep the membership records.
We have a wonderful 50+ Retirement Society which is where most of these events happen plus a Pot Luck Supper once a month, so I have no shortage of social events.
The Fall Fair preparation and event keep me pretty busy year- round.
My kids, grand kids and great grandkids visit me periodically but even though most of them are in BC, it is a full days journey to come to me.
Helen of course keeps me appraised of all the goings on in Barrie for which I am most grateful.
All in all, retirement is pretty busy, it’s been 10 years this year, can you believe it?
Regards to all, keep well and safe.
Jane Butler
Hello, you may remember me from the IT group at VPC (Atria and Allstate buildings too). I retired from Enbridge/Direct Energy over 15 years ago. So, here is what I been doing since then, apart from some contract/consulting work and looking after grandchildren.
My main interest is in drawing and painting. I started over 20 years ago with a course at the local Parks & Rec and never looked back. Now I’m an active member of the local art group and help organize the annual show in Uxbridge where I live. Also, I really enjoy leading the painting group at the local Seniors Centre.
So, if you are anywhere near Uxbridge on the third weekend of September, please stop at the Museum and visit our local outdoor Art Festival. It goes without saying to stop at the Artists of Uxbridge booth and say ‘Hello’ to me if you can remember what I look like - actually I don’t really look like that - so age that memory a bit.
