Rob and I said “au revoir” to Paris and boarded the EuroStar for London, which is a very nice ride even though it does go under water for a portion of the journey which I try not to think about. We stood in a long taxi cue to take us to Town Hall, our favorite place to stay when visiting, located in Patriot Square, Bethnal Green.

The biggest challenge for me when visiting Europe is the time change. My body wants to be asleep when all the locals are awake and vice versa. My husband and I decided to just stay awake on the last day of May when we arrived in Paris.

Now that I’m officially retired, is this the time to buy that rowboat I’ve always wanted? When I was a teenager, I used to spend quality alone time rowing in the protective harbor of Rockport, Massachusetts. I also took my friend’s rowboat out in the marshes along the ocean in Beverly Farms. More recently I had the chance to row with my friend Laurie who has a house on an island in upstate New York where we rowed together on the Lawrence River.

About a year ago I went to the Alameda Flea Market with my daughter Jo to see what we could find among the assortment of clothing, furnishings and memorabilia from different countries and eras. I found an indigo blanket from Mali which had a 50 year anniversary message which resonated, having been together with my husband for almost that long.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about retirement, although I was excited about the possibilities. Now here it is and I’m not sure how I feel. I closed my store 12 Small Things in Bernal Heights at the end of 2024 and finished my work as a wholesale rep for Keena Co (now the Harper Group) at the end of last year.