mental-health

Retirement Time

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Little did I know that agreeing on a schedule with another retiree could require the same level of negotiation as balancing the national budget.

Ask anyone over sixty. Sleep is more elusive than ever, and men and women seem to operate on completely different time zones.

We just returned from a trip to the family property in Canada. While there, we were trying to coordinate a visit with friends.

“We could stop over for coffee in the morning,” Thurston suggested.

“Any time after six,” our friend replied.

His wife gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look and countered with, “What about ten?”

I’m with her. Even if I’m awake by then, why would I want to be dressed and socializing at six o’clock in the morning?

Maybe after lunch would be better? Then we had to compare nap schedules.

Retirement doesn’t eliminate scheduling conflicts. It just replaces meetings, school events and soccer practices with morning coffee, meals and naps.

Half the time, I feel like I’ve just gotten to sleep when Thurston flips on the hall light for his first bathroom call. Mine isn’t until around 4 a.m. Just as I drift back to sleep, Thurston gets a text from his brother — another up-before-dawn and asleep-by-eight kind of guy.

The Do Not Disturb feature is now permanently enabled on Thurston’s phone.

On days when you can’t get back to sleep, you tend to want an early start on your to-do list. The other morning, Thurston was frustrated because his call went straight to voicemail.

“Why aren’t they answering their phone?”

I gently reminded him that while it was a weekday, the business didn’t open for another two hours.

It’s nothing for Thurston to be ready for bed before 9 p.m.The problem is when it’s not even dark yet.  Last night I convinced him to stay up until 10 p.m., which in retirement time is apparently the equivalent of pulling an all-nighter. It wasn’t a text message that woke me up at 5:30 the next morning. It was a pesky mosquito. I fought off getting up until 6:30.

I like to give Thurston plenty of time to get the coffee ready.

After all, everyone likes to have purpose. Some of us just prefer to discover ours after sunrise.

We’re all aging.
Let’s do it out loud.

— Nora

*As published in The County Journal on June 20, 2026

Welcome to My Latest Adventure!

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Aging Out Loud

By Nora Fields

My first attempt at writing for a public audience was restaurant reviews for a small-town newspaper. It gave my husband and me an excuse to try new places each month — until I bought a deli and catering business and added “entrepreneur” to my already full plate. My children were grown; but I still had a full-time job as a lender, so writing slipped to the back burner.  

While I’ve never relied on writing to make my living, millions of dollars changed hands because of it during my twenty-six years as an agricultural loan officer. Whether it was a farm, cows or shiny piece of equipment, I had to tell a convincing story to secure financing. Many times, their livelihood depended on my ability to get their loan approved. I didn’t realize how much I loved writing until I retired and that outlet disappeared.

Why did I retire from a job I loved? Life is rarely ever that simple. When I suddenly found myself trying to juggle a full-time job, a business that demanded my attention 7 days a week, and the love of my life was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, something had to give. 

I retired on a Friday and on Monday we moved into a suite at the University of Michigan Bone Marrow Transplant Center. Far from the Ritz Carlton, it was there that I spent over forty days and nights on an uncomfortable little daybed while doctors worked to save my husband’s life. Rather than internalize my fears, I was able to pour them onto paper. It became the way to update friends and family during our nearly one hundred days without visitors. What began as notes grew into a blog that kept me sane and connected.   

Fast forward three years and we are embarking on another new stage of our lives.  My husband is doing very well. It’s not the life we envisioned twelve years ago, but it’s still a good one. We just moved to a new community where we can easily spend time with our growing young family and the friends that have got us through the past three years. 

I’ve had my hands full dealing with a “new man” and all the medical paperwork that goes with a life-altering illness. Now that he’s out of the woods, I would like to share my life experiences and observations with you as we navigate retirement. I promise honesty, perspective, and a little humor – because growing older isn’t for the faint of heart. 

We’re all aging.

Let’s do it out loud. 

Nora

As Published in the March 14th Edition of The County Journal, Charlotte, MI.

Spring Brings Daffodils and New Beginnings…

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I’ve been gone — but I haven’t forgotten about my readers and I haven’t given up on writing.

A lot has happened since my last blog post in September of 2024. We added four more grandchildren to love on and sold the home my husband built on the family farm. We moved north an hour to be closer to friends, our children and the growing bevy of grands. We’re rekindling old friendships and making new ones. Remodeling our new-used home, and most recently, enjoyed a month in Florida with time in Tennessee on the way there and back.

Fun Fact: Did you know that spring flowers such as daffodils and crocuses represent new beginnings or rebirth?

For me, this spring includes new beginnings with my writing. I’ve started writing for a local newspaper. It’s a different kind of writing for me. A little less personal, a little more reflective, and (hopefully) something that resonates beyond just our immediate circle. I don’t expect to become the next Ann Landers, but a girl can dream.

This is also a good time to report that the new Scott, lovingly referred to as Scott 2.0, is a lot more impulsive than the original version. For those that don’t follow us on Facebook, he is doing very well since his transplant. I won’t lie; it’s been a long and grueling ride since his BMT transplant in August of 2022. He’s very close to being off all the medications associated to it and by looking at him you would never know he was once so sick. He’s put weight back on, so much so that his mother lovingly tells him he is getting fat. He’s far from being fat; but whatever you call it, he looks much better than the stick figure he became while he was battling Myelofibrosis.

On our way to Florida, we decided — somewhat suddenly — that we needed a Can-Am Spyder. With the help of an old friend, one was located in Tennessee and paid for that on the way home from Florida. Once we get it home and gear up with matching helmets, we have plenty of ideas for adding that to our already busy retirement schedule. I’m sure some people think we’re a little crazy, but when you’ve lived through what we have, your perspective shifts. We’ll let the financial advisor decide if it was a mistake.

As for this space…

I’m not walking away from it — but I am changing how I show up.

Going forward, this blog will be a little less about the day-to-day details and a little more about the stories and reflections behind them. You’ll still see glimpses of our life — just with a bit more distance. Think of it as the difference between living it in real time and looking back on it with a little perspective.

Additionally, from here on out, rather than following our lives, you’ll hear about the adventures of Nora and Thurston Fields.

Pool time has come to an end and it’s back to real life in our new location. Stay tuned! I’ll be sharing my first published column soon, and I hope you’ll stick with Nora (me) as this next chapter unfolds.