Retirement 101

Lisa Graff's essays have appeared in Woman's World Magazine and the Washington Post. She resides in Lewes, Delaware. Contact her at lgraff1979@gmail.com. Follow her facebook page for more retirement tips.

RETIREMENT 101

The world is my oyster

Lisa Graff
8 years ago
Several readers told me they enjoyed reading my last column about traveling to a foreign country,...
RETIREMENT 101

It’s a brave new world

Lisa Graff
8 years ago
My nephew was telling me Christmas Eve that he uses his cellphone to turn on and off the Christmas...
RETIREMENT 101

Good will toward men can be hard to keep

Lisa Graff
8 years ago
As one of my retirement goals, I continue to practice yoga because it is much more than poses. The...
RETIREMENT 101

Rockin’ around the Christmas tree

Lisa Graff
8 years ago
Now that you are retired, does your holiday schedule allow travel time to see children and...
RETIREMENT 101

Are you dining out tonight?

Lisa Graff
8 years ago
Some of the best things about retiring to the Cape Region are the overwhelming dining choices...
RETIREMENT 101

Can you recall three words?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
This morning I woke up and went for a walk by myself. A flock of Canada geese in perfect formation...
RETIREMENT 101

Can there be too much togetherness?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
You may have heard the old adage for better or for worse but not for lunch. One of the challenges...
RETIREMENT 101

Live in the present

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
I received some great responses to my last column, “Now that you are retired, do you feel important...
RETIREMENT 101

Do you feel important?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
My first column debuted Sept. 21, 2012, with these words: “I feel guilty admitting this because so...
RETIREMENT 101

Doggie daycare to the rescue

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
I just dropped my dog Gracie off at daycare. She whimpered and hid behind me, reluctant to go. “You...
RETIREMENT 101

The joy of not cooking

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Once retired I vowed to cook at home more. Why not entertain summer guests on the back porch and...
RETIREMENT 101

Life Expectancy Part 2

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
About my last column, financial planner Josh writes, “I want to shed more ‘color’ on life...
RETIREMENT 101

Do you know your number?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Every week some financial wizard writes a generic article in a national magazine prescribing a...
RETIREMENT 101

Beauty tips continued

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Turns out I am not alone in my quest to age gracefully with unwanted hair. Jim writes, “Hi Lisa...
RETIREMENT 101

Beauty tips for seniors

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Last week I was one of several writers invited to read my work to an audience gathered at Paradigm...
RETIREMENT 101

Therapy for retirees

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
A recent article in the Washington Post featured residents of a nursing home in the Netherlands who...
RETIREMENT 101

Make new friends but keep the old

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
I am in Philly this morning getting ready to board a plane for Spain to see my new granddaughter...
RETIREMENT 101

Role reversals are part of retirement

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Now that both of us are retired and we have equal time on our hands, I asked my husband, “Why don’t...
RETIREMENT 101

Happy trails to you!

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Finally the winds have calmed enough for me to go biking. I am not a cyclist. My baby blue bike has...
RETIREMENT 101

What are you reading?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Many retirees relish reading for pleasure and are eager to discuss their book in a book club...
RETIREMENT 101

Your time is valuable

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
"I thought your article in the Cape Gazette (March 20, 2015) was excellent and Robert Achley...
RETIREMENT 101

Which phase are you in?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
In 2000, Robert Atchley developed six phases of retirement that represent a process individuals go...
Retirement 101

Snowbird or snow geese?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
The Secret Life of a Snowbird: An Inside Look at Retirement in America’s Sunbelt” is the humorous...
Retirement 101

Play with me, please

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
My husband enters the room and says he is thinking about taking our dog Gracie for a walk even...
Retirement 101

Are you losing your mind?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Retired people spend half their time looking for things. My husband just used my cellphone to call...
Retirement 101

Decorating and disagreements

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Amy from Bethany writes, “Dear Lisa, some time ago you wrote about the difficulty of two retired...
Retirement 101

Leading a balanced life

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Financial advisor Josh Halpern writes, “My folks just moved from their house of 36 years to a condo...
Retirement 101

What do you do in winter?

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Janet from Rehoboth sent this: “Cute article about retiring here! I love it. My two fears proved...
Retirement 101

The best place to retire is here!

Lisa Graff
9 years ago
Area residents don’t need to Google best places to retire, because we already live here. CBS on May...
Retirement 101

The time is now to branch out

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Abbey writes, “As someone who has been retired from human resource management for 10 years, I just...
Retirement 101

Retirement 102, 103 and 104

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
My last column, Am I happy now? elicited several responses from readers. George from Rehoboth wrote...
Retirement 101

Am I happy now?

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
In September I celebrated my two-year anniversary of writing this column. At that time I wrote, “...
Retirement 101

Seniors should exercise caution

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Many retirees have ample time to exercise, but finding the right program for your interest and...
Retirement 101

Do you share a vision?

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
One of my girlfriends said her husband wants to retire to an island in the West Indies. “What about...
Retirement 101

Letting go of life

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
One of the most difficult times in the retirement years is letting go of better times - times when...
Retirement 101

Cows and jowls in the First State

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
At 95 years young, Aime Sloan traveled across country this month with family members to visit sites...
Retirement 101

It takes two to tango

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
A passerby strolling down Baltimore Avenue in downtown Rehoboth might notice the artwork in the...
Retirement 101

Expand your horizons!

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Have you noticed that in retirement you are sometimes just as stressed as when you worked every day...
Retirement 101

Let’s do the senior shuffle

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
I didn’t think I was ready for a senior center,” Pam, a recent retiree, explained. “I met Leslie,...
Retirement 101

Minimize your losses

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Losing things is fairly common among every age group but the older we get, the more frequently it...
Retirement 101

Retirees  with reasons to celebrate!

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
The Independence Community celebrated the conclusion of its three-month contest, Biggest Loser, May...
Retirement 101

How much of a risk taker are you?

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
I have plenty of time to read now and have recently discovered the world of blogging. Because of...
Retirement 101

Beware of cabin fever

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Snowstorms force retirees to stay indoors. There are warning signs that too much togetherness could...
Retirement 101

To enjoy retirement, you must make good choices

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
One of the most wonderful choices I made in my retirement was to join the Coastal-Georgetown branch...
Retirement 101

Puppy love is a wonderful thing

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
My latest adventure is training 3-month-old Gracie how to walk on a leash. The suggested training...
Retirement 101

Beat back the winter blues

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Go winter. Steal my wool socks from my frigid feet. Let my toes pretend to touch the warm sand at...
Retirement 101

Dance in the new year?

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Every season when I take down the holiday decorations I feel let down. When everything is packed...
Retirement 101

Give up your extra gloves

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Ray and I joined the ranks of thousands and became members of the Rehoboth Beach Film Society...
Retirement 101

Want to feel younger? Phone a friend

Lisa Graff
10 years ago
Sometimes I feel my weeks are defined by what food I make to bring to various social events:...
Retirement 101

Retirement: figure out what it means to you

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
On my recent travels through upstate New York I came upon a local newspaper, The Altamont...
Retirement 101

Retirees spend time and money wisely

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
For many of us, retirement life brings the question: What else do I have to look forward to in life...
Retirement 101

Restless retirees are ready for more action

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
October is brimming with activities for all restless retirees! This past weekend I enjoyed the...
Retirement 101

A sense of community spirit

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
Connie from Rehoboth writes, “There is a promise of change I look forward to every fall...
Retirement 101

Out of our comfort zones

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
Whenever a new school year begins, I take stock of my life. Like a new notebook or shoes purchased...
Retirement 101

Just go to happy hour!

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
Marjorie in Lewes writes, “I look forward to smiling at our shared experiences when I read your...
Retirement 101

Seize the joy in life

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
“I read your chicken diaper article a few weeks back to my husband Lou,” writes Jane. “I could...
Retirement 101

Shopping is a fun pastime!

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
Sandra from Rehoboth wrote to tell me about an item she read in the AARP newsletter about raising...
Retirement 101

Older people tend to obsess about clothes

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
What’s there to talk about? Retired people have funny conversations. Especially old married ones. I...
Retirement 101

Retirees can sometimes act like tourists, it’s OK

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
I just played a message on my answering machine. Two minutes of heavy breathing. I was thinking I...
Retirement 101

Retirement means constantly making adjustments

Lisa Graff
11 years ago
Dragons and Shorebirds and pearls - Here I come! I looked at the pictures of a happy couple’s...