A Downhill Slide !!!

[Danielle Gee]

Hi All:

The automotive factory where I work was closed from Christmas Eve thru today as a paid holiday. That means (‘crept for a family get together) I’ve had 12 days of dressing, primping, and generally being as “girly” as possible. Great huh?

But tomorrow at 4:30 am my alarm will go off and my “Normal” life will begin again. It sounds crazy but I used to enjoy going to work. Now, I’m counting down the remaining 3 ½ years till retirement.

My Sweetie says she’s retiring too because “You're going to dress almost full-time and take over what little of the “woman stuff” you don’t do already.

Somehow being the “Lady” of the house seems very appealing. Any similar stories from some of you lets say “mature” ladies?

Danielle

[Karren H]

I don't consider myself mature even though I've worked in the coal mines for 35 years.... But I'm 180 degrees opposed from you.... Work and business trips afford me the opportunity to dress and get out enfemme and when (or if) I retire I'll probably hang up my high heels too.. Sigh.... Not a fun thought.

[BRANDYJ]

Looking forward to your retirement and being as girly as you like sounds like a great vacation Danielle. I know you do most of the housework and make life a little easier for your wife. That's fantastic. It's what I want to do for my SO too. That is when we finally can be together again.
As for me, not so sure I want to be the lady of the house full time. I still have many male things I like to do with the guys. Like golf and fishing. Of course if I could pass, I could play from the red markers and maybe shave a few more strokes off my game. lol But I will always be the submissive to the one lady I love whether I am in female mode or male mode. Serving her, pleasing her, and making her happy is where i get my greatest joy.

[Holly]

I retired two years ago. My wife is still working. I get up in the mornings and fix breakfast for her and pack a lunch for her to take to work with her. When she leaves, I clean the kitchen, make the bed, and straighten the house. I go to the grocery store and shop for food when necessary and run errands to keep the household running smoothly, and generally try to have supper started by the time she comes home from work. When not doing all that, I have some rental property I manage. And I volunteer at a local LGBT center that focuses on youth. I wasn't this busy when I was working full time and president of my local labor union!

The one thing I don't do is spend my days in skirts and petticoats and loads of makeup. That's not to say that I don't have my times getting all pretty... like if I'm meeting girlfriends for lunch and shopping or volunteering at the youth center. Then I'll wear something nice and appropriate makeup. Otherwise, it's girl casual and minimal (if any) makeup. I must say, it surprised me when my life started to unfold this way. Like the OP, I was planning to spend my days girlie and glamorous. But then life happened. Cleaning the bathroom in heels or vacuuming the house in a gown just doesn't make any sense.

I must say life has worked out pretty well. I'm getting to do things usually associated to the ladies and I am finding I really enjoy these things. There is every bit as much, if not more satisfaction in doing what I do now then when I was working for my employer for over 25 years. And the days I do get to get, "all gussied up" whether it is to go out to dinner and a movie with my wife or lunch with the girls, is still special.

I guess all I'm trying to say is look forward to your retirement, but be prepared for it to be a little different from what you are imagining it is going to be like.

[SuzanneBender]

Retirement looms for me in less than three years. I don't consider myself that mature either mentally or physically, but I do look forward to retirement. Most of my femme time is spent on the road so I don't know how retirement or my job in the "next life" will impact my femme time. However, I do look forward to taking a couple of months between careers to spoil my wife and kids. While I do that I plan on spoiling myself with spending plenty of time in girl mode. I follow Holly's lead on not dressing to the nines when I am hacking around the house. I love just being a casual woman just living life as usual. Well if there is such a thing as life as usual.

[Persephone]

Holly has pretty well nailed my life too. I spend a lot of time en femme but not often in skirts and heels. But retirement has been a whirlwind of activity, the ladies' auxillary at a congregation, the women's club my spouse and I belong to, the women's workout center, my morning runs all hardly leave "spare" time.

On the other hand, a funny thing has happened. My spouse just retired in the past year and decided, pretty much on her own, to take over my jobs of laundry and household stuff. It feels weird to watch her doing my jobs!

Hugs,
Persephone.

[ChristineM]

I don't consider myself mature even though I've worked in the coal mines for 35 years.... But I'm 180 degrees opposed from you.... Work and business trips afford me the opportunity to dress and get out enfemme and when (or if) I retire I'll probably hang up my high heels too.. Sigh.... Not a fun thought.

Sorta, kinda but it's my wife's business trips that allowed me to dress (and soon, to get out!). She retires in a little over two years. I have five. I'm going to have to convince her she needs to go on lots of trips to catch up with all her relatives.

[Sarah Doepner]

I didn't believe it when my older brother retired and he told me "I don't know where I ever found the time to go to work." I understand now. A big part of my time is providing care for my wife as she continues to battle cancer (doing well but still in the fight), helping with her folks in their late 80's who live next door and helping with adult kids and their kids as they try to gain a foothold in a tough economy. And then there are all the things I put off until I had more time that would come with retirement, a list that is much, much too long. I do make more of a commitment to dress now than I used to, but those opportunities are not at the level I thought they would be a couple of years ago.

Brush up on your time management skills while you can. It may be the best retirement gift you can give yourself.

[helena.gcd]

Danielle, i would be glad to have just a 4 or 5 days on a row for myself, so enjoy enjoy as much as you can this chance and the ones that would come in the future.

I don't consider myself mature even though I've worked in the coal mines for 35 years.... But I'm 180 degrees opposed from you.... Work and business trips afford me the opportunity to dress and get out enfemme and when (or if) I retire I'll probably hang up my high heels too.. Sigh.... Not a fun thought.

Don´t worry karren, you can move to Spain. Goverment wants us to work till 70 yo.

[Amy Lynn3]

Holly, I agree with you.....I am now retired and love doing the things you mention, but as others have said...how did I ever find time to work.

[Madilyn A.]

Hi Danielle, As you already know, since my retirement 2 yrs. ago, my time is no longer mine. Like Karren, I dressed while traveling on business. Fortunately I had free reign of my schedule, so dressed often. Also, since I had one or two days per week of home office time I regularly dressed all day and well into the evening, usually greeting my wife with a dinner I prepared and a bottle of wine. I loved to dress to the nines and have my makeup just so. After All as you know in my next life my desire is to come back as a 50's housewife !! LOL!......One of the reasons I decided to retire when I did was so that I could dress virtually 24/7, since work would no longer get in my way. Ha !....Now with my 3 grown children all living within 2 miles of my home, 3 grandchildren, and a mother and mother in law nearby, well was I ever wrong !!....Rare is the day now that I have more than a few hours of me time to dress. The other problem is the telephone call, "Hey Dad, what's cooking ?, in the neighborhood, be there in 5 minutes". And the not so rare times when I am all gussied up, and I hear the garage door open. How I have not broken an ankle while running upstairs to do a quick change in 4" heels, is beyond me.........I do love to spend time with my family , but my dressing suffers since retirement !

[AKAMichelle]

Luckily I have a lot more years to work. At this point I may have put on a few extra years because of the economy lately.