Issue 31: The Retirement Buzz

Rooted, Not Restless: Embracing the Fall Shift

Author

Retirement Dreammaker
October 05, 2025

As the season turns, it’s time to ground ourselves in purpose, preparation, and peace. From fire season awareness to handwritten letters, this week invites us to reflect, reconnect, and reset.

🧩 RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

I turn once, what is out will not get in. I turn again, what is in will not get out.

What am I ?

🎖️ HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

🌲 National Public Lands Day Recap – September 28

This year’s National Public Lands Day brought together over 50,000 volunteers, including thousands of retirees, across all 50 states.

Events included:

  • Trash clean-ups at over 400 national parks

  • Free guided hikes and birdwatching events

  • Senior-led nature talks and conservation projects

Did you participate? Email us a photo of your group or your favorite spot to be featured in next week’s edition!

Fire Season & Air Quality – What Retirees Should Know

With wildfire seasons growing longer due to warmer, drier conditions, air quality has become a major health issue—even for those far from the flames.

The CDC and EPA now classify wildfire smoke as a top environmental risk to older adults, particularly those with asthma, COPD, or heart conditions.

🔥 Even light smoke can affect breathing, fatigue, and memory.

👉 Your Tools for Safer Breathing:

  • Check AQI daily: airnow.gov

  • Stay inside on smoky days (AQI 101+), especially in the early morning and evening

  • Use HEPA filters or DIY box fan filters

  • Wear a KN95 mask if you need to go out

A retired school librarian, Gloria lives 60 miles from the nearest fire zone. Still, the smoke has changed her routine.

I used to walk every morning, but now I check the AQI first. I skip my walk if it’s over 100 and run my HEPA filter. I even started keeping extras to give out at my senior center.

Gloria helps her neighbors through her local “clean air crew,” offering masks and updates to seniors in her building.

You don’t have to live near the flames to feel the fire’s reach. Watch the air before you go anywhere.

DIY Home Energy Audit Can Save You Hundreds This Fall

Heating bills are creeping up again this year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts natural gas and electric heating costs will rise 8–10% on average this fall.

That’s where DIY energy audits come in. A few quick checks could save you hundreds of dollars this season.

🔍 DIY Energy Audit Checklist:

  • Feel for drafts near windows and doors

  • Replace furnace filters monthly

  • Inspect attic or garage for insulation gaps

  • Close off unused vents in rooms you don’t frequent

  • Call your local utility for a senior discount energy checkup

Sam and Rita own a cozy 1950s ranch home. After a chilly, pricey winter in 2024, they decided to run their own home energy audit.

We found a few cracks in our window seals and added weather stripping to the doors. Just those changes dropped our heating bill by 20%, said Sam.

They spent under $100 and saved over $300. Now they host monthly DIY demo sessions for other retirees in their church group.

Fix the leaks now. You’ll feel the difference by Halloween.

😂 JOKE OF THE WEEK

What’s the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie?

Your teeth! 🥧😁

The “Autumn Letter” Ritual to Reconnect with Old Friends

Want to feel instantly more connected—without social media or small talk?

Try reviving the handwritten letter this October.

A growing number of retirees are taking part in "Autumn Letter" initiatives through libraries and senior centers, inspired by research from Harvard’s Aging Well Project, which shows handwritten notes boost emotional well-being for both the sender and receiver.

It slows you down. You remember who you were—and what that person meant to you, says Elaine C., 73, a retired teacher from Minnesota.

👉 Try This:

  • Choose one person from your past: a friend, cousin, or classmate

  • Write a note with a memory, a kind word, or even a favorite shared quote

  • Include a printed photo or a pressed leaf to add warmth

No reply needed. Just a seed of connection—planted with purpose.

Cozy Up Your Porch: Fall Decorating on a Retiree Budget

You don’t need a big budget to make your outdoor space a cozy autumn retreat. Seasonal decorating improves mood, encourages neighborhood interaction, and creates a calming environment—especially as daylight hours shrink.

According to AARP Home & Living, creating small seasonal "zones" on porches or patios can enhance daily satisfaction and emotional grounding in older adults.

👉 Easy & Affordable Porch Decor:

  • 🍂 Bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with twine ($2 at craft stores)

  • 🎃 Mini pumpkins from local farms or markets (cheaper than big-box stores)

  • 🕯️ Battery-powered LED candles in mason jars (safer than open flame)

  • 🪑 A soft wool throw or flannel blanket on your bench or chair

I sit out there with tea and my journal almost every morning, said Harold, 75. It’s my favorite 20 minutes of the day.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about presence.

The Spiritual Practice of “First Frost Readiness”

In many Indigenous and agrarian traditions, the first frost marks more than just a date—it’s a spiritual checkpoint. It reminds us to prepare our hearts and homes for winter, to clear clutter, and to gather inner peace before the stillness comes.

Fall teaches us to let go with beauty, says Rev. Leslie Moore, a chaplain at Silver Horizons Senior Center.

👉 Practice This Week:

  1. Set a seasonal intention. What’s your emotional focus for fall?

  2. Declutter your spiritual space. Remove anything—physical or emotional—that no longer serves you.

  3. Do a 5-minute “Breath & Bless” at sunrise: inhale peace, exhale what you're done carrying.

🍁 This is your soul’s harvest. Reap what grounds you.

🧩 RIDDLE ANSWER

Answer: A key

Let fall be a season where you feel rooted, not restless. Let it ground you in what matters, reconnect you to what once was, and prepare you for what’s next.

Don’t just watch the leaves fall. Let go of what you no longer need.

Stay safe, stay cozy, and stay present. 🍁

Follow us on social media to stay inspired, stay active, and stay connected!

Got questions or feedback? We’d love to hear from you! Simply reply to this email or contact us here.