Celebrating 60 with Sixty

Some of you know I am turning 60 this year.  It came to me in early January how I might honor this milestone during 2013. I don't really have a "bucket list," although I am fulfilling a long-held dream by heading off on a long road trip in a few days. What I plan to do is 5 things each month that are "new or fun" or both. In twelve months, I'll have 60 memories of new and fun experiences. Here's my recap for January - an amazing month of firsts: life changes, musical adventures and little joys:

1. Jan 2 - Retirement Declaration
2. Jan 5 - Winter Hiking
3. Jan 13 - Made Scones
4. Jan 26 - Sang in Public (solo)
5. Jan 29 - VT Farm Show

GMCR threw me a wonderful Retirement Party on Jan. 25

Hiked Mt. Monadnock with Kevin Withers and friends from the Pioneer Valley Hiking Club

Made fresh scones to serve with Lemon-Lime Curd from Alison James's kitchen

For Bob Keller's (lead guitar on right) 60th birthday party,  I sang and danced my way through "These Boots Are Made for Walking" 

My first time at the annual VT Farm Show, with new retiree Martha Simmons.

The blue ribbon turnip. which beat out perfect onions, parsnips, pickles and a dozen other entries for Best in Show.

Retirement 101

Here I sit at 11 am on a Monday, with a short to-do list and a lunch date lined up. My last day as a corporate citizen was Friday Jan 25th 2013.  The day flew by, with many heartfelt goodbyes and an amazing Retirement party thrown by the Innovation Team at GMCR. A great turnout, with about 50 folks, including George and the girls.

After very kind and funny words from my bosses Joel White and Tom Berry (two of the best leaders you could ever work for -- and I'm not just sucking up, honest), here are my remarks -

"I don't know how to retire. But I think it's like parenting -- you learn as you go along. So in the spirit of the data-driven business that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is trying to become, I used a format some might remember from the old Harper's Magazine monthly Index. Here is...

Candelin’s Career By the Numbers 

• Years in Vermont - 38

• Companies  - 10

• Brands  - 20

• Bosses – 22

• Record # of timelines I managed at once -  17

• # of Sales Meetings/ Trade Shows  - 45

• # of times I tried to outdrink sales people  - 1

Candelin's GMCR Facts:

• How many things I have in common with Larry Blanford - 2

• Born the same year

• Retired the same year

• What I don’t have in common with Larry – Number of stock options!

• Training Hours  at GMCR since 2009 - 547

• Hours spent in RIEs  (Rapid Improvement Events - inside joke) - 170

But here’s what really counts, and I’ve had too many of these to count:

• Great teams      

• Amazing brands and products    

• Lasting friendships

Thank you for this wonderful party! And thanks to GMCR for making my last job my best job!

Cake and toys and road trip supplies  oh my!

Hand-made gifts are the best! The coffee bag sign is directly from a farm near those I visited in Colombia in 2011.

Time to start packing up the Mazda

No way to express my gratitude for all the cards and gifts!

So nice to have Drew and Jamie home for the festivities! (Jamie took these pix so you have to imagine her in the photo)

3 Ben & Jerry's alums: Lisa Gibbons (center), Denise Dean (left) and moi

Here I am at 26, George is 29 (right) - early job as writers at Garden Way. On left is Greg Deily from Troy NY in Dick Raymond's demonstration gardens in N. Ferrisburgh VT

Ok - I'm ready!

Bookmarks

January is almost half gone, and has been rich and rewarding so far. I could ramble on about my plans for 2013, which are many.  I'd rather write about one of the little joys in my life.

Bookmarks - I get up early every morning to spend 45 minutes journaling and reading in a couple of spiritual texts. Companions in this quiet time are my bookmarks. Both gifts from loved ones, and I always smile to see them keeping my place, no matter what the day has in store for me.

For all of us who are embracing e-readers, and the wonderful democratization of publishing, we bemoan losses as well: the heft of a 900-page tome, being able to loan a favorite book to a friend, used book stores.  The list is long and can turn older book-lovers into Luddites if we allow ourselves to wallow. But even if all bound books disappear in my lifetime, I will hold onto these bookmarks. So my New Year's wish is that you have good company throughout 2013, and you look for joy in the simpler things that are with you every day.

Poetry Above Profits

Dear Seven Days Newspaper and Healthy Living,

I have been meaning to write or call to thank you for your remarkable act of generosity the last week of December 2012. On Sunday, December 30th, I came back to the house after a spectacular solo snowshoe tromp through Red Rocks Park in S. Burlington, VT. Bright sun, azure blue sky over Lake Champlain, stately pine trees, their branches bowed down with fresh snow.

Still high from my outing, I tried to express my feelings to my husband, "Please remind me that I love to be in the woods - that I need to be around trees!" He answered, "Did you see Seven Days?" With the busy-ness of Christmas, I had not looked at the latest edition of our Burlington-based alternative newsweekly. George didn't say a word, but found the paper, and showed me the back page. A full tabloid page printed with the poem "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver. No ad headline or copy, just a small logo of the ad's sponsor, Healthy Living food store.

Thank you for this New Year's gift to Vermonters -- one more reason Burlington is such a great place to live! An enlightened business and a community newspaper willing to put poetry above profits during the all-important holiday sales season.

Last two verses of "When I Am Among the Trees"

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out,"Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

- Mary Oliver