Re-tired: New Tread

It's hard to celebrate our nation's birthday with the constant barrage of so much fear, insanity, and sadness in our nation and world. The gals each discuss four ills in our nation right now. Despite the actual doom and gloom, they remain hopeful and patriotic of this nation they love.

Foul language is used in this episode.

Extra Music & Sound Effects: Pixabay.com

Episode photo: created with Meta AI

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

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This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.All rights reserved.

This is the forth episode in a special, limited series entitled Moving On. This particular episode is the continuation of a conversation that Sue has with her daughter after the death of her mother. Sue shares an interview with her mother that she documented 25 years ago, when Patty was just a kid. The "time capsule" of grandmother-mother-daughter insights has been helpful in the grieving process.

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

Tina had an adventure in vulnerability. With just Jiji in the car, Tina had a tire blow out in the solitary mountains, with no phone service. She could hike out, but not poor Jiji. Then two sketch-looking men approach with metal tools in hand.

Episode Photo Credit: Tina Lokkbokk

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.All rights reserved.

This is the third episode in a special, limited series entitled Moving On. This particular episode is Part 1 of a conversation that Sue has with her daughter after the death of her mother. Sue shares an interview with her mother that she documented 25 years ago, when Patty was just a kid. The "time capsule" of grandmother-mother-daughter insights has been helpful in the grieving process.

Music from Pixabay.com

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

There's so much news, terrible news, coming at us every day. It's all so overwhelming, so unbelievably believable. In an environment of fear, we know the highest sign of patriotism is to protest wrongs. Even confronting the question of what may happen in response to protest, have courage. Resist and persist.

References: Audio Clip from No Kings Protest with CA State Senator Christopher Cabaldon (Dist. 3) on June 15, 2025 by Sue Britz

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.All rights reserved.

Sue shares some initial thoughts about the death of her mother the previous week. The changes that we feel will the loss of a parent truly mark us. The gals talk about shared experiences with Memory Care, Alzheimer's Dementia, and hospice. Sue is grateful that she and her siblings were together and of the same mindset in honoring the wishes of their mother.

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.All rights reserved.

Tina reads a chapter from her memoir, "Turtles", that provokes a discussion about the lives of our pets. The girls ask if, like Tina's Hymalayan Persian cats, the wildness is bred out of us? Or is nature v nurture? As responsible pet owners we grow to learn and understand how to provide the best quality of life for our beloved family members. Call out to Jiji and Mimi!

Episode Photo Credit: Tina Lokkbakk

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

All rights reserved.

Sue's friend, Sarita, joins the gals in today's episode to share her foray back into the classroom as a substitute. And, oh, what the adventure! Surprisingly, Tina reveals that she was one of those students that would change her name or her seat when she had a sub in junior high! Sarita shares feeling that it "broke my soul" even while embracing the need to save public education.

Credit:

Episode photograph by Sarita Cooper

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

All rights reserved.

What are the five things you would grab if you were suddenly faced with a zombie apocalypse?! Tina is just exhausted with the felt experience of even talking about such a dilemma, while Sue exudes the energy of a true zombie fan! Together with her neighbor friends and fellow fans, they are in their fourth year of watching 'Zombies @ The Curb' ever since the pandemic gave them a taste of what a zombie outbreak might be like.

References:

The Last of Us

The Walking Dead

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

All rights reserved.

After her stream of consciousness writing, Tina states her theory that when we love what we do, we don't want to retire. What do you think? Are you in a stressful job that is pushing you to re-tirement? Do you wish you were in a job you love and would like to continue all your life? Interesting topics always bring the gals back to their experiences in teaching.

References:

'The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal' by Julia Cameron

'We Have to Really Rethink the Purpose of Education' The Ezra Klein Show, NYT, May 13, 2025

"Why aren't Americans filling the manufacturing jobs we already have?" by Greg Rosalsky, NPR, May 13, 2025

Sue Britz: Cohost/Producer/Director/Editor/Music & Graphics

Tina Lokkbakk: Cohost, author of After the Burn & the blog "Life After Estrangement" at lifeafterestrangement.com

Facebook: Re-tired Podcast New Tread

email: [email protected]

This podcast is meant for sheer enjoyment and to explore our re-tirement experiences and those of our guests. Nothing we say is meant to be given as psychological, medical, or legal advice.

All rights reserved.