Retirement: The thought of not having to go back to work.

I am beginning to realize that I have retired. As I sat tonight and listened to my sister and cousin talking of school chatter, you know teachers don't really get the summer off as some folks would like to believe.
They are talking of getting their classrooms ready, class list... Oh boy do I not miss that. I would be making lesson plans already, preparing worksheets for reinforcement, making power points to help present lessons, and the list goes on.
I found myself today at Walmart looking at classroom supplies (teachers always love the beginning of the school year sells.) I caught myself picking up things I would need, crayons, markers, erasers... I put most of it back... I DON'T NEED TO FURNISH SUPPLIES THIS YEAR!
I may talk to my husband about donating some to local charities that are collecting supplies to make sure kids they service will have supplies.
I know I will have the "need" to purchase supplies in my brain. STOP brain I don't have to do that this year.
Here is a hint to folks that think teachers don't do much... I purchased each year at the beginning 500 to 600 dollars in supplies out of my pocket. You would be surprised at how many kids don't have basic supplies. I always had pencils, pens, crayons, color pencils, folders, 3-ring binders, notebook paper by the cases, poster board, glue, glue sticks, paint brushes, erasers, pencil sharpeners (they wear out because students want to sharpen colored pencils in them, which ruins the blades) pens, spiral notebooks by the cases, rulers, calculators (they all seem to walk out by the end of the first semester), highlighters, markers (every kind you can imagine), and my list goes on as I find little things for the students.
So if you are reading this, be a friend to local teachers, purchase supplies and donate them to their classrooms. Believe it or not this is a donation. Check with your tax consultant to see what all you can donate and get a tax credit for.
You can also help all those school fundraisers by donating the money instead of purchasing stuff you don't want. They get to keep 100% of this donation, where on the product they get a small percentage. (Just a thought.) Also check with your tax consultant about donating time in classrooms helping to grade papers, read to kids, help kids who are falling behind, to serve snacks... ask your school if there is anything they need a volunteer for.