Earlier this summer, Hekla Publishing reached out to me via ye olde blogge, to ask if I was interested in reviewing an about-to-be-released book : “On With The Butter! Spread More Living onto Everyday Life”, by Heidi Herman. And I absolutely was, being a recent retiree myself and a lover of all things dairy, especially butter. So I have been waiting ever since to receive my free copy (my only compensation for saying whatever I wanted to about it). Last week it finally arrived – yippee!
Imagine my disappointment that the only thing buttery in this book was a recipe for apple “butter”. JUST KIDDING! Actually, the apple butter recipe looks easy and intriguing – thanks for including it, Heidi!
The phrase “on with the butter” is an Icelandic saying that means, among other things, “carry on, keep moving”, and this book encourages retired people to do just that. In fact, this book would be a great resource for just about anybody worried about falling into a rut, retired or not.
I thought I had gathered a lot of ideas regarding adapting to and enjoying retirement (after all, I did a whole A-Z blogging challenge on just that topic), but this book has hundreds more!
Inspired by her mother’s zest for life, Heidi Herman has written the most comprehensive and handy dose of inspiration for anyone who has ever stared around their four walls and wondered what to do next.
The book contains 15 chapters full of ideas on how to “spread more living onto everyday life”. These ideas don’t demand a ton of money or Olympian fitness levels. Chapter titles remind us to “Enjoy the Simple Things”, “Taste Life”, “Explore Nature”, “Keep Learning”, and “Take the Scenic Route”…to name a few. Each chapter ends with “A Challenge Checklist” of activities to try, related to that chapter’s topic.
Probably most of all, I loved the stories of Heidi’s mother and her adventures. Heidi’s mother reminded so much of my own dear mother, whose motto was “the day I stop learning is the day I die”. These ladies could have been friends I think, egging each other on in their appetite for new and fun experiences.
At 239 pages from front to back, this book is a quick and easy read yet is jam-packed with ideas. You could just dive into whatever chapter strikes your fancy and start “spreading the butter” onto your life from there if you wanted to, without having to read the entire book first. But why would you want to do that? It’s such a fun book!
My only quibble with this book (as a Canadian reader…and it’s a minor one) is that it is written specifically for Americans. Most of the resources/locations listed in the book are American ones. However, I do feel it wouldn’t take too much imagination or effort to look for similar organizations or destinations in your own country, especially if you are familiar with internet searches.
I think this book would make a lovely gift for a just-about-to or newly-retired friend. Really though, this book is for anybody who would like a dose of inspiration and a handy reference of activities and challenges with which to keep the mind and body young and moving. On with the butter, everyone!
Rock on,
The WB
