The Sentinel

Viewpoint: Now that you have the diploma, how to work toward early retirement

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

Families across America are celebrating high school and college graduations.

Young adults are now faced with going to work or pursuing more education. Employers across America are looking for workers. Colleges are looking for students. Will you spend $25,000 to $60,000 per year to go to school? Or, will you go to work and earn $25,000 to $60,000 or more?

Some of America’s graduates will find jobs working for state or federal government entities. One acquaintance went to work for her state government and retired by the time she was 46. With a full state retirement benefit she started a part-time business that seems to do well. She did not have one day of college education. She started out at an entry level job but worked hard, showed up and received several promotions that provided her with a good income and a very good government retirement.

A high school graduate can enlist into the military. He or she will start out on the bottom but show up and work hard every day and have a retirement by the time they are 38 years old. It’s only 50% of their salary but it’s a respectable check which will provide them financial security for the rest of their lives.

If school teachers start teaching at the age of 23 many can retire by about 51 years old.

Retiring at 46 or 51 is seldom on the mind of someone 18 or even 23. Often, just finding an enjoyable job that is maintainable is the main goal. However, give some thought to the type of work you are pursuing. What kind of financial stability and security will it provide for you and when will it afford you retirement income?

You don’t have to quit working at 46 or 50 just because you have obtained a monthly retirement check. There is a world of opportunities you can pursue. You can start a different career. You can work part-time. Or, you can stay with the job you are doing. Or, just enjoy life.

There is a sacrifice to a lot of jobs. Many jobs may be fulfilling but often come up short on solid retirement plans. Pursue and enjoy what you do but you can’t make a retirement plan happen out of thin air when you hit sixty. Keep in mind you can save a little bit of money every month and it will grow. Be diligent about this every month and you’ll eventually see results. Start now.

The career you went to school for may also allow you to retire at 55 if you want to. You may also train for a job that you will enjoy doing into your late sixties or even seventies or older. An acquaintance of mine is 82. He’s been in the hotel business for many years and loves his work. Another friend was a college President until he was 78 and loved every minute of his work. One of my friends is a surgeon and is 72. He loves working every day.

Today is a good time to think about what you are doing and where it will take you. Consider what you want life to look like when you arrive at your destination.

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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Tolono village-wide garage sale May 14-15

May 14 and 15

362 County Road 1200 East

Boys and girls clothes, junior clothing, Fisher Price Power Wheel Jeep, dishes, Tupperware and Hallmark ornaments.

May 14 and 15

801 E. Boone

Concrete tools, lumber and miscellaneous household items.

May 14-15

802 E. Boone

Anything you need for a BABY. Swing, sleepers, carseat covers, socks, girl 6m-12m & 7-10, womens clothing, tools, home decore and more.

May 14 & 15 starting at 8am

201 North Condit

HUGE STAMPIN UP SALE. 100+ stamp sets, dies, designer paper, ink, punches, punch boards, etc. Supplies to make Cheer Bows (or just big hair bows), fabric all kinds, Norwex and more. Sale will be at the side drive on Holden.

May 15, 8am-2pm

408 South Bourne

Many household items and decorations/ women’s, juniors and men’s name brand clothing/ women’s shoes size 7, 7.5 and 8/ children’s clothing size 3T and 4T/ Mary Kay make up and some other cosmetics/ small TV stand/ three end tables/ stained quarter round/ flooring-ceramic tiles and much more!

May 14, 7:30am to noon

504 Deerpath

Women and Boys Clothing size Medium & Large. Also lots of household items.

May 14-15

418 Deerpath

Kids toys, puzzles, games, clothes. Lots of household items.

May 14-16

202 E. Washington St.

Moving sale so LOTS of stuff. We will start at 12:30pm and run until later in the evening, plus all weekend. Lots of baby boy clothes, baby items (new pump & supplies, bottles, etc.), toys, games, room furniture, some FREE items. I’m still going through stuff!

From the editor: Here is a map created by a third party showing the locations above as well as other sale locations - Tolono Garage and Yard Sales.

Kitchen Delight | Fruity Lemon Cheesecake

(Family Features) -- Fresh fruit is finally in season. When the sun is out and kids are hitting the pool, it’s also time to indulge in some sweet fruit flavors. Watermelon, berries, bananas and more can all be found near perfect ripeness at grocery stores or farmer’s markets during the warm summer months.

Photo provided

On a hot day, there is almost nothing better than trying something new that sounds delicious. Throw your apron on, prepare your kitchen and get baking.

If you’re craving something sweet with no ideas where to start, try this sweet Lemon Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit. It’s tangy and rich, and allows you to escape to the summer oasis of your dreams, at least for a few minutes.

It has the smooth, creamy texture of cheesecake mixed with a hint of tart lemon juice. Topped with raspberries, mint and oranges, the burst of fresh fruit enhances the cheesecake flavor. It’s the perfect sweet treat for summer for people of all ages with its bright colors and varying flavors.

In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter then press into a springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, three eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract then pour it on top of the graham cracker mixture.

Bake for 50-55 minutes before cooling completely in the fridge and adding fruit and mint leaves.

The outcome is a fluffy cheesecake with a small hint of lemon topped with your favorite fresh fruits. It’s a delightful, sweet and satisfying recipe your family can make again and again to enjoy during those warm summer months.

Find more recipes perfect for summer at Culinary.net.

Lemon Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit

Photo provided

Servings: 6-8

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, peeled and separated
8 raspberries
3 mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F.

In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press firmly into 9-inch springform pan.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs, fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract; mix until combined.

Pour into pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until center springs back when lightly pressed. Chill in refrigerator until completely cooled. Arrange orange slices around border of cake and place raspberries in middle. Top with mint leaves.

It's out of here!

St. Joseph-Ogden's Kennedy Hudson watches the ball she put in play fly out to left field on Saturday during the Spartans' home softball game against Salt Fork. Hudson's ball was good for a two-run homer to put SJO up 7-4 in the bottom of 6th inning. The Storm rallied back to get within one run of putting the game into extra innings before fally 7-6 in the non-conference contest. Hudson finished the game with a hit and 2 the pair of RBIs.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Prep Sports Notebook: Softball and baseball teams notch wins

Alyssa Acton hits a foul ball against Olympia

Alyssa Acton hits a foul ball during SJO home game against Olympia. Today, in the Spartans' road game at Rantoul, the sophomore had 3 hits including a home run and 4 RBIs.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartans pick up 10th win of the season

Alyssa Acton put a shot over the fence in the fifth inning for a two-run homer to increase the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team's commanding lead over Rantoul, 11-4. In the next frame, Shayne Immke drilled a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the Illini Prairie Conference duel to put the Spartans up, 16-4.

Any hopes of an Eagles comeback was extinquished 1-2-3 by Acton, who was throwing heat from the circle. In her five-inning appearance, the sophomore slugger averaged just 12 pitches per frame to help the SJO pick up their 10th win of the season.

Emily Curtis, who gave up a pair of home runs and a double on 13 hits, earned the loss for the Eagles.

It was another superb outing also for Kelsey Martlage, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, Immke with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and Maggie Ward (2-for-3) with two of the team's 11 stolen bases and a pair of RBIs.

Unity shuts out IPC foe

Every Unity batter that stepped in the box in today's home game today against Pontiac booked at least one hit in win #8 for the Rockets after handing the visiting Indians a 9-0 shutout.

Pitcher Taylor Henry, now 4-0 overall for the season, struck out 14.

The Rockets enjoyed back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the third, first from freshman Ruby Tarr, who went 2-for-4 on the day, and then from Henry, the next batter in the lineup, on a 3-1 count.

Madeline Reed and Gracie Renfrow hit a double during one of their three trips to the plate. Reed scored twice and contributed an RBI. Renfrow's offensive contribution included a pair of runs and 2 hits. Elise Swanstrom hit a triple and put two runs over the plate.

Unity improves to 3-0 in conference play. Next up, the Rockets take on IVC at home on Saturday with the first game of the twin bill starting at noon.

Spartan baseball team rebounds

It is hard to keep a good team down.

After dropping a disappointing heartbreaker to Maroa-Forsyth one day earlier, the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team picked up their 13th victory of the season after beating Rantoul 8-7 on the road this afternoon.

Down 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, SJO rallied back scoring five runs in the last two innings of the game for the win.

The key moment came on a one-out sacrifice fly ball from Andrew Beyers's in the top of the six that allowed senior Crayton Burnett to cross the plate from third for the go-ahead run.

The Spartans relied on three pitchers to get through their toughest conference game so far this season. Connor Hale was on the bump for two innings, Griffin Roesch saw action for just over an inning and Avian Gerdes three complete innings. The trio tossed 157 pitches and combined for nine strikeouts.

Hayden Brazelton and Isaiah Immke had two hits apiece. Ty Pence, Crayton Burnett and Keaton Nolan scored two times each for SJO.

Create lasting keepsakes for Mother's Day

StatePoint Media-- In today’s world, intimacy can sometimes be sacrificed for immediacy. We often send texts or emails to family and friends rather than hand writing letters, cards or notes.

However, handwritten notes are a beautiful way to capture meaningful moments and create something tangible that goes beyond the digital. In the past, writing by hand was an integral part of daily life -- letters were written to soldiers overseas, travel journals and diaries were kept, and cards were sent to celebrate birthdays. Today, we have to be much more intentional about crafting these handmade mementos.

This year for Mother’s Day, get inspired by the art of handwritten communication and celebrate Mom with one of these lasting keepsakes:

• Tap into Nostalgia: Does your mom still have your kindergarten macaroni art or hand-drawn valentines lovingly tucked away in a drawer? Take her for a sweet trip down memory lane by compiling a scrapbook or memory box of your childhood masterpieces. Make sure to include a handwritten note from the present day for a heartfelt finishing touch.

• Feed Mom’s Soul: Preparing food and sharing meals is one of the most common ways families connect. If your mom has a collection of handwritten recipe cards, consider binding them into a cookbook, complete with a title page inscription from her favorite kitchen helper (you!). Not only will it make her feel like an accomplished chef, it’ll preserve these treasured treats for the next generation of kids and grandkids to enjoy.

• Capture the Everyday: The first step to preserving treasured memories is to record them. Gift your mom some stunning stationery, a sturdy leather-bound journal or even high-quality card stock and encourage her to do some writing of her own. Journaling is proven to be an effective tool for relaxation and self-reflection. For moms who give so much of themselves to their families, a lovely journal might be a welcome invitation to spend some much-needed time with herself. Pair your gift with a smooth-writing, long-lasting gel ink pen, like the G2 from Pilot, to ensure Mom’s words flow as effortlessly as her love.

• Give Mom the Ultimate Upgrade: Complete Mom’s gift and make sure she’s ready for any writing task with a Decimo fountain pen. The slimmer barreled cousin to Pilot’s classic Vanishing Point fountain pen features a unique, retractable design and a rhodium plated 18K gold writing nib that is as durable as it is sophisticated.

However you celebrate Mom this year, be sure to skip the e-card and handwrite something from the heart, instead.

By embracing the art of the written word, you can create lifelong memories and treasured heirlooms this Mother’s Day.