When my husband told me in early 2019 that he wanted to retire, my first reaction was, “No, you’re still young and can work until you’re 70.” When we had a serious conversation a few months later, I agreed with his desire to retire, but said, “You need to have an exit plan because I have a home office and don’t want to see you sitting on the couch watching TV.”
Wow, written out, that sounds mean (hahaha); however, he had a little (a lot of) help from his two daughters — thus, the creation of a small business called “Cactus Cliff.” My husband, Cliff, as you probably figured out, has been an outdoor/yard person since we purchased our Kane‘ohe home almost 35 years ago. Right away, he planted a mock orange hedge (now a croton hedge) and a Meyer lemon tree, to name a few. For the past 25 years, Cliff has taken an interest in cactus and succulents. Fast-forward to spring 2019, when our youngest daughter asked and received 300 potted cactus and succulents for her December wedding favors.
Cactus Cliff began in January 2020 with a variety of pots, cups and bowls, etc., filled with an assortment of cactus and succulents. Cliff continues to make decorative arrangements and centerpieces, and cultivates a wide variety of plants from seeds and cuttings. His daughters found ways to feature these products for retail and at open-market venues — something they all enjoy doing together.
My advise to anyone looking to retire is to be prepared so that you can have many years of pleasure. Make a checklist, not a honey-do list, of what you want to do after retirement in order to have control of your life. That list is never set in stone because it is your life and you can change anything any time you like. As for my husband and me, we moved a desk into our guest room and made it into Cliff’s office.
Our house now has two offices — everything is going well in this household!
CACTUS CLIFF
808-722-1520 | cactuscliff96744@gmail.com
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