Melba Lovelace

After writing Melba’s Swap Shop column seven days a week for 17 years, I decided to retire so my husband, John Abrams, and I could travel. And we did. From Canada to Mexico, from Hawaii to Bermuda and many states in the U.S., too.

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Retirement also gave me a chance to take some of the jobs I never had time for before. I did television shows, had a regular radio show, taught cooking classes at UCO, wrote a monthly newsletter and reviewed restaurants for a publishing company in Los Angeles. I was just as busy as I wanted to be.

Then John was diagnosed with leukemia and was almost immediately no longer able to travel or do anything. I would never have had this special time with him if I had not retired, but I was now free to be with him at home and at the hospital. This was one of the worst times of my life and I thank God that I retired when I did.

I also thank God that I still have the opportunity to continue my column once a week. Readers are my friends, and without them, I would be crawling back trying to get my full-time job back.

— Melba, longtime columnist at The Oklahoman.