The chair of happiness

I’m waiting for my butter to come to room temperature.  I’m having people over for brunch tomorrow and I need to get out of my pajamas and start cooking. I guess I don’t really need to get out of my pajamas to cook, but I feel like it might help me feel more like a participant of the day.  But before I get to that point, I have this practice, this daily practice of doing some exercise, a very short meditation, then some writing.  I write to try and inspire myself into writing more, it doesn’t always work. But I enjoy it nonetheless.  Anyway, anyway, I sit here in my chair every day while I do these writing, meditation type things. All of this background means absolutely nothing.  What I wanted to share is while I am waiting for my butter to come to room temperature, I was looking around the room, as I often do while sitting here, and then I twist my neck to look out of my big picture windows and there were big snowflakes coming down. And I thought to myself “I love my life” – I mean I just LOVE my life.  I love my apartment.  I love sitting in this chair and looking across the room at whatever is over there.  I love looking out the window at the view or the weather.  I love this chair. I love my life.  I cannot stress this enough. There is something about the feeling like I deserve this rest, this retirement.  I remember one time being out of work, this was even before Jimmy was born (so over 30 years ago) where I was on vacation but it didn’t feel right.  It didn’t feel right because I wasn’t working and I didn’t feel like I really deserved a vacation.  Like the normal way of feeling when you can’t wait to get away from work for a week.  It was not the same.  I’ve gotten over this in subsequent years, but for this particular purpose I am thinking that these feelings of loving my life so much, post-retirement, is because I feel like I deserve it.  I worked so freaking hard just to maintain life, just to pay the bills, just to get to the weekend, just to have a vacation just to be a member of society, and to what end?  I mean what end? The answer, to retirement.  The best thing about my work experience was the friends I made to which I am forever thankful, or this retirement would REALLY be lonely. I would even go so far to say that about 90% of my friends I have, have been made through some type of work connection. Even Diane.  We met at Secretary school where we were learning about working! Yes, I have highschool and college friends (and church friend) but 90% are work related.  So to say that my working years were a waste would be a lie. But the point of this waiting for butter blog is just to share, once again, how much I love my life.  I think the last 657 posts have mostly been about struggling to find my way so I thought I’d mix it up and keep sharing my good fortune, and I don’t mean fortune in monetary terms, but I feel so fortunate to sit in this chair, look across the room, look out the window and say to myself “I love my life.” Every day I say this.  Every day.

Alright, that’s enough of that.  Now onto dressing in real clothes, creaming butter and sugar together and seeing if my pie crusts work or if I have to go quickly to the store and buy store bought crusts. Whatever happens it will be wonderful.

xoxoxoxo

PS – this blog was written at a previous time. I’m experimenting with delayed posting. Although I am guaranteed to still love my life when this posts, the brunch and pie crust dilemma will be over and it may or may not be snowing.

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
91

A mildly entertaining blog for your enjoyment – you be the judge

I’m in the mood for a new rug. I’m not sure what that means.  I’m feeling like it’s a premonition because I don’t need a rug. Perhaps my living situation is going to change and I’m going to need a new rug and I’m getting a jump on ideas. Why else would I be looking at/ and desiring another rug? Not that not-needing has ever stopped me from buying before, but really it’s not like you can stuff an un-needed rug in the back of your closet. But for some reason rugs in general are jumping out at me. That’s kinda all I wanted to say about that.

Although, maybe what I want to say is about premonitions?  No, that’s not it.  Decorating maybe? Maybe it’s about decorating. Maybe this is going nowhere fast. Well, in any event, rugs…

Last night I had my boys, and one girlfriend here for dinner.  It was a late Thanksgiving/birthday celebration. I was sick for Thanksgiving which is when we would have had cake for my oldest son’s FORTIETH birthday.  Yes, you heard that right, 40! FORTY. I can’t get over it. But anyway, we had to reschedule which was nice because the younger son, who has since moved to SF (San Francisco) is here for the weekend so he was able to join us.  I mean it just doesn’t get any better than having an evening with your family, one grandpup, lots of food, with all my Christmas décor up using my Christmas dishes. Except for the fact that we were missing one girlfriend and one dog.  Turns out the SF couple are unable to leave their dog at the same time.  They have not yet found a suitable boarding option so they are taking turns with a quick visit home separately and then on Christmas morning we will just zoom like we did 2 years ago during the height of Covid.  It wasn’t bad at all. But togetherness is my first option. Anyway, I noticed that my Christmas dishes, and server ware (like the serving bowls) do not match. Although the theme is similar, they are not from the same set.  I thought a lot about that last night.  Mostly I thought about how I don’t care.  Then I kept questioning myself.  Like “do I not care because they still look good together?” or “am I becoming slovenly and unkempt?” I mean is there meaning behind the fact that I don’t have a complete matching set, but kinda don’t care?  To check myself I went online to see if I could find the serving bowls to match my dinner plates. They’re hard to find but a few are out there, and I don’t love them. The accompanying pieces have writing on them. I’m not a particular fan of writing on my dishes. But I did find some salad/dessert plates, completely unrelated to the holidays that I was so very close to hitting that “buy” button on, but I stopped short. I know where to find them though. Jimmy (youngest son) commented on my dishes.  Does it get any better than someone noticing? This was kinda funny too, well funny to me, cause it’s me, but when I was setting the table for last nights dinner I realized I don’t have any matching napkins.  Not that my napkins have to “match-match” but you know something complimentary, in cloth.  I was slightly mortified.  BUT I have a set of napkins that have polka dots on them and found two red and two green and made them work and I think I’m going to keep them as my option.  But there was a moment when I thought SHIIT! Luckily, I improvised. Does anyone care about this? Nooo, but that’s what makes a good blog for me.  It’s about nothing.  And turning that nothing into a memory.  I have a memory now, seriously I do, of improvising those napkins and making it look like it was totally planned.  And the dishes thrown together that look like they go together.

Dinner was fantastic, if I may say so, the evening was sooo nice. A dog was here having fun. The boys were talking a lot and catching up. Zachary played the piano and we were all amazed at his talent (it’s so great having a piano again) – we had birthday cake – and basically I stayed in the kitchen while the kids (the kids) talked amongst themselves and I just listened.  Isn’t that what parenthood is a lot about?  Kinda blending in the background and just listening? Remember, for you parents, those car rides where you are the driver and you’re toting 6 kids around who are talking like you’re not even in the car?  You learn so much.  I remember Donna Cooper and I in the front seat of some van with a car load of boys and they were back there talking and we were not talking, just listening, and I don’t remember what was said but I remembered we both looked at each with a slight horror at something they said!  Horror or shock or like WTF? LOL.  That’s a little what it was like last night.  I was halfway trying to stay out of the way so I could just listen to them. But thankfully there were no shocking or horror stories overheard. Just some brotherly love going on.

Well, I guess that’s it for now. Perhaps a mildly entertaining blog for your enjoyment. Now I must go in the kitchen and eat some leftovers from the food I made last night, enough for the neighborhood. Chances are I’ll just stick to left over birthday cake, but I have options.

And maybe I need a rug under my dining room table. I mean there is room for one.

xoxox

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
12

Write about how you can be more present in your life and perhaps in the life of others

I had this writing prompt today.  Trying to get back in the swing of blogging.  I miss it you know.  I miss the camaraderie with myself.  LOL.  Seriously, when I write it’s like part of me is having this conversation with another part of me as I don’t know where most of the stuff I’m writing comes from.  Just starts flowing out of me.  I miss that flow.  I miss the fun. So I decided to join a 21 day writing adventure to try and get back in the flow.  Today’s writing prompt – like an inspiration to write something – says “Write about how you can be more present in your life and perhaps in the life of others.” And so I’m stumped.  What does that mean?  More present with myself?  I mean I’m right here.  Every morning I do yoga. Okay not the past two weeks because my nose is so stuffy I can’t breath (I’m on an antibiotic now – first day no blowing so far) but my day typically starts with yoga, then a 5 minute meditation which I’m terrible at so I’m trying guided meditations. Otherwise I’m thinking about the weather, my errands, what I’m going to make for mom next Tuesday, when I’m going to get around to cleaning my apartment, do I really need to dust? Do I want to get in the car and go do some retail therapy?  Look, the sun is out, shouldn’t I be out then too?  This is where my head goes during meditation. Anyway, where was I? Yoga, 5 minute timed meditation, and now writing I’m adding. Like forced writing.  So this course is pretty cool saying as a writer the writing finds you, you just have to make yourself available. I did that with my blog finally florida.  I was available. I made it my job and it was fun.  It was my purpose. And I made myself do it.  I have no purpose now for that kind of thing.  Well, actually (see this is what I mean about half myself talking to my other half) – actually, I could be, and should be writing about this retirement thing.  I can’t tell you how many people get encouraged by my excitement over retirement. As we all should be.  There is something to be said about deserving it.  We, our generation, comes from a past of working to make ends meet. Most of us working for survival.  Few of us getting past survival to have a “nice” life.  Quite a few, but still all held together quite precariously. But we do our time, and we raise our kids and we have our homes and we get through and then the good Lord, and the social security, and there’s something that says, enough now.  You’ve done your time, you can be done (if you want to be). And that’s where I was. It wasn’t the first time out of work, but it’s the first time I’m feeling I can be done now. My time is up.  I’ve done my time. It’s rewarding.  It was hard work and we, us retirees, are being rewarded with getting our life back. Or in some cases just getting a life. Everyone, and I mean everyone asks, how are you doing it? Which my answer is “wait for the book” but another answer is how can you not do it?  You just live each day as it comes.  I live each day. I wake up, I do my schtick (and try to add to it in some meaningful way) I sign up for activities, like hiking, maybe rowing again, we’ll see, maybe horseback riding in the spring again, take a trip, I mean I am living my life.  I think what I can do with the day that is before me.  If it’s snowing and the roads are bad (which hasn’t happened yet) well then that’s a day to stay inside and think of an inside activity.  I’ve been sick for a whole month now and so these days I have often stayed in my pj’s all day. I’ve started doing crafts. I have knitting, I have a piano again.  I read a lot.  I watch TV but not until after 3 and usually not until 6. I mean my days are MY days and I do whatever I want.  That’s how you do it.  To say I’m not worried about certain things, and we all know what that means, would be a lie.  But to make it a focus of my retirement would be to deny myself the joy of being retired.  That is what I worried about when I worked.  I refuse to worry about it now. Worry adds nothing to my days. And it adds another exercise to my morning, letting go of that worry and just enjoy the day.  But this has nothing to do with being present does it?  The writing prompt of the day?  Or wait, does it have everything to do with the question? I am present in my life.  I just rambled on about this very thing. I live my life each day.  I’m present each day. Each day I look at that dust and say, “is today the day I get you?” and then let the day answer for itself.  I can tell you that dust question has been unanswered for some time.  But that’s the life of the retiree. I can let that dust go.  I can also let pants go, except when I leave the house.  I remember, when I was living in DeLand Florida, working at Stetson, my life was sooo busy that I was barely keeping up.  Jimmy came to visit me and we were running out of the apartment going somewhere and I asked him “do you ever stop to think when you’re running out of the house if you have your pants on?” and he said “no, and I’m very worried that you do.” LOL.  I’ll never forget that.  Made me laugh, but also worried.  I will tell you that I NEVER worry about if I have my pants on when I leave the house now. Now it’s more about the bra.

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
842

Still a blogger

I told two people these past weeks that I’m a blogger.  I didn’t mention the retired part.  I just said I’m a blogger because it fit the situation at the time.  Well, then I realized I’m only a blogger if I blog.  Not wanting to be a liar I decided I better blog about something. So here we go:

I’m still retired.

The end.

Just kidding.

Many people ask me if I’m still retired, and how I’m doing it. I’m not sure why people ask if I’m still retired, cause as far as I’m concerned that’s like a final decision.  I mean, I guess I could go back to work full time, and I would, if there was a dream job that weirdly came up and someone begged me to work my dream job, but I don’t think there is a dream job.  I think my dream job is to be retired.  So I’m already doing it. But let me tell you, it’s not easy being retired.  There’s exercising, there’s lunch dates, there’s hikes and then reading articles when you sit in your chair just lounging.  I read two the other day.  One of raising wolf pups and one about the new Prime Minister in Italy.  See?  I mean so much to learn on that internet.

I also have a hospice patient I visit once a week and after her I go to Trader Joes.  It’s like a whole thing. Once she passes I don’t know what I’ll do about that Trader Joes run.  We don’t have a lot of them in the Pittsburgh area so I take advantage of stopping there when I’m in the area.

There’s online classes or webinars that I jump on once in a while.  They can be a time suck as well. 

Let’s see what else, there’s mom on Tuesday.  Normally I would cook something for her on Mondays so that would mean a trip to the store to get what I needed and then cook all day so I can get it to her on Tuesdays but the last few visits I have had to work something else into the day so she’s been getting the equivalent of TV dinners.  She doesn’t seem to mind.  They make pretty good microwavable meal options now.  Or I’ll drive through Panera.  Mom is on Tuesday, except next Tuesday when I’m doing a cooking with the Steelers thing with Sally. So mom has to move to Wednesday. Next week I have a possible hike on Monday, Mom on Tuesday, my old neighbor’s yearly Witch party (Halloween) on Wednesday which is an all day event and then Thursday -Sunday a weekend trip to Florida.  See what I mean?  Who has time to work?

BUT, I am looking at working at Amazon, in the warehouse, part time, for the holidays and perhaps beyond depending on if I like it and/or can do it and my back holds out.  But get this, ok, so I signed up for a “flexible” shift – which means I work UP to 19 hours a week and I pick my own schedule.  Sounds good right?  I mean I just pick my own hours.  So I get hired, and I get notified that my start date is Oct 20 and my orientation is at 2:40 AM.  That’s right A.M. So, I call them, 4 times, but I insist that this must be some sort of error because there was an option to work that 2:40 a.m. shift but you had to CHOOSE it, which I did not CHOOSE it, so this a.m. must be a typo and it must mean p.m.  Now, this is going to sound very bigoted, but the first 3 people I talked to I could barely understand the Indian accent, which made it doubly irritating and I just assumed they didn’t know what a.m. meant and I just wanted to talk to someone at the location. It’s apparently impossible. Then I get a letter saying Joe Schmoe (not his real name) is my supervisor and if I have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  But there is no contact info for Joe Schmoe.  I wait a day or two and I try calling the 800 employee customer care number again.  This time I got a very nice Indian man who spoke very good English and understood completely what I was saying about Orientation couldn’t possibly be at 2:40 a.m. to teach anything including machinery to a bunch of new people.  But I am wrong about that.  Wrong wrong wrong.  That is the time of the orientation.  Can you believe it?  I was very depressed about that because there is no way I’m going at 2:40 a.m. Just no way. I thought it might be “fun” to try something like this and it would keep me active and November is looking pretty open and then of course Christmas, so I really want to try it. THEN, this very nice man was feeling sorry for me and put me on hold and came back to tell me that there is an option to change my start date and shift. And if I do that it “should” change the orientation time. Should. There are 7 more options open now (there were none two days ago) – he told me to check back again after Monday and there may be more.  Right now I’m having a little trouble working around the Florida weekend and a start date, BUT,  I believe I’ll be able to get in there with a start date at the beginning of November sometime.  They have some easy part time shifts – working 25 hours a week, but believe it or not that takes me over what I’m allowed to make for Social Security.  Since I retired early, I can only make so much money before being penalized.  That’s why the flexible shift works better for me.  Less hours. Well that and I don’t want to work a lot, cause I’m retired! So that’s possibly coming up IF I can get a better orientation time.  I’ll have to keep rescheduling if they keep having orientation at 2:40 a.m.  I just can’t do it.  I won’t do it. But isn’t that crazy?  Crazy.

Working at Amazon would be in addition to working as an usher at the Steeler Games.  Have I mentioned I’m doing that?  It’s great fun.  Well, it was fun.  We’ll see how depressing it is the rest of the season while the Steelers rebuild.  Because I don’t think it’s going to be a winning season.  I think it’s going to be a rebuilding season.  I just love working the games.  It’s really fun/high energy just being there. The people can be a pain but not all of them.  I’m getting some nice regulars.  That’s a physical day too but mostly just on my feet and walking to and from the stadium.  One of my goals in retirement is to keep moving and as it so happens I’m moving more than ever. 

What else.

Today was Fall Family Fun day although without Jimmy and Emily because they now live in San Francisco.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this. I think that was the last time I blogged.  Photos from SF. Well, anyway, Fall Family Fun Day 2022 was lovely.  Me, Zach and Rachel went to lunch at Fuel and Fuddle and then walked up to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.  Phipps was very crowded and we mentioned that it was times like this we missed Covid.  During Covid they had limited attendance and they had the rooms roped off so you could only walk through one way.  Why would they stop doing that?  Except they let so many people in now so it’s like a free for all and not really very pleasant at all.   Except that it IS pleasant cause I’m with my family and the flowers are nice.  Then after Phipps, a quick walk around Flagstaff Hill (by CMU) then back to the car then I went to their house to sit with my grandpup Daisy. Plus the weather was beautiful and I looked cute in my new hat. All in all a perfect day, other than the blisters I have on my feet, because I wore the wrong shoes for all that walking.  And I have to work at the Steeler game tomorrow.  I’m a little bit worried about that.

Ok, I believe I’ve accomplished my goal of being a blogger.  A lot to-do about nothing as is my genre, my niche.  It’s what I do. I’m a blogger.

xoxoxo

PS – My featured photo is from Phipps and the orange flowers are glass by Chihuly. Absolutely stunning.

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
821

Where in the World…?

San Francisco, or as I’m told to refer to it as SF.  I’m told if you say San Fran you will be dubbed an outsider, behind the times, or heaven forbid a tourist. As I may or may not have mentioned, who can remember, my youngest son and Emily (his significant other) have moved to SF. I am now here visiting and dog sitting. I was their primary dog sitter when they lived in Pittsburgh. I don’t see any reason that has to change, am I right? At least this time I got to spend a few days with them before they left town and then I’ll get one more night with them when they return before I head back to the heat. That’s right, the heat of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am finding the weather in this area fascinating.  The rest of the country is in a heat wave and where they live it doesn’t get out of the 60’s, like ever.  Okay maybe not “ever” as it is predicted to go all the way into the 70’s this weekend.  But just look at this forecast:

They live on the Pacific ocean coast, which when the fog clears you can actually see from the end of their street:

The big blue expanse on the horizon is the Pacific.  Jimmy says the sunsets are beautiful however the first night when we went over to see the sunset the fog came in at that time.

The second night here would have been perfect for sunset viewing but we went to Sausalito for dinner instead.  Drove across the Golden Gate bridge, which I imagine for them, in time, will become a “whatever” but this was their first time driving across on their own. Jimmy seems to have a good idea of where he’s going already and it’s so fun to feel their excitement that they live here.  They keep saying to each other “we live here” and they just love it.  And I just love it.

The fog is an interesting and constant companion.  Some days it starts clearing up around 10 am but today it is already 11:11 (make a wish) and there doesn’t appear to be any sign of it clearing up. It also just waters everything.  So their deck looked like it rained this morning, which is just from the fog. While walking the dog this morning we walked under some trees that were dripping rain from the fog.  Is it called Dew?  It must have a more significant name.  Although I have a sweatshirt type thing on I’m not particularly cold and the sun, when it is out, is fierce. My feet got really sunburned yesterday. I was at Jean’s pool last week, in Pittsburgh, no sunscreen, all day, and I didn’t get any sun.  Here, burnt in 5 minutes. And if you move to the shade it’s chilly.  It’s pretty crazy.

The architecture fascinates me.  I mean whose idea was it to build connecting houses?  There are, of course, houses that do not connect, but so so so many that do.  Is that to fit more people?  What was the thought here? Some of the “rows” look identical in structure and then on other streets there are vast differences in design. But still connect.

I still haven’t figured out how these kids have a back yard since you have to walk up to the second floor to get into their house. And their yard borders three other yards.  Like how is that possible?  I need drone footage.

Parking is a lot like Mt. Washington in that if you don’t have a garage you’re pretty screwed finding something close. And every other block has a different street cleaning schedule. These kids don’t mind that though.  I think cause it’s just so new to them.  Their house (they are renting) looks like it had a garage at one time but they turned it into a one bedroom efficiency type unit that they Airbnb. Could be me for a winter month.  OR I could find another place on another street, for a winter month.  It looks like its cheaper to Airbnb here than in Florida, at least in January. And the weather supposedly goes from the 60’s to the high 50’s in the winter.  Not too much different. Maybe the wind gets colder though. They will find out. Oh and this is a cool little fact, no AC.  I mean who would need it here. At least “here” on the coast. Obviously not all of San Francisco is this temperate.

Okay what else.  Trees. They’re big.  I want to see more.  I told them next time I want to go for a walk in Muir Woods so there’s that.  But even around town they just look so big to me.

And how about this option…Emily went to Napa for the day last week.  On a Sunday, her and a couple friends drove up to Napa, hit a couple wineries, and then home in the evening.  Isn’t that just the coolest option for a Sunday afternoon you ever heard of?

Here’s some photos from a walk I took on day one.  I told Emily I needed to be a tourist and check out my surroundings (without the dog). Here are some photos of particular interest (at least to me):

So this dog, adorable as dogs are, is impossible to walk.  Okay not impossible but he’s a handful.  He goes from pulling you to abrupt stopping and sniffing and then you can’t get him to stop sniffing.  I decided there is no big rush here so I can let him sniff, but then you have to watch out what exactly he is sniffing and then eating.  For the most environmentally friendly state there sure is a lot of litter around here.  I don’t really think it’s people littering.  I feel like it’s garbage trucks not picking it all up.  It’s just a guess and me trying to give people the benefit of the doubt but my goodness the litter is everywhere.  So you have to watch the dog.

Also common in SF are the stories of the homeless people. However, where they live there are no homeless people, at least not up here in their neighborhood.  And when I walked down street (like literally DOWN) I didn’t come across any.

I had my day all planned out today.  I have a monthly call with a group of woman and was all set to make sure I got up in time, since the call is East Coast time. Put all my notebooks and things out.  Got up today ready to go, checked my emails and for some reason it said it’s Friday.  My call is on Saturday. So now I have a whole day to figure out what to do.  There is a park I thought I’d try to find (in the car) with the dog but it’s still foggy and then there’s the parking issue.  If I take the car will I ever find a place to park when I come back? I brought my computer thinking I’d work on that next novel, you know, and as usual I’m procrastinating.  This dog is used to them working at home and will calm himself while they are at work so I thought I’d follow suit and work and be productive. But because it’s supposed to be Saturday (in my head) and it’s Friday do I work on the book?  Do I go to the park?  Do I put the pup in the crate and head down to Trader Joe’s for some dark chocolate covered graham crackers? A reminder popped up on my phone saying “it’s time to blog” – I have one set for Fridays.  Notice how often I pay attention.  But today, while in SF, I mean why not? I’m getting up earlier (my goal to be a morning person could be attained here on the west coast) – I’m walking these hills, and I mean HILLS with the pooch, why not be diligent and write a stupid blog.  LOL.  And why do I call my blog a “stupid blog” – is it cause it’s stupid?  Well, no matter.  I at least entertain myself when I write them so there’s that. 

Okay, by the time I get this uploaded with the pictures it will probably be time for lunch.  Still no sun.  What’s up with that today? So much weather to learn about here in SF, and you know how I’m the weather girl.

And now the dog is barking in my face. Clearly I am missing something he thinks I should know.

xoxoxo

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
62

Bugs

I am losing my mind. I am sitting here trying to work on the computer. First let me back up and say this has been going on now for weeks, maybe even longer. Anyway, I feel like Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown who walks around with his constant dust only with me it’s bugs. Tiny annoying bugs and I can NOT get rid of them for the life of me. I have vinegar sitting in bowls everywhere. I bought a bug light that is doing absolutely nothing. The vinegar seems to be also doing nothing. The bugs are not quite microscope as I see them constantly and just smash them with my hands, typically smashing them onto my body because they like to fly into my face. I have thrown out most of my plants thinking they are the culprits. I have thrown out fresh flowers. They don’t seem to be hovering around any food. The ignore totally the vinegar. They are hovering around me. I shower daily. I swear. There are NO plants, there is nothing for them in this corner, yet they are constantly around. I found two in my bathroom sink this morning. Although those two in the sink were a little bigger type of bugs but still where do these come from? I hate bugs. I hate small bugs, I hate big bugs. I hate all bugs.

Where do people live that bugs do not?

xoxo

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
43

Nothing but blue skies..

I took my crystals on a field trip today.  Someone recently told me (or I read it) that crystals need to connect with the earth periodically.  I keep them on my windowsill and assume I am cleaning them with the sun and moon light that blasts through these gigantic windows but there is no earth right outside these windows so I packed them up and took them on a field trip to the Point.  Point State Park that is. I took water (to drink) I took a beach towel, a journal, my phone and there I sat with my stones for a pretty long time. I think it was the same area where Diane and I might have sat 44 years ago when we used to skip school and go to the Point to get sun on our faces.  I put my face in the sun for a little while today but I don’t know if it’s my age or the sun is hotter but I just can’t take that straight sunshine these days.  So I went under a tree, part shaded, part sunny.  Best of both. And there I sat with my stack of crystals and thought about life.  Figured I could use some earth grounding time as well.

These past 2 weeks have been unbelievably busy.  I believe I mentioned my youngest, James Anthony, got a job offer in San Francisco.  He had one week to pack up and one week for travel and that’s where mom comes in.  The time together was priceless (although literally costly as well) but the time we spent together packing boxes was a perfect way for us both to start this next adventure.  After a week of packing with them, I sent Jimmy and Emily on their way, on Wednesday, while I stayed behind with the moving company and movers to basically sit in the house while they packed up all their furniture.  The moving company did an excellent job of wrapping everything.  One guy to wrap, one to do all the lifting and moving to the truck and one to play Tetris in the truck.  The Tetris one is the one I should have been monitoring as in the end I’m not exactly sure they didn’t get a bit ripped off as the quote more than doubled when they said the amount of cubic feet used in the truck was blah blah amount after it was loaded.  They put the mattress in last so I couldn’t see behind it and see how much space was unused.  Crooks.  And no way I could hoist myself in the truck either.  BUT they did such a wonderful job of not banging into any walls and were so pleasant that I just left that issue between Jimmy and them and we decided it might be cheaper to buy all new furniture if ever moving across country again.  But cost aside it’s mostly going very smooth.  I just hope they get their stuff on the other end.  I mean who knows if these are real movers or what.  Anyway, after the movers were out I went the next day to clean up after them to get it ready for showings by the realtor  So the movers came Wednesday.  The kids left Wednesday. Thursday I think was a day of rest in the daytime but headed back over to take out the garbage Thursday night (and you know how that can pile up after a move) and then Friday was cleaning day.  The Veterans were to come on Friday to pick up their loot so I went on Friday morning, early, so I would be there when they “called”. Around 1 pm, no call yet so I decided to head just down the hill to the Dollar store to get a front hall door mat for the people going in and out looking at it and wouldn’t you know they show up just then – no call – and then just leave a message that they wouldn’t wait.  They called to say they were there and no one was there.  Ya know?  WTF.  I was livid.  Blind rage I tell you.  It’s an issue.  I understand. I said I’d give them the garage code.  They said they’re not allowed in the garage.  I said they were supposed to call.  They said they had no note to call.  I said you have my number don’t you?  How did you get that to call if you didn’t have the number to call (Emily made sure they had my number to call) anyway, the person I was yelling at was so wonderful, such a good customer service person and I should send her a basket of fruit.  Maybe I will because she was really good with me until she said “please quit yelling at me” – and then I felt a little bad and apologized and started crying.  I mean it was a really bad time for a couple hours.  Until I decided to rent a U-Haul and took all the stuff to Goodwill.  Eff them.  I mean seriously.  They could have waited 5 minutes and who doesn’t call first?  I mean seriously.  I rented a 10’ box truck and was loading and unloading and zipping (as much as one can zip during rush hour) all over that city.  I gotta say.  I really like driving those trucks. I’m not sure what that says about me.  But what I think it’s saying is I should buy a motorhome.  All this time I’ve been thinking I need a home-home to settle.  Maybe I just need a motorhome. And now I can drive coast to coast to visit family.  Maybe a motorhome AND a Lake House.  That’s the ticket.

So what was this blog about again?  Perspective? What was I supposed to be doing at the Point with my crystals?  Grounding I think.  See how I am? I think I’m grounding and then I go off on a tangent about motorhomes.  And you can bet I will be scrolling through motorhomes tonight on the internet.  When I lived in Port Orange, Florida there was a mall nearby that had oodles of them in the parking lot for you to walk through and I admit that’s the first time I fell in love with them.  I mean they have everything in them. Beds, kitchens, bathrooms! And then if you throw your camp chair in the motorhome storage all you need to do is pull out the side awning and you have your outdoor patio. Wouldn’t that be some kind of new thing for me.

Okay, perspective, wait no, grounding.

Well, the reality of it is now I have one child on each coast.  This is not an anomaly. I am not unique. Most of the parents I know, of my peers, have at least one child out in the world away somewhere.  Barb has all three children living hours away.  All three. At least now she has all three on the east coast. But anyway, my point being I’m not unique.  My situation is not unique, but it is new to me. And I have to figure out my place in the world again.  When I moved back to Pittsburgh I clung to the fact that my kids are here and that’s why I’m here.  But now I have one gone and one here. I do have a pretty big social life and friend circle. But I believe in my mind they are just extensions of my reason for living. My kids. That’s where I have to change my perspective. I need a different reason to exist. I mean it’s one thing to be on call to go let the dog out or dog sit while they go away, but it shouldn’t be my reason to live.  And now that I’m faced with this new situation I realize that I am STILL living for my kids.  I think this has to change.  I need another reason to live.

And I don’t mean that like literally, but I do.  I mean I just have to change my focus.

Right after I get back from dog sitting in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend.

xoxo

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
83

As I was saying

Obviously I am out of synch with this blog. Retirement is a busy busy place.  Or is it being a retiree is a busy busy place to be.  Regardless, I’m over busy.  Busier than I was when I was working full time.  However, everything I’m doing is something fun. Something I want to do.  Something I’m making time for. So there’s the difference. And what a difference it is.  However, I still need to find balance.

And what exactly have I been doing?  Exploring the world and my surroundings.  For instance, Sally and I went to the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens.  A short 20-minute drive and it’s like an oasis of beautiful nature.  Right in our backyard.  A nice 3 mile hike around it.  Seriously I want to live there.  We’ve also being doing other hikes.  Some in our (her) backyard of Sewickley, which has always been a beautiful place to be.  I grew up in those woods and now I’m appreciating just how beautiful and fortunate I was to grow up there. I’ve also been on this rowing (crew) team.  This however has not been my favorite thing to do.  The river is dirty, our boat gets overcome(?) by waves from other boaters going by.  Physically I love it.  It’s a great workout, but am I going to sign up again?  No. I’m going to move on to Kayaking.  I think that will be more my pace.

Let’s see what else.  Puzzles.  Puzzles are my new obsession.  So much so that I forget to eat.  I called Zachary one day thinking I was having a heart attack as I was so dizzy.  He asked if I had eaten anything, to which I replied no thinking it was only around noon.  But alas, it was 6:30 at night and I neither looked at the clock or thought to get myself away from that puzzle long enough to eat.  I ate and all was well.  But puzzles.  They have to be good for our minds with all that geometry and color matching and seeing patterns and what not.  But, I’m putting them on the back burner for now cause literally I miss too much of life.  I had two appointments yesterday that I skipped because I was too involved in finishing.  That’s bad.  But it certainly shows I’m focused.  Zachary has suggested adult paint by numbers.  He wants me to paint him a Van Gogh.  I’ll do it.  I loved paint by numbers as a kid.  And well when a kid asks you for something who am I to say no.

Now I know that you working people are rolling your eyes over the basic fun things I am doing (which I’ve not even mentioned half) BUT these are life affirming to me.  One day I was doing this self-help (or whatever they call it these days) exercise where you write your perfect day, or your perfect life, write it down, and well I realized I am living my perfect life.  How about that?  I want for nothing and I love what I’m doing and if I try for something else and it doesn’t come together I’m like “oh well” – been there done that and I know it’s not meant to be because when it is the right thing, it comes together.  OR falls apart.  Whichever way.  And I just don’t worry about it.

Here’s something else I’m knee (maybe ankle) deep in.  Ancestry.  My brother was just here for a visit.  Drove across the country.  He decided on his way back to California he was going to drive through Beardstown Illinois as that is where my Grandmother’s (on my mother’s side) family is from.  We had spent all our childhood visits to Virginia, which is where my Grandfather (mother’s side) was raised.  So all our history and relatives were focused on Virginia relatives, quite a lot about the Civil War.  However, my grandmother and her family have years and years of history in this town called Beardstown.  It’s sad when you think about how we just lost touch there.  However, there really weren’t any relatives left there after my Grandot left and her mother died, my great grandmother.  My great grandmother died in February of 1958, before I was born.  So there was no one left in Beardstown anyway, as far as relatives.  Grandot had one brother and he lived in Chicago. He didn’t have any kids.  We never visited him either.  I never met him.  For years they sent us each $3 for Christmas and maybe birthdays.  I really liked getting that $3 but somewhere along the line they quit sending that I think because we never thanked them.  Which seems like that’s wrong because my mother always made us send thank you notes.  That Uncle’s name was Merle.  He was married to Irene.  I remember as a kid I never knew who was the Uncle and who was the Aunt.  I think I called him Aunt Merle and Uncle Irene.  So even though we, as the grandkids, had no connection or knowledge of this place called Beardstown, I am now learning allll about it through my grandmother’s memories.  We (my brother) managed to save a whole bunch of memorabilia from the house.  He was the last one at Opus (the Virginia house) and managed to grab these ancient memories that we are now looking at.  Talk about a rabbit hole.  I spent a whole afternoon reading about Grandot’s childhood, her high school boyfriend, her life.  And that was just ONE of the scrapbooks. I mean what a woman.  What a story.  And what ever happened to Ray (her boyfriend)?  Her boyfriend Ray Glenn was the senior class president and my Grandmother was the class Valedictorian.  And then at 17 years old she was traveling the country as a pianist in Vaudeville.  17 years old. And then she ends up in New York City, on Broadway.  I mean her life was freaking amazing.  And her parents so great and loving towards her.  I have it all in letters, in Western Union Telegrams, in photos.  So many photos. But the photos don’t always say who is who.  On the back of my Great Grandmother’s family photo, where she is a kid, all the names are mentioned but not who is who.  It’s making me look around at my family photos from when I was a kid and wondering if I need to start putting names of who is who on it for future generations.  I’ve attached two of the newspaper articles onto this blog.  And those are just two of the hundreds to go through.  They also must have cut out every article of friends they knew in the town.  My mother did that too. She cut out Susie Williams engagement/wedding announcements and Mary Lynn Delimbo wedding announcement.  In 100 years people will wonder who they were.  Do I keep them?

Scott (my brother) drove through Beardstown and it doesn’t seem to be the thriving Midwest town it once was.  There is a funny story about him walking through the graveyard (a large graveyard) looking for all the family graves. We were on the phone a bit while he was looking around, but hung up after he was close to giving up. I told him he had to send out a little prayer and ask them where they all were. Just as he was giving up he walked over to a tree on the edge (I hope) to relieve himself before the drive back. Guys do that I guess. I mean I’m assuming he is respectful of where he does that kind of thing. I hope this story doesn’t get him arrested. Anyway, pees on a tree, turns around and there were all the McKenzies. LOL. (that’s the family name). So they did direct him! As for the town though, the town and houses are all in a bit of disrepair and that is just sad.  Like life, you know?  We have a lot of towns around Pittsburgh like that too.  Once thriving because of the steel industry and now mostly boarded up. Just sad.  And what does it all mean?

Alright, speaking of cross country (I did mention that in here somewhere didn’t I?) I am off to dog sit the baby Rooney (beagle) dog-son of Jimmy for the last weekend.  Why is it the last weekend I am dog sitting?  Oh, funny you should ask.  Because he’s moving to San Francisco. That’s right, he’s moving 2,572.7 mi away.  Sure I was in Florida away from them but that’s only 1000 miles away, a 2 hour flight and if you go Allegiant $100 round trip.  Or a two day drive (one for those young-ins).  California is a 4- or 5-day drive and THREE times as much in airfare.  BUT I have a lot of company in fellow parents whose kids live around the world and/or across the country. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how it’s killing me on one hand but on the bigger hand I’m so excited for him. I’ve so loved having my little family together – the 5 of us, when we do get together.  And not that we won’t still get together because they will come back, but the dog may not be able to make the trips back and forth. I mean I KNOW the dog won’t be able to make the trips and that’s sad to all of us.  Dogs these days are more than just dogs.  They are our kids and grandpups and I will miss that little effer.  Sooo, I just have to go visit San Francisco, often, that’s all. There are airplanes and I’ll be on one of them frequently I feel sure.  Jimmy and Emily are in L.A. right now as they had this trip planned for months attending a friend’s wedding.  But what timing when they are moving the week after.  But that’s what mom’s are for.  To pack while they are vacationing and help them on their way.  I was able to soothe a lot of their fears by reminding them of my moving prowess. I am the queen of moving.  So now I know why I’ve done so many moves, and so many last-minute moves.  All to bring me to this point of helping my child out of the nest and spread his wings.  I am confident that this move will be in his (and Emily’s) best interest and looking forward to seeing him evolve into adulthood.  Doesn’t mean I won’t be in mourning for who knows how long.  Better plan a lot of hikes.

So look at this, a long rambling like the old days. I didn’t think I had anything to say and here it is. Blah blah blah blah.  So much going on, yet nothing work related.  This is what life is about, and I’m living it and loving it.

The End (for now).

Xoxox

Just wow
Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
12

Caution: Venting ahead

I’m kinda stuck today.  Last week I stayed at my sister’s house while she was out of town to take care of mom.  Mom doesn’t need 24-hour care, but she does need someone to bring her food throughout the day.  And with my sister gone I needed to stay overnight just of in case.  You know my mom’s blind.  Or if you don’t know, mom is blind.  Although I am VERY set in my ways and I am unhappy when I’m not in my own home, it actually proved to be a lovely week.  I was able to cater a bit more to my mom, because I’m retired, don’t you know, so there wasn’t any stress that I had to hurry up and feed her to check emails and do something stupid for someone else.  So she enjoyed the attention and pace.  Mostly I fed her all morning; feed, dishes, feed, dishes, feed.  And then in the afternoon she’s good.  She’s grazes in the morning and then the afternoons are pretty free for whatever.  One day I went on a hike with friends.  The next day I went to lunch with those same friends. One day I went shopping and out to lunch with my niece(s), two of those days I came home to the apartment to get clean underwear (TMI?) and check mail and just look around the apartment.  I was grateful to spend the time with mom, grateful to be able to walk around my home town. I could not believe how many old friends and acquaintances I saw at the grocery stores and got to catch up with.  It sort of felt like I was visiting from out of town.  Well, I guess because I AM visiting from out of town, but that out of town is only 20 minutes away.  Anyway, it was a lovely week and it never left my immediate gratitude that I am RETIRED and able to spend the time needed, and enjoy the time needed, with my mom and in my home town.

But now I’m home.  Mom did ask “what are you going to do this weekend when you get home?” – and I was like “nothing, I guess.  Just get reacquainted with my home?” I have such a routine now, when I’m home, and it all went out the window while watching mom.  No morning yoga.  No morning meditation.  No morning readings and journaling.  It was just coffee, toast, dishes, breakfast, dishes, snacks.  I mean every morning.  Although at least two of the afternoons I did write a little for a new book idea. It wasn’t a total lost week.

ANYWAYYYY, first of all, I didn’t get to sleep last night until after 5 am today.  Why?  Well could be the caffeine in the afternoon Diet Coke.  Could be the caffeine in the chocolate covered pretzels.  It wasn’t stress so it’s gotta be caffeine. So I slept through most of the morning.  BUT my daily routine can start anytime.  I did some yoga, Wordle, checked personal emails, my bank balance, then walked around the city doing a couple errands, pissed off that I forgot my CVS card allowing me 40% off a product and asking god why my rewards card is not tied to my phone number.  But after that little kerfuffle I came home to my wide open day of what to do next.  I decided to do a little Oracle card reading for myself, just incase the message was to prepare for lottery winnings, then I journaled a little, then I made the mistake of looking at Facebook. 

This whole reversal of Roe v. Wade has me coming out, so to speak. I am sooo upset about the state of affairs in so many ways.  Posts on Facebook are sayings about the Handmaid’s Tale, about setting our clocks back 50 years, about women taking a knee during national anthems and they are all so good but also all so horribly sad.  I guess being sad doesn’t help but it has struck me to my core. I am NOT Pro-abortion.  As a matter of fact, in highschool I did a senior presentation in my English class (with Shirley Stevens, god rest her soul) on anti-abortion.  My slide show was to the Seals and Croft song “Unborn Child”.  It isn’t (and wasn’t) that I’m against abortion, most of my friends, like 90% of my friends at the time, had abortions.  I didn’t, if you must know.  And I didn’t and don’t judge them.  But what I felt bad about at the time, and still do, is the fact that these friends, and women in general, are put in a situation or a decision where they feel that they have to make that decision.  It breaks my heart for them.  I was very close to that decision at one point in my life and I CHOSE not to do it.  And I’m thankful I was able to and had the mindset to choose. There are many people that choose NOT to have an abortion.  It’s just it’s “our” choice and no matter what you choose you have to live with the consequences, good and bad. As does that child who also has to live with the consequences. Many that chose NOT to have an abortion do not have an easy time, struggling financially, emotionally and often physically.  Imagine choosing to have your child and then not being able to afford to feed them, or clothe them, or have to work 17 jobs and not be home with them and then they are neglected or abandoned or worse.  I mean it ain’t easy.  And then there are those that chose to have an abortion and they too have to live with those consequences.  Often of guilt, or sadness deep in their heart.  I mean it’s us, the one’s carrying the child, and ultimately taking care of that child, that have to live with the choices.  OUR choice.  It’s nobody else’s right to make that choice for us.

And where is the dad in all of these decisions?  Where is their responsibility? In many circumstances the dads are the one’s saying “get an abortion” in the first place. They sure don’t want the responsibility (sometimes…not all the time of course). Some/many dads in these types of situations with a surprise pregnancy do not want the burden of a child emotionally or financially. They can just walk away from it all.  Does anyone EVER enforce child support? Is it ever enough? And what kind of psychological effect does that type of relationship have on a child?  The parents always fighting.  Parents going to court.  A kid thinking his dad’s (or mom’s) love is tied to child support.  I mean we weaponize everything in the name of children. They are the victims.

Then there is the matter of religion and bending your religious belief to fit the circumstances.  It is amazing how people bend the constitution and religion to fit their definition of right and wrong. If God wanted you to have the choice of having a child YOU would be pregnant.  I mean in religious terms/thinking, God granted women the gift, and the curse, of child bearing.  I would “think” God understands that women have the sense and the burden of deciding what is best for their body, their circumstances and THEIR own child.  Noone else has the right OR God would have made babies grow on trees.  Not in women.  But apparently the regular lay person can interpret right and wrong better than God can. God just must have made a mistake in this design. Doctor’s detect a heartbeat but how many people in hospitals are unplugged from breathing machines because they can’t live on their own without a machine?  Their heart is beating? In the womb the heart is beating, is there a soul yet?  Is there a soul in the person whose machine you just unplugged?  What about the soul of the person you just shot with your automatic rifle that you are allowed to own and carry in public?

ON THE OTHER HAND, If the supreme court says that it’s not a government’s decision to decide abortion I do not disagree with that, so then why is it passed to a state’s government?  GOVERNMENT should not be in the equation at all.  That I do agree with.  It is an individual choice.  Not the government’s choice.  So that does make sense to me. But passing it to another government is pretty convoluted right?  Shouldn’t it be NO government’s decision.  I don’t know, someone, anyone, help me out here.

No don’t.

I just thought, since I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my Saturday I would blog and so I did and this is what came out of my head.  It didn’t get political, because abortion is not a political issue.  It is a personal issue and one that is, at this moment, an issue pissing me off, to the point where I just decided to make my position known.  I think it’s called venting. Now what I’ll do about it, other then venting on the page, is yet to be seen.  I think the next fight is to have it dropped from the State’s politics as well.  Just drop it from politics altogether.  THAT is a decision I can get behind. I mean if the courts think it doesn’t belong in the government, then it doesn’t belong in ANY government.  Am I right?

Crazy stupid politicians, Putin, war, people shooting in crowds and at each other, inflation (WORLDWIDE inflation for those of you Biden haters) – I mean how crazy is this world?  It’s like our U.S. government says “SURE carry a gun and shoot someone if they have a can of soda in their pocket, especially shoot them 100 times with your automatic weapon because that makes sense. And then when you find out it was a Mountain Dew in their pocket and not a gun, well that’s okay because you THOUGHT it could be a gun.  Oh and those bystanders that got shot?  Well wrong place apparently. Go ahead, get another gun because really you may need that someday for the next person that you’re sure is out to get you.  Because anyone needing an automatic weapon for protection against all these people coming for them doesn’t have mental illness.  Thinking people are out to get you has never been a sign of mental illness. Anyone that wants an automatic weapon for protection is COMPLETELY sane. Your gun rights come before anyone else’s rights. You go ahead and buy that gun in the event you need to shoot some kids.”

Oh you’re a woman?  Yea, no. You don’t have the right to SAVE your life, or prevent unwanted life for ANY reason (health of mother or child) There’s only the right to shoot the kids after they are born.

And my Oracle reading?  Didn’t mention the lottery at all.  Maybe the God’s are not that concerned with me and my lottery winnings and are off on another mission; hopefully saving us from ourselves, because we are doing a VERY poor job on our own.

I think I’ll do some laundry now.

#VOTE

xoxoxo

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
6

I’m (self) published

I have something fun to share.  I’ve uploaded my “book” Finally Florida to Amazon Kindle.  If you do a search in Amazon you should pick the Kindle category so you can find it or you can try this link: Finally Florida.  If you read it on the Kindle App I believe it’s free.  If you buy it, it’s $3.99.  I can’t decide why anyone would buy it if you can get it for free.  I don’t really understand how it works.  But it’s out there. There is no paperback edition…yet.

As a reminder (for anyone new) I started blogging when I moved to Florida in 2014. And then I wrote almost every day sharing the ups and downs (mainly ups) of my transition/move to Florida.  In 2016 I started turning it into a book. With some encouragement, and with Stephanie’s editing, I believed it might be possible. But I never perfected it.

I started sending out to agents and had said that I would send to 200 agents before I give up.  I sent to approximately 60 agents over the years and since you only send a query letter and maybe up to 50 pages no one ever asked to read to the end so I never bothered to finish it (as in clean it up.) I had one agency respond that they liked it but I filled out the wrong form.  I didn’t follow up, I don’t remember why.  Most of these places want you to have a million followers on a blog site before they’ll even look at you. I have 65 followers.  BUT I refuse to believe that makes me a bad writer.

Stephanie made the first read through, then Melissa in Deland. Peggy Lambert who was in my book group in Port Orange read most of it and gave me a lot of editing advice. Another obstacle has been that it’s too long. So when I had absolutely nothing to do I would go through and make the edits Peggy suggested and then I started slicing away and cutting it. I had hoped an editor would say what to cut. When I would ask Diane about cutting certain things she would say “but that was a good one” – I am not a good judge of what people want to read. 

Editing is a lot of work and it’s really hard to edit your own work. I don’t know where quotation marks should be among other punctuation marks. Plus the “charm” of the blog was the grammar and the voice. I don’t want to over edit it and change the voice. And sooo, I have decided that readers can help me proof and edit and let me know if they want to hear what happens at Sunset Beach (cause I left those three months out) or if it’s good as is. Melissa (and Stephanie) say it drags in the middle but then they kept up with it and Melissa said she missed reading it when she was done. That was a great comment and compliment. Depending on comments, if any, I may add the Sunset Beach portion to a paperback cause you can do that so easily on Amazon too.  I mean it’s something. Just push a button and they spit out a paperback.

Last month I was on a call with a woman, Patricia Churchill, who lives in England and is an author.  When I told her that I was trying to publish through an agent she said “Why? No one does that anymore. Just put it out there yourself and get all the royalties instead of having to share with an agent.” I had no idea where to start with that but she told me the website and off I went.  It is soo easy.  Well, sort of easy.  You upload it and then they format it.

It’s easy unless you cut and paste from a blog and it has all these formatting codes in there and it gets rejected from their format, and then you drive yourself crazy because you have to change and/or delete all the codes so the thing will even upload.  And you also have to read it, and re-read it because you realize it’s been just bits and pieces of reviewing over the years and have you even read it cover to cover recently? And then you are so sick of reading it you question why anyone in the world would be interested in this drivel. On the plus side, it may be long but it only took me three days to read it, twice.  

I have changed the main characters names in the book, no one’s last name is listed, or a pretend name is listed. I had asked a couple of the characters what they wanted their names to be. Zoë picked hers (as did Nina).  I’m pretty sure they picked Jasen and Monica’s names too. I asked them back in 2016 when my vision was that it would be published before the end of the year. My entire life is God laughing at my plans. I laugh now too. I just need to quit putting timelines on my plans. I still did it, 6 years later.

Anyway, it’s been enough years now that when I read it, I re-live it with a soft heart and an appreciation for that time. I’m glad I have all the good memories to re-live because as humans we tend to focus on the negatives, especially after a relationship crashes and burns.  I am reminded why I did what I did and reminded how much fun and love there was, at least for some of the time.

Also, I wanted to put this to bed, so to speak, get it out there, so I can start on a new project.  When I moved to my mom’s in 2016 I started another book and after moving to DeLand I let that go too.  Sally Maloney has given me an idea for a next book (to add to what I’ve already started). If I would have had Finally Florida hanging out there undone, I would not be able to move on to this next idea.  Sally has been instrumental in my life in many many ways.  So if this idea works I’ll have more to be thankful to her for.  If not, I’ll still be thankful for the encouragement.  I need to write a book about friends.  I have so many good and important ones.

So Pat, when you are looking for a blog and I don’t have anything recent to post, you can go to Finally Florida and read a day or two and get your blog fix.   

I mean how fun is this?

xoxoxox

Like
Like Love Haha Wow Sad Angry
13