Thankful and Grateful

Every week, I think about what I'm going to put in my craft blog, which I want to make more personal and reveal more of myself, since my sister has decided to devote more of herself to her wonderful Ferndale Clinic...I really admire her for that...she's retired, and she spends many, many hours working for free for the clinic...It's her passion. I'm still trying to figure out what my passion is, now that I'm retired. Is it digital scrapbooking? Yes...photography? Yes....Capturing the wonder of children at play? Yes...Helping others? Yes....traveling....Yep.. Living in nature? Definitely, YES!..I guess I know my passions, but am thinking more about giving back to others, now that I'm retired. I guess I feel that 34 years of teaching special education kids was doing plenty of giving, so I'm not quite ready to hit the volunteer path of life in retirement just yet. If I do, it will be Habitat for Humanity, or volunteering at national parks and teaching another generation about preserving our wonderful country's special places.

This week, I got to thinking a little about that and feeling a little foolish about writing about my socks, (which I did finish another pair this week! :-)  or my paper beads, even though blogging is about your passions in life, musings, hobbies, or whatever you choose to make it. A blogging friend's husband is going through cancer and a lot of pain, and it just makes you realize how short life is, how you don't know what fate lies in store for you, and that you better make the most of life while you get to be here. And that's why we travel full time and I take a bazillion pictures, so I can remember it all for the time when I won't be able to do that.....I like sharing my photos with others who can't be there, or don't have time to travel, or can't afford to. I hope it gives someone a few minutes of enjoyment, looking at a pretty photo, or a chuckle at some of the dumb things I do, or mistakes I make....


I wonder how some people who eat wrong, live wrong, and don't take care of themselves have great health, while others who seem to do all the right things get sick and suffer. We've been reading more and more about friends and acquaintances who have passed away. It's kind of another bridge of life where you cross over and the bridge burns behind you...Now we are in the last stage of our life, so to speak, and it's going to happen more and more, the passing of friends, illness, and loss. It made me appreciate what I'm doing right now, here in the moment....living in a beautiful motorhome with a wonderful guy, the both of us very healthy, and appreciating that we can travel and go wherever we want to go...I just hope and pray I can handle life's pain as gracefully as some of my friends do, with courage, grace and fortitude...and as well as my mother, Millie did. She lived to be 96, and was the epitome of grace and strength.....

Reflection of Bok Tower Gardens and koi in the surrounding pool, Lake Wales, FL