Everything Old is New Again!!

Yes, and I'm old enough to say that!! Tonight my eldest daughter created  her first blog. It enticed me to check back on mine, and can I say, I'm impressed!!! Doubtful I even remember how to do the bells and whistles here, but hopefully I'll update this blog with the latest and greatest in my life. Yes, everything old is new again!1

Two Years Flew By...

Well, two more years have come and almost gone. We've made alot of new friends, and sadly, lost many that we cared about - always reminding us of the brevity of Life and the importance of each and every moment.

Our recent trip to Boston, spending time with all three grandchildren and sharing life with our children, has been a highlight. Welcome to the World, Miss Alexandra Rose!

Life is to be lived and enjoyed!

What a difference a year makes...

This last year has been topsy-turvey with a multitude of positive and yes, some negative events. But David and I have come through the year stronger. Stronger together and always appreciative, maybe moreso, of the blessings in our lives.

Children, grandchildren, health and lifestyle. Even as Seniors (yes, it's official!) we learned alot this year about Life, about ourselves and what is truly important and necesssary. We're better people as a result.

Compassion is a keyword for 2010. My work with the free medical clinic has exposed me to a segment of society that needs our compassion and help desperately. For themselves and for their children. It's a daily reminder of the blessings I enjoy each and every day - and the importance of giving back something to the world, that in reality, has treated me very well.

Looking forward to a family visit this Thanksgiving - and enjoying the things in life that no amount of money can buy....

Pumpkin-Picking in Massachusetts...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It's The Season...

Victoria, Laughing at the American Girl Store in Boston

Well, here we are, right around the corner from the holidays. The holidays, by definition, are hectic. So I'm trying to think about preparation now, in all respects. The Boston kids, Sunni, Kevin and Baby Victoria, will be arriving soon. Their room needs to be ready, our calendars need to be cleared and all the preparations for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner need to be in place. The more I can do now, the less stress at the time. Organization is always the key!

What a difference a year makes. My mother passed away, Dad was diagnosed with cancer (surgery and chemo complete), Little Victoria was born with an initial blood disorder scare that eventually disappeared. I accepted a job doing community outreach for a free medical clinic. All major changes in our lives with the stress that change brings.

The family is healthy and we're all working hard to maintain our respective life styles. Maintaining health is paramount; all other concerns disappear in light of that. Several of our friends did not make it to see Thanksgiving this year.

So, with that perspective in hand, let the holidays commence! And the true meaning of Family supercedes even the best of tablesettings on Thanksgiving.

An iPhone for Seniors

Okay, so I'm as techie as the next sixty year old - maybe even a bit more, with a Facebook page and a home network. But having recently acquired an iPhone, I realize how truly removed I've been from today's technology.

The features on this phone boggle my mind. Wait, I can't call it a 'phone.' It's a 'wireless device' that has phone capability. Contacts, calendar, internet access, picking mail from several different email servers, taking pictures, texting with a QWERTY keyboard, posting pictures to Facebook, emailing pictures, iPod capability to view videos, listen to music, podcasts...on and on. I've only just scratched the surface and am told there are thousands of 'apps' for the iPhone.

Where have I been these last few years that all this technology has moved so quickly from conception to mass production? It's almost embarassing that I've been so out of it, that the capabilities of this device actually shock me! So, let's hear it for us Seniors, who remember the high tech days of the pager and the 'brick' mobile phone. And consider ourselves fortunate to partake and enjoy ~ even if it does take me five minutes to figure out how to answer a call!

Retirement, Redefined...

Everything 'they' said is true, I'm busier now, in 'retirement' than ever before. I counted five (seriously) efforts that take my time, and hopefully, use it well. Among them are charity work for a free medical clinic, therapeutic canine massage and maintaining an active Facebook page for my community. What do they all have in common? I guess I would say, for lack of a better word, 'helping.' Helping, assisting, instructing~ all things to improve Life. Life for those less fortunate, human & animal; and Life to improve communication that ultimately results in more joy for those in my community. So there you have it. Spending my career taking care of my family and using my retirement to help others. Not a bad legacy, all in all...