A HAPPY DAY ...CONTINUED

For some reason the post above wouldn't let me blog so I am continuing the post here. I remember this day so well. I had signed up for a painting class at Chautauqua Lake. I drove myself the hour to the Lake and parked at Bemus Point. I sat watching the boats motor by while waiting for class to begine.  we set up on the patio of the Italian Fisherman restaurant. There were about six of us and the instructor. Whe led us step by step to paint water lilies with acrylics. I was pleased with how it turned out. I felt like a real artist that day. 

A HAPPY DAY

What am I doing?

Time to reflect...

What am I reading?

      When I was shopping at Target I came across a book about creativity. The Creative Act, A way of being. It has been very enlightening. It talks about how to be aware of all the things beyond yourself that you can harness to express your feelings. And how to not be self critical. It came at a good time for me since I am my worst critic. It is an overcast day and a good day to sit with a book.

What am I eating?

    Today was the day I my new dentures and since I have had implants this will be a great thing for me. Last July 8 I had my lower teeth extracted and began the process of having implants put in. There was a long period of healing from the extractions and an even longer time for the implant surgery to heal. Added to that was the process of making the apparatus. So finally it is in and I am adjusting to feeling something strange in my mouth. 

 

What am I watching?

    I just completed watching the Guilded Age on HBO. It was a delightful period piece which depicted the life of the upper class in New York City and all their complicated problems. 

 

What am I wearing?

    Every summer I buy some new tops and today it is an empire loose top of blue and green. I am wearing it with  blue crop pants. I have large blue earrings and a green and blue bracelet. My new criteria for buying clothes now is comfort. 

 

What am I doing?

    I am straightening up the house in anticipation of my son, his wife and her parents who are stopping by here on Friday on their way to their cottage in Canada. 

What brings me joy today?

    Just being able to read and relax is making me content today. I went to join my friends at coffee

this morning as I do every day, then a trip to the grocery store. This is an old picture from my archives.  

SUMMERTIME MEMORIES

There’s a certain sweetness to summertime memories—the way they live like old film reels, slightly faded at the edges but glowing with warmth.

 

 I miss my electric bike. To me it represented freedom and youth. When I rode it was as if I was twelve years old again. The wind would blow through my hair as I pedaled along quickly and I was exhilarated. I would load my heavy bike into the back of my van and drive to a riding location. My favorite ride was along the Allegany River on a walking path behind St. Bonaventure University. There is not way to describe how at in my seventies I felt competent to navigate that powerful bike. But somehow in a few years it became dangerous for me. My balance wasn't as good as it once was. It was heavy to lift. And I became afraid of falling and breaking a hip. It was a sad day when I decided (with my son's advice) to give it up. I mourned the loss for a long time. I began to feel old when I turned 80. The season of freedom was disappearing in many ways. Now I had to be careful when I walked not to trip and to be sure to lift my feet higher. I tired more easily and needed to sit down and rest more often. Even shopping, one of my favorite activities had to be limited. Now I am moving into a new stage of my life.

 “Suddenly being her age seemed great. She didn't have to look perfect. Hooray And think of all the senior discounts she had to look forward to not to mention Social Security Medicare and Medicaid. So what if she was afraid of getting old Big whoopdedoowho wasn't She wasn't alone everybody her age was in the same boat. She was going to relax and just let herself get older. Who cared if she wore twoinch heels instead of 3andahalf inch heels her feet hurt and not only that she was going to have a piec eof cake once in a while and she wasn't going to go anywhere she didn't feel like going anymore either. Bring on the Depends And the bunion pads and the Metamucil. And if she liked pretty music and old movies so what She wasn't hurting anyone.

Hazel had always said "If you're still breathing you're ahead of the game." And she'd been right. Life itself was something to look forward to and so for whatever time she had left she was going to enjoy every minute wrinkles and all. What a concept”
― Fannie Flagg, I Still Dream About You

It’s always fun when I visit my son Chris and his wife Wendy but it was extra special this week when my son Ryan and his family from Tennessee came up too. 

We love spending time together and played games, sat around the pool, went to a movie and ate at Olive Garden

Spring time

Springtime is finally arrived. It isn’t a glorious?

It was just right for a walk on the University of Pittsburgh Trail. It’s so good to see the leaves are coming out on the bushes. And the blossoms on the trees.

I love getting out spring decorations. The painting in the background is a gift for my sister Diane.

Reese is enjoying the nice weather.

Painting

Even though I don’t feel well and just got out of the hospital I painted to cheer me up. 

Resuming

Isn’t this amazing. My oldest grandson Dan and his wife Gretchen are having so many adventures worldwide. This time on a glacier in Argentina. I am so happy that they have chosen to live life to the fullest. Dan has gone from a shy teenager to hang gliding, hiking, and traveling all over the world. 

I love to travel but being from a very small town it was not part of my early life. Each summer we would travel from Pennsylvania to Georgia to visit relatives. We took our kids to various out of state amusement parks. I never traveled much until my Danish friend asked me to go to see her relatives. After that I went to France and Germany with my sister and Provence With my friend. There is nothing I like better than seeing new things and having adventures. 

My oldest son Chris is a homebody but through work he has traveled to Switzerland five times, Germany and China. But he would have rather stayed right at home. 

Do you like to travel?  What’s the most interesting place you’ve been?