Life is wonderful; enjoy it while you can.
When I go on my morning walks with the pups, then I often contemplate about my life. This morning I remembered my college days when I literally banged my head against the wall and screamed, “I must, I must, I must.” I succeeded, and that gives me now a carefree life in retirement. I am grateful. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I enjoy every bit of it.
Routines keep me going, like my daily walks with the dogs. I also have a list of chores to be done, and I am feeling good about myself if I accomplish at least one task a day. Yesterday I cut weeds around the house, and today I will go shopping. And then there is the never ending task of "downsizing" and preparing for the day when God will call me.
I can't remember when I had the last fight with my wife. It was all so silly. Now when she does something I don't like, then I just shrug it off. So what. And yes, if the kids had listened to me, they would be much further ahead in life. But they had to reinvent the wheel on their own. Sure, I will always support them as much as I can, even if they don't deserve it.
My morning walks always cheer me up and give me the energy to keep going. Nature is healing and gives me strength. I now have accepted Niebuhr's first part of his well-known prayer, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." At 88 years, I don't want to change anything anymore. What I have makes me happy, and I don't waste my time of thinking what I don't have. I finally have made peace with my life, and I will enjoy it till my last breath.
Bottlebrush, but niecer than in our own garden. --- Oh, these beautiful spring flowers, geraniums?
Snow is still hanging on at the 10,000 foot level, even in May.
We give birds modern conviniences, and in return they reward us with their cooing. --- One thing about
Chihuahuas: they don't have an inferiority complex. This tiny guy finds sometimes a hole in the fence, and
then runs in tight circles around me and my dogs and threatens to kill us all. Wow!
. Funny thing is that the bruise is on the exact spot as the "growth" I've been complaining to my doc about for years. Years, I tell you. I figure it's just a benign cyst. At Kaiser, however, I have to make an appointment with my PCP for that specific reason, she'd give me an "appointment ticket" (read: referral) to another doc with Kaiser...so two deductibles, then another deductible for ultrasound or whatever to see what it is. Kaiser is a not-for-profit medical outfit, right? Key words: Not. For. Profit. Mmhmm. Fuggedabouddit.
