Claiming Your Place....

I have been plodding my way through this book on living the second half of your life on purpose. I have this silly thing about finishing books when I have gotten so many pages into it I feel obligated to keep going with it. In the beginning of the book I just couldn't wrap my thoughts around it, but as I kept reading I found more and more to reflect on. One of the things I read this morning was "Why are we so obsessed with what we lose as we age, and unclear about what we gain?" Lately, as you all probably can attest to, I have done a lot of whining about being almost 70 and how old I am getting. I am going to try to quit bemoaning the age thing and think more clearly what I have gained in these years.

It feels good...............

to begin communicating again - and it is a good way for all of us to share what is going on in our lives when we find a little time to do so. I was so glad to see your post Diane.

I am wondering how you are doing with your back Lizzie. What was it like by the time you got to Dan's daughter's house. Troy called last night and I told him I gave you his phone numbers on the slight chance you might get to connect. He said he hoped it worked out. How is that new baby? I bet you are taking tons of pictures.

The slip and slide in conjunction with a water fight must have been a sight to see. I didn't look on Flickr for that adventure. It would have been a good photo op.

Lizzie sent me "the shoe" with a note to take it to the beach. Darn, I missed an opportunity for a photo on Sunday when Earl and I went down that way. We could have photos of the shoe in all seasons.

The Prairie Oaks Metro Park sounds like a nature adventure. Where is that?

Sunday Earl and I went on a long ride "down east" as the folks around here refer to Harker's Island. It had been so long since the two of us got in the car and went Sunday sightseeing and then had dinner. Almost felt like a date.

Any coughing, sneezing, sore throats and tiredness with any of you? The media seems to have stirred up a lot of scary scenarios with the Swine Flu. I did get some germ fighting lotion for my hands though.

I bowled in the Senior Olympics yesterday and got 3 gold medals. No accolades are needed because except for one of the events I was the only person in my age group so I automatically got the medal. The State finals will be in Raleigh sometime this September I think.

I will go now to join Earl for the last half the O'Reilly Factor which I think is a piece of "scat". Got to spend some more time with Earl to keep those fires burning. LOL

GNight

Where Does The Time Go???

Thanks for kick starting this poor neglected blog, Lori. I think about it often and then my thoughts are distracted. It really is good to have a place to put the good thoughts when I have them before they get scattered to the winds.

I have had a busy couple of weeks. It was great being off of treatment last week and feeling normal for a while. I went on a field trip to Prairie Oaks Metro Park with the first and second graders of Pandora's school on Friday. It was a beautiful day and we went on a hike through the woods and saw several brown snakes and a few other signs of wildlife. I learned a new word for animal droppings - scat. I use it all the time now. Liz will be glad that it replaces my overuse of the other word for droppings.

Saturday night Ally and Maddy spent the night and when Pandora and Winter came back from an overnighter with Maw Maw M. we got out the Slip and Slide and had a great time. I even had a couple goes at it. I got one pretty good slide in. My other attempt ended up with me getting stuck in the middle. Once your capris get wet, you don't slide so much. When Jim and Chrissy got there, a water battle broke out between Chrissy, Pandora, and Winter. They were brutal.

I hope we all can get warmed up to keeping this blog going. I know how busy everyone is and how hard it is to add one more thing to our plates. Thanks again Lori!

It is early Saturday morning and I just spent a good bit of time on Flickr catching up pictorially on my hopeful sisters and their families. Now I am very homesick. I wish I could just pop up there and see all of you. It might not be until August now when I come up for my 50th Class reunion. In May I am bowling in Charlotte one weekend and June I am going to Reno to bowl in the Girls Excuse to go somewhere tournament, like the one in Charlotte.



Lizzie, I am sorry you are unable to go on vacation with Dan. My heart aches for you - not only for your disappointment, but for all the pain you are having to live with. I sure hope something will be accomplished from your next doctor's appointment.



Susie, your photography keeps getting better and better. Have you thought of entering any contests with some of your pictures? Troy has always been very interested in photography. He took a photography class at the Community College when he was in high school. He has just recently purchased a new camera. He sent us a picture he took of a sunset while he was in Maui. I can't remember whether I sent that to you all or not. I really should put some of those pictures on Flickr. Geez, I am lazy.



Well, Diane, I imagine you have plenty of activity going on with Ben and Angie out on the road. I am glad you have a chemo free weekend. What is on the agenda for the weekent? Did Bob go camping this weekend?



This week was a whirlwind of activity for me. And still there are two days left in this week that I have things I need to be doing. Of course most of the things I am doing are self inflicted activities - except for the ones Irmgard goads me into doing with her. Today is one of them that I didn't really want to do, but she claims last month I said I would go to this luncheon for the Red Hats that we don't even belong to anymore. We were invited because we were charter members of the one that was started in Havelock. I told her I didn't want to go and she got all whiny on me so I said I would go.



Have a great weekend. I see it is going to be bikini weather in Ohio, like here. LOL Well, at least it will be shorts and sleeveless weather. If I wear sleeveless I might me mistaken for a giant flying squirrel ready for take off when I lift my arms.

Four months shy of a year

Wow, what has happened to our High Hopes? So much has gone on for all of us in the past year and we have shared none of it on this blog. And I really don't have time right now, but I am going to start. Honest. I just looked to see if anyone else had shared. I am going to start posting some of my feeble thoughts again and perhaps my little sisters will too. Of course I will have to let you know that is what I am doing or, like me, you will never come to look. Maybe I will let you all know that is what I am doing after the next fantastic post I make!