revival 2

My 77th birthday was last month...No, I am not fishing for a "Happy Birthday" or a "my you really  look good for your age" comment.  I look and feel all those years but also know I am younger in many ways than most at the same age.  I have packed a lot into my life and wish to continue to do the same in the future--only slower, wiser and as healthily as possible.

One day a week ago, while visiting my friend, Alexandra in Santa Fe, my heart started pounding crazily and I could not catch my breath.  While playing with Daisy I suddenly thought I needed to sit down.  Was Babe (my pig valve) collapsing?  Was I having a heart attack? Were my traveling days over?  And maybe my life? After a few minutes of resting, my heart settled down and my breath became more regular.  And a light bulb came on in my brain. I went out to the RV and turned on the GPS to check the altitude--6700 feet! I was over a mile high.!  So I smiled, clutched my chest, looked skyward, and uttered, "Not yet, Roger"    (This should remind all of you out there over the age of 70 of Sanford and Son).

More important than anything is to realize that this life we are enjoying at this very moment is all too brief and, for all we know, the only one we will ever have.  Are we making it count?  If your dreams aren't being realized then start dreaming of something new.  Copy someone else's dream.  Find a way to squeeze your dream into the schedule of life's everyday humdrum demands. I took up writing something between prose and poetry and find it very satisfying.  In addition,  that is something I can do without taxing my heart valve.

So why am I philosophizing?  Maybe it is because of a winter and spring of huge wake up reminders.
There seemed to be no end to the shocks that came--one after another...

It started in January with the not unexpected call that Aunt Louise had taken a turn for the worse.  Sister Mary and I rushed to Ft. Worth only to encounter a record breaking cold and nasty winter plus a severe case of the flu for both of us.  We enlisted hospice for Aunt Louise but noted that she was starting to rally.  She was known for her come backs from the brink of death and I was sure she would do it again and go on to celebrate her 98th birthday in October. Suzanne, my friend and Aunt Louise's caregiver felt the same.

So, by the end of January, Mary flew home to her husband in Hawaii and to watch the volcano that was starting to threaten their little community.  The lava was 6 miles away from their house but it kept popping up in new places. Some of her friends were evacuated but she was optimistic that things would be okay.

And I went home to Tucson to finish up with doctor visits and prepare to start my summer trip.  I  planned to return to Ft Worth in April to visit with Suzanne and Aunt Louise while Suzanne had foot surgery.  

Now that pictures seem to be transferring into the blog I will try to keep posting.  I am so sorry that any comments are not appearing.  I cannot seem to get them to so will call on son Ron for help sometime soon.

(The pictures are taken from a movie theater parking lot in Tucson where I go to fix breakfast in the morning after a night at Cracker Barrel. It is one of my favorite 'front yards' and the balloons are up almost every morning.)