Thursday, June 23, 2016

The remainder of our days in Basque Country - 2016

Monday afternoon - shopping in Donostia with Emily, Tiff, Darrel and me. We got ice cream and shopped at Britt's favorite stores.
Tuesday afternoon - funicular in Donostia and kids swam at the beach there.
Wednesday morning we relaxed - spent the afternoon and early evening in Biarritz, France - after kids got out of school-went to the beach and played in the waves with boogie boards. Fun, fun, fun!! Went shopping and had ice cream while strolling the streets and looking at the beauty of the beach. Breathtaking! We ordered a special dinner from the bar below Jason's house when we got home since it was too late to fix dinner. It was so delicious....and fun!
Thursday morning we were going to take a hike but we saw the market in the Orio plaza and we got delayed. Tiffany and mom bought loose flowy pants and a shirt with a London scene for mom. We showered to get ready for our afternoon with Itsaso. We met her at The Good Burger where we had lunch, saw her university, walked along the Donostia beach (la concha), went shopping, bought clothes, ate ice cream, walked around Donostia a little more, had a pintxo, saw her apartment, then caught the 8:20 p.m. train back to Orio, where Emily and Jason had prepared a delicious meal-Basque salad and hake, a type of fish
Friday morning, we had pastries from the bread store, then Tiffany went for a run on the path toward Zarautz while Darrel rode Jason's bike and grandma walked. Played games with the kids. For lunch we had a delicious pasta and shrimp dish. Shopped in Orio and found the cutest top for Tiffany! Went to the store with Cooper and played at the park. Dinner - another delicious meal - steak and mom had her first fresh grilled tuna steak, with a side salad and Parmesan potatoes. Delicious! Colored with Brittney!
*(Blog about our time with Itsaso's family in Bergara and the farm we stayed overnight at - Saturday, June 4th to Sunday, June 5th.)
Saturday morning, June 11th, we took the 10:30 a.m. bus to Donostia where we hiked to Pasaia, Spain, where Victor Hugo lived and perhaps was inspired to write "Les Miserables".  It was a long hike! We walked over 10 miles that day, with the hike and walking in Donostia. When we got home, Emily whipped up a quick delicious meal of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich all on a delicious baguette. The kids went to bed and Jason, Darrel, Tiffany, and I attended a concert in their town which included Basque dancing. It was a real cultural experience and extremely entertaining! We loved it! It started at 10:15 p.m. and lasted 2 hours. After such a long, full day, we didn't have any trouble falling asleep this night!
Sunday morning, June 12th, the kids do had their school program at 11:00 a.m. It seemed like the entire town attended because the auditorium was packed with families, strollers, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We were glad to be able to attend this school event. Again, it had a very Basque feel to the program. Afterwards, everyone stood around the school enjoying tortilla patata and txistorra and talking. The entire town seemed to be outside today. It is a delightful atmosphere. Afterwards, Tiffany and I walked to the bread store and fruit market together. This has become a familiar daily outing. We ate lunch and relaxed part of the afternoon, took the kids to the park, pulled Braden back home on Jason's bike while he rode his skateboard, πŸ˜„then finished the day watching the movie "Zootopia" together while eating dinner. It's hard to believe our time here is quickly coming to an end.
Monday morning (June 13) we hiked from Orio to Zarautz one last time, going a little different route so we could do some last day shopping for items to take back with us to the USA. We spent the afternoon and evening with Jason's family, taking the kids to the playground, doing last minute packing and trying not to think about leaving them again. It was a wonderful trip and we knew it would have to come to an end, but we are going home with wonderful memories, new perspectives and a greater understanding of life for Jason, Emily and their kids in Orio, the Basque culture, and the people who call themselves Basque.
Tuesday morning (June 14) began very early so we could catch our flight out of Bilbao. Jason drove us to the airport and we said our final (tearful) goodbyes.....again. Back to the United States, literally,.....using the words of Grandpa Coon.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Hiking Basque Country - Part Two

After the exhausting morning of hiking to see the flysch, and the scramble to catch the train, believe it or not, after lunch, Jason dropped us off in Zarautz and we hiked from that town to the neighboring town of Getaria, about a 3 to 4 mile walk. It was entirely along the coast, which was beautiful, and was completely flat, so that was helpful in convincing Darrel and Tiffany to make the trek. It was a beautiful walk....one I could easily do on a regular basis and hope to do again before we leave Spain. While in the quaint little town of Getaria, we ate our first authentic Basque Country pintxo and topped it off with an ice cream cone. Replenishing all the calories we burned! πŸ‘  We took the bus back to Zarautz where we experienced the house church that Jason and his family attend with friends. It was a good time of worship, Bible study, and fellowship.
Sunday, June 5th, we hiked the Orio mountain by the beach with Emily and the kids. I felt like I was walking on El Camino!! Monday morning we hiked from Orio to Zarautz, which took us to the beach in Zarautz. (about an hour hike) We enjoyed that hike so much that we did it again on Tuesday morning. This day, however, when we arrived at the beach, Tiffany took her shoes off and walked along the shoreline while I sat down for a brief rest (waiting for Darrel to catch up) and to enjoy the breathtaking view. However, part of that view included a new perspective on beach protocol......nakedness......that was a very unexpected "first" experience that was certainly NOT by choice. I have seen cute little kids running around in their birthday suits, but a grown man is a bit shocking! He had no inhibitions taking off his clothes and strolling in all his glory toward the rolling waves, feeling the exhilarating breeze and sun on every part of his body. He must have been in his 60's or 70's by the number of rolls of wrinkles along his waistline, although I couldn't tell for sure since THANKFULLY I only got a rear view. I only know he had a TERRIBLE tan line going on!
The best souvenir you come home with is a new perspective!

Monday, June 6, 2016

Hiking Basque Country - Part One

Many of my readers know how much I enjoy getting my daily exercise......and being on vacation is no different. (Just ask my children!!!!) There are some amazing places to hike here and we are exploring them one at a time. (Much to the dismay of my husband's knees.) On Friday morning, we took the train to a small town called Zumaia. This is the town where Tiffany lived for 10 days with the church group that traveled to Spain together. It is known for a coastal geological formation called the "flysch" which people come from all over the world to view. We spent the entire morning hiking up the precipice, exploring, climbing on rocks, etc. We were exhausted after all that exploring, so after a brief rest, it was time to head to the train station since we had planned on returning to Jason and Emily's for lunch. Tiffany assured us she knew the way back to the train station, since she had done it many times in the past 10 days........we had 20 minutes to catch the train.......she was certain we could make it there in time....no problem......right??........wrong!!......Tiffany got a little off course and as the minutes ticked away, our walking turned to a brisk walk, which turned to a hustle, until we realized to make this train we would need to RUN!  For those of you who know Darrel,........he doesn't/can't run.......for anything.......so here we are, cross-country runner Tiffany in the lead.....Alice, close enough behind to keep asking her if she knew where she was going......then telling her she doesn't know where she is going.....looking back to see if Darrel, hobbling along, was still in view.......Tiffany kept saying "We are almost there!".....and I kept saying "Are you sure?? This doesn't look familiar!"......Darrel kept saying "You can't get on the train if I'm not there!".....we must have been a sight,...... crazy foreigners running across town.......with no time to spare we blew past people in the station......arriving just as the doors of the train shut,......the train started to move.....however, I pushed the button that opens the door.....the train stopped and the door opened......but I didn't know if the train was going in the direction toward Orio, so I spoke to the person just inside the door of the train (who didn't speak English) and asked, "Orio?"......and he said "Bai" (which in Basque means yes).......but by then the door closed again.......so I pushed that green button again and the door opened and Tiffany, Darrel, and I collapsed into the train!!........Success!! Tiffany and I laughed,......Darrel didn't see the humor in it....πŸ‘

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Bathrooms - a new perspective

This may sound like an unusual title for a blog post, however, I just had to devote an entire post to the  new perspective that I have gained on bathrooms since I left the USA. Bathrooms, no big deal, right? Wrong! It all began in the airport bathrooms where I first discovered that flushing a toilet uses different techniques internationally. There were buttons, toggle switches, and levers. Some toilets had two circles to push - a small one and a larger one. From my personal deduction, I assumed the small one was for small "jobs" and the larger one for.....well, I never asked anyone if this is the case, but that is what I have been doing whenever I encounter the double circle flush. So, I find myself pausing before I flush as I figure out how things work. No, I'm not talking rocket science, just interestingly different. But it doesn't stop with the flushers.....we have experienced some interesting European outdoor bathrooms. In France, in the first small town we visited, we approached the small tourism office and on the way we passed an outdoor bathroom (sometimes called a water closet - WC) The women's stall had a door, however, when I walked a little further, approaching what was the men's bathroom, there was an open-air 8 foot long trough-like stainless steel apparatus on a wall......no door......and there was a man standing there facing the wall.....nothing between him and the wide open spaces......relieving himself. πŸ˜† I was a little surprised, since this was a very unexpected first for me and the man apparently had no inhibitions whatsoever!! (Although he wasn't looking at me! πŸ˜‰) I tried not to act surprised, however, it did crack me up!! When I got over the shock, I decided it would make a great three generational picture.......Grandpa, Jason, and Cooper, all using the urinal simultaneously. Jason didn't agree, so you will just have to use your imagination! πŸ˜„
Another experience happened on the beach in Zarautz. They have outdoor bathrooms that look like stainless steel vaults. Large, square boxes....big enough for 8 people to stand inside, however, they were only single occupancy. I went inside this nice, spacious bathroom, thankful for an easy, convenient location to use the bathroom. When it was time to leave it, though, I couldn't find a handle to open the door. There were 2 red buttons on the wall, but no door handle. So, I pushed on the door. It didn't budge. Sealed up nice and secure and tight. I continued to search for a handle but there was none to be found. Panic mode began to set in, so it was time to push the red button, thinking that would sound an alarm....like on an elevator. The only thing that did was flush the toilet which was across the room. I pushed the lower red button....same thing, the toilet flushed again. I kept pushing the button, but that just kept flushing the toilet. Now, I went into yell mode, "I can't get out!!" I called to Tiffany who was waiting for me outside the "box". She told me to push on the door after I pushed the red button and sure enough, out popped Alice from the bathroom jail, relieved....in more ways than one!!! πŸ˜‰  Traveling......the best souvenir you come home with is a new perspective.

A day in France - another very memorable first!

On Thursday, June 2nd, we took a day trip to France, partly to get to experience France, but most of all, we wanted to give Tiffany an opportunity to try speaking in French since she has taken 3 years of it so far in high school. We set out early morning, after taking the children to school, and drove to the quaint little towns of Ainhoa, Sare, and finished the day in the largest of the three, St. Jean du Luz. We strolled the unique streets. Many of the shops were closed when we arrived....schedules are very different here....most stores close for several hours in the afternoon, except restaurants. They have long lunch "hours"....... I don't even think that term is in their vocabulary because it is way longer than an hour! (We are enjoying this culture, though. Much slower pace than the USA.) To curb our appetites and hold us over to the larger midday meal, we stopped for coffee and Basque pastries in the second little town before venturing to St. Jean du Luz where we spent the remainder of the day. Most stores were closed when we got there, but we enjoyed window shopping and strolling the quaint streets, enjoying the ambience! Tiffany wasn't afraid to speak with the people in the shops where we made purchases. She also helped us navigate the menu at a very French outdoor restaurant where we ate our big meal for the day. I even tried out a phrase that I learned from a restaurant we went to often while in London. It is called 'Pret A Manger' which means "ready to eat", so when our waiter served us our food I said that phrase and he smiled and replied, "Oui!" I guess he understood me! 😊 With trying to learn words from four different languages, sometimes the language we know best gets all jumbled up. Today, when I asked Darrel a question about something, his reply was "Go,.....(pause) ....do." πŸ˜„ It has given us a greater appreciation for what Jason, Emily, and their kids experience on a daily basis. They are navigating the three languages amazingly well, just within a year's time. (English, Basque, & Spanish) It has been good to experience that firsthand and motivates me to learn another language..but it would take moving to another country....hmmmmmmmmm!!! πŸ˜‰ Agur!

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Thursday, June 2, 2016

One day is running into the next....we are doing so many new things that it is hard to even remember what we did yesterday. No, that has NOTHING to do with my age, in case that is what you are thinking. πŸ˜‰
My blog left off saying we would be going to Zarautz Wednesday after the kids were out of school, which is late afternoon, 4:30-ish. All of us went except Jason. He stayed back to do work and to have dinner ready for us when we returned. πŸ‘  Zarautz is a beautiful place. We took the train there and walked to the beach. It was the most amazing and beautiful coast we have ever seen. The kids played on the sandy beach and we sat and watched the wave runners with their kites and a few surfers trying out their skills on the waves, and to top off the experience, we just had to order something hot to drink and sip on the veranda. It was a beautiful, relaxing setting. What a great place to vacation in case any of my readers need any suggestions. 😊
Upon our return home, as if that beach wasn't enough wonder for the day, chef Jason had the most amazing delicious glazed salmon ready for our dinner. Talk about fine dining!!! Salmon is my favorite and I savored every bite. Perfect ending to this day!

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Tuesday morning, Jason had a class in Donostia (San Sebastian) so we took the bus with him there and he printed a map so we could explore the town while he was in class. Darrel and I enjoyed walking along the coast and walking down the old town section. It is a beautiful and interesting city and we hope to visit it again during our time here on a day when we can stay longer. We did take our first 60 euros out of a bank machine so we can learn to use them while shopping. We took the train back to Orio where Emily was preparing another amazing midday meal. I am really getting used to eating like this. . .
The children come home at 12:30 for a 2 hour lunch break. At 2:30 p.m. we walk them back to school and they stay there until 4:30 p.m. Today (Tuesday) after school we took Britt, Taye and Cooper to the park at the beach. It was sunny but windy. When we got home, chef Jason made dinner while Darrel and I played with the kids. He is becoming an impressive cook here in Basque Country. So we enjoyed a relaxing dinner at around 7:30 p.m. Emily wasn't with us because she had driven to Bilbao to bring Tiffany back to Orio for the remainder of our stay. The rest of her group departed from Bilbao, Spain, early Wednesday morning. It was nice to see Tiffany again after 10 days being apart. Brittney was especially happy to see her!  (No surprise there!)
To top the evening off, we were able to skype with (the original) Emily Coon who is in Washington, D. C. It was fun being on this end of the world skyping with her. It was a fun time laughing and catching up a bit.
Wednesday night we will skype with Abbie, Kevin, and Lucas and find out how things are going with them. This is one instance where we are very thankful for technology!
Today, (Wednesday morning) we (Jason, Emily, Darrel, Tiffany, and Alice) went to an outdoor market at the plaza in Ordizia which was amazing. . . fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish, flowers, breads, olives, candy, etc., etc., etc. It was something like the farmers' markets in the USA ........ but VERY European! We made it home in time to pick up the kids at school for yet another amazing midday meal. However, today, Jason and Emily's neighbor made the meal for us. Potato and chorizo soup. . .  Deliciouso!!! It was very kind of her.
Back to school at 2:30 p.m. For the kids. Tonight we are going to another neighboring town called Zarautz to continue our adventures in Spain. . . . . and to add to my 60 new adventures for Alice! πŸ˜‰

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Monday, May 30, 2016

Seeing what life is like for Jason and Emily and their family began this morning. They got the kids off to school.....we didn't get up early enough to walk with them, 😴 but there will be lots of others days to do that. Jason showed us around the town while Emily was at her language class. It is a charming town. Narrow, stone streets wind up and down the old section of town where they live. It is fun to explore and we don't even get lost because it isn't a very big town plus they live right along the river, so when all else fails, we walk to the river and then we can find their apartment easily that way.

When Emily got home, they showed us the grocery store which was very nice.....well stocked with plenty of familiar foods, but also a lot of local items, fresh fish, cheese, honeys, jams, pastries, CHOCOLATES, fruit, etc., that made us want to buy a little bit of everything. On our walk home we walked by a fresh fish market where we are sure to make regular purchases.

The lunch meal is the main meal of the day here so Emily has been making some amazing meals, beautifully presented, always accompanied with the most delicious bread. The kids come home for lunch, so we all enjoyed the meal together. At 2:30 everyday, the kids return to school until 4:30 p.m. Today, they had swim lessons right after school so we watched them swim and then they played on the playground with friends for several hours. Parents gather to visit while watching their children play.

Britt took me for a walk along the river to the beach where they swim in the hot weather. It was a nice walk, just the two of us. She knows her way around town very well. Dinner was around 7:30 p.m. and was a lighter meal. So we are eating traditional Basque meals Basque style! Actually, I have found that I prefer eating the larger meal at midday.......I wonder if I will be able to keep that up in Morton??

Monday, May 30, 2016

Sunday, May 29, 2016

-Today began at 2:30 a.m.  We really didn't have to get up until 3:00 a.m. but since we really weren't sleeping (since we were afraid we would oversleep) we just got up and packed up to leave. We needed to walk a few blocks to catch a bus at 4:00 a.m. which was taking us to the airport. Our flight left London at 6:50 a.m. so we needed to arrive at the airport by 4:50 a.m. The only good thing about early flights is that there is no traffic and you get through security quickly, but then you sit and wait. Such is the nature of travel! You bite the bullet and go with it! So, we had a relaxing breakfast at Heathrow airport. 🍲
-the first flight we took was from Heathrow to Brussels. It was a very nice light.....I even slept a little....imagine that!! So when we arrived in Brussels we went through a lot of security again, but since we had a 2 1/2 hours layover, we decided to try to sleep....so when in an airport, do as the travelers do, lay down and sleep! So that is exactly what I did. I found two empty seats, laid my head on my bag, covered myself with a coat, and fell fast asleep! 😴 Before boarding our next flight to Brussels, Belgium, we grabbed a bite of lunch. We almost missed our final flight to though, since they changed gates on us and we didn't know it. Thankfully, we found out with 10 minutes to spare so off we went in a full sprint to the appropriate gate and as I got close I was yelling to the gate attendant that we needed to be on that flight to Bilbao. I (Alice) arrived at the gate ahead of Darrel. πŸ‘ (Are you surprised?) We had to be sure they would hold the flight for us!! No cliff hangar here....we made it in time!! 😜
-our final flight was very nice. I didn't sleep this time.....too excited about who was waiting for us at the other end! We were surprised and excited to see Jason, Cooper, Itsaso and her mom and dad waiting to greet us! It was a tearful reunion!! Can't believe we were finally here!
-we made arrangements to spend Saturday with Itsaso's family, dropped Itsaso off back at her school and then went to Orio, where the rest of Jason's family and their group of friends were having an afternoon get together. It was a wonderful way for us to meet all their friends and their kids' friends as well. I guess you could call this their quadrilla, the Basque word for lifelong close group of friends. We ate with them..... I even tried out a few of the Basque words that I know (they laughed 😊, but I thought I was doing pretty good!!)  Give me 2 more weeks and I should be fluent!! πŸ€“
-we left the gathering at about 8 p.m. to get the kids ready for school the next day. It was a very long but extremely good day! Not only have we arrived safely and finally gathered together with our loved ones, but how many times do you get to eat your 3 meals in three different countries all in ONE day?!  πŸ‘  Now that is a first!!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Day 4 - Saturday, May 28, 2016

After making arrangements for our return trip to the airport for our departure flight on Sunday morning, we went to visit Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor Castle. Those royalty really live it up, "royally"! It was a full day since it required a bus ride, underground, and rail train changes, but we navigated our way to the castle without a hitch. It was an amazing place and we enjoyed our visit. The day was beautiful, so it was delightful to tour the grounds and the castle on such a lovely day, while imagining ourselves as Queen Alice and Darrel Duke of Morton.
-since it was our last night in London we decided to eat at a nice restaurant called Caffe Concerto and enjoyed a lovely, delicious meal......and even topped it off with dessert! 🍰
-enjoyed one last stroll around the city before packing up and preparing to leave the next morning.
-it has been a wonderful experience of a lifetime

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Day 3-May 27, 2016

We slept in a bit this morning.....our bodies are confused, that's for sure! However, we are feeling good once we are up and running. On our way to watching the changing of the guard we walked through the Royal Mews where they store the beautiful carriages inwhich royalty ride. They are all so ornate and magnificent. Since we are in London, we felt like we needed to experience the changing of the guard, so we decided to attend that ceremony....it was full of a lot of pomp, foot stomping, marching, saluting, back and forth flag waving, bands playing, etc. and lasted and hour! They do this every day!
-walked through the beautiful St. James Park
-toured the Tower of London and Tower Bridge
-Darrel wanted to try fish and chips in London, so we scouted out a place that served that for dinner tonight
-figured out the bus lines so we enjoyed riding them around when we needed a break from walking
-walked around an area of London called Piccadilly Circus which is full of activity, shows, restaurants, shops, etc., a sort of London version of New York's Time Square minus the tall buildings and replaced with beautiful architecture and ornate buildings and statues.
-rode the bus home

Our time is London is quickly coming to an end. It is a wonderful city and we have enjoyed every minute of it. Tomorrow we hope to venture out of the city and go to Windsor Castle where Her Majesty the Queen lives. I'm sure she will be expecting us for tea, so I best be going!

Friday, May 27, 2016

Day 2 - Thursday, May 26, 2016

-went on a 3 hour open air bus tour around the city. Very interesting and informational.  It was a beautiful day so it was a wonderful way to get a great overview of London.
-learned that in London sometimes you have to pay to use a public toilet! 😊
-toured Westminster Abbey where royalty are married and coronations take place! I imagined myself walking down that amazing aisle to get married to sir Darrel. 😘
-topped the day off with going to see Les Miserables-it was fantastic!!
-took the underground (tube) back to our apartment. Real city travelers! πŸ˜‰

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Day 1 - Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Let me begin by saying traveling isn't for wimps. There is a lot involved in getting to a destination. But once we finally arrived, we gave a big sigh of relief and thankfulness. Here is what transpired:
-Slight bit of confusion getting tickets at Peoria airport on Tuesday afternoon. Reminder right out of the gate that God goes before us and is always with us. Things got cleared up after 10-15 minutes of uncertainty. πŸ˜…
-arrived in Chicago with enough time to get our connecting flight πŸ€—
-began the 8 hour flight to London - chuckled at 2 grumpy old men on board - one accused the stewardess of calling him fat, and the other wanted his seat reclined and the person behind him didn't want it reclined. Economy section rage!  πŸ˜œ
-I think we slept a bit on the flight . . . brains get to be foggy by this time. . . comfortable flight overall. . . Even kept my cookies all the way to London!
-pretty long line through customs but uneventful
-decided to be adventurous and try to figure out the underground-so we took our four suitcases on the train, which is a lot like the Chicago metro, and then walked the remainder of the blocks to our destination arriving right on time - 2pm on the dot, the time we agreed to meet our Airbnb host!
-walked to the grocery store for a few items
-explored the city by foot for the remainder of the day-we are within walking distance of everything!
-I think we wore out dad's knees already-tomorrow we are doing a bus tour! 😊
Day 1 - Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Monday, May 23, 2016

39 days - 8 new experiences and counting

Thirty-nine days of Alice in 60 land are now history and there are 8 notable new adventures/experiences logged so far on the way to a goal of 60. Tomorrow will be the next new adventure....flying over the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. That in itself could be very interesting. To be honest, I hope I sleep the entire way, but there is the potential of losing my cookies at 45,000 feet if things get a bit rocky. That too, would be a new experience. . . one I'm sure I would try to forget. To help with the long trip, however, Tiffany loaded my iPod with my most recent favorite songs about trusting God. She also told me about ear plug splitters (I never heard of such a thing...but what a great idea!!) so dad and I can both listen to my iPod at the same time. Can you picture that??I'm sure we will impress the other 60-something passengers with our high tech gadgets! πŸ€“
Today, I said goodbye to Tiffany as she boarded the church van to begin the first leg of her missions trip to Spain. Yes, I got a bit teary-eyed, after all, she is my baby!! However, all of these experiences are vivid reminders to me of my need to trust God everyday in every situation, when I must let go of the familiar and let God teach me again how He is "Sovereign Over Us".  "God Is" my "Wonderful, Merciful Savior" who has "Always Been Faithful to Me" "Through All of It". I will "Trust in You" and "Cast my Cares" on the God of "Angel Armies".  I am "Overwhelmed" that "Jesus Loves Me". "All I Have is Christ".  The messages in these songs will carry me to London. . . and I am so excited to visit that city where I'm sure many new experiences will bring me closer to that sixty mark!

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The beginning of a new decade

As I approached a new decade, not just 30 or 40, or even the big 5-0, but 60 years old, I realized more than the other milestones, that life was slipping away and unless I was intentional about living life to the fullest, as God intended, I could soon be physically or mentally limited, so I set out on a new journey; a renewed outlook on the approaching empty nest (which for me is much later than most people my age) and the "happy golden years". What I didn't want to do was slip into cruise mode and coast the rest of my life. So, the idea came to me to set a goal of looking for 60 new adventures/experiences in my 60th year of life. This would hopefully keep my mind pressing on to learning new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. So for all my new readers, which are probably only (maybe) my family, and perhaps a few curious friends, I created this blogspot to log my activity and to hold me accountable.....a sort of diary. Plus, since this blogspot is a new experience for me, it counts as one of the 60 adventures. I welcome comments and suggestions, and most of all, through all of this, I am praying God will be honored and that my life would be a fragrant aroma to those I meet. I really don't want this to be all about me.....it's about waking up each day and seeing what God has on His agenda for me and that my mind would be fresh and open to new things.
Welcome to my blogspot and thanks for reading. I love you all very much!! Thanks for your support of this old dog trying to learn new tricks!!