I love my Traveling Tea Lady blog but I have gotten sidetracked from it in the past years. Since my adventurous trip to Alaska the last 2 weeks with Beth, I have a new resolve to write. I was so inspired by the travel writers, tweeters and photographers on the Princess Cruises P.R. Twitter trip. The people I hung out with were mostly young professionals with lots of enthusiasm and brain power.
One of the Tweeters has a web site and business called "MidLife Road Trip". Rick and his wife, Denise were on this trip and I loved meeting them. Rick follows people as they realize their mid-life wishes fulfilling their bucket lists. This got me thinking about what would be on my list. I had a weak dream board wish list but nothing I was very excited about. I reminded myself of all the awesome things I've already been blessed with and have done so I decided I want to make two lists: 1)Things I've Done and 2)Things To Do.
I also realized I live in rather a small world. I have no idea of some of the possibilities of things to put on a "to do" list. This past week I rode in a helicopter and landed on Yanert Glacier in Alaska. Doing something like this was not even on my radar. I had no idea something like this could be done. It turned out to be a life changing experience standing on frozen tundra so isolated that only a helicopter could get me there. The silence, the beauty can't be described in words. I can only say I felt exuberant seeing this heavenly glory.
My goal now is to continue to find this exuberance in my everyday world. I will watch with new eyes, a camera in hand and live in expectation of what each day brings. Meanwhile I will continue to write out my "to do" list and start working at crossing things off.
Welcome to Grandma and Papa's Home!
As I was sitting on my loveseat in my living room, I marvelled at the scene before me. Random toys had already been picked up off the floor. Cracker crumbs had been vacuumed off the carpet but remnants of the granddaughter's visits graced the living room. The highchair wasn't directly visible as it sits off to the right of the camera but directly inside the front door is this gathering of baby essentials. The front most carseat is for Mackayla, one year old, still sitting backwards in the car. Against the wall in the background sits Abbi's car seat, a two year old who can now sit up straighter and faces forward in the car. The two little red Adirondack chairs can be moved around to watch favorite TV shows or made into an imaginary car. A "pull up" toddler "diaper" sits on one of the red chairs, easily grabbed as needed. A folded up stroller rests next to the red chair on the right. It can carry Abbi to the park or Mackayla to visit Great Grandma Louise at the nursing home. Behind the stroller is the little white deacon bench that holds the dolly's bed and blanket. Unseen under the white bench are additional Fisher Price over-sized toys such as a radio and farm. Also out of sight is a stack of Mackayla sized diapers, baby wipes and "baby" cheetos. A clear little bag holds colors, markers and a random orange car sits close by on the coffee table. Removed from reach is the black circle dish holding the three teal candles and array of sea shells that used to decorate the coffee table. This picture is now what welcomes visitors to Grandma and Papa's house. What a transformation this living room has gone through in two short recent years. Describing my home to a gal I work with, she responded "you are the fun Grandma", as I let go of maintaining proper adult decorum to allow the wee people in my life to have a play place at Grandma and Papa's. I wouldn't have it any other way, either! How I love these little girls who always bring their smiles up the sidewalk to our home!
Did you ever throw shoes up in the air, aiming to get them stuck on a line? I am happy to report I never did it but I see it's still in vogue. I found these shoes on the street where my mother-in-law is in a nursing home. It's a lovely, quiet neighborhood and thereby hangs a story. I wonder if it's because it's the end of the summer and kids are restless? The other option is something I once heard when shoes appeared on a line outside of a private school. The story was that hanging shoes shows the location for making drug deals, whether buying or selling. Does anyone else have more info on the history of hanging shoes? It does take some athletic ability to throw this high so maybe it's just boys in competition. Hopefully the new school year athletic shoes have already been bought. I'd hate to think these were still good back-up shoes for a rainy day!
