Today my Daughter and I headed out to explore Santa Barbara. First we walked along the sidewalk by the ocean where local artists displayed their work. Then we went out on the pier to a museum and saw star fish and other creatures from the ocean – including baby sharks, which we could pet. After a picnic we hit the Museum of Natural History – the last day of the Arctic exhibition where there was gorgeous photography and a polar bear, the remains of a pygmy mammoth, and then finished the afternoon at the planetarium. We had a GREAT time!
Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges,
free of rough and smooth;
It’s an experience that’s expansive enough
to include all that arises
without feeling threatened.
– Pema Chodron
This morning my daughter and I walked down to the ocean. Tide was going out and there were lots of birds. It was fun watching them walk into the ocean and then run back to shore when the waves came in!
My youngest and her boyfriend arrived on Friday. All my girls are in the same state now! And while we all won’t be together for the holidays, we’ll be spending Christmas Day at my eldest daughter’s with her family and then on the 28th we’ll be having a second Christmas celebration with my middle daughter and her family! I’m so excited.
And the count down for my “permanent” retire is on. 30 June 2012 is when I’m going to pack it in (or in this case pack it in the u-haul) and head for Louisiana. I’m excited. My first retirement lasted only a year, but I still remember the joys of no job. Staying up as late as I wanted, sleeping in, doing what I wanted and when I wanted. I miss those days and I was so busy I couldn’t figure out how I’d ever found time to work. Well, let me tell you that the time to work comes at the expense of fun things, and spending your time doing what you want. Being with friends and family, photography, reading, walking, and now soap making and so forth will fill my hours. And yes, I know I’ll miss the money the full time job brings in, but I don’t think it’s worth the sacrifice of what I have to give up. So I am looking forward to 1 July!
Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the Season!
