Namaste 2014

• Thank you 2014 for giving me an open heart to be able to move to Florida.
• Thank you too for having my family (at least part of it) adventurous enough to join me.
• Thank you for prosperity.
• Thank you for the fella.
• Thank you for change - enough change that I'm willing to evaluate my present self and the curiosity to gracefully (mostly) peek around the corner at what might be possibilities even I didn't think of.
• Thank for a strong enough fella who lets me stretch my "I'm not married" muscles without too much fanfare.

I hate to leave you wonderful year - you've been good to me. But so was 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. I can only hope that 2015 is a drop of what this year has been.

Namaste 2014 - I honour you.

Life's Paths

I've been unmarried for over 14 years. I don't think about it much and today's society doesn't either.

Now and again someone will ask if I'm lonely - no.

Sometimes in conversation, people offer up the moans and groans of their couple-hood. Do I feel glad I'm not engaged to have my own contributions - usually. Sometimes, I just think that their "socks on the floor" comments are air escaping and they are in generally in good company. And...I think they know that too. Do I actively desire a partnership - no.

There are times that I think a nice meal out with intimate lighting and pleasant conversation rather than a Kindle would be nice. But the Kindle has good lighting and so I am in decent company after all.

I know my flaws. I get easily bored with repetition. My job offers me the comfort of knowledge repetition with an ever-changing landscape of locales, schedules, configuration and project teams. Having the bulk of my close family and friends scattered across the country offers me familiar, but not routinely scheduled holidays. I'm not afraid to vacation on my own - even in a foreign country. My daughter who lives near me, seems to thrive on the same, dynamic living pattern as I do.

So the challenge becomes how to harness the freedom of mind and body to create and maintain a stable coupled relationship. Especially when a partner is seeking a normal rhythm of life - get up and converse, head to respective jobs, return home and create a meal, share the daily goings on, go to bed at a regular time as a pair, rinse and repeat.

I change shampoos regularly. I have not mastered the rinse and repeat. My mother did not master it. I am not even particularly enamored towards it.

Why do men find unfetteredness so attractive and then began a project to harness it?

Scarves

As I was folding scarves to place in my new dresser last night, I travelled abroad in my mind and took a walk down memory lane.

The blue one with the swallows. I bought it to remind me of the annual air dance the swallows did for me in  September outside of my flat window when I lived outside of London. They came early last year so I could see them before I left.

The newsprint one with the Union Jacks. My career and where my career took me. I bought that one at the train station in Windsor. Windsor is where I got my picture taken with the palace guard - a bucket list item for me.

The black and white one Pauline gave me for Christmas when we travelled on a walking holiday to Sicily. I walked on Mount Aetna on Christmas Eve whilst there. And I also saw the most beautiful Roman/Green ruins with the sea and shoreline behind in Taormina.

The periwinkle and butterfly one I bought at a street market in Florence as a head covering so I could enter the churches.

The brown and pink camouflage one from Lea. I don't usually do brown, but this one is beautiful and suits me.

Then there are the ones I wore all the time that I purchased on High Street, below my flat - the grey/pink one, the pastel plaid one, the salmon/blue one. The list is endless.

Another High Street favourite was the white one that I wore in the warmest of places and sometimes used it as first aid for overheated walkers. It certainly cooled me down and warmed me up more than once.

I have my black and white and red and black ones from one of the many street markets my daughter and I visited in London.

Summer ones to add colour to a t-shirt. Denser ones to hold the dampness at bay.

There's the turquoise, black and silver one from Hazel. My colours to be sure. Soft and shimmery.

Every time I wear these, I wrap myself in memories.

Football?

There's a football game tonight? Broncos v. Seahawks? What? Endless Summer has entered my brain. There's no way the hint of fall/winter has a place in my head or heart or body or whatever this  year. Palm trees for me please.

Reality Check

I still find it hard to believe that I can go on a bike ride, not be chased by a dog, grab a bite to eat, sit on the beach to eat it, while watching 75 surfers enjoy the waves from storm that passed by 100+ miles out, the night before any time I want.

Taxing

Florida does not have a State Tax. Tourism takes care of that for us.

There are occasional TAX FREE events. Two I've seen so far is a two week period where hurricane season preparedness items were tax free. And another was back to school where clothing and school related items were not taxed.

And in September, 2014, the cost of registering a car is going down. Yes, I said down.

Post Office in Paradise

I went to the Post Office today. They had people circulating to see if they could help with forms or asked if they could help ahead of time. And they were all smiling.

Driving me Peaceful

I'm grateful for the peace I feel driving to and from work.

The water is my comfort - always has been. Crossing water, heading towards water. Water, water, everywhere.

I feel valued at my job. The work is interesting. And having the office be located in Florida helps a lot.

We Be Friendly

We're a friendly bunch down here in these here parts.

I was stopped at a stoplight this morning and the car/man next to me points out what a nice day it is for a convertible. "Perfect" I respond. He goes on to say it will probably be too warm this afternoon to have it down. My convertible  has no A/C. It was purchased in the Pacific NW where if it was warm enough to need A/C, the weather was good enough to put the top down.

Happiness is a convertible in paradise.

Water Water Every Where

I'm grateful for the water I see every morning and evening during my commute. The river and the ocean views are so restorative.

Circling Hawks

Last night as I was leaving work there were five hawks circling overhead. I love how their wingtips spread out and how they seem to lazily float on the air. I'm thankful for living in a place that has so much wildlife, so close. (Even if it is a wee bit scary sometimes.)

Toadies

We have toads that live near us. One very recently just under the air conditioner. He, however, got squished on the road.

The last few days I've seen little baby toads, half the size of my pinky fingernail, hopping about. Last night, during the rain storm,  several were climbing up the porch screen and up the house across the way.

I don't know why, was tiny as they are, they would choose to climb up a multi-story building. Maybe for the thrill ride down the gutter and spout?

New baby toads!

Being Thankful

I am living and loving Florida. I see God's beautiful gifts every day. I'm going to use this space for awhile to list the beauty I encounter here in Florida. It's not just flora and fauna, it's people too. Join me on my pursuit to recognize all things beautiful.

2014

Wow - 2012 > 2013 > 2014. Time flies when you're living life.

I'm back in the States and on the move again. My lifelong wish (but not on the bucket list) of living in Florida is coming true. Stay tuned.