Age is a number, old is a state of mind

 

Letchworth State Park, New York

I type this as I sit in Starbucks and enjoy my free birthday drink and a snack, a large iced Chai latte with roasted pepper egg bites.  Is it just me, or are they addictive?  I always say I am not going to get them, but I often lose that argument.  I feel accomplished having had completed my annual physical before my Starbuck's birthday stop.  All is well and stable with my health.  It feels good to type that.  I am sitting here reflecting on my 53rd year and a smile widens across my face.  It was a very good year, if not a great one.  Yes, I had rainy moments in my year.  The biggest storm came last September at the loss of  Bear,  my 12 year old german shepherd who had cancer.  I think of him often and the pain of missing him is still there.  I have also missed my friend gatherings.  We had our annual Christmas party, but we did not have a summer picnic or Cocktails and Campfires.  We honestly have not been home enough since mid-April to plan or host any big or little friends bash.  But after the rain comes the rainbow. Bruce, my husband, and I have been able to spend a lot of time together going on various adventures or just sipping wine on the patio.  Kenobi and I have had lots of fun and new adventures.  He is such a smart dog and never ceases to amaze me. I was able to vacation with two sets of friends.  To kick off my 53rd birthday, we rented a little ARBNB with our friends, Bonnie and Pete.  Then in May, we were able to tour Spain, Italy and Greece with of our friends, Jerry and Virginia.

I have spent 7 months out of the year traveling, not every day, but at least twice a month.  We have camped at 6 different Ohio campgrounds.  Five of these were state parks.  We also adventured out of the Ohio boundaries and camped in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennessee.  There was also our overseas adventure traveling to 5 different countries.  We visited Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Montengro.  We also took a trip to Colorado.  It was my 3rd time there, but my first time visiting Rocky National Park.  Yes, my 53rd year was full of traveling in and around 6 states and 5 countries.  Not bad.

I am more settled into my "retirement" than the year before.  I began a few new hobbies such as sewing and I even managed to make some of my own clothes.  I had success with my little garden and grew my first eggplant and bunches of carrots.  I was even surprised by white pumpkins that are growing and not in the location I tried to plant them.   I re-enlisted to be a foster mom for dogs through a local shelter.  Though I only did it once, it was for 3 long legged jumping puppies.  They took a lot of energy and I am happy that I was able to begin to do some basic training with them.  I will be fostering again in year 54 in the late fall, winter and early spring before we begin traveling again next year. One achievement, I am most proud of was completing a cross stich stocking for my son in-law, Tyler.  Now all of my children, their spouses and my grandson have a stocking made special for them by me.

This has been a year of getting lost in space with both the total eclipse and through the lens of my new telescope.  I purchased a bit bigger telescope and have enjoyed using it to watch the different phases of the moon, seeking out planets and watching the stars.  I was excited when I was able to see the rings around Saturn and the moons around Mars.  I had to celebrate those sights by myself as they occurred in the wee hours of the morning.  My daughter and I also got to continue our tradition of watching the perseid meteor shower in August.

I challenged myself with physical activity.  I was able to complete the Fall 50 hiking challenge and the Waterfalls Chaser challenge.  All those little steps add up.  I am also back on my bike after a 2 year hiatus.  I needed to purchase a different bike that matched my size and skill a bit better after my shoulder issues.  I was also able to get back on the water in my kayak and able to try out a couple new lakes while we camped.  The water renews my soul.

Taking time to look back today as I celebrate my birthday really opened my eyes to the blessings I experienced during my 53rd year.  I had new adventures learning to fly fish and riding a paraglide trike over the island of Corfu.  I tried different foods and drinks for the first time like paella, gelato, cannoli and gnudi.  Oh and the sights I have seen, countless waterfalls, ancient ruins including Pompeii and the Colosseum, art such as Michelangelo's "David", the "Rape of the Siberian Woman" and the Sangrada Familia and animal life in the wild including Bear, Elk and bald eagles.

My body may not work as well as it did when I was in my 20's or 30's. It creaks and moans when it gets out of a chair, but I stand and can walk across the room. I hike slower than most, but I get there.  I am not old. I am 54 and proud of my age, not fearful or angry at it.  Age is a number, old is a state of mind.