Midlife change is so worth it!

November 4, 2015November 18, 2015 / Laura Lee Carter / 2 Comments

Although Mike and I did consider ending it all before we met in lucky 2005 (see previous post), we both agree joining forces has been the BEST thing that has ever happened to either of us!

Together, through a great love and stubborn persistence, we have assisted each other in attaining our most treasured life goals, goals we would not have attained without each other’s support.

Mine was to become a writer. So far I’ve written three books! Mike’s was to build his own passive solar home with a spectacular view.

Mission Accomplished! And, BTW, the passive solar is keeping us toasty warm this fall! More often than not we have to open a window to cool down our home. So far, so good. We have only needed to use our supplemental heaters on the coldest and cloudest days.

The sunrises up here are GLORIOUS!

And all in all, I would say we are a good example of:

“Don’t give up in midlife when things feel hopeless!”

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. If you can change your mind and change your priorities like I did, there are do-overs before it’s all over! That is the message of my books and blogs.

And, finally, the rat is dead! Mike found it in his car and killed it! He was so happy! We still have our new cat Charlie. He’s not so good with rats, but he’s great at finding bugs, and re-defines playfulness for us!

Rasta and Charlie are still not the best of friends, but we’re getting there…

still coloring mandalas, and LOVING IT! It’s so healing for my poor recovering brain…

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The PERFECT THING for those who think or worry too much!

October 25, 2015October 10, 2016 / Laura Lee Carter / 15 Comments

REDISCOVER YOUR INNER KINDERGARTNER!

When I first heard about adult coloring books a few months ago I said, “Brilliant!” The publicist for “Stress Less Coloring” e-mailed me to offer me a book to color, so I requested the “Mandalas” book.

WOW! Who knew this could be so much FUN! And for you doubters, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it! For any of you with analysis paralysis, jump into this head first!

I find that coloring a mandala really helps me see what my mood is each day, and for brain recovery it’s PERFECT!

It also helps to change my mood if I’m ruminating on my worries. For unknown reasons it helps me to turn to my positive future and smile. If you wish to learn more about this new trend, check this out!

After our first big mountain snow storm!

October 22, 2015October 15, 2016 / Laura Lee Carter / 4 Comments

Yesterday was cloudy, gray and rainy all day. We only got up to 46 degrees and received over an inch of rain! So we tried out our electric heaters last night and they worked pretty well. I don’t like to be too warm at night, because I’m still having hot flashes…

This was our view of the mountains this AM.This was the view around 8:40AM, twenty minutes later…

and this is our view of the Spanish Peaks around 10 AM MST.

What a way to spend the morning, watching the Sangre de Cristos emerge in their lovely winter regalia.

My latest haiku:

High mountain snows. We get plenty of warning. Winter is coming!

How did I end up here, feeling so fortunate?

It’s a long story, one I can now share with you in my new memoir!

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Sunset, Sunrise – Life in Colorado!

October 20, 2015October 11, 2016 / Laura Lee Carter / 7 Comments

Sorry if I’m boring you, but I cannot get over the fireworks up at our new home in the foothills west of Walsenburg in southern Colorado!

Last night the sunset seemed to go on and on.

It started out like this, and then transitioned…

into this

and this.

Then this morning I woke up to this! Yes, the snow is getting deeper in the Sangre de Cristos! We get plenty of warning here. Winter is coming soon!

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I am filled with gratitude that I can now live like this forever. Please go see my new memoir!

Figuring out where you belong

October 28, 2014March 3, 2017 / Laura Lee Carter / 5 Comments

Just took a quick trip out to our building site west of town… Every time I do, I feel even more certain that this is the place in this big, wonderful world that I belong!

I know we all have our own opinions of the most beautiful places in the world. Some can’t live without the ocean, others love the plains, but I am perfectly sure that this semi-arid piece of land close to the high mountains suits me just fine.

It’s hard to say what it is that makes me so certain. The absolute silence is very important to me, especially after listening to the relentless traffic noise in Fort Collins for nine years. The natural beauty and wide variety of birds, plants and wildlife also help… This is simply my place.

This setting makes me feel like I never want to leave. I feel gratitude that we can finally live our dream in our very own place in the sun… solar-powered, of course!

I’m a newcomer to rural southern Colorado. After two years I decided to compile a short journal about the ups and downs of moving from a good-sized city to rural America to build a passive solar retirement home in the foothills:

A Memoir of Retirement: From Suburbia to Solar in Southern Colorado

Please share this information with your friends if they are considering similar life changes. Feel free to contact me directly to discuss any of these challenges, and to order your own signed copies of any of my books! Cheers, Laura Lee (email me: MidlifeCrisisQueen@gmail.com)