writer
After our first big mountain snow storm!
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!
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!
A new family member!
We got a black and white, multi-purpose cat this week! He’s a cutie, plus we hope he’ll help us with our pack rat problem! I think his name is Charlie, but Mike keeps changing his mind…
OK, so we were pressured into it, sort of.
We have one smart pack rat who insists on camping out in our car this winter. Yes, we’ve tried everything to get him out of there. Leaving the hood up and traps don’t work, and poison was just a waste of money, so we got a cat.
We’ll keep you posted on the rat-cat conflict. Let’s see who wins!
Of course Rasta is not at all pleased with the prospect of sharing our undivided attention, but he’s slowly getting used to this tiny intruder.
We’re making progress!
What does retirement mean to you?
I have observed that there are just about as many responses to the idea of retirement as there are people. Many count the days to retirement. They see it as complete freedom, and can’t wait!
Others fear that kind of freedom. They are convinced that they need to be contributing at all times, and feel driven to continue for reasons of self-esteem and/or legacy.
I believe this has a lot to do with early brainwashing. If your parents are driven to contribute, than you may also have that driving spirit. If your parents look forward to retirement as reward for a job well done, you may too.
My family is the hard-driving type, and my siblings also feel that they have no purpose if they cannot work.
My new husband at age 50 saw things differently. Because of serious health issues, he wasn’t able to hold down a 40+ hour a week job past age 60.
When I first met Mike ten years ago I was still quite driven. I launched myself into my new writing career with my usual enthusiasm and stubbornness, convinced that I could make it big as a blogger and author.
Over the past ten years my attitudes have changed dramatically. Mike has convinced me that being hard on myself and driven does not lead to contentment or even a happy life. It just leads to frustration with myself and others.
At what point is it OK to give yourself a break and say, “You are fine just the way you are.”
I have given much thought to my feelings about myself when I die. I do not believe that I will feel any better about myself then, if I produce more books or make any more money.
My time now is mine, and I plan to spend it doing whatever I choose, not feeling driven by my fears or my ego.
Adventures of the NEW??? Old Farts 
