Extremely Thankful...And Then Some

I can't believe it's already November. Where has this year gone? I just hope I'm not aging as quickly as the year has, but pretty sure I am.

It still beats the alternative. If you're not aging, you're dying. I'll take growing older as long as I can.

If there's one thing our move to another state after fifty six years has taught me, it's to be grateful...for the good and the bad.

I was a coward when we first moved here. I readily admit it. I was more worried about what was going on with me instead of noticing what was going on for us.

My setback was a temporary one and should have realized that right off the bat. Instead I threw myself a big fat pity party and made everyone else miserable along with me.

Fast forward one year...

I'm living thirty minutes away from the beach, just where we've always wanted to live. In our retirement years, it will be on the beach.

Unwillingly, had to start over again in my chosen profession of Plate Slinger Extraordinaire.

That actually was one hard pill to swallow!

I beat myself up when starting a new job, always thinking I'm not getting it or catching on fast enough.

I still remember that first day they hired me. They offered me a job after finishing my first interview and asked if I wanted to come back later that afternoon to begin training and knock a day off my two week training period.

Yikes...I wasn't even over my own Pity Party!

I was an absolute nervous wreck when I returned a couple of hours later, wearing the required pair of gray slacks I'd just bought at Kohl's in the little boys' department. They were the only ones small enough fit me. That particular Kohl's didn't have a 'Karen Carpenter' section.

I just recently celebrated my one year anniversary working at Chroma.

I've settled in nicely after being a wreck the first four or five months...obviously it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I've doubled my salary in the past twelve months and firmly have my tootsie established in the door for hopefully many years to come.

It's nice to be back on top in my place of employment. I'd even venture to say I'm one of the top servers there and have proved myself to be a reliable and dependable asset to the company. I have steady made more money each and every week and look forward to once again making airport money without the hassle of actually working in an airport.

Been there, done that.

Yes I was lucky to have that job for almost three years, especially at a time when we desperately needed the extra money.

I'm now also lucky that we aren't desperate for money and can live comfortably live off Tim's income.

We struggled for almost a decade...and I mean struggled. We never gave up and our friends and family never gave up on us either.

We have always been blessed, sometimes it's just harder to realize it.

 The twenty years we lived just south of Atlanta were some pretty great times, even with the few bad times.

I still miss our old home...it served us well and have very fond memories of raising the kids in it.

 This is from our very last Christmas living on Huntington Court.

Now we are quickly approaching our second Holiday Season in Orlando. We'll once again celebrate Thanksgiving here, at my brothers' house and go back to Georgia for Christmas day at my sisters'.

It's quite nice to feel normal again...well, as normal as it gets for someone like me.

Moving here, away from my home, friends and family after fifty six years was a wake up call. To cope with it, started doing what I (consider to) do best...write. I write and mail about twenty letters or cards a week. Just because I don't live near them anymore doesn't mean we can't stay in touch. Yeah, you can text or message or post on social media, but who doesn't like to open an envelope and see familiar handwriting?

I've written to childhood friends, high school and college friends, former neighbors, co workers, bosses and even mere acquaintances who meant something special to me. A few have even written back and is just as exciting for me to see their familiar handwriting.

Just because you move away from your old life doesn't mean you can't remain connected in your new one.

It never bothers me at all if they don't write back.

I selfishly do it more for me than them anyway, but just think (hope) to maybe put a smile on their face or brighten their day in some small insignificant way.

I still have the very first diary I started when just nine years old. I have about three hard back journals since filled and saved as well.

My Cray Cray life is well documented, along with the thousand or so photos I have stored in albums and boxes.

Call me a 'Life' hoarder.

Life is a road we all have to walk. What you make of your life, is the road you will ultimately follow.

Ours has taken us on detours and been re routed a couple of times but always gotten us there.

Life's a long and winding road, but well worth the journey and ours is getting better all the time.

Our road had some ruts in it along the way but love has gotten us through and over them.

Tramps like us? Baby we were born to run!

Till next time, an extremely grateful COTTON