Sixteenth Thing: Random wildlife sightings – in particular, black bears. We were just winding our way home from dinner tonight, rounded a curve and TADA! A black bear was in the middle of the road. The opposing traffic (one car) had stopped as did we. Seeming startled, he ran off to the side, then back into the road, then back to the side when I snapped these photos (window down, safely inside the car). It doesn’t get much more thrilling than this for me!
Last year, our bear was very close to home, in fact, right below the deck where I stood taking this picture, trying not to drop the iPhone.
Wildlife sightings, in particular the awesome black bear, had to make the list of 59 Things. I just appreciate that I had a new sighting today.
Fourteenth thing: Is there anything quite like a succulent, juicy, Florida grapefruit? One of the things I’ll miss about having Mom in Florida is that she had an uncanny knack for finding the most spectacular sweet-tart grapefruits, stocked in just before I’d arrive for a visit – one per each day of my stay (and more if I’d asked). Now that she lives in Michigan, I may have to call upon her skills at our local grocer’s produce stand and see if she can find anything like this gem.
It just doesn’t get better!
Fifteenth thing: While butterflies are known as my Mom’s “thing” in our family, they make me happy as well. In May 2014 while staying in our little cabin in the woods bordering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we experienced something neither Spence nor I had ever seen. As we drove through the park from Wears Valley Tennessee to Cherokee North Carolina there was either a hatching or a migration of pale yellow butterflies. Driving for 90 minutes, every time there was a clearing in the trees, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them. Considering that we’ve been coming here for years, this was a first. The sheer number of them for such a prolonged distance was at first almost startling, then we were just in awe. After a few hours in Cherokee, we made the return trip and experienced the same thing. I can’t tell you what type of butterfly this was and I was unable to take a picture as it was perpetual motion (both the butterflies and our car). But it was something neither Spence and I will forget.
That said, I’ve also been witness to Morpho Butterflies while in Costa Rica. Not once but on multiple trips. I know people who’ve lived there for years and never saw one. They are very large as butterflies go and fly/flap slowly. With wings open they are a brilliant, royal blue – like a flying, iridescent hologram.
With wings folded up, they look like a large moth, rather unremarkable.
In my travels, I’m always intrigued to see if I can get butterfly pictures that aren’t blurred by motion and have been successful as you will see below. These images have been taken over time in my travels and make me happy.
Thirteenth thing: Waterfalls always make me happy. Sometimes you expect them – as in Niagara Falls. You know you’re going to see them upon arrival and they are magnificent, powerful and unrelenting as they flow and crash without a pause.
Other waterfalls have presented themselves by accidental discovery such as during our travels years back, in Costa Rica. Our friend Carlos had an incredible piece of property – ranch, mountains, caves and he promised, waterfalls. To get to those falls, we would have to go on horseback, then tie up and hike in. These hidden, private falls were pristine and we sat in pools at the bottom, letting the cascading water refresh us from the long, hot ride to get there.
Another couple (Americans) that we met in Costa Rica, were renting a home up in the mountains, very secluded. Don and Dale had chosen the location because they were nudists, (we opted to pass on trying that when invited for the weekend – “no matter” said Don). Driving in their open jeep, on increasingly smaller “roads”, through streams and over rock slides we finally stopped. Following Don, we hiked, hearing the falls before we could see them. Again, it appeared that we were the only humans who’d made this trek and for the next hour, we floated and marveled at the spectacular majesty of these waterfalls. The splendor of nature.
In our travels recently, Spence and I returned to a place where we’d found not only waterfalls but a place where you could enjoy them while enjoying an ice cold beer. And they didn’t disappoint.
Twelfth thing: This random happy thing is something that nearly everyone in the world has on their list.
The sound of the ocean, the feel of sand under your feet and between your toes and the waves as they hit the shore and suck the sand back into the ocean. All this while standing under our glorious sun, balmy temps with a bluer than blue sky. They say “life’s a beach” and I agree. I captured this moment when I was on Sanibel Island while moving Mom in March 2015 (check out my “Moving Mom” series if you’d like).
I posted this video then but it was so cool; each time I watch it and hear those waves, I’m transported back to that day. It instantly makes me happy and since I’m doing this series on 59 Things, it made sense to share it again.
And yes, those are my feet at the end and my pedicure peeking through the waves!
Ninth thing: Morel mushrooms. Early on in our relationship, Spence made a visit to northern Michigan, near Charlevoix. His friend Don (and Don’s parents) owned countless acres of wooded land. And on that land around this time of year, a miracle occurs. Morels everywhere. This would have seemed like a beautiful myth had Spence not returned home with a brown paper lunch bag literally brimming with morels. I was in heaven and by extension, so was Spence as I whipped up the most incredibly delicious meals. Not a morsel went to waste. Oh the memories.
Rarely now I will encounter morels peering out of the produce stands if and when I’m lucky. Regardless of the cost (which is incredibly steep) I’m seduced on the spot – and cannot pass them by. So imagine my utter dismay when only a few days into our most recent vacation I saw this picture posted by my favorite farmer’s market Facebook page (knowing that I’ve probably missed them for this year).
I can only hope that whoever scored these beauties gave them the love that they deserved.
Tenth thing: I never knew my Great-Grandma (my Mom’s Grandmother) but had heard my Mom speak of her. Recently I helped my Mom pack up and move her belongings back to Michigan after selling her home in Florida. (see my Moving Mom series for more about that)
Moving from a good size two bedroom house to a nice size one bedroom apartment, Mom found that she couldn’t keep everything she’d moved. (even after parting with tons of her belongings when down-sizing) She offered my sister and I numerous items, one of them was Great-Grandma’s quilt. My sister graciously said I could have it; she’s planning her own downsizing in a few years. I was thrilled. The quilt is showing some wear but given it’s age, surprisingly less than you might expect.
Apparently the original passing of the quilt from my Great-Grandma to my Grandma Fox was not as gracious or amicable. Both she and her sister Ruth (who I understand was quite formidable) wanted this quilt. Drama ensued. My Grandma had to concede other cherished items in bartering for the quilt – but she prevailed.
Fast forward to my childhood. My sister and I stayed overnight on occasion with Grandma and Grandpa F0x who lived 20 minutes away. We were lovingly tucked in with this quilt at nap time, played on top of it with our Barbies and snuggled under it while watching our grandparents dance to Lawrence Welk on their black and white TV (they were impressive).
As soon as I brought it home, I unfolded it and snuggled under it. Good times, happy memories.
Eleventh thing: As I’ve written previously, I started the practice of meditation last year after retiring. I had tried before with no success. I simply couldn’t shut off my mind nor understand that meditation doesn’t necessarily require you to shut off your mind. What it is about is being still, being in the moment and allowing yourself to just…..be. Done with regularity it’s my experience that I’m more focused, even when I haven’t slept well. When I recently started missing consecutive days, I noticed that I felt a bit irritable. And kind of mad at myself for breaking what had become a good habit. As with anything, I re-prioritized and schedule it as a little “me” time each day.
Spence supports my practice though initially he didn’t understand that I can’t talk to him during the 15-30 minute sessions.
“I’M MEDITATING” I would have to yell through the closed door of my meditation space (or guest room). Now, he gets it and leaves me be though – and you’d have to know Spence’s propensity for deliberately switching out words – he calls it “mediation”.
Yes indeed, at only my eighth thing, I see no end in sight for the 59 random happy things series. You may be wondering…..can she do it? Stay tuned.
Eighth thing: I could have stretched and done this as the eighth and ninth entry but how can you not put these two together? My cats, Tipper and Biscotti (aka The Biscuit) who are natural brothers (though with different kitty daddy’s) were born to a beautiful feral calico cat, Chica, in our backyard. Her first litter bore four kittens, two sets of twins. It was a hot summer and Chica was doing her best but we could sense that she wasn’t producing enough milk and started supplementing soft wet food for her babies. I can see them yet, four tiny kittens with all sixteen paws in the bowl. They sounded like tiny velociraptors going after that food. Chica didn’t mind us handling her kittens, she was a very lovable girl herself and knew Spence and I were “cat people”. The kittens were fun and rambunctious, climbing the tree, running across the garage roof, back to the tree and leaping into the flower carpeted ground below. My stepson and his family adopted one of each twin, dubbing them “Cubby and Scout”. A co-worker claimed her young children very much wanted a kitten. They took Tipper (naming him Bubba – say what?) and quickly became disenchanted because he wanted to play and sleep on their beds (I secretly wondered what was wrong with them). I had told her, if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take him back – and I did. At this point, we’d adopted Biscotti, having lost first our fifteen year old girl, Kiki and a month later, our twenty year old, Cricket. We still had ten year old Chester but there was no question, Tipper was coming home. Having spent only a week apart, the happy reunion of these brothers was priceless. Sadly we lost our Chester about a year later.
Tipper and Biscotti fill our hearts with love. They love to play, snuggle, birdwatch, hide and give kitty kisses. I can’t imagine our life without them.
Meet Tipper and Biscotti (aka The Biscuit)
Sunny spot
Pretty cute
Massage by Tipper
Sweet boy
Pretty boy
Tipper birdwatching while the Biscuit naps
Paw paw pose
You’re done with this bag, right?
Their dry food is in those coolers
Buddies
Close up
Tipper tries a selfie
Tipper’s first selfie
Watch this
Tada
Biscotti’s canned food is underneath him in this basket.
“Check out those birds”
Biscotti aka “The Biscuit” and Tipper, hanging out on a drizzly day.
Seventh thing: As I said when I started this series, my 59 things are in random order. Just wanted to be clear since the reality is that I put my marriage at the top of the list of things that make me happy.
It took a long time to find the right man and longer still to marry him. I was so afraid that things would change. And guess what – they did. After eighteen years together, our wedding day created a shift in our world. I felt more nurturing and protective of our relationship and this life we’ve made. I’ve never regretted it for one day.
Marriage is work, love, compromise, passion, more work, silliness, health crisis’, exploration, love, discovery and knowing you belong to someone else.
Fifth Thing: Rain makes me happy. Not in the winter when it’s cold, dreary and amplifies every ache and pain. Not when I was working and it rained on my days off. But Spring rain is like magic. It causes trees to bud, bulbs to emerge from the ground, grass to green-up and flowers to bloom. Fall rain creates a heady aroma of wet leaves and cooler temperatures, signaling another change of seasons.
As I’d mentioned in an earlier post, there is something magical about the rain we experience each year at the cabin we rent in the mountains of Tennessee. Bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we are totally surrounded by the woodlands. Every year at some point, we hear the rumble of thunder in the distance and share a smile. “Here it comes” we say to each other. We’re usually out on our covered balcony, anticipating the storm as the breeze becomes a wind. The sound as the leaves start receiving those first rain drops is like a little melody, soft at first and then it picks up tempo. I’m not sure if you can hear it, but I wanted you to see it.
Sixth thing: Before I retired, I don’t recall the last time I saw fireworks. It had been years. Not because I don’t love fireworks, I do. But we somehow never sought out the crowded Fourth of July celebrations and the traffic jams that followed. I could hear them to be sure, just not see them.
After retiring last year, I noticed that at the most unexpected times, fireworks would find me. Once, in August when my former roommate BFF and I were in Kentucky, following a festival held on the Ohio River. We’d attended the festival, eaten lots of fair food and then walked up to a movie theater to watch a movie before heading back to our hotel in Cincinnati. As we walked out on this balmy summer evening, suddenly fireworks! We had arrived at the onset of a show that was spectacular The Cincinnati skyline was a beautiful array of colors and reflected in the river below. There was a band playing below that just added to the moment. We stayed until the end, amazed by our timing. A brilliant end to a fun day!
What a night!
In November, Spence and I traveled to Buffalo to see Jethro Tull in concert. The night before we stayed on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and supported the casino. Having given ample support, we were making our way back to the hotel room when we saw the sign for a rooftop bar and decided on a nightcap. We no more than got our drinks and SURPRISE – fireworks – in November, over the falls. See what I mean – it keeps happening.
Here is second installment of 59 random things that make me happy to mark my newly minted 59th year on earth.
Third thing: I mentioned yesterday a rainbow that appeared to me a few weeks ago on a sunny day. It made me think of how many rainbows I missed when I was busy working, worrying about sales goals or life in general. Not living in the moment. Since I retired (and also took up yoga and meditation) I’ve slowed down and seem to notice more. Which made me remember this moment from our trip to Sedona last year. We were renting the most incredible house, on a hillside overlooking a valley – and all windows. The night before we experienced a magnificent thunderstorm that was at once terrifying and magical, protected only by the windows surrounding us. We awoke the next morning to a steady but calm rain followed by brilliant sunshine streaming in. I grabbed my iPhone telling Spence, “there’s got to be a rainbow” and went in search, looking up. No rainbow. Then I looked below me and there it was. We were “over the rainbow”. How cool is that? You simply need to know where to look!
In Sedona after the storm, the rainbow appeared below us, in essence, we were “over the rainbow”
Fourth thing: The next thing I have no picture of except as an indelible memory. It was when we first traveled to Costa Rica. Spence was renting a little house that had been made into a duplex in a barrio outside of Quepos. It was on the main road and we would walk a mile into town – then back, three times a day. We walked next to the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other so that when they lost power (at least once a day it seemed) and it was nighttime, we were plunged into total darkness on our walk. Except if you looked up. Then you saw the most miraculous sight, millions perhaps billions of stars. Like diamonds sparkling against black velvet, I was transfixed and couldn’t look down. It made me realize that the stars are always there but are masked by lights from below them and remain hidden. The beauty of those stars left such an impression on me and I’m grateful for that glimpse of heaven. Amazing.
Photo Courtesy of Pinterest, to the photographer that captured this, I thank you!
Yesterday I celebrated my 59th birthday and thought “whew, those first 58 years went by fast”.
I think back on friends and family who didn’t see their 59th birthday and realize that the greatest gift we get is waking up each day, a fresh slate. And as I mark my 59th year, I’ve decided instead of 59 candles (which face it – is a fire hazard) I’m going to share 59 things that make me happy, in random order (and over the next few weeks so I don’t create a novel…..)
First thing: Since I retired, just a few months before my 58th birthday, I’ve slowed down and am more aware and observant of things around me. A few weeks back, while floating in the pool at my stepmom’s house, I looked towards the sun and clouds and saw a rainbow, inverted so that it looked like a big smile. I asked her if she saw it, she did not. I took off my glasses – and though near-sighted, I could still see it. It lasted for quite a while, regardless of where I floated. I like to think it was my Dad sending me that rainbow. Rainbows have always been one of my happy things. I wish I had a picture to share with you, but the picture in my mind is there forever. Just because I was paying attention.
Second Thing: Just the other day, Spence and I were at an amazing place, having a couple of cold Shiner Bock and enjoying beautiful waterfalls. I looked down and saw the coolest thing and shot this video. At first I thought it was a piece of neon colored yarn…..
