2013 and all is as it should be ...

I'm sorry to have been away from the blog for so long. I've missed it and I feel a bit guilty whenever I'm chastised for not posting in such a long while.

Those who are not in steady contact with us are probably wondering how Mo's recovery has progressed. Well, worry not... champion that he is, he has healed beautifully and with the return of the geese last spring, Moses was back to 100 percent of his former strength and agility. Of course, we still gasp when he dives off a hillside or charges off across a field with his BFF, Mimi, the wild-standard-poodle-girl. But, true to their promise, the vets were right; Mo was repaired as good as new. Nay, better than new! He now listens when he's on a leash, something he never did before. He spent months during his recovery tethered to us on the other end of that leash and now it's become second nature to him. Never believe that you can't teach an old dog a new trick!

Above is Moses at 9+ years of age, already 10 months after his surgery. See those 100 geese out there in the middle of the lake? He herded them out there and he has them all under control.

After imagining the unknown possibilities of what life would be like after the dire Mayan predictions of the end of 2012, we've had a rather quiet, kind of homey 2013... no vacation trips, not many visitors, no wild parties, no weddings and thankfully no funerals. I would say we've had a good year so far. Sometimes unexciting and uneventful is simply wonderful.

Art turned 70 this past May and we celebrated life with renewed fervor. I turned 66 in July and got an iPhone5 with which I took these pictures. Happiness comes in small doses which yield big rewards.

This spring we replaced our aging air conditioning system. We chose a heat pump which cools in hot weather and will heat the house when it's moderately cold outside. The best part of this energy efficient system is that we can make almost all of the power it uses with our solar panels. Our electric bills so far this summer have been ZERO! We're looking forward to seeing it perform during the upcoming heating season.

Brother Hank and Cathy were with us in early August at our neighbor's annual summer picnic. 

 

Cold weather this spring froze our pear blossoms so we had no fruit this summer. However, the peaches from Chambersburg have been the best we've eaten in years. There were new varieties at our local market, which kept us supplied with a steady stream of succulent peaches from early July to late September.

This year's garden was also prolific, yielding a bountiful supply of potatoes, beets, kale, carrots, onions, garlic, chard, squash, herbs, eggplant, cucumbers and, until the blight got them, tomatoes. Unfortunately the whole tomato crop was lost and we had none that were edible and no juice to put up.

On the other hand, our giant elephant ear plant, now in its third year, has grown beyond all expectations, even big enough to completely cover Mimi's mom, Muff!

Time to retire . . . again!

The sky is definitely moving faster today. As I study the clouds of change, my thoughts race to keep pace. All of a sudden, though not at all unexpectedly, life has sped up and we are now on the far side of Thanksgiving. This year the clock has been ticking down to Art's third retirement and I wonder what this one holds in store for us?

He retired in 1973 from the menswear industry and we moved to the farm where he started his electrical parts rebuilding company. He retired from that business after 16 years in 1989 to become a judge in 1994. He might have remained on the bench for a fourth term but for the mandatory retirement age thing, for this was the job he really loved.


But really, you ask, what will he do? What will you both do? What will you EACH do? What will be different? What will remain the same? How will you spend your time? Will you tackle new projects, take up new interests, travel, move away? So many questions. It is hard to imagine the future. But life speeds along a linear timeline and forces us to watch the road ahead and try to straddle the potholes.

We have always lived our lives without plans. We mainly go with the Cosmic Flow. That way things feel right, and we have made our life choices based on feeling and intuition. So, I expect that nothing will change. I expect that everything will change. I expect, too, that we will embrace whatever does change as we have always done.

Retirement - he has no wonderment about this subject. He has done this twice before. He is excited! gleeful! playful, SURE, willing, and oh.so.ready! Speak to him about his plans and his face lights up. Ask him what he will do every day when he no longer has his career-burden to carry and he will reply, "everything... and nothing!" You just know that whatever it is, he will enjoy every minute.

But that's the way he has always lived - in the moment, in the present and in full, glorious gratitude for a God-granted wondrous life to live on Earth, in freedom, with humor, spirit and exuberance, with love and in friendship, with respect and in abundant good health. What more could anyone wish for? Not another blessed thing!

I doubt we will travel. I doubt we will alter our lifestyle. Maybe we will write a book... if so, it will be a funny one! And I know what his comment will be should you ask him for one. He will tell you, "Have no expectations and you will never be disappointed."