Comments:
2023: So far I have traveled to Tennessee in May to Gaitlenburg, Nashville and Memphis to do regular touristy things. I have a cruise and trip to Europe planned for summer.
2022: November: I traveled to Leesburg, VA for the HP Forbidden Forest Experience...SO much fun!!
September/Oct: I took an eight week trip to WI, MN, ND, SD, WY, UT, AZ, NV, CA, MEXICO, TX, OK, MI, IN, OH, PA, and WV. Oklahoma was the only state I had not been to so now have been to all of them and the emeritus states. Our Country is amazingly beautiful. I also got my 4th booster.
August: Allowed me a OBX NC beach trip with my oldest daughter Ann and 1 Granddaughter and 9 Great Grands
Late July: I traveled by rail for 14 days through all of Canada and it was brilliant.
June: I went on a get away with my daughter and her five daughters to Ocean City Maryland.
I am still working on my 7th book.
2021 Now that I am vaccinated I am feeling a bit more normal. Still masking and being careful around strangers, but I am hugging my family again. Beginning in May, I have been out more to the stores, went to the beach with a friend for the first time since my cruise Feb 2020. My 6th book, "The Dragonflies Whisper" came out summer 2022 and I'm working on my 7th book. I hope your life is getting back to normal as well.
August: Daughter Deena started celebrating my 70th Birthday early and gifted me with an, on site Vacation Trailer at Legacy Lodge in NC.
Plan on doing a great deal of writing there in the next coming years.
September: Went to Wisconsin to visit family and friends
October: Took a trip with my daughter Deena and her 6 daughters to Gaitlenburg, TN. Went to Dollywood which was on my bucket list. I TURNED 70 on the 21st then went to Massachusetts to say goodbye to my youngest son Joe who passed on the 28th.
2020 Started January wonderfully with a long trip with longtime friend from Wisconsin. Barb and I joined my daughter and her 8 children for a family vacation in Flordia for a few weeks. Did the Harry Potter stuff and explored everything. Stayed a week in Miami exploring then joined Barb's family for an eight day cruise and meandered home for a week. She stayed until the 2nd week of February. I prepared for my next trip to Nags Head, NC.
That's when it began. We, me and 5 girlfriends got quarantined to the house we rented just 2 days into our vacation. We were all okay but it did put a damper on some of the things we had planned. I have been home since March 13th. 3 additional cruises, a family vacation, and a trip to Ireland for 6 weeks have been cancelled. I have done some needed work at the house, bought myself a set if drums, just put out a new book of poetry and am working on a sixth book. Since May 2019 I have also taken off 42 more pounds. Life continues to be good, just in a different way. Stay safe.
2019 I set a few goals for myself after losing Joe and the biggest one was paying off the house. I just made my final payment. For those of you who haven't already done that, I can't tell you how good it feels. I continue to write surpassing my life long dream to be a published author. My books, which have turned into a series "You're Welcome," "Thank You," "Excuse Me", and "I'm Sorry" are available and very nostalgic for residents of Cudahy. I'm currently writing by 5th book. I have gone on another cruise to Puerto Rico with my 3 daughters and enjoyed coming home to Wisconsin for our reunion.
2018. I traveled a good part of the year while I had the inside of my house remodeled. I went on 3 cruises, drove twice home to Wisconsin, saw grands and greats in Massachusetts, visited a pastor friend in Pennsylvania, went golfing in Flordia, etc.
Mom passed 10-2-2017 at 92. I was sorry to have missed our little reunion in October 2016 but was otherwise needed here at home.
2016. I am sad this New Year as my life partner Joe went to be with God on Christmas Eve. We took a trip to Hawaii late September and he walked our daughter down the aisle October first. On November 11th he was diagnosed with lung cancer which had moved quickly to the brain and I took him home to care for him. 2017 will be a year to pick up the pieces and carry on.
I don't know about you but I was lucky enough to have military insurance since my retirement and am grateful to have medicare now along with my Tricare for Life. I pray all of you have medical insurance.
2016 took us to Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, Hawaii, Georgia and Wisconsin. We lived well and could not have known then that these would be our last trips together.
2015 took us to Honduras and Belize for some mission work and R&R and we are planning a big trip to Hawaii for Joe's 80th birthday next September.
2014 blessed us with a 2 month trip to Ireland to attend our niece's wedding and spread our Grandson's ashes in the Irish Sea. He will be missed deeply.
We finished our 12,000 mile driving trip for 2013, as well as a big family vacation. We went to Little Switzerland in the Blue Ridge Mountains in October and on another Cruise to St. Marten and St. Thomas in November. I love retirement.
After the reunion in 2010 my father went home to God on October 1st. I'm glad that I was able to be there and might not have been if not for the reunion.
We spent 2 months in Ireland summer 2011. I have traveled to Ireland many times because my husbands whole family lives in Belfast and County Down. Have also been to Devon, England; Bahamas, Toronto, Niagra Falls, Wisconsin, Michigan, San Diego, San Fransico, New York, Arizona, Las Vegas, Texas, Minnesota, Washington D.C.; Maryland's Inner Harbor Area, Getty's Museum in LA; Disney World, North and South Carolina, Washington DC, New York, Pennsylvania, Nags Head, NC; Savanah, GA; Massachusetts, Conneticut, Cape Cod, Disney World, Branson, MS; Took a cruise to Venezula, Aruba, Mexico and Cartanega, and almost everywhere in Virginia.
In 2010 we went to Nashville; Biloxi, MS; San Antonio; Tombstone,Tempe, and Buckeye, AZ; Las Vegas; Yellowstone; Mt. Rushmore; Souix City, IA; St. Paul, MN; WI Dells,WI and CUDAHY; Indianapolis and Charleston, WV.
Would still like to go to Austrailia, Paris, and will be going to Vancouver this June.
I enjoy any College Football, Poker Tournaments, Gymnastics, Swimming, Ice Skating, Golf and still catch a Packers game or two. Virginia doesn't really have it's own team so we tend to route for teams from states we have migrated from.
On a Motivational side, I have had quite the healing journey and know how God works in my life.
In 1991 I had a horrific car accident and although I survived, I knew I would not be swimming long distance ever again or playing golf. The damage to my back and upper body left me in great pain and eventually I lost most of the use of my right side and was told I'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I also loved to dance, play the piano, and I had already taken my quality assurance testing to become a sign language interpreter (that dream was gone when my Dr. said I could no longer use my upperbody like that.) I was no longer able to do anything and used all my energy just to go to work. I went to every pain management class available and when nothing else worked started getting epidural shots in my spine to relieve the pain. By 2001 I had gained 162 pounds, topping the scales at 296. In December 2001, I was approached to receive surgery that was experimental. My Dr. said I had nothing to loose and that it would not worsen my condition and just may help...so in January 2002 I had the surgery, and today I consider myself to be a miracle. I have full use of my right side with only a small amount of numbness on the bottom of my right foot and all the pain is gone. Life is good. I don't expect to get back to 134. I may never swim another 5 mile marathon again, but I still play a little golf and can swim 75 laps. Not bad for being 65.
