I'M PUBLISHED!!!

I am amazed! Excited! BLESSED!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.

But should I be surprised, knowing that the promise of Psalm 37:4 applies to me?

Beyond my desire to serve Him, have a loving, Christian husband, children and grands to bless my days, I have several other desires God has fulfilled.

My children's book, On the Way to Cape May, has been published!!!!

Thinking about this adventure has brought to mind a few thoughts.

I am sure I will not become a millionaire and I am fairly certain that my book will not make the NY Times bestsellers list. BUT....

I have left a tangible legacy for my kids and grandkids.

I am having a blast promoting my book.

I am reuniting with old friends and making many new ones.

I am sharing faith, family and patriotism as well as whimsy and humor in On the Way to Cape May.

I am introducing NJ and some of its many attractions to my readers.

BUT here is the biggie, to me:

Call it my "dream" or my "bucket list". Here I am at 60, a published author.

Have you looked at your list or dreams lately? Your Bucket List?

GO FOR IT! You can do it. And email, call me, post or shout it out. I want to hear that you are reaching for your goals & dreams.

Maybe this is practice time?

Is there such a thing as "practicing for retirement"? If so, today was the day.

I woke too early for my day off, had an early cup of coffee and cereal. Therefore, lunch was going to be early - or I'll need a mid-morning snack.

Bill and I cleaned the patio, in prep for the kids coming in TWO DAYS!!! YEAH!! Then we each ran an errand of our own choosing. I to the grocery store, cuz the kids are coming in TWO DAYS!!!!

Bill went to administer meds to the mom of a friend.

We reconvened at home and that's when we had the snack.

Off we went to Lowe's for a picnic table umbrella and stand for the deck, because the kids are coming........

Stopped for lunch out. Identical choices from the menu.

Home for a nap. Me in the library, he in his man cave.

Then off to Christmas Tree Shoppe - futile trip as they did not have the chairs we wanted for the patio. So back to Lowe's and got the chairs, because the kids...........

You got it right?

So now we'll have a light dinner, get in our comfy close and watch Antique Road Show, American Pickers, Pawn Stars or Storage Wars. Hey, at least we've outgrown the Weather Channel.

Yep, I think this is Retirement Practice. We'll see if I get it right before the kids.........

Nighty night. Wait it's only 6:30pm you say? No worries, Bed time is right around the corner.

YAWN!!

Bill's Adventure

As I rest in my very sunny library nursing a serious headcold I am truly "reminded of a time....".

Bill has embarked on an adventure. I guess we can call it an adventure.

I must preface. The current financial recession's effect on the construction industry in NJ has given Bill his first opportunity to collect unemployment and sign "the book" at the union hall. The possibility of being called to work within the foreseeable future is slim, so my husband has retired. As of March 1st, he is a man without a time clock to punch, crew to manage, pipe to fix.... you get the picture.

I can think of at least two dozen honey-dos to give him right now. But, "Patience", I hear the Lord say and patience I will employ. Silently, I wait.

Now on to the adventure and it's reminding me of........

Additional preface. Our Floridian grandaughters have spring break next week and at the same time our daughter (their mother) is required to pick up extra shifts due to a staffing shortage in the cath lab at the hospital. Hey, maybe Bill could become an RN and do catharizations? Pipes are pipes, right?

The girls will need to go with their dad to his office, in his parent's home. BORING! I mean for a day it may be ok. But when you have this perfectly free POP POP with nothing but time on his hands and nothing to do in NJ until the grass starts growing, problem solved.

So the plan, as originally laid, was for Bill to drive down to Florida alone. I set him up with CD's, GPS and he packed his Rand McNally atlas, a few snacks and...again, you get the picture. I am still working and unable to schedule time off on short notice, or at all. And that's ok, more on that later. I am not the retired one.

And then one morning this past week Bill met with "the boys" and the other guys in his crew that were let-go on with him on December 30th, coincidentally that's Bill's birthday. Bob, an electriction, now retired, same scenario as far as employement possibilities go, heard Bill say he's headed to Florida. One thing leads to another and yesterday Bill & Bob take off. Bill will drop Bob in Tampa for him to enjoy time with his sister, a son on spring break and the Phillies at spring training. Then Bill will head south to Sarasota to our kids.

Finally to the "REMINDS ME OF THE TIME" part

Several years ago, 2002 to be exact I made the reverse trip with a friend, Susan. But I think that's where the similarity ends. Susan & I, old pick up. Bill & Bob, 2009 Impala. Susan & Carole - AAA Triptix. Bill & Bob - Garman GPS. Susan & I took a week, Bob & Bill 24 hours. Susan & I stopped at Wycliff Bible Translators Headquarters, St Simon's Island, Cyrpress Gardens, a friend's house, my company's corporate office, shopping. Bob & Bill? - nuttin.

It's not new. Men, travel to reach a destination. Women travel, filling in as many destinations as possible.

Susan & I read a great novel to each other. Bill says they talked the whole way down, never even turned on the radio. I believe him. And I am sure they shared 30 years of JOB stories. Woohoot!

Bill is now down with Ashley, Emily & their parents. I continue to nurse my cold, in the sunny library reading my second book this weekend, making that honey-do list - mentally only - PATIENCE did you say Lord?

If you'd like to read about the trip I took with Susan find my blog of September 2008.

See you next week Honey??? Bill, Helllooooooooooo????