Summer....

Summer is here! You can tell, even in Miami. School is out, earlier than other places, clouds gather and usually rains in the afternoons, humidity hits the highest levels (sometimes it's the same as the actual temperature), every television station keeps us updated on the latest tropical disturbance. Oh, and we know practically all the storm names....so, yes, Summer is here.

These things combined to make us weary....this is not to say that I am not enjoying the season. Summer has a charm all its own. The longer days invite us to sit outside and listen to the sounds of nature.....birds, insects (the ones that don't bite you!!!), lizards and rodents, if you have a garden. Plants bloom in a riot of colors, you can stay out late into the night. Because our apartment is high above the city and the bay, we can watch the cars go by, the boats glide in the blue water, the sailboats (few!!!) and the cruise ships....the lights of the high risers, the red and orange reflected everywhere at sunset.....it's beautiful.

I know you don't believe me...I have been negative about my new city that is hard to accept I now love it. No, I didn't say that, I still have my qualms with Miami. It doesn't hold the magic that our Dushi Korsow has, it doesn't have the peaceful sunsets, the warm embrace of the evening, the perfume of the gardens, the incredible shades of blue of the ocean, the lay-back lifestyle, the friendly people...... you get my point. What it does have is moments of brilliance, days that are so clear and bright that hurt your eyes, the hustle and bustle that turns into a quiet evening, the busy bay and the river delta so close I think I can touch them.....it has its moments!

Summer is here, time to enjoy outdoor living.....alright, we do that all year long here, but somehow, this time of the year it really feels like we should be outside. There is a mood in the air that only Summer can offer and even in Florida, we recognize it!!! On the other hand, it can be that I am so much more positive these days........LOL!!!!!

65 Days.......

Now, isn't it amazing? 65 days.....on my gossip and negativity diet! Can't tell you all is fine, or that I have been good every day...Neeee! It's a series of ups and downs, some days better than others, some easy, so hard. One can't never expect to achieve things easily, how would that make you feel? Alright, don't answer that one! Some of you will say it is so much better when we make a resolution and we can achieve it without too much work....But then it wouldn't be the same, would it? We have to work for what we really want, if it comes easy, we don't appreciate it.

Anyway, it's been 65 days. It all started as a lark, I suppose. Some kind of challenge, something I picked up from a wonderful lady on Vibrant Nation. I didn't know how it would work or IF it would work. I still don't know that! Still, the every day challenge to remind myself to look at the positive side of things, make an effort to stop paying attention to gossip and lend a deaf ear to negative comments, has brought some other benefits.....

I now see good things even before I notice the bad ones; I have stopped, most days, listening to gossip and passing it along...and I have really think that what is the use of just complaining about the negatives in our daily life?....we have to change that with our attitude, or offer constructive ways to deal with what bothers us.... Never thought that day would come!

So, yes, this is a good thing. It has not become a way of life yet, but it really makes me feel better. So now I am looking forward to sitting with friends, reveling in their company and reminiscing, relaxing, enjoying. This is going to be a great Summer!!!!

These are the times.....

These are the times when I do miss the island, my friends, my former life. After coming back from New Orleans, I came down with a horrible head cold. I have been miserable and alone. Frankie had to travel to Curaçao on business....so I am not doing well. Then Camille is traveling back to London via Newark...and the weather is awful! They just arrived and she called to say the plane moved and shook and it was very unpleasant. Not a good thing for me to know: I am also terrified of flying. I am grateful she has Tim. He is steady and reliable and seems to know how to calm her down. I am also grateful they will not travel again tonight, they will rest and take a flight tomorrow morning, when the weather would be better!!!!

In this not so favorable atmosphere, I received an email from back home. Just a couple of lines to let me know that one of my friends, a dear friend, passed away. It was so sudden and so sad.
I last heard from Marja on my birthday. She was happy and full of plans, leaving for Holland to see her grandchildren, twin boys, that were turning two years old! She was always cheerful always with a smile on her face or joke to tell. She remembered birthdays and important dates in our lives, she came to bridge full of joy and was always pleasant to play with.....I have missed her since I moved. What is happening? have the circle of life caught up with us? Is our group beginning to just .....go? I can't think of that....not now, not yet.

Just this past week in New Orleans, I spent time with Vicki and Nadja. Took pictures to share with our bridge friends back home. It was a happy reunion in the middle of such happy celebrations. It was warm and expected and felt good. Can't believe Marja will not see these pictures, she will not be back on Wednesdays, I will miss her when I go visit in July.

It is at times like this that I miss everyone, the fact that I could drive and visit, get to spend time consoling and reminiscing, go out and have a drink, sit with someone that will understand without explanations....It is now imperative for me to go, it is so important for me to go. Plans that were just forming, nothing concrete yet, have become central. I have to get over this cold, get my deadlines in order and plan seriously! I will miss Marja and I have to see all the others! Then, I will plan a trip to Europe..to visit Camille, see Thelma, to enjoy time with loved ones!!! That sounds like the perfect plan!!!