Tonight we will be going to see a Rod Stewart tribute performer. Like many of my generation, Rod Stewart is one of my favorite artists and even an imitation of the real thing will be a treat.
I had a CD of his greatest hits once and I wore out "This Old Heart of Mine" and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?". But I'm sure the song that will resonate the most with me and the audience of seniors tonight will be his beautiful "Forever Young", a song I must say I did not appreciate until I got further along in my life. It is an anthem for those who have children but also for those of us who are Young-At-Heart.
It is worth printing here and recognizing it as one of the guiding beacons into my advancing age.
May the good Lord be with you
Down every road you roam
And may sunshine and happiness
surround you when you're far from home
And may you grow to be proud
Dignified and true
And do unto others
As you'd have done to you
Be courageous and be brave
And in my heart you'll always stay
Forever Young
May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
with a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
and in my heart you will remain
Forever Young
And when you finally fly away
I'll be hoping that I served you well
For all the wisdom of a lifetime
No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose
I'm right behind you, win or lose
Forever Young
Thank you Rod Stewart...
This month marks the 20th anniversary of our move to Florida. Like Moses fleeing Egypt and crossing the desert, we packed up our belongings, left our well paying and "safe" jobs (there really is no such thing) and ventured into the great unknown with only our belief that the Promised Land awaited (or at least we would be warmer).
We had pretty low expectations. I thought if we could rent or buy a nice apartment, townhouse or simple three bedroom home, we would be content. Perhaps I could work at a Bagel store? Maybe hubby could be a PC tech? We envisioned a simpler life with less stress and glorious weather.
Florida truly exceeded our expectations. Our careers flourished and each of our three Florida homes has been lovelier than any we had previously. We explored our new home state, became interested in local issues and politics, and found the most joyful of retirement meccas when we decided we were ready. From Miami to here in The Villages, we've enjoyed everything from the palm trees to the ocean to the Everglades to Disney World.
Twenty years is pretty close to half our married life. I can enthusiastically and unequivocally state that they have been the best half.
Thank you Florida. You proved to us that taking a chance and following our dreams was the right path. Or in our case, the right Interstate!
;-)
We had a great Chanukah-Christmas-New Year's season but now I can say for sure that The Party Is Over. Yes indeed, I faced the music on the scale this morning.
Oh I did indeed believe I was eating light (practically nothing!) but today my self-delusion came crashing down. Five unwanted pounds have appeared to threaten my former happy state of denial.
It is super hard to maintain a slim profile as one get older and the down side of my sixties has apparently slowed my metabolism (never great) into a snail-like crawl. But I am determined to prevail. I have my stock tools in my bag of dieting tricks: flavored water, sugarfree gelatin (Royal brand in anything red), sugarless hard candy, chicken broth, sugarless apple cider and hot cocoa mixes, and an assortment of fruits and veggies.
I am prepared to do battle. Bye Bye Gruesome Five. You will NOT become the Hateful Eight!
;-)
Those little Facebook quizes are out in force. I took one that promised to tell me my six major character traits. Way Off! Calm and Silly and Creative do not even belong on the list, and Sympathetic honestly doesn't either. So I will tell you what my real character traits are:
1. Organized
2. Worrier
3. Planner
4. Appreciative
5. Reflective
6. Spiritual
My second quiz had better results. Yep, I can believe that these are indeed my most used words on Facebook last year.
After all, who knows me better than Me?
;-)
Every month our Havurah meets for an evening of camaraderie, food and an interesting program. This month our host asked us to bring our favorite Torah portions. I thought he had planned an evening of stargazing through his university quality telescope but maybe we will be doing both. After all, it's pretty chilly outside.
I put together a few of my favorite Torah verses, led of course by the most beautiful words of love ever written. I'm sure my choice will not be the only one suggested by the group. Although the verse has been re-interpreted many ways for "modern" tastes, this version is my favorite and the one I learned as a child:
And Ruth said:"Entreat me not to leave thee or to refrain from following after thee; for where thou goests, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. And where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried."
Ruth 1, 16-17
Here are my other two "back-up" offerings:
Be Still and know that I Am God.
Psalm 46:10
She is clothed with strength and dignity. She laughs without fear of the future.
Proverbs 31:25
I found a new web site when I clicked on the link to "eight things to buy at the dollar store". As you know, I'm a big fan of the Dollar Tree and I already knew all of the article's tips. This site, The Daily 8, seems to think the number 8 is the exact right number to have on many lists.
So here's my Daily 8 for today:
1. Coffee
2. Doctor appointment (check up)
3. Nail appointment (silver for New Years)
4. Check my social media (cut back on this!)
5. Maj Jong (Tuesday regular game)
6. Pack for Cruise
7. Check on sick friends
8. Keep Calm and Carry On
;-)
With the New Year only two days away, I am putting aside yesterday's reflection on 2015 and turning my sights to plans for next year.
Three cruises await, one sans hubby with my Sisterhood friends. That will definitely be something different but I usually surprise myself by actually doing pretty well on my own. I try to make "alone" time a time of quiet musings and introspection. I am also hoping to cement budding friendships and have fun.
Of course, my Bat Mitzvah in September will be a Big Deal. Not for the attention and the little celebration but because it will infuse in me a personal sense of great accomplishment. I am indeed proud of myself.
Resolutions? Not many. To keep happy and healthy. To enjoy the fabulous place we are lucky enough to live in and the people in our lives. To practice gratitude everyday. To smile at beautiful memories.
;-)
...lies 2016.
It cannot come soon enough. This year, 2015, was marked with abundant goodness but also twinged with pain. Some pain was literal like my three month toothache and its accompanying severe infection that seemingly defied multiple root canals and massive doses of antibiotics. An attempt to beautify myself also slightly misfired but thankfully I appear to be getting better, at least cosmetically.
The house fared the best this year. It received a beautiful new antique rug in the dining room and a big new walk-in pantry in the kitchen. A lovely round rug lies under the kitchen table and hubby made several landscape improvements. A new pocket door separates the guest quarters from the rest of the house. Plus a new security system is in transit and a big cuddly blanket is on the living room sofa.
Socially, our life was a happy whirl thanks to old friends, Havurah Negila, hubby's new poker group, our Royal Oak neighbors and Temple Shalom. We are ending the year with a cruise with friends and even Christmas and Chanukah, normally times of strange melancholy, were the best ones we ever had.
It was a special year for me spiritually. I learned to read Hebrew (with vowels!) and am well on my way to acing my Bat Mitzvah next September. I expanded my Jewish learning thanks to teachers Sara, Larry, Rabbi Yossi and my own hubby.
Yet it was also a year of quiet contemplation on life and death, on love and loss, and on the beauty and faith and wisdom that comes with growing older...
Andy Williams singing Moon River sent more chills down my spine in the 1960s than all the Beatles and Rolling Stones songs put together.
I knew that when I married I would want my hubby to be my "Huckleberry friend", as in:
Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend, my Huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me...
And that's why I chose Moon River for our first married dance together.
RIP Andy Williams. Thank you for sharing your beautiful, haunting voice with us.
A few years ago, Angels were all the rage. There were books about Angels in our everyday life and little statues for home use were everywhere.
Do I believe? I do.
A few years ago our then-Rabbi told me that Angels do not exist in Judaism. After I pointed out a whole lot of references from our Torah (think Abraham and Jacob) - including a beautiful passage from my childhood prayer book that my father read to me every night and the fact that one of our Temple's stained glass windows depicted an Angel - he relented.
I believe our Angels today come in human form. They are not perfect people but they are entrusted by God with a mission or a message to give us at just the right time. A phone call. A hug. An invitation when when we are lonely.
A sign that all is right with the world...
Tonight we will be going to see a Rod Stewart tribute performer. Like many of my generation, Rod Stewart is one of my favorite artists and even an imitation of the real thing will be a treat.
