Life a great adventure

Oh, my it has been along time since I sat down and shared the adventures that make up our life with you.

Adventure is more than likely too ambitious a descriptor for the moments that have made up our lives over the past month - it has been 35 days since I last posted.

Since that time, we have travel back from the West safely and lived each day to the fullest.

Sometimes just being present in each moment is adventure enough, finding joy in the normal coming and goings of life can be the best adventure.

There is great joy in coming home, walking through gardens beautiful with new blooms to explore and weeds to uproot.

Greeting family and neighbours who have painstakingly cared for your home while you were away.  We are blessed with good neighbours and adult children who live close enough to visit our home daily, bringing in the mail, walking through and around our home.

One of our first task was to catch up with extended family and this resulted in day trips to Guelph and Owen Sound where we retold our western adventures.

With cooler weather we passed a very delightful day in September walking in the bush behind Paul’s brother home.  

When you take your time being mindful of the flora below and above a stroll in the bush is an adventure as you encounter, leaves turning colour, the last of the late summer berries and a diversity of the fungus growing in the rich damp soil.

Our grandchildren quickly ensured that we re-established our weekly routines with them and how we missed their unique and quirky personalities.  

Grandchildren make life an adventure in staying young and informed as they ensure you stay in touch with what is in vogue.

In the craft room I completed my donations for the Children’s fundraising auction, the Junk Journal Canada seasonal swaps, packages for our great nieces and nephews pen pal and I set about reorganizing the room.

I started to attend monthly acrylic painting days.  On Tuesday I attend one event then on Thursday of the same week the second event.  Same teacher, same projects different town.  This affords me a second attempt at the same project!

I enjoyed covering week one with black paint
and trying again.

Paul received an award for 10 years of volunteer service for our local Children’s Aid Society as a volunteer driver.  This is an activity that brings him great joy and for which I am very proud of him. 

We attended a 70^th birthday party and remembered how much we enjoy playing Hand and Foot.

And attending a funeral where I became aware that it is in death we come face to face with the meaning of life.  

It was the everyday things that we are remembered for.   Mabel’s children and grandchildren spoke of  her smile, the idioms that were uniquely hers, her welcoming nature, her baking and  so many other things.  

I was left wondering how I will be remembered, the meaning that I am creating for myself and the world around me. 

Now there is the adventure!

At a church potluck this month someone made the comment that when you are retired you are busier than ever and I  was caught off guard by the statement.  We are very busy and never seem to have enough time to get everything we want done however are we busier than before retirement?   

I would have to say no.   I am less organized with my time, taking long coffee breaks when I want, sleeping in, talking to neighbours and this takes up time that before retirement I would not indulge in.

I am not complaining as having time to do what I want without having to book it in the calendar is the upside of retirement.  We are not busier, now we are more engaged in our lives and this brings with it great joy. 

Thank you for taking your time to read this post.

Grandma Snyder

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