Focused at Fifty

WATCHES! I started this year off with a resolve to declutter myself a bit more. Not completely, for you see that would be impossible. I like bric-a-brac and tchotchkes which I think bemoans the very essence of clutter. I often joke that I schedule a social event once a season in my household just so I can attempt to get it all dusted 4 times a year. As I get older, a social event for me entails my sister coming for a visit. And when it all comes down to it, as long as I have the kitchen, bathroom and her guest room cleaned I feel I have done my job. I often hear my mother's voice in my head chastising me, "Now make sure the bathroom is cleaned for your sister!" I decided to tackle my watches this past week and go through them trying to decide which ones to keep and which ones to toss. I have several watch "faces" without bands. Two are silver toned Kenneth Cole. There are two others, no name watches which I picked up here or there. One has

"The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin Coming off the holidays can always be a bit melancholy but this year it hit me kinda hard. My personal demons that I sometimes wrestle with reared their ugly heads. It's been a tough last couple weeks. It takes a lot to recognize that I need to work on these demons and that's what I will do. I've not been very happy with myself lately and I would not look up to that person that I've been. The specifics are not necessary but I will tell you that I received a jump start in the last couple days which has allowed me to take a good hard look at what I am doing and where I am going. Believe me, it was an extremely difficult hard thing to do. But ultimately, it's a good thing. I just don't want to "be" ... to exist. I want to grow emotional, physically, and mentally. I want to be someone that I would look up to. I feel like I sometimes let myself down. So how to get back to that place? I need to re-evaluate m

Glen Lyon, Scotland BLOGGERS note: I wrote this blog with the permission and knowledge of my friend Morag Donlevy. In addition, the pic above is not my photo but from the website  https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/glenlyon/glenlyon/index.html . I wanted a photo to represent the beauty of this country. MY dear friend Morag hails from Scotland. She's lived in the US for many many years but will always have strong ties to her homeland, as well as a delightfully beautiful accent. Her husband Matthew's accent is much stronger. I often tease that I use Morag to translate Matthew's strong "Scottish brogue" for me. Morag recently had to travel back to her ancestral home to sadly say farewell to her Mother whom she lovingly called her "Wee Mammy".  At age 95, she was the youngest of 13, and the last one to pass. I followed Morag's Facebook posts from Scotland feeling as if I were there next to her on her journey home. The only regret I ha