Happiness, the fairy tale.

  Tone impaired, not quite deaf but impaired enough to make it hard to follow a tune. That has been my curse since very early on. I have always loved music! I dreamt of being a musician as far back as I can remember. Sadly, those dreams were shattered when I entered the 6 th grade at a new school. The school had a very good choir, directed by the 6 th grade science teacher, and my mother insisted I should join the choir.   I remember the day of the audition, still to this day. The teacher took me into the classroom and sat me by the piano. She then proceeded to give me some tests, clap in this way, follow these notes, sing from a music sheet.   After the test she took me back outside and told my mom that, she was sorry, but I was not choir material. My mom was devastated, she was the only person that thought I could sing, I had long before recognized that I had not inherited my father’s ear. I figured if I did not audition, I would not have to face the truth, but my mo...

Today was a beautiful day in Bellingham! Temperatures reached the upper 40’s and it was a nice, sunny day. We decided yesterday to go early to the Squalicum Park. We were there a few weeks ago and found it to be a beautiful park, full of sky-touching trees and wonderful paths. We went on a spur-of-the-moment, so we wanted to go better prepared today. I set up the alarm to get up no later than 8:30, we tend to sleep in on the weekends, otherwise. I got up, prepared breakfast, packed a lunch, with snacks and plenty of water, everything a diabetic would need. We dressed Harry in his “Boss” shirt so he would not be too cold and headed out.   Imagine our surprise when arriving at the park to find many parts closed. They were having a foot and biking race, so most of the park was cordoned, marking the trail.   It was a beautiful day, so we did not want to waste it. We had heard about Blaine, and we decided to explore that area of the state. It was a nice drive up, towards the border...

  A lot has happened since my last post. An incredible opportunity presented itself in the Pacific Northwest and we packed our gypsy wagon (ok, it was a U-Haul truck), hitched the car in a trailer and, 3,300 miles later, found  ourselves  in the beautiful city of Bellingham in the state of Washington. We are about 30 minutes from the Canadian border, as far away from the sunny Florida beaches as we could get, but it is worth it.        The summer was fantastic, with extra-long days, sun setting around 9- 9:30 PM. Lots of parks and things to do and see. Like the Bellingham Bay, visible from the window of our  apartment :    To the monument to the lost fishermen at the Squalicum Harbor:   In the city of Fairhaven, just 15 minutes from our place, Lola was able to sit and “converse” with Mark Twain, outside the Village Books and Paper Dreams:   I was able to tour the Steamboat W. T. Preston, one of the few patrolling the inland w...

We can’t help but reflect on our past choices, as we get older. The “what if” question always comes up, in one way or another. It  doesn’t  necessarily  mean  regret or dissatisfaction with one’s current situation, just a natural process of growing up.   It is through reflection and evaluation of our past choices and actions that we are able to evolve and improve our lives and interactions with others. It is a natural part of this process to ponder on choices or opportunities not followed.   It might be the allure of the unknown, that same desire for adventure that drives humanity to explore never before traveled paths. I believe forks in the road are the hardest to pass up. As Robert Frost says in his poem “The Road not Taken”   Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,   And sorry I could not travel both   And be one traveler, long I stood   And looked down one as far as I could   To where it bent in the undergrowth;     Then...