Absolutely Gorgeous Day!

I am loving the climate out here! We get a few cold days followed by warm, sunny days! I couldn't miss the opportunity to get outside today as the temperature was 65 degrees...fantastic! It hit 70 degrees in Denver!

Did my errands in the morning and by 3 p.m. was on the nature trail with Mark again. (We did the same yesterday since the weather was so warm.) My new lens (courtesy of Mark) came today and of course we had to test it out on our walk! The Nikon 70-300 mm, f/4.5 lens did not disappoint! Click on the "Bird of Prey" photo on the right column to get to a slide show.

We are expecting big changes in the weather early next week and there is a chance we'll be getting snow again. That's great because probably a few days after it snows, it'll be gone again. The joy of living in Colorado!

Tough on Myself

Today was rough. I expect so much of myself when I go to concert band practice so that when I miss the measure counts or can't get the timing right away I get so upset with myself! I did really good on Tuesday but today...geez! I did worse in the beginning band rehearsal than I did in the bigger band one.

I realize I've only been with the beginning band a month and only a week with the bigger band; it's just that I keep thinking I should be farther along. I guess I just need to have patience and just keep practicing. It'll come.

I had my guitar practice an hour after finishing band rehearsal and I felt so "spent". My brain was so tired from concentrating so hard for 3 hours! I did the guitar lesson but decided to change the day starting next week so that the lesson is on a non-band rehearsal day. I think I'll get more out of the lesson then.

My Love of Photography

As I study and research my new camera (a Nikon D7000), I'm realizing there are so many things I love to photograph or would love to try photographing! I love portraits particularly using a photojournalist style. Landscapes are beautiful to shoot, too. I would love to take pictures of engagements, new babies, and couples. I would also like to try my hand at photographing children in sports and music, too.

I need to get a better lens for indoor weddings before I would want to regularly do weddings. (I have my eye on a 70-200 mm lens, f2.8, but I need $2400 to buy it!) Both Mark and I do a pretty nice job photographing landscapes. We also do a good job shooting photos of houses that will go on the market. (I'm thinking about putting an ad out for this service.)

I also have an idea for a photography/writing niche but don't want to discuss it yet. I'm still playing with the idea in my head and will see if it pans out. My focus right now is learning a lot more about my new camera. I love being creative and enjoy capturing "real" moments and the beauty of life!

Got a Little Ahead of Myself

I want to make a correction on my last post about Sara starting her third trimester at 24 weeks. I got a little ahead of myself. The third trimester actually starts with week 26 although most of us say that the third trimester begins as you enter month 7 or week 28. How quickly we forget!

Mark's Winter Concert & Sara's Pregnancy Update

Was pleasantly surprised last night at how good Mark's concert band sounded! Everyone raised the level of their performance and the acoustics were MUCH better! I think it was the best I've heard them play! Sara drove up after work and attended the concert with me. I'm glad she was able to do that!

This is the concert band that I'll be joining, too! I've been to a few of their practices but will now be going regularly as they'll be handing out new music to learn next week. Should be fun!

Sara is now in her last trimester...that's hard to believe! The time has flown by! In just three months, our new granddaughter will arrive! We are so excited for Sara and Zach! Their lives will be changed forever...all for the good!

We'll be heading down to Sara and Zach's tomorrow morning to help them with more painting. Hope to get the living room and family room finished. We discovered a Krispy Kreme donuts by them so we'll be bringing the donuts! (Just what we need...a little sweetness along with our coffee to get us going!)

Before then, we'll be trying out another Fort Collins Newcomers Club activity tonight...Pinochle! Looks like they play single deck versus the double deck that we've been used to. I'm sure we'll pick it all up again quickly. Should be interesting!

Helping Hands

Mark and I headed down to Thornton this morning to do some painting while Sara and Zach were at work. We'll continue on Saturday with their help, too. Got the baby's room painted, the kitchen and a test gallon in the family room. Looks really nice and Sara loved it!

It started snowing around 1 p.m. today so we headed back home just before 5 p.m. The roads were rather slick. As a matter of fact, we had a nice scare on I-25 when the back end of the truck started sliding to the right! It didn't look icy but after that little maneuver, Mark slowed way down. Whew!

New Camera--Another Hike Today

I had a nice surprise today...my new camera arrived...a Nikon D7000! It is a really nice camera! There are a lot of new features on this camera so I'll need to study the manual closely. We're upgrading some of our equipment and adding to our inventory. We are working on setting up our own photography business!

Mark and I decided to take another walk today on the River Bluffs Open Space so we brought along our cameras. We walked a rather leisurely 5.5 miles and took a lot of photos. A few of them are posted on the right column and I'll be adding others periodically.

Under the Weather

I've been under the weather a bit the past few days. I think I caught a "bug" or something. Just needed some rest. I'm feeling a lot better now. Should get back on track with my blog updates. More soon!

Lovin' the Activities

I'm still amazed at all the opportunities Fort Collins has for someone to get involved with. Every day the newspaper (even though it is quite small) is filled with a host of different activities and events that anyone can participate in. And at least once a week I've seen a page on all the volunteer opportunities.

I know that had we retired in Virginia where we lived for 20 years, we would not have found the numerous opportunities we've found here to meet new people. The community was simply too large and was not conducive to more intimate gatherings where friendships can be forged.

The most surprising thing I've found is the wide range of opportunities here...from all genres of music, to art, photography, hiking, skiing, camping, biking, the list goes on and on. The Fort Collins Newcomers Club (FCNC) helps open the door to a number of these activities. (I'm not aware of any other community that I've lived in that had an active newcomers club.)

Between the newspaper ads and the Fort Collins Newcomers Club, Mark and I (in some cases, just me) are participating (or will be participating shortly) in these activities: a monthly FCNC winetasting event, newcomers coffee, a Dinners for 8 group, Pinochle group, and a book club. On top of that, I am in two concert bands, Mark is in 3 concert bands, and each of us take music lessons--Mark - trumpet and me - guitar and drums.

Along with these activities, we both love photography and try to develop our skills as much as possible. And, on top of everything, I try to fit in some writing and sewing, too.

I love trying new things. I'm sure some things I'll really like and in other instances, I may decide to move on and try something else. I'm very happy that Fort Collins provides these kinds of opportunities for the area residents. This community cares about its citizens...other U.S. communities should take note!

Time Still Flies By

Woke up this morning to a new carpet of white snow! It snowed lightly most of the day; I think we probably got a total of about 4 1/2 inches of snow. It was a perfect day to stay inside, watch a little football, do a little sewing and some music practice which is exactly what I did.

So why did the day fly by? You would think that without running out to do errands that often breaks up the day, today would at least seem to last longer. Not so. I don't wish for time to go by quickly; I'm satisfied living one day at a time. I'm not in a hurry to see what's going to happen tomorrow.

I want time on my side. So, I plan on enjoying each and every day to its fullest! I will live in the moment and appreciate the small things in life.

A Hike and Visit with Sara and Zach

Mark and I went on a nice 4 mile hike this morning with Dick and several of his friends on the new Poudre River Bluff Trailhead. We were all invited over to Barbara and Dick's house afterwards for chili and snacks but declined so that we could head down to Sara and Zach's.

Mark finished wiring a chandelier for them then Sara, Mark and I headed out to a furniture store. Sara bought a nice office desk, bookcase, and filing cabinet for their home office.

We're expecting snow tomorrow so we'll be staying put. I have a couple of sewing projects that I want to tackle anyway. And then there's always drums and guitar practice. Busy, busy! :)

Music! Music! Music!

What a great day today! Not only did I have my second concert band rehearsal, but I went to the more experienced band rehearsal afterwards and got a good look at all the percussion instruments. I actually played during one piece, too! All the band members were so welcoming to me and so encouraging, too! What a nice bunch of people!

After 3 hours of percussion, I went to my guitar lesson. I'm working on a difficult picking pattern and finally have the first half of the song down. Need to get the other half down now as well as picking up the tempo.

Music sure makes me happy, whether I'm playing it or listening to it. I'm convinced that you are never too old to pick up an instrument...I'm proof of that. I was so worried what others (particularly a drum instructor) would think to start drums at the young age of 57. My drum teacher is probably 30 years my junior and he is so supportive of my new found endeavor.

If boredom is setting in, try something different. Pick up an instrument. Besides being fun, there is an added benefit...the process of learning something new is great for an aging brain!

First Practice

I got up the nerve to go to the beginning concert band practice today. I wasn't sure how much of the music I'd be able to read but I did okay for the first go around. I happened to be the only percussionist there today so there were plenty of pauses during the pieces--lost my place a few times. That's okay. I'll get it sooner or later.

It definitely was fun even if I did have a bit of anxiety at first! I'm looking forward to Thursday's practice!

Walking on Sunshine but Feelin' the Blues

It's another bright and sunny Colorado day today albeit frigid. Mark and I took down all the Christmas decorations this morning and the house looks tidier than ever. I do miss the single electric candle in each window though; it always gives great ambiance at night.

I'd like to start up my walking routine again but we still have snow on the roads and sidewalks and it's definitely cold out! It has made it all the way up to 28 degrees! Looks like the rest of the week will be in the high 40's. That should clear the paths for walking!

I'm going to check out the beginning concert band tomorrow morning and see if I can read the drum music good enough to join. I'm also back to practicing drums and guitar daily again. And besides this blog, I'm setting up my photography business (which is actually more hobby than business right at the moment). Throw in a few sewing projects and memoir writing and I'm definitely keeping busy.

So, why am I feelin' the blues today? The house is too quiet! I am a social bug and really miss having my daughters and their families around. I miss the funny antics of my grandchildren, too. It's true, children keep you young! It's great seeing the wonder in their eyes and their amazement at even the most mundane activity.

I've started meeting people in the community but it takes time to develop friendships and not seeing them regularly tends to slow the whole process down. I just have to be patient. At least the sun helps my mood..it sure is pretty outside!

Happy New Year!

It's 2011!!! Is it just me or does it seem like it wasn't too long ago we were all worrying about Y2K? Yes, time does seem to fly by but that may not be a bad thing after all. I recently came across this quote, "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot".

As we all age and the years ahead of us are less than those we've already lived, this really is good news! I'm in control and I decide what the quality of my life will be from this point going forward!

When we were raising our children and working full time the days seemed endless. I never gave much thought to the fact that some day our daughters would graduate from college and move away. And, retirement wasn't even a part of my vocabulary back then!

Year after year went by and then one day...bam! Both daughters graduated, worked, fell in love, married, started families and then retirement arrives. All the planning in the world doesn't really prepare you for this change in your life until it happens.

No matter what age you are when you retire, the quality of the rest of your life lies in your hands. Imagine that! No boss, spouse, significant other, best friend, no one controls what you do with the rest of your life. You chart your own course from this point forward! A little scary...perhaps but oh so exciting!

So where to start? Make a list of things that make you happy. Include the fun things you like to do. Then add those things you've never done before but always wanted to try. If you like taking pictures, check your local colleges or recreation centers for classes. Tap dancing or a little ballroom dancing? How about a book club, bridge club or wine tasting events?

Many communities offer classes in a variety of areas. Do an internet search on your local county offerings or check the local meet-up groups...www.meetup.com. You can even start your own if one isn't available.

Perhaps volunteering is right up your alley. Again, an internet search is a good place to start your search for the right volunteering opportunity. Check your local newspaper and library, too. They often post community news and events. You might find something that interests you there, too.

The possibilities are endless. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Stay active. Be involved. This is the secret to a quality life in retirement. You say nothing interests you? Then be bold and try something completely different; you just might be surprised!

Happy New Year!!! 2011 will be my best year yet! I hope it is yours, too!