Can you let me know if you can see the photos as some people have reached out to say they can no longer see the pictures. I think a recent upgrade did not take on my computer.

Tomorrow it will be one year since I retired from UPS. I had not really known what to expect once I left the job I had done for twenty one years. It seems like a lifetime ago I was helping people get their packages and troubleshooting issues. I do not miss it at all. Quite a few people told me I would regret leaving. I am happy to say I do not regret it. Retiring allowed me to be there for my mom when my stepfather died suddenly last December. I have been helping Michael navigate some new therapy options available to him as well as continuing to keep him on track for every day life. In the midst of helping my mom and Michael I put my health issues on a back burner until my most recent physical exam. I am a big advocate of listening to my body and the effect stress can have on it but I did not listen to my own advice. Slow down and listen or your body will figure out a way to get you to slow down. Well I did not listen and my body put on the brakes and said stop! I have developed a serious but treatable heart issue. I was forced to stop and care for myself with Michael and my mom’s assistance. As I have been there for them they have both been there for me. Next month I find out a more permanent treatment for my heart issue. It has been eye opening but also answers a lot of questions I have had over the past year.

I have not been able to get my list of things to accomplish checked off but I decided rather than beat myself up over it I will give myself eight months to a year to complete it. There are some big things I want to do and lots of little things. I want to clear out our attic and get the house to the point where I can clean the whole house in an hour not the few hours it takes now. My mom always tells me ridding a home dirt and dust are not as important as living a good life. I remember my dad always saying to my mom “we need to throw a party so the house will be clean.”

Michael and I observed Veterans Day with a trip to the ocean. Michael was surprised when a man approached us on the beach to thank him for his service. The man walked quite a ways to thank Michael. Sometimes Michael is appreciative of people thanking him for his service and other times it makes him uncomfortable. We walked back to the boardwalk in Rehoboth and Taps was playing at the conclusion of the Veterans Day observance. Michael snapped a beautiful salute with the other veterans. I knew he was back in his military days. He was distant for a bit but eventually came back to being present. Even though he left the military with a ptsd diagnosis he misses the life he had when he was in the Air Force. I can see it in his eyes and sometimes he verbalizes it. He loved working on the bomber and was looking forward to working on fighter jets when he was honorably discharged. The military prepares people for the military life but is not always the best at helping people transition back to civilian life. I am not always able to understand completely as I never served but I try my best to listen and support him.

As we approach winter I love winter sunsets and drove around for a bit this afternoon with Michael to capture the colors. I have them shown below. I think as long as we continue to look for the light it will always help in the darkness at least for me.