Luck of the Draw

Rod and I decided to go to the movies last Wednesday afternoon. Once there we realized we were an hour early so off we went for a walk. Many of our local parks have benches along the trails to honor the memory of someone. I always read them and as I passed one in particular, I was struck by a dedication to a 20 year old. I started thinking about some of the amazing moments in my life that have occured since turning 20 in 1965.  

1967 ~ Bought my first car a 1963 VW Bus
1969 ~ Watched a man walk on the moon with my grandma Olive
1970 ~ Spent a month on the road exploring western Canada with my dog Charis as co-pilot, climbed Mt. Robson with some new friends I met along the way and experienced a glacier calving at Berg Lake

1972 ~ Visited the Colorado Rockies for the first time, the same month John Denver released "Rocky Mountain High" in the summer of my 27th year

He was born in the summer of his 27th year

Comin' home to a place he'd never been before

He left yesterday behind him,

you might say he was born again

You might say he found a key for every door…

1973 ~ Started what would be a 33 year career at the Bodega Marine Lab

1975 ~ Looked a grey whale in the eye as it raised its head up out of deep water next to Death Rock at Wrights Beach - I have witnesses

1981 ~ Met the love of my life at the Ft. Ross VFD music festival in Cazadero

  

Rod and Hazel Sit Down

1985 ~ Was present at the birth of my goddaughter Casey

1986 ~ Rod and I married at the haunted Gold Hill Hotel in Gold Hill, NV
1988 ~ Bought our first home and have been here 23 years

1996 ~ Celebrated our 10th anniversary by renewing our vows at Gold Hill
2006 ~ Retired on April Fools Day with my best friend Trisha. We treated ourselves to 2 weeks in Hawaii and never looked back

Trisha, Rosie and Me in Waimanalo

2008 ~ Attended my 45th HS reunion and had lunch with some of the gang

Julia, Lynn, Laurie, Melinda, Gayle

Mary, Lynn and Taffy

2009 ~ Saw NYC for the first time

2010 ~ Attended the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV

2011 ~ I'm winning the battle with breast cancer and we're celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary on December 21st

How lucky we all are to still be here looking forward. Just yesterday morning I was laughing out loud as several of us Mill Valley kids were on Facebook trying to identify our classmates in a 6th grade class photo from 19 ought 50 something.

Your homework: Initiate random acts of kindness, thank a Veteran and take care of your little corner of the world. Wealth is not defined by financial success, but how you spend the time you have, spend it well.