My Mother

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

For many years my mother was a heavy drinker, in reality, an alcoholic. But in the haziness of her alcoholism, I could see a kind and gentle person. A woman who cared deeply and scarred easily.

At 69 she chose to get sober and all those positive attributes I could see in the alcoholic fog came into the light.

I don’t think I ever heard her say a bad word about anyone. She always looked at a person’s best even if that best was a mere portion of their being.

She loved deeply and people of all walks of life loved her. She had no prejudices nor was she intolerant of those who did. She brought a soft edge to those she touched.

What I learned from her is to be kind and to love. Life is too short to be anything but loving.

I love sushi

What is your favorite restaurant?

Many of my friends really don’t like sushi. They find the thought of raw fish disturbing, although many of the rolls have cooked fish.

When my 17-year-old granddaughter visits, we usually get a boatload of sushi, sashimi, and rolls.

There are several good places near where I live but I particularly like Furin. The fish is always fresh and the presentation is always beautiful.

One of the things I love most is that I don’t feel that bloated fullness as with other meals but totally satisfied.

10 Years From Now

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Oh boy! That’s a hard one. I will be in my 89s if I am fortunate to live that long.

In all seriousness, if I am in good shape I hope to be active. Hiking, traveling, doing the things I do now.

Maybe I will travel less and have a puppy to keep me busy.

I’d like to spend more time with family.

Or just sit and smell the roses!

5 Things That Bring Joy

Family brings joy. Even with craziness, arguments, loudness, and sometimes hurt feelings, there is nothing like family to bring out the best in life.

Faith brings joy. Because even when life is a little touch-and-go, God has my back. All I have to do is spend some quiet time in prayer and meditation to bring me back centered.

Nature brings me joy. Walking through a pine forest smelling the sweet aroma of wood and earth. Watching wildlife in their natural environment. Or just calmly sitting with the sun rays flowing through me. Last week I saw a beautiful rainbow.

Snuggling with a precious baby. This is particularly effective when I’m anxious. A baby cuddling its head in the crook of my neck soothes away anxiety and all becomes right with the world.

Dancing and singing like nobody is watching brings great happiness and lots of laughs.

So many things bring me joy and many things bring me back to joy!

A Positive Change

Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

One major change which I believe was cataclysmic to my being who I am today is that I stopped drinking.

During my youth, my 20s and most of my 30, alcohol had been my best friend and then my worst enemy.

It came before my child, my parents, my siblings, my friends, my work and just about everything in my life.

I was not a good mother, a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend, or a good worker.

At the age of 37 I had enough. I started a journey of recovery and now 35 years later I am a good person, a kind person, a loving person.

I’m a good mother and also a good grandmother. I was able to be a good daughter until my mother died.

So one change! This was a life-altering change that I have never regretted.

Exercise!

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

You know I’m one of those people who always love to exercise. Whether it’s doing a class at a gym, using weights, or power walking, I find it all exhilarating.

As I’m getting older water aerobics has been a go-to exercise. It’s less strain on the joints and I love to be in water.

Traveling, I do a lot of walking in city streets. Most recently I was in Vienna and Prague and walked over 5 miles a day just sightseeing. This time goes fast and it doesn’t feel like exercise.

I have an Apple Watch that shows me my steps and miles. It also helps me stay accountable. Plus it’s fun.

I’ve learned as I get older that if you don’t use it you lose it. And I would like to keep walking throughout my 70s and 80s.

Homeward Bound

A wake-up call at 3:30 am and a drive to the Prague Airport at 4 am to catch our flight home. The first leg was Prague to Zurich. The airport was dead.

We spent time in a lounge waiting for our flight.

The food was really strange. Cheeses, salami, and other cold cuts. Beetroot spread but nothing to spread it on. I was satisfied with a cappuccino and a cookie.

We were in business class to Zurich which gave us preferential treatment in the shuttle from the plane to the terminal.

Also lots of snow on our flight in.

We spent time in another lounge. This one had better food and donuts.

On our flight from Zurich to Miami we had lay-flat beds. I love that.

Food was served constantly and I really wasn’t very hungry.

Now our friend Brad picked us up at the airport and we are heading home!

I’m looking forward to sleeping in my bed!

Our Last Day in Prague

We started with the morning buffet at the Grand Mark Hotel and then ventured out to explore more of Prague.

Our first stop was the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn. They are having a concert here later today. It’s a bit chilly inside these churches.

The next stop was St. Jakob Basilica. It was quite ornate but very cold inside. I did get scolded for taking pictures. Apparently, I missed the sign.

We walked through the Jewish area and would have gone into the Synagogue but it would cost $30 each so we just walked through the area.

We walked to the Vltava River which is the longest river in the Czech Republic.

There was a nice view of Prague Castle.

We stopped for lunch on a boat on the river.

We could see the Charles Bridge which was built in the 14th century.

Before lunch

The skies were getting stormier and there was definitely a chill in the air.

We began our walk back to the hotel passing some amazing buildings.

Hotel Pariz

We went back to our hotel and completed our packing before heading out to dinner.

We ate Asian again at Sasazu.

We walked around Old Town one more time.

And Bruce on a metal bike.

And back to the Grand Mark for ice cream and bed. We fly home tomorrow.

#prague#czechrepublic#grandmarkhotel#charlesbridge#vltanariver#sthakobbasilica#ourlady#asianfusion

Prague Old Town

Today we started our day with a buffet breakfast at the Grand Mark Hotel. I had delicious waffles, but then I wasn’t feeling well.

We took it easy in the morning, then headed over to Old Town, which was just down the block from our hotel.

The Easter Markets, similar to Christmas markets, were in full gear in the square.

We visited St. Nicholas Church an 18th-century Baroque church.

While we were in the church a high school from Canada was performing.

We crossed the square to see the Astronomical clock which dates back to 1410. It still keeps time.

We went up into the tower and had amazing views of Prague.

The old buildings and the history are worth a visit to Prague.

This was the staircase to the tower. We paid to ride up in the elevator and then walked down.

I love some of the old wooden doors spotted around the city.

Bruce and I are resting for a moment in the square.

For dinner, we ate sushi. It was very good.

And ice cream back at the hotel for dessert.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Prague.

#prague#astronomicalclock#stnicolaschurch#eastermarkets#grandmarkhotel#oldtown