We’ve been living the life of retirement – or as we like to call it living carefree – for 1 year and 25 days or so the daily ticker on the blog tells me. But I don’t yet know what that means – retirement. I have no idea.

At the crack of dawn if I roll over in bed and twist my neck just the right way, I can see the sunrise from our bedroom window. It’s quite the view.  Frederick County – our new extended neighborhood – has views galore and we’re determined to see them all, including the covered bridges.

I’ve been a bad, negligent, absentee writer of blog posts; of telling stories.  Mea culpa.  How did it get to be October?  My absolute favorite time of year and I barely have time to notice.

We walked away from Estella on the morning of day seven, after spending a 2nd night in an attempt to allow our bodies to get used to the idea of walking… walking… walking.  It was the first of only two times we would spend a second night in one place while walking the Camino de Santiago.

When we left Oregon, in October 2014, just shy of 1 year ago, we never looked back.  Not even once.  When you feel it in your gut, and you know you’re doing the right thing, you just take that leap of faith and run with it.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit Lake Tahoe, you know of what I speak when I say it can’t be summed up with a few unworthy descriptors.  Sitting majestically in the Sierra Mountains, Lake Tahoe is simply stunning with the bluest – and coldest – water you can imagine.

“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.”  – Helen Keller

Life’s Bread

Standing in the kitchen preparing stir fry veggies and fried noodles for dinner, I giggled to myself as I watched Abi slice a piece of sourdough bread for himself.  Homemade Chinese food with a slice of bread.  Makes me smile every time.  Life’s bread.  I swear it’s in the Persian gene pool.

Put me on a train and you can pretty much color me happy.  I’m still waiting for someone to build railroad tracks across the Atlantic Ocean and I’d never fly again.  Love trains.  Hate planes.  It’s that simple.

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart is leaving the Daily Show.  I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive the 2016 presidential election without my touchstone of sanity – Jon Stewart.  In my book the man is brilliant. He never misses a beat and there are no better moments on television than when he points the finger of hypocrisy at those so deserving.