Year of Discovery

In February, I turned fifty.  Something happens to you when you turn fifty.  You realize you've lived a half-century on the planet and you thank God for every breath He has allowed up to this point.  You also realize that there are things on your "bucket list" that need your attention.  This year, I decided to reinvent myself and do things I've wanted to do for many years but could never find the time, the money nor the energy to do. 

In March, I took a trip to Holland to see a friend I hadn't seen in 14 years.  She and I were missionaries in 1988 and 1989.  We traveled the globe together singing and sharing our faith.  Even though we currently live on separate continents, our hearts are and always will be knit together.  We are kindred spirits in the truest sense of the word.  My heart was to have my photo taken in a field of blooming tulips, but I was a little early this year.  She had a back-up plan and made certain I had my "tulip experience" while there.

Eleonora and I in Amsterdam

Holland - Land of Windmills and Wooden Shoes

Keukenhoff Flower Park

My "Field of Tulips" at the Keukenhoff Flower Park

In April, I bit the bullet and completed a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor's course at UNF.  This is something I have wanted to do for many years.  It was a nine-day intensive course that worked me both physically and mentally.  I am happy to report that I am now coaching six-year-olds and helping them get ready for their first swim meet on June 4th.  I will also be teaching swim lessons this summer at the Aquatics Center at the University of North Florida.

In May, my neice invited me to share her birthday celebration with her in Orlando.  She said she was going to "swim with the dolphins" and wanted me to join her.  Last weekend, I had the experience of a lifetime at Discovery Cove in Orlando.  As a kid, I wanted to be a marine scientist but I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to pass organic chemistry, I gave up the dream in high school. (Mathematics and Mrs. Tamburrino don't get along very well!)  The dolphin experience at Discovery Cove was the next best thing.

Wetsuit Babes

"Paradise Found" in Orlando



February....March....April....May....Can't wait for June!!

Until next time...