Heading to Denver Next Week

I love to travel. Good news! I get to make another trip! This one is for work, but it's to one of my favorite cities, Denver. And this time I get to travel with one of my long time friends, who happens to be my client-manager right now!!! Big fun!

Of course, the trip is work and there will be plenty of it. Much needed and overdue. My goals are to set the expectations with the team that I am here to help bridge the gap between IT and the Business, develop deliverables/documentation that will take it to the next level.

Won't be the first time I've had to do this. And of course, the ultimate goal is that everyone get what they want (the nurturer in me). IT wants to understand and build the right software so the business will accept it. And the business wants to have a product that they can sell to their customers. Win-Win! I love it!

"...And in the end... The love you take is equal to the love you make." ---The Beatles

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Getting serious about taxes

I always say I'm going to organize my tax paperwork "early". I never do. I guess for me it's just another drain on my personal time that I am not so happy about. So, this year I'm gathering up my paperwork - gotta do that part anyway - and taking it to a tax accountant.  It's his full time job and I can appreciate allowing the professionals do their job.

So maybe it won't be so stressful this weekend as I make sure I have everything organized for him. And maybe next year I will really do it early!!

"...And in the end... The love you take is equal to the love you make." ---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Vacation - the stuff dreams are made of

Back from vacation. Dream land. Sleep in. Stay up late. Go here and go there. No dogs or house to care for. Only us.

It was a good place for us to get on the Visalus Shake regiment and we did it! Every morning we had a shake for breakfast and on most days we even had them for lunch. We weren't hungry or anything. We're feeling better, higher energy. We did alot of walking at Universal Studios, Epcot, Treasure Isle, Madiera Beach, and just in general. We watched what we ate and really worked to keep my hubby's blood sugar down.

We can tell a difference in the clothes, my seat belt on the return flight wasn't as tight....BUT when we get on the scale NOTHING....ZERO....NADA....we weigh the same. Not going to be discouraged, going to keep on doing what we know is best. Eating right, walking the dogs, and drinking our shakes.

Glad to be back home.

"...And in the end... The love you take is equal to the love you make." ---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts

Working to Retire

Is that the stage where I am in my life? Working to retire?! I didn't think so until

Hubby and I came on vacation to Florida and started driving around to check out retirement communities. I have been VERY resistant to spend my vacation time thinking about my golden years. But he is very persuasive and today we drove to see The Villages, north of Orlando.

On our way there I kept saying I want to "live by the beach", "The Villages are too far from Disney", "it's probably not nearly as nice as the website makes it looks", and "there's nothing to do". I had this feeling that we were driving to our "grave". You know, the whole "heaven's waiting room" feeling of moving into a retirement community. Ahhh! The sweet smell of Viagra in the air..........Okay Okay, I'll stop.

Well, I was really surprised. First of all everyone we met was super nice. The guy took us on a tour even though we made it clear we aren't buying right now, just looking. He totally respected that and spent an hour taking us around, showing us the rec centers, pools, town squares, neighborhoods and even some model homes in our price range! He didn't push us to sign today and he was more than gracious to tell us all the goings-on instead of hard selling us. And no wonder!

They sold about 2400 new homes last year and 1400 used homes! No housing problems there!!!

And things to do - OMG! 39 golf course and 60 heated pools! Music in the town squares every night with dancing and singing. Then Rec centers with pool tables, kitchens, card rooms, bocci ball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, all kinds of clubs. There are over 100 restaurants, shopping of all kinds, movie theaters and everything is accessible by golf carts. Yes a golf cart! Electric! Won't have to take the car out all the time to go to the store or run errands. Plus there is a health care center including hospital, specialists and so on. I have to say I was impressed.

I tried to find something wrong - but that was really hard because the place was perfect, clean, beautifully manicured. And it seemed fun and safe (next to no crime). OMG! A retirement community that sits on 30,000 acres, has its own government and is self- sustaining. The ONLY thing it doesn't have is the beach.  Although, the beach does attract riff-raff and these days, I am liking the calm life. I'll just have to drive to visit the beach when I want. I have a good friend in St Pete, I can go visit her whenever I want.

For now we are sold on the idea. The Villages, ranked #1 retirement community in the US for years now. And we can afford it! Shocking!!!  Our next steps is to pull together our plan to save, buy and pay off our retirement home.

Priorities

I'm kind of on this jag lately about procrastinating, living life, prioritizing what's important and not worrying about things.

• Make decisions, then stick with them.
• Know what you want, go after it.
• Find those things in your life that really bug you, decide if they are even worth having in your life, if not, get rid of it.
• Hug everyone, Kiss everyone and tell them you Love them. What can it hurt?
• Love and Trust God.
• Apologize quickly if you mess up (really mean it), then move on - forget the guilt. 
• Try your best every day to work hard and produce extra - Underpromise and Overdeliver. 
• And most of all treat yourself the BEST you can! You deserve it and you are all you really can control. 

I learned alot from my Mom. She loved me unconditionally, she shelled out some tough love when I was incorrigible, she provided guidance and most of all she was a good example. She wasn't perfect, she was wonderful!  The best part for me, she made it look EASY!! 

I have tried to be like her and from the feedback I get from my kids, I have succeeded most of the time. Again, I'm not perfect, I've made plenty of mistakes, but I've had some wins and my kids reflect those wins!  So, for whatever reason I've been so reflective perhaps this is the end of that for a while :)

Take care, God bless and do your BEST every day.

"...And in the end... The love you take is equal to the love you make." ---The Beatles

Thanks for reading my Heavenly Thoughts