Inspiration

What a wonderful couple of days we have had here in our own little paradise. After working all of our lives, it seems so strange to be able to do what we want, when we want, or do nothing at all. Actually, it's rather nice, to be honest.

We are both getting as brown as island people, especially me. I love the warmth of the sun so very much. With every bone and joint in my body aching from the long, cold winter, and long damp spring, I relish laying in the sunshine, soaking up the heat into this tired old body. Things aren't hurting nearly as bad as they did only 2 short weeks ago, and I am thankful for that.

We have both been slathering sunscreen on us diligently, and if you have ever had a bad sunburn, you understand why, but I tend to gravitate to the bright sunshine while Dennis hides in the shade.

Speaking of Dennis, he is on a reading bender of epic proportions! I bought him a Kindle for Fathers' Day before we left on our journey, and he didn't seem all that thrilled with it at first, but I downloaded a few books on it for him, from one of his favorite authors, and thought he would like it once he tried it. Well, he bought several books at a bookstore in Georgia and proceeded to read those first. When he was finished with his "real" books, he had no choice but to get his Kindle out and try to figure it out. It didn't take him long! Now, he never puts it down. I have become an e-book widow, of my own making!  Yesterday, we were sitting outside, reading, when all of a sudden he proclaimed loudly, "I did it! I bought a new book!" Hu? Seems he even figured out how to get online and download more books...on my account. I have created a monster!

Today we went to the winter estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Oh my! Such beauty, inside and out. Simple beauty. The trees, the flora and fauna, the porches and verandas from which to enjoy said beauty...amazing. Breathtaking! And then, you go inside the museum and look at all the inventions these two men were involved with and it made me feel rather unimportant, like maybe I wasted a large portion of my life when these men were such an inspiration to so many, including each other. Try to imagine our lives without electricity or automobiles...no way!

Now I'm inspired to inspire my grandchildren with words of wisdom from these men, maybe cheat and let them think they are my words if only for a little while. "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." (Thomas Alva Edison)  Boy, I wish I had thought of that.