"Just Lights"

Dear Blogger Buddies,

I have to share this beautiful obituary I read in the newspaper the other day. It made my eyes misty to think that romance never dies...

"Just Lights"

When I worked on the trains, the lights in the windows of farmhouses against the blackness of night, held out the promise of such warmth and coziness within. From ships, the lights in the windows of homes dotting the coast stirred the imagination to thoughts of that same promise.

When I married you Arabella* the promise of those lights became mine. Since you died sweetheart, the lights I now see in the windows of farmhouses, and in the windows of seaside homes, don't seem so cozy anymore. And the lights where I now live without you have become - just lights.

Forever as one,

(Not her real name to protect privacy)

Beside the obituary section was - naturally - an ad for funeral homes. Their 'thought for the week' was "Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty...but everything else starts to wear out, fall out or spread out!".

How true the above!! That's how I feel now as I try to get the old engine fired up for the 10k only weeks away. I really don't know why I have decided to put such challenges in my path this year - but there you go! I'm doing so much walking these days it reminds me of what Ellen DeGeneres said about her mother 'my mother started walking 5 miles a day and now nobody knows where the hell she is!'. In addition to the daily walking I started belly dancing classes this past week. So much fun!! That was the third thing on my wish list - write book - walk 10k - do belly dancing classes. Now with the world in such a state of chassis - belly-dancing is the perfect antidote. I'm still nibbling away at the first two and still aching to my toes from all the exertion of the belly dancing.

I bought this gorgeous red thingamagigg with all the coins dangling from it some 3 years ago. I was going to wear it to a xmas party but changed my mind. It really is for belly dancing. Then another time I went to a flea market and picked up amazing jingly jangly belly dancing bracelets
including one for the ankle. I was really all dressed up now but nowhere to go until I discovered my editor also taught belly dancing classes. She is a lady of many talents. I never realised it was such a good work out. I got carried away when the music started and suddenly I was an exotic dancer. "Did you do this before" Carol asked in feigned admiration. "Yes-in my dreams!". We all had so much fun daring our hips to behave themselves for once as we danced around in a circle. Then we started making the weird tongue sounds that the ladies make at special events...it goes like this yeeeee yeeeee yeeeeeee. Considering there was a grandmother in our class (not as old as my friend at the gym) we did a pretty good job.

When I got home they were all glued to the box watching 'American Idol'. In between the ads I performed a special belly dance for the family. Even Lulu and Chi Chi were very impressed and raised their heads from the trough for a second to watch me.

'Tis indeed a beautiful world...

Hope you do something nice for yourselves today and TGIF.

Thank God It's Friday...

Cheery Billy Bye

Patricia Delisha xxx