Savoring the flavor of life

Celebrating New Year's Eve with friends

I'm sitting here this morning enjoying a cup of tea, and thinking how lucky I am that a little over a year ago we decided to visit this area.  Had we not done that I might well have spent yet another New Year's eve sitting in that big old house in west Texas wishing I was out celebrating it.  Thanks to that fateful decision, I spent this New Year's Eve sitting around a campfire laughing, joking, talking, and just having a wonderful time with some of the greatest folks I've ever met.

The change in our lifestyle that was brought about by that fateful decision to come here for a visit has been one that I am really digging all year round.  And I have the feeling this year is going to be even better.  We have a new director of activities that as last night's celebration proved, is damn good at her job!  I can't wait to see what other things she cooks up for us.  Last night she mentioned she was arranging a wine tasting tour for those who wanted to take it.  Bet your bippy BB is going to be signing up for that!

What's really great is even as I write these words this first morning of 2012, I know in a little while I'll be heading back up the pavilion for another fun event.  Today we are having a So You Think Your Chili's Hot cook off.  No, I am not cooking any chili, though I did pick up some tamales from Mi Casa to go with all the great chili that will be there. I have no doubt I will enjoy the chili and tamales.  But, what I am really going to enjoy is visiting with the folks who prepared that chili, as well as others like me who just come to savor the flavor of it.

Savor the flavor of life is going to be my theme for 2012.  I want to experience EVERY joyous happy moment I can, and savor the flavor of each of those moments as if they were my very last taste of life.  Truth is, any moment can be that for any of us.  Or if something like a giant meteor strikes earth, all of us.  Should I suddenly fall over dead, or something horrendous happen to the whole earth, I would like to be sitting among real friends laughing, joking and having a good time when it does.

To all those reading these words, I wish you a very safe, happy, and prosperous 2012. May at least one of your dreams come true.  But remember, sometimes we have to help the Dream Faerie out and make a change in our own life first for that to happen.