Lived there dun that FLORIDA is better year- round....!

Summer goes by too quickly. I love the warmth, the long days with plenty of sunshine and light to do all the outdoor things I love to do, like running, gardening, going to the beach, etc. Yes, the area is more crowded, and I really don't like crowds, but when they're gone ... I kind of miss them, a little anyway. It's the energy they bring to the area that makes summers what they are in the Lakes Region.

Now, there is less traffic, less in line at the grocery store, hardly anyone on the roads, it seems, compared to July. It's quite a contrast. I seem to like both scenerios, for some strange reason.

I used to complain, to myself AND out loud, that I hate the cold, that I want to live in a warm climate, and I will when ...

Then I realized I was not living in the moment ... I was just biding my time until ... whoa!!! Wait a minute ... that is not living in the present, appreciating every single moment we are given because, of course, life is a gift. What was I thinking?

That was one of my "aha" moments. I do have plans, but along the way, I want to live, feel, and appreciate every single moment of every single day I have on this earth. If I live only for the future, then I will have missed so much of my life meant to be appreciated for the diversity it brings.

So I agree - I'd like to retire to a warm place, too, and I have a plan to do so, but my plan is to live in Gilford for six months or so, and the warmer climate for the other six - best of both worlds.

However, while I am here, now, whether it be fall, winter, spring or summer, I will live and breathe and take in every single moment as it comes, so I will never feel I missed anything that is often taken for granted ... life.