After celebrating Mother’s Day with Julie and family by volunteering at Humble Design/Chicago, we drove down to Lexington, Kentucky for a change of scenery and some warmth. It’s the home of the University of Kentucky. Lodging here is very reasonable and we are staying at a motel that is right in town. There’s a delicious Indian Restaurant in town. We read about the McConnell Park Bird Program and decided to begin our adventure there. Here are some pictures of the Owls at the Bluegrass Birding Festival. These owls have been wounded and that is why they are out of their natural habitat.
Visit the many restaurants and coffee houses downtown. Have fun taking pictures at the Village Idiot restaurant, but the food was marginal.
It’s not ever day that I have an owl on my shoulder. Hoo would have guessed.Visit the Kentucky Home Park and Museum. They have an interesting store, too.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today, because someone planted a tree along time ago.” (Warren Buffet). Now you have time and the World is your Oyster! But you won’t know it at first. In the beginning, retirement can be difficult as you step into the new you. It takes time to shape who you will be next. My advice, step in and out of many doors. I was eager to start a blog named www.lifewithlarry.org to share what I have learned over the years and my life experiences with my husband, Larry. As a mother of three, and grandmother of five and as a former high school teacher, I gained wisdom about how to live a fruitful life. Being a mentor to the next generation and using my talents and skills have been a priority. Now is the time to spend with grandchildren if you have them or to help children in your neighborhood. Of course, if funds allow, travel. I have reconnected with many through Facebook and Instagram and have visited them personally. While I was still teaching, we connected with Vantage Financial in Arlington Heights, Tom Vislisil, who helped us with a prosperous financial plan for our future.
Now I have the gift of time. Time to develop interests and talents. I love waking up to the sound of birds and being able to have a second cup of coffee. To be happy and fulfilled, it is important to cover the following facets of life: Physical, Social, Service, and Spiritual. It is equally important to combine them as you would a delicious casserole.
Physical/ I love the outdoors so hiking, biking, and skiing are some of my passions. I joined a health club to be able to use weights and as an avenue to meet new friends I have friends now from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico. They teach me Spanish and I help them with their English.
National Lake Shore in Indiana. We woke up to rain in Chicagoland and found that by traveling to Indiana, an hour away, we would have sun.
Social/ I started a book club. We meet once a month at Panera. There are 7 of us and we have bonded through our love for books and nature. We have gotten to know each other well. Before the pandemic, we would travel to a WI summer home for two days and hike, bike, kayak, play tennis and discuss our books. I also joined Toastmasters both for social and intellectual enrichment. It’s important to get out of our comfort zone and try new things. Never, say I can’t. I kept my connections with teachers and friends by getting together for coffee. We open our home to others by having potluck dinners with themes like Italian or Mexican Night. I am both an extrovert and an introvert. I love being with people and I try to look at each one as I would an interesting book. What story do these individuals have to tell me? How can I learn and grow as a human being? Yet, I need time to steal away and read a book, a devotional or to play my piano.
Service/ Finding My Passion through Volunteering My first serve was with Habitat for Humanity to help build homes after Karina. It took me 12 times to pound a nail into a wall. But in time, I got better. Then I took my love for playing the piano to the lobby of our local hospital. At first I was very nervous but with practice, I have improved as a musician. I also took advantage of writing opportunities with Compassion and Justice issues and writing clubs. My memoirs have been published in several anthologies and Chicken Soup for the Soul. I’m a Guest Host for a Care Center which has prompted me to learn Spanish by doing a Duolingo App on my phone and Synergy Spanish on my computer. I join my husband and daughter by volunteering for www.humbledesign.org/Chicago. I would recommend trying many service organization to see what suits you best and how you can best use your skills to help others.
My husband Larry
Learning to use tools
Spiritual/-At the age of 18, when I was searching for meaning and purpose in life, I looked up at the sky and told God ” I don’t think you are there: but if you are, please show me.” That night, I met my future husband and became a follower of Jesus Christ. The big change came when my focus was no longer on me, but on helping others. I love reading Psalms, Proverbs, and the New Testament. There is wisdom about how to live an abundant and fulfilling life in these chapters. Over and over again, I see God’s presence in my life and in the lives of others who have been transformed by Him. God showed his presence to me by answering a prayer. I gave up trying to control my own life and told him, he could have it. It was through His creation, not in a church, that the relationship happened. If you seek Him with your whole heart, you will find Him—–and your purpose in this life. (Jeremiah 29:13) Just like a snowflake, you are unique in this world and needed by God for the purpose He has for your life. Hold on, you are going to have an adventure.
I heard a flock of sand hill cranes overhead beaconing the end of winter. I even saw three fox pups frolicking in our yard. Despite the April 14th snow storm, the trees are budding, the crocuses have pushed their faces through the snow and the days are getting longer. Yes, what looked like death is certainly now alive. Nature is such a beautiful picture of the resurrection of Christ. In the background, I love listening to Handel’s Messiah and the song, “I Know that My Redeemer Lives”. It is the perfect Easter message.
I am so thankful that Cornelius, a centurion in the Roman regiment, existed in Christ’s time, because he gave us a picture of God’s love for all mankind. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing. But they were not followers of Christ. He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. As a result, an angel spoke to him and said, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. He was then instructed to get in touch with Peter who was visiting Simon, the tanner. At about the same time, Peter was praying and had the same vision three times where he was instructed to eat meat that was forbidden to the Jew. He then heart a knock on his door and was instructed to go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. When Peter saw that God was opening the door to the Gentiles, he said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who reverence him and do what it right. Then he told them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. As a result, before he finished speaking—the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, as recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts 10.
We are thankful to the Hebrews, who faithfully and accurately penned the Old Testament with the prophecies of Christ. (See Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and google the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls for examples.) Also read Acts 10. “You will seek me and find Me, when you seek me with all your heart, “(Jeremiah 29:13.) This is the perfect time to do your own search.
Just like nature is filled with a diversity of flowers and trees, so God has many ways to call his own to himself. Most of us have a thirst for more than this life can offer. We know deep inside that the end of life is not the end. It’s written in our hearts.
The polar vortex arrived this morning with a vengeance. It was -26 in our little town of Fox River Grove, IL. It brought back memories of our time winter camping in 2002 up at Kettle Moraine, WI. Larry talked me into winter camping up at Kettle Moraine, WI after our first night in a motel. It had been a relatively mild winter and after begging me to camp, I finally agreed, half heartedly. The advantages he said were as follows: No bugs, no mud, no loud obnoxious campers, almost free lodging and our choice of campsites. We had bags that went down to zero degrees and a tent used on Mt. Everest. During the night, I was cold and put on his stinky sweater. He had been X-country skiing in it for the past two days. I spent the night ducking in and out of the sleeping bag. Under the bag, I would gage because the sweater smelled like stinky feet. Outside the bag, it was freezing cold. We woke up at 6:30 AM to -12 degrees and rushed over to our favorite coffee shop in Oconomowoc where our teeth chattering while drinking our hot coffee. Like a homeless person, I made my way to the bathroom and brushed my teeth once they settled down. This was another lifewithlarry adventure but my heart goes out to homeless people who be looking forward to much warmer temperatures at the end of the week.
In a life time, the heart will beat 2.5 billion times. What is your heart beating for? What is your vision? What keeps you up at night? These are questions I ask myself. I strive to make each day a masterpiece. I have found that my greatest joy comes from helping others attain their vision. Without a vision, the people perish. If you listen well to others, you will know what makes their heart skip a beat. Then I can come along as a mentor and help them climb their ladder. We cannot remain stagnant if we want to grown spiritually, mentally or physically. John Wesley has worded it so well. “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.”Just think of Forest Gump as he ran across the United States inspiring others to run. Fictional, but it had a point.
Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it, is your gift back to God.” Have you noticed that the talent you have been given needs to be developed and honed by hard work, sweat and tears. My goals are to be a better writer, to improve my piano skills, to speak Spanish and to be in good physical condition to accomplish my goals. You may ask. Why these goals? These are the tools I can use to further the kingdom of God. . To bring others into the abundant life I am experiencing. Our purpose is the change the world. Now that is a lofty goal. “In this life we cannot do great things, we can only do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa. That is true but Helen Keller had another way at looking at life. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. “ Continue to check my blog, www.lifewithlarry.org for tips about stepping out of your comfort zone and into the person God created you to be.
There is so much to do in the month of December. It can be a stressful time as we prepare for the holidays. But my advice to you is to take time to laugh at yourself and with others. Larry and I love to laugh. No matter what trials we have faced, we can’t stay blue for long. And that is a good thing. “Laughter is good medicine.” Physically, laughter triggers the release of endorphins that cause a sense of well-being. Studies have demonstrated that children laugh on average more than 300 times a day. We adults only laugh a dismal 15 times a day. No wonder grandparents enjoy being with their grandkids. I watched a group of three-year-olds today. I was the big bad wolf who was trying to blow their house down. They called themselves the piggies and ran from one house to the other. They squealed with laughter and brought out the child in me.
Did you know that 85% of what we worry about never happens; and if the problem occurs, our excellent coping skills help us to manage successfully?
So find people that make you laugh. Play with kids. Pass around good jokes. Be like the Proverbs 31 woman who smiled at the future. “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” Victor Hugo
Share a laughable moment on my website. I have a great one to tell you called Sweet Delusions.
Where were you on 9/11? I remember teaching a class in British Literature where we were studying Beowulf on 9/11/01. A student went to the nurse’s office and came back with the news about the twin towers. We thought he was joking since he was the clown of the class. Beowulf is about the nature of good and evil and we read the rest of the book with this thought in mind. In the end, good overcame evil but not without sacrifice. I thank God for the protection he has provided our nation since then. Let us stop and remember and pray for those who lost so much that day, and for those who have died with illnesses related to that day.
On our block, we lit candles in remembrance of those who died. The silence of no planes overhead was eerie. The nation was in mourning. The churches were full as many were looking for direction and answers. One of our teacher’s husband, a fireman, volunteered at Ground Zero.
We rejoiced the day President Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden. Just like in Beowulf, justice was measured out with the help of the Navy Seals.
Sometimes I wonder why we get so upset over a triviality when so many in our world have gone through so much trauma. One way I measure problems is to ask myself this question,”Is this a first world problem?” If it is, I can deal with it and thank God it isn’t something worse. Wish all of you well, and feel free to share where you were that day either here or on my Face Book page Sue Schuerr
We decided to escape our Chicago winter by flying to Miami FL to visit friends and see sites, but how ironic that winter in Chicago turned into spring with temperatures close to 70. Nevertheless, here we were in the land of sun, flowers and yes alligators. We took a gorgeous hike through Fairchild Botanical Gardens where streams gleamed and pink, red and purple flowers adorned the paths. But now Larry was ready for something meatier or should I say downright scary—-a hike in the FL Everglades. As we walked along the boardwalk, we were greeting by large, healthy alligators enjoying a sun bathe in the river below. I had never in my life been that close to them.
Everglades in FL Feb. 2017
Larry soon returned with our hiking information, and a large burly man handed each of us a long thick stick. I wondered why we would need one for the boardwalk hike. But he pointed across the street where our hike was to begin. Just like Ruth and Naomi in the Bible, I followed not Naomi but my man remembering the line—-“Wherever you go; I will go.” But wait— it’s not a boardwalk but the beginning of a narrow path on very soggy mud. “Yeaks,” I thought. How am going to keep my tennis shoes clean here? “Where are you taking me?” I shouted as the path got progressively muddier and the stick stuck deeper. Yellow flowers lifted their ominous heads mocking me. “Come on,” said Larry who was quite a bit ahead of me. “Quit your whining.” Now I have followed Larry through caves, up mountains and down steep ski hills. But soon the mud turned into a stream and my imagination went viral while slouching through yet deeper, muddier water. Now those big, huge alligators were napping across the street. What could possibly keep their cousins from habituating here?—-and, how about their relatives the snakes and lizards. A childhood song came to mind. I’ve been eaten by a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor! Oh no, it’s up to my toe; oh geez, it’s up to my knee; oh heck. I wasn’t going to let it get up to my neck. I yelled out. “Larry, I can’t do this. I’m going back.” I headed toward the sound of the traffic but I with my sense of direction I was afraid I’d get lost. I called for Larry again— now pleading. After sometime, he appeared wet up to his thighs. “If I had followed you, I’d be swimming in the muck with baby reptiles and who knows what else,” I said. I happily returned my thick muddy stick to the ranger who was impressed that as first timers in the Glades we had even considered this arduous, insane hike. We gave ourselves and our shoes a hosing off and made our way back to civilized Miami. Now Ruth may have followed her Naomi. But I’ll think twice about following Larry and of course–Never, Never in the Everglades
