Getting old...

Getting old.
Getting old is lots of things to different people.
Under 15 years old... It's just something that happens to your grand parents. Beyond that... not much else is thought about it. 

Under 40 years old... It's what your parents and grandparents aspire too. They retire, sit back, take life easy, enjoy that rocking chair, and live a peaceful life until health issues take their toll and they pass away. And now, the 30-40 somethings think how nice it will be for their generation to assume control and be in charge of everything.

60+ years old... There are many more considerations and thoughts about getting old.

Health issues.... Some things are beyond your control but there's always things you can do to help with aging health issues.  Eating foods that are healthy,  reducing favorites that are not so healthy,  drinking much more water,  and equally important, working at staying active. 

Attitude and outlook on life... HUGE! It's been big all your life.
All to often it seems that a lack of drive,  nothing to do, and no physical or mental challenges, plus any health issues lead to inactivity and varying degrees of depression, which complicates and exasperates the situation even more. Sometimes it seems that they are seemingly passively waiting to die.

Well-being and your perception of happiness is entirely a state of mind, attitude, and what you plan to do each and every day. How you look at everything, how you think about everything, how you feel about everything. How you verbalize to yourself how good every single thing in you day is.
I believe that this is the best cup of coffee I've ever had!
Wow... this omelet is the greatest.
Going for a walk outside... this is the best morning ever.
Notice every wonderful little thing about your day.
Man... It's great to be alive!
Condition your mental outlook on life that today is really great... and tomorrow will be even better. Perpetuate a positive attitude about everything and a enjoy the benefits of a happy life. There's all always gonna be some things that don't go as  expected... play them down... they just aren't that important in the scope of your life. Emphasize and excentuate the positive.

It true... Don't worry... be happy... and don't sweat the bad stuff. 😉

Abandoned

Abandoned estates and villas in Europe and especially northern Italy. Living here in the States,  growing up here,  where we don't have structures hundreds of years old,  so is hard to imagine historical, exquisite, simply majestic estates and villas that have been abandoned for decades just rotting away and being slowly reclaimed by nature. How wonderful they must have looked in the prime. The artistry, the detail of construction,  the architecture, and the beautiful decor, abandoned and fading into history. I'd almost have to think that someone of wealth and means would restore them to their original grandeur and have a spectacular place to live. Filled with history and such beauty. Inconceivable that it would simply go to waste and be forgotten. Seems like such a waste. 

Liar...liar...

"Liar...Liar...pants on fire" 🔥. Or so the old kids says goes.
Then there's the oxymoron... "truth in advertising".
Does anyone really expect ads to be accurate?
We should be able to... Right?
Companies that have no integrity...

The dark early 1960s

The dark early 1960s... When the threat of the nuclear attack was on the minds of the country. Bomb shelters were being built in backyards ... and air raid drills were being practiced in the schools. Not that either would have done much good. 

No villains allowed

No villains allowed... the happier side of the Not so scary Halloween party parade.

And then there's all the candy!

Political humor

Political humor... I very seldom part anything political... But I thought this was funny. 

One thousand years

One thousand years after man. Nature reclaims the world.    

Near sightedness

Near sightedness of the issues that offend some people today. So what are the issues that offend these people?  Well... There's certainly plenty to go around. Specifically today...  The slavery issue that centered around the American civil war. A war that took place 155 years ago that seems to be a hot topic today... that people simply cannot get past. One hundred & fifty five years ago... not this century,  not the last century,  but the 1860s... way past time to get over this. Violent demonstrations, destruction, vandalism of monuments and graves and even deaths via protests are the results of them being offended.  Anything to do with the civil war offends them... Monuments,  battlefields, graves, and reenactments of the battles are offensive to them because the of slavery issue, and apparently it is detrimental to their emotional well-being today, and obviously responsible for their personal situation in life today.
No doubt a product if the me generation that can not assume any personal responsibility for their situation or their actions, no matter how  detrimental or destructive... but seek to blame others or anything to justify their behavior. They have even gotten some school systems to stop teaching about the civil war. REALLY? !!!
Nearsightedness? Well... The protests about what offends them solely centers around the civil war not seeing two other more prominent issues concerning slavery. First, the founding fathers of this country that owned slaves, to which history,  monuments, l our currency, and cities, towns, and streets are named after them... and no one is protesting this as being offensive as a reminder of the slavery issue.
Second, and most prominent, the Bible that so many hold so dear as the undeniable word of God and a blueprint for living one's life, condoned slavery... yet no one is protesting the Bibles teachings. Yes, the Bible condoned slavery! (hey...ya can't pick and choose which teachings are relevant,  and which are to be ignored).
Slavery is an issue that was resolved 155 years ago. It should be a dead issue.
All the protests and vandalism, the demonstrations and destruction are suppose to bring attention to the fact that Black lives matter. And yes, Black lives matter... All lives matter! But this is a poor uneducated emotional destructive way to get support for your message.
Prejudice on the other hand,  sad to say, is alive and well... perpetuated by generations on both sides of the issue... with the vast majority of society not harboring prejudice in any way. You'll always have the white supremacist and those on the opposing side.... each blaming the other for their situation in life.
So why does society as a whole put up with all this discrimination and prejudice? The answer is freedom of speech and expression... No matter how detrimental it is to society as a whole.  So why does society and the media give credence to malcontents, protesters, and vandals? That is the question of today?  Why do we as a society and government authorities give credence to this mentality and behavior?

Not so scary

Thinking of a ... not so scary Halloween 🎃
The best time of the year at Disney. Generally... It's cooler,  less crowded, and Halloween at Disney,  especially the Not so scary Halloween party is the best event at Magic Kingdom. Best time to go? The last two weeks of September of the first two weeks of October.  The last two weeks of October as Halloween approaches... Extremely crowded. 

Disney steak...

Reportedly the best steaks at Disney... The Yachtmans steakhouse... at the beach & yacht club resort... one of the Epcot resorts just beyond international gateway at epcot. So if you are at Epcot it's just a quick walk over to the resorts. Quick tip... If you are driving and parking at the resort,  make reservations at the steakhouse ( this is a good idea anyway)... During peak times you will not be able to park at the resort unless you are a guest staying there or you have a reservation. Be prepared for the prices... Dinner for two... $160 with tip.

Question everything...

Question everything.
Now there's a concept that can drive you crazy.
You certainly can not believe everything that we were taught or everything we are told. So what do you believe... What should you believe? Virtually every source of information comes out side that of personal experience...and is usually told with some degree of unreliability. Hidden agendas, misrepresentations, wrong interpretations, embellishment of the facts, omission of some of the facts, news reported and sensationalized to get the desired effect upon society as a whole. Desired effect? Yes, every form of media is intended to shape your perception , not for you to think on your own, but to convince you to believe as they do. So where does that leave you? Questioning... doubting...searching for answers. A wise man once said that there is an ounce of truth in everything... knowing that much of what you are told should be questioned and suspect. Then there's the difference between fact & truth... complicated by beliefs... ruled by emotions. And there are those that intend to deceive with purpose to further their agenda. Truly a situation that leads to at least some degree if uncertainty... if not outright deception.  Take from all this what you will. Today's events as well as history are all effected.  So... Now ya know why I seldom watch the news... It's a matter of my emotional well being, or simply to avoid the sensationalized dribble that they call the news.  This is especially true for anything political. 

Beach memories

Beach memories.
Full time rving let's you go where ever you want... Stay as long as you like... and move on from one adventure to another. Every once in a while you stay longer at a favorite place. Such was the case with the Florida gulf beaches. White sand beaches, emerald water, and lots of nearby attractions and restaurants. Our place of choice?  Navarre Beach and Pensacola beach. Lots of great memories. Here's a few.

Where to stay?

Where to stay at Disney?
There's lots of wonderful Disney resorts to enjoy.  I prefer the Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian not only because of the resorts themselves, but the transportation benefits of the monorail and various boats to get around. The buses are my least favorite Disney transportation... a necessary evil of sorts. With the boats we can get to Magic Kingdom,  the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian, the Contemporary Resort, Fort Wilderness Campground, and the Wilderness Lodge. The boats are so much more relaxing. The monorails will get you to not only Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary but also to the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian and with the transfer to Epcot. The best of both worlds.  An added bonus for the boats back to the resorts... when the masses are leaving Magic Kingdom waiting in endless lines for buses, the monorail, or the ferry... the boats are pretty much a walk on. We especially like the small launches.