And so it begins......

I'm new at this. I've thought a lot about starting a blog. I enjoy writing; it's a great creative outlet for me. And at this point in my life, I see it as helping me to cope and adjust to life changes that are coming my way. Perhaps some of my observations will help others too.

My husband and I are both retired. My husband retired over 10 years ago and I have been retired for 4 years. When I made the decision to retire, I was in a career that I thought I would continue into my mid to late 70's. But I started to notice some changes. Jim (smartest person I knew!) was showing subtle signs of cognitive decline. Signs that probably only I noticed. I made the decision to retire, to make sure that we could enjoy retirement together now.

One of Jim's favorite sayings over the years, "one of life's little surprises", was used to describe both the good and the bad that came our way. A descriptive phrase that captured our sentiment when something occurred in life that was beyond our immediate control. Hence, the name of this blog.

Some details of what I write will be altered to protect Jim's privacy. He is not aware of the level of his cognitive decline. He sees the deficits as "part of the normal aging process".

We are headed home to the northeast in a couple of weeks. We have been fortunate to be in the south for the last 3 months. I will miss the warmth, the ocean, and the carefree feeling that comes from being here.

I hope to continue the discussion about life's little surprises, both the good and the not so good. And so it begins...