Good morning dear ones,

This is a special journal entry for me today, my birthday! The holidays glide through Christmas Day and a week later New Years, and a week later is my day. I have been taking this day off work for years. I can’t remember when I started the practice however it seems fitting. This year as I am retired from government, I am taking the day off from going in to the Expedia CruiseShipCenters office …. Staying home.

Bittersweet, a few years back my father gave up his life’s last breath on this day. I miss him so. My heart and sweet thoughts go out today to my mother and brother who feel the loss as I do. And my children and their cousins who grew to know my father as a grandpa like no other has ever been. I think I read once from a family member that if we were to google “grandpa” we would find his picture. I miss him always and find dimes around my home and in my pockets and again reminded that he is always with me and a large significant part of me, he is a special hero. Among other wonderful memories, my father and I worked side by side in the Canadian Armed Forces for a time. A special man, and a lifetime of special memories for me. I have the quilt I made him that he enjoyed up till his last day. I will wrap in it today for sweet times thinking of him.

My luggage arrived from my last travel adventure just a few days ago … House keys, car keys to my new Dodge Journey, Grammies-mobile! A half bottle of spiced rum from Grenada. One of the flags I had purchased for my grandsons, and two small stuffed turtles that will one day live at their house …. My white linen and other assorted clothes I had carefully, although over packed for this fun Caribbean retirement celebration. It was to mark my retirement from more than twenty seven years of government service in BC as a probation officer. I hosted, organized and booked eight women from the Women’s Travel Club and off we went to enjoy sand surf and adventure. We all agree that it was four days of heaven and we had drifted in to relaxation and sun and beaches ….. until our trip was cut short and we all were returned to our home bases.

Last evening a meetup of the Women’s Travel Club brought almost twenty gals together to talk about upcoming adventures in Greece and Turkey and to listen to a presentation with Erin, spokeswoman for GAdventures, a Canadian land, rail and sea tours company. She spoke of Ireland, Croatia, Turkey, Italy local living and exotic places and tours that are available all over the globe. What a grand time I had! Fully immersed in travel talk, one of my favourite pastimes.

Today I am working on my Compelling Vision Statement, packing a few things, going shopping for some Purdys chocolates to take to Nova Scotia and doing my on line check in for my flight, then going out for supper to celebrate my day with my sweetie and a good friend. I have lunch date with my youngest daughter who is here in Victoria.

And I will make a list of how in my life, my thoughts have become reality. I leave a space between the lines …. And add in my thoughts now for new things I want to be true and real in my future. It is a fun exercise that Mike Dooley suggests … He is brilliant.

Also just listed thirty challenges for thirty days of growth. About a dozen speak to me and I will make effort to do them all, in the month between my trip to Nova Scotia and my few weeks in mid February with my beautiful grandsons. For now I select a few I can work on right away and practice some new habits! Wooooo hoooo.

I am flying ‘home’ to visit my mom and other family around Wolfville Nova Scotia. I will be there just shy of two weeks and will continue to write and send pics on this blog and my Facebook site. Feel free to ‘friend’ me if you have not already at https://www.facebook.com/pmacdonaldtravel

I was born in Nova Scotia and used to go there for wonderful summer and Christmas vacations growing up. We moved often and this special place with red sand and fantastic tides and great vistas, a slower pace, became my special haven and touchstone for all the years of address changes that were to come. Home for hugs and great food, and salty air.

So until my next entry, may you have a most spectacular 2015 and enjoy doing the exercises and answering the hard questions that lead you ever onward to your highest and best. I am with you on this journey and so happy you have joined mine.

All the best, Ti Amo,

Pamela, a year older and hopefully wiser … Lol