Changes

The trees are all orange and yellow.  The weather changing from hot to cool and crisp.  The season from summer to fall and then to winter.  The holidays are starting to get closer.  Things change - it's the world, it's life.

This year, my life has changed immensely.  I await the birth of my eighth grandchild, a beautiful baby girl who will arrive in a couple of weeks.  I went from working forty exhausting hours a week at the airline gates to sixteen hours working in the lobby.  A drastic change for me, but an invited one. Semi-retirement; a concept I didn't think was possible, but after figuring things out - it's perfect for me; 16 to 24 hours a week means more time with family.  I'm very excited to finish up this month in the lobby and go back to the gates that I love.

I'm getting older.  Ted is getting older.  But, that isn't stopping us.  We're bound and determined to spend our lives doing whatever we can to spend these years together.  We're planning a getaway to Hawaii for our tenth anniversary.  We've had thoughts about all the places we want to see and the things we want to do.  I want to take my kids and grandkids to places they could not imagine; I've already planned to take KayeLynn with me to New York City for her birthday/Christmas to go see Phantom of the Opera.  Who's next?  I don't know - but for sure, these next few years I'll work to take everyone somewhere when they and I can.

Life is good.  I love where it's heading.  Ted says he's never seen me happier and it shows.  The "big" boss at the Delta hub walked up to me the other day.  I was doing my very least favorite job - standing at the TSA line and directing people to the correct line.  But, it's not anyone's fault but my own that it's my least favorite, so I don't deter it from letting me do a good job.  First off, I'm intimidated by the fact that he knows ME and he knows MY name as he says, "Hi Colleen, how's it going?".  After chatting for a moment, he stands against the wall (he's extremely tall!) while I go

about doing my job and greeting people with a smile.  He is standing there bringing up my scores and shows me that I am number one of all the seasonal employees and he's very impressed and gives the old "high five".  It's shown to me later by my immediate supervisor that I'm number seven overall in all of Salt Lake City.  I'm happy and it shows; it shows in my work and job, it shows in my relationships with my friends and family, it shows to me.  Happiness is a journey and I'm finally not in the barren and empty zone of it.