Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas to all.

Sorry I have not been on lately.  I had a bad cold and cough starting at Thanksgiving. I was finally getting over that, when BAM I got hit with the flu bug which my granddaughter so graciously brought down from South Carolina last week!

Anyway, I hope everyone has a nice Christmas and if you don't celebrate that, have a nice day and week anyway.

Much Love,

Lia

12/25/2025

Bridge and Fears

My youngest daughter and I were having a conversation a couple of weeks ago about irrational fears and how they change when you become an adult. 

I remember being afraid of the dark when I was a little child. I called it the "darkening". I used to be afraid of the proverbial "monster under the bed" too.  I never wanted to get up and use the bathroom at night because I was afraid the monster would get me. On the rare occasion when I would get up, soon as I got back to my room I would hurry and jump into the bed before the monster would get me!  I pretty much got over that fear and I actually like when it is dark, mainly because I can go to bed haha.  I will admit that on a rare occasion, I still sense that monster under the bed and hurriedly jump into bed to avoid it. But that happens maybe once every couple of years so nothing to be concerned about!

I used to be afraid of dogs too.  I don't even know why I was afraid of them. I have never had a dog bite me or attack me in any way, but that fear may have stemmed from the German Shepard that lived down the road from us when we were kids.  Every time we would ride our bike's down the road, there he would be waiting, and he would rush out to the edge of his yard and bark furiously at us, but he never left the yard. I think he was all bark and no bite maybe?   I am not afraid of dogs anymore unless they are pit bulls because those babies can tear you apart if they set their mind to it.  I know, people say they get a bad rap, but if by chance you happen upon one of the bad ones, you could die or be mutilated in terrible ways like on the bodycam video I saw on YouTube, where the pit bulls attacked a lady and chewed her foot off and part of her face. So yeah, they terrify me. 

My son used to be afraid of bridges when he was little.  Any time we went over a bridge, he would close his eyes and one time in Louisiana we were crossing a 20 mile long bridge in the swamp in a storm.  I'm not sure if it was quite that long, but it was long and with very few places to get off .  Anyway, he ended up crawling down on the floorboard of the car and riding most of the way there.  Not sure what he thought that would accomplish, but I guess he felt safe down there!  I never had a fear of bridges, although there was one in South Carolina called the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston that I really hated to drive over because it was narrow and you could feel it swaying and I was always happy to get across that bridge.  I guess they built a new bridge to replace that one so maybe if I ever get up to Charleston again, it might be a bit more pleasant to drive over.  

So, all of this brings me to the bridge I walk over.  For some reason, when I got to the top of that bridge the first day, I had a thought "I hope the bridge does not collapse".  Out of the blue that thought came to me, but of course I brushed it off and went on over and back and the bridge did not collapse.  Two days later, I read online where some guy who drives that bridge everyday was complaining that something wasn't right with one of the expansion joints on the bridge.  I didn't think much about it until the next time I go to walk over the bridge. Once over, I turned around to head back and I see all these trucks and guys parking on the bridge and on the side of a couple of the trucks it said "Bridge Inspection".  And they were closing the bridge so I hurriedly got to the other side.    A couple days later I read online that they did indeed find a problem with the bridge expansion joint. I guess one of them was warped or something.  Not sure how serious it is and I haven't been back over the bridge, but not because of that.

First of all, I had company for Thanksgiving and also many commitments with my granddaughter's various activities.  But that is not the reason either.  The real reason is because I was at the high school my granddaughter will be attending next year and I fell going down the stairs.  Somehow I missed that last step and landed on my knee HARD.  By the sound of it, I thought for sure I had broken something, but then I thought "I hope no one saw that" and I hurriedly stood up and was able to walk. It hurt like heck for a couple of days, but I am fine now. 

 I guess I will get back out there and do my bridge walk and hope it does not collapse with me on it! So if you don't hear from me again, that is what happened...

Lia

12/03/2025

Listen to the wind blow

Today is the third day of walking over the causeway. It is getting easier, but there was a cold front coming through so my ears were freezing!  I didn't have to stop to rest except for once and that was more to pull my hood up so my ears would not freeze.   

I am still doing just once over and then back, but next week I am going to try to go over and back twice. Hopefully the cool weather sticks around for awhile because the first day I did this, it was warm and muggy and I don't like warm and muggy when I am walking or riding.

I have a meeting at the school tonight, so this is all I've got.  

Will try to post something tomorrow.

Lia

11/10/2025

Upward over the Mountain

 My granddaughter has been going to the same private school for eight years.  She is in the 8th grade this year and next year she will go over to the high school. 

In May the school takes all the graduating eight graders to a camp up in the mountains of Tennessee, Camp Eagle Rock.

The parents go also if they want to go (grandparent in my case).  

At first I was a bit hesitant because at my age, I can't keep up with a bunch of rambunctious kids. Having served as a camp counselor for several summers when my youngest was a kid, I know it can be fun, but tiring and that was long ago.  

Last week I went to an award ceremony at her school.  She has been a straight A honor roll student for four years now since she came to live with me after my daughter died.  Anyhow, I was there and the PE teacher who is in charge of getting this trip together asked me if I was going to Eagle Rock.  I told her I didn't think so, that I didn't think I could keep up the pace with the students. She acted disappointed and then asked me how old I was.  I told her I am 70.  She seemed taken aback at that and said "there is no way, you sure don't look 70!".   Hmmm, methinks she should get some glasses, but it was nice to hear that and other people told me the same on many occasions.  But not looking 70 and not feeling 70 are two different things haha.  

At any rate, she said the "parents" weren't expected to participate in all the activities like rock climbing and walking across this flimsy rope bridge and canoeing and who knows what else.  She said the only thing the parents had to do was climb to the top of the mountain on the trail. She said it is not a rough trail, just quite the incline. Well a few years ago, maybe 5 or 6 I met up with a friend of mine in Gatlinburg. We went over to Clingman's Dome and decided to walk to the top of it. Mind you this was actually a paved trail, but I had a hard time. Not so much walking up, but as you get higher in altitude it becomes harder to breathe and I thought maybe I was gonna die right there.  Two summers ago we met up again and didn't go to Clingman's Dome, but we did a lot of walking and let me tell you, when you live in Florida, you just don't have hills to climb. Everything is flat land. I was in pretty good shape because I had been walking and biking, but walking up and down  in the hill country is a whole other ball game.   I thought maybe I would die there too hahaha!!

Now, I am 70. I still walk, I still ride my bike, but I  don't have any hills to climb and definitely no mountains.   So how am I going to get in shape to even begin to walk up that trail?  I don't want to be the last one huffing and puffing my way up, although there are a few chunky (fat) parents that might have the same issue.  Then I had an idea.   I can start walking over the causeway several times a week.  At least I can get used to hill climbing, though it is not a mountain, it is still elevated and I used to walk there all the time and believe me if you are not used to it, you get a good workout.   

So today I trudge up and then down, and back up and then down, once.  I plan on going 4 times a week and riding my bike the other three.  That is about the best I can do for training and you know what?  I AM going to make it up to the top of Eagle Rock.  It might be my last big adventure, but at least I can say I did it!

Here is the causeway.  It doesn't look that high, but it is when you have to walk it.  

And here is where I will be next May.

Much love,

Lia

11/04/2025

My town flooded

 About a week ago, it started raining, and raining, and raining.  And then it rained some more for a total of 14.9 inches in just a few hours.  

It came down very hard, harder than most of the hurricanes I have been through, and I have been through several.

I was fine in my subdivision, thank goodness. I rarely ever get a mud puddle, but with that much rain, I am surprised. By the next morning it was wet outside, but I would never have guessed that half the town had major flooding. 

City hall got flooded, one of the fire stations, a couple of the schools and lots of houses had water intrusion, some worse than others.  

I guess a few people had to be rescued from their cars because like dummies they drove into flooded streets and didn't realize how deep it was or either they just didn't have sense.  

I went out on my bike the next morning and rode around to some of the other neighborhoods.  About a mile down the street from where I live, they are building a new subdivision. There was a pond there, but after the rain it looked about twice the size, like a full-fledged lake.  Down the street from there all the houses had literal ponds in their yards and one guy had major flooding in his back yard.  Of course, there is a drainage canal nearby, so they all got the overflow from that.  

I didn't see any displaced alligators anywhere, so that was a good thing.  

Today there are still some places where the water has not completely receded.   

The actual bike trail got flooded but I think that has cleared up now, but I have not been out to check.

My daughter who lives about five miles from me had water in her back yard for a couple of days, but luckily it did not get into the house. 

Anyway, sorry I have not been around.  Just been busy and really can't think of anything to write these days.  I guess I have lost my motivation in my old age.

Who would have thought at one time I would write every day, sometimes twice a day.

We are coming up on the holidays and once again, I have relatives invading my house soon, but none of them are staying too long.'

I hope everyone is doing well and just know I DO think of you all often, even if you don't hear from me.

Much love,

Lia 

11/3/2025

Friday

 Sorry I have not written. You would think at my age I would have achieved some lagom in my life, but when you are a grandparent raising grandkids, life just seems to be hectic most of the time. 

I am craving some quiet alone time, and I think this summer when the kids go stay with their aunt in South Carolina, that I am going to ride up to the mountains and sit next to a babbling stream for a week and do absolutely nothing at all!

 I am not going to speak about the recent events in the news, but I will say this world has gone totally insane. Sometimes I think that somehow, I have landed on another planet, or even in the twilight zone.

But I find some solace in the fact that other than raising grandkids, I live a nice NORMAL existence, and I am at the doorstep of the winter of my life so maybe I won't be around to see the total collapse of society. 

I do fear for my kids and grandchildren though. One would hope things will get better, but I doubt it.  I used to be an optimist, but I think the older I get and the more I see, I have lost that outlook. 

Well enough of that. 

Just in case you didn't know the meaning of lagom, it came up on my "word of the day" and it means:

The principle of living a balanced, moderately paced, low-fuss life: those who achieve lagom routinely take time to appreciate their surroundings, take several breaks during the workday, dress from a minimal and versatile wardrobe, and treat others with respect and kindness.   

I think it might be one of those new words that someone made up because this thing on here which I forget what they call it, keeps telling me it is not a word. 

Oh well, I don't care.

That is all I have for today. I hope you all have a nice peaceful weekend. 

A cute little bunny

 A few years ago, I was walking along the trail down at the chain of lakes. I had my camera on me. A real camera, not a cell phone. You never know what you may come across down there and I love to take pictures (although that is one more thing that stopped when the world stopped and I went into the fog).  Anyway, I saw this little ball of fluff laying in the grass. I wasn't really close so I thought it was a little bunny, so I went walking up to it and once I got closer, I realized it was not a cute little bunny. Instead, it was a cute little bobcat. I hurriedly took a picture and went on my way, because where there is a baby bobcat, there is most likely a mama bobcat, and I did not want to come face to face with her. 

I was looking through old pictures tonight and came across this shot of the cute little "bunny".

That's all I have for tonight.

Lia

09/09/2025

I think everyone is dead...

 I've spent that last few days going through my old posts, trying to get inspiration to write again. I think I am doing ok this week anyway. I figured if I just write something, anything, every day then I will be back on a roll.

Anyway, I normally cross post this blog over on Wordpress, but I don't feel like writing all of that down again, um typing I mean.

I just want to say, that in addition to reading all my old posts, I have gone to all the people I have followed over the years and it seems no one is posting, except on this site, RTalcott. But everyone else has flown the coop.  Most have not posted for two to five years.

Now I think they might all be dead, but I have no way of knowing. Well, I do know one for sure is dead because I read that he had died awhile back.  It just seems weird that absolutely no one writes anymore.

Oh well, I got my inspiration back so here I am!

Lia

The Tree

 For twenty years it refused to grow. It was nothing more than a straggly stick with a couple of twigs growing from it. I wasn’t even sure if it was a tree. All I knew was it was ugly and spindly and was in the way along the fence where I wanted to plant my herb garden. I decided to cut it down to the ground.

The next spring it was back, the little spindly stick with a couple twigs and a few leaves. It didn’t grow, so I cut it back down.

Every year, the same thing.

Then tragedy struck. I lost my daughter to suicide.

For four and half years I existed in a fog.

I quit noticing things, rarely went out into my back yard.

One day recently I stepped outside and noticed a tree. A beautiful tree with a big sturdy trunk and branches reaching to the sky, full of the most beautiful green leaves.

How did it get there?

How did I not notice?

It must have been the fog of grief that blinded me.

It still amazes me every time I look at the tree. I wonder how it could have grown so huge in such a short amount of time.

I like to think it was a gift from my daughter. A beautiful gift to open my eyes so I would see through the fog and start living again.

                                                                        

Lia 9/5/2025

Orlando Wetlands picture blog

Been awhile since I have posted any of my photography.  I kind of lost interest in it for a while.  A few weeks ago, I went over to the Orlando Wetlands and managed to get some decent shots. 

You can click on each photo to enlarge it. Used to be we could make them bigger right in the post, but I either forgot how, or they changed up .