Same old, same old

Life goes on as the clock slowly tick to our final minute on this earth. When that is, we do not know. As you grow older, you become very aware that there is an end to our time here.
We continue to live in Cayman and the next major goal in our lives slowly draws near - retirement!
It's coming but I am surprised how many people do not plan for it and continue to carry on a normal up to the end.
One of my co-workers turns 60 this year and when we were discussing preparations, I was surprised to learn that he never planned for it. He know it is coming but did nothing!
Perhaps the wife and I are ultra cautious, but we were making plans since we were in our 40's. Will we be finished the mortgage before we reach retirement age? Will the kids be through school? Any major bills we can expect? Will the retirement funds be enough? And on and on.
There is no doubt that Cayman is an expensive place to retire but the choices are few. If we were in Canada and in your 60s, I do not want to have to get up early in the mornings and shovel snow? Or stay inside because it is -40F outside for days on end. In Cayman, we will always be able to go outside all year, even when it is raining. I might have to cut and wet the grass, trim the trees and pick fruit but it really does not take that long. 4 - 6 hours per month if I take my time, 3 hours if we have help.
Well, in local news, mango trees have blossomed. Our big carrie mango has blossomed all over this year. Usually it only produces mangoes on the east side but this year for the first time in 15 years, the west is laden and the east side is following.
There are so many green ones that we are planning to freeze some and I will be trying my hand at dehydrating the fruits. Many plans online for a solar dyhydrator so I will be making a small one to test.
Chickens are OK and so are the politicians.
This year is election year and for the first time, I am a registered voter - along with about 2500 others. The voting ranks grew by about 20% as more people seem to getting fed up with the current system. Two parties, that sound almost the same.
There were a few independents last election but many more this time around. The two months of campaigning has begun with the elections slated for Wednesday May 22. Interesting times to come.

Bye for now!

2013 - what will it bring?

Welcome to  another year by the western hemisphere reckoning. We survive the Mayan end of the world on Dec 21, another Christmas shopping season adn most of us are here to continue on.
I do not make resolutions any more because in the end, I end up doing what I wanted to anyways.
Island life continues on its daily progression - work , eat sleep, repeat for 5 days straight. On the weekends, house work, yard work or just doing something constructive is the name of the game.
Over Christmas, the wife and youngest daughter decided to sped the holiday with the in-laws in Canada. Great idea and off we went on the afternoon Dec 20th. 4 hours later, the temp was below freezing and we were seeing snow on the drive from the airport in Toronto.
I am used to the cold, and usually 2 or 3 days after we arrive in Canada, I am fine. But this time it was different. Don't know if it was the flu that everyone picked up and had for most of the trip or if I am just getting older, but it was not as enjoyable. Maybe never seeing the sun for the whole 11 days we were their contributed to it? Don't know.
But it was nice to come back home and thaw out. I felt sluggish for the first couple weeks as I continued to battle the flu but everything is back to "normal" now.
Nothing has changed. From chickens to gardening, cutting the grass or small projects, island life continues.
We can look at 2013 as a chance to continue as we are or we can take steps to better ourselves - whether through education, charity or personal development. I have come to realize that life is what we make of it.
Wishing everyone a late happy new year and let us become better persons!