Enjoying the Hallway

I don't know who first said "When one door closes, another one opens." but I believe it's true.  The saying seems to imply that the second door will open immediately, which I've found isn't always true.  Sometimes several doors open and we have to choose which to walk through.

I think of the time between a door closing and another one opening as being in the hallway.  A friend refers to it as being "in the possibilities."  Being there can be stressful.  Or exciting and filled with hope.  It all depends on how you look at it.

Recently I was talking to a couple of friends, both of whom had been in the job hunting mode recently (with great success).  One agreed with me that job hunting stinks.  It can be stressful and demoralizing.  The other friend thought we were nuts.  To her, it's a time filled with hope and possibilities.  Instead of focusing on all the resumes sent with no response, she enjoyed considering what her life would be like if she got any of the jobs she'd applied for.

It's not unlike playing the lottery.  You can buy a ticket and then consider that you probably won't win, the odds are against you and even if you do you'll have to pay all those taxes and people you've never even met will come out of the woodwork to get a chunk of your winnings.

Or, you can think about quitting your job, buying a beautiful new home and car, traveling or buying a yacht or  putting your children through college.  I've found buying a lottery ticket to be a great investment, since for $1 I get a week's worth of fantasizing of living my dreams with no financial concerns.

In the last week or so I've started really looking for the next adventure. preferably one that can help me sock away some retirement money while at the same time doing something of value and of interest to me.

It has been stressful at times but this week, I've been excited to be in the hallway.  Anticipating what might be and what I hope to be rather than focusing on what won't happen.  For example, there's a possibility that involves Myanmar (formerly Burma).  Another based in Rome.  Rome!  Another which would allow me to live at home but still travel.

One or all of those doors might open.  Or, they might not.  But there are lots of doors and I can't wait to see what's behind them.

Another House Guest

This is Teddy.  He's a soft-coat Wheaten Terrier who spent a long weekend with me while his parents attended a wedding in Key West.

My friend Ralph dropped Teddy off last Wednesday afternoon.  I know Teddy well and he's been to my house numerous times so I didn't expect any problems.  I was correct - Teddy was a great houseguest, although we had a difference of opinion about where he should sleep.  He assumed he was welcome in my bed, I preferred he enjoy the comfort of his own bed, which I'd put near my mine.  Teddy won that battle and slept on the foot of my bed.

Most of the time Teddy was there, I was busy on the computer.  I'm busy ferreting out the next adventure and while I found it interesting, Teddy clearly did not.

He wasn't totally bored.  He did enjoy watching the squirrels that run along the wall behind my house.  And, he became a small game hunter, happily chasing lizards around the pool.  Never fear, the lizards were never in any danger.  

This is a view of the back of the organic veg tent.  I took photos from the periphery since it was a  bit challenging to take pictures while holding the leash of a very excited Teddy.

Lots of natural shade at the market, which helps in the summer heat.

On Saturday morning, Teddy and I took a break from the computer and lizard hunting and headed to the nearby Lake Mary Farmer's Market.  We got there at 9:00 a.m. when it opened, to avoid the heat of the day.  Time of day didn't matter, though.  It was only in the low 80's but so humid that I was dripping within a few minutes.  Teddy was excited about the people and new smells and was panting like crazy, but one of the several vendors selling dog-related items had a bowl of water out, which Teddy enjoyed.

The market is small but the setting at City Hall is lovely and the people very friendly.  I talked to several vendors who said that they got into selling "insert product here" because they either lost their job or saw their income decrease significantly during the recession of the last few years.  They decided to follow their passion and seem satisfied with their choice.

After the market we headed to the Sanford Dog Park.  It was the first time for both of us to a dog park, but we both enjoyed it.  Teddy did seem more interested in the humans but he liked the dogs, too.  The park is lovely, with lots of amenities for both dogs and humans, including a doggy mister to help them with the heat.  Next door is a do it yourself doggy bathing station, which I probably should have used.

We got up early on Sunday morning.  While I was putzing around the house, Teddy was chasing lizards by the pool.  That's when I heard a splash and went running for the pool.   Teddy was paddling like crazy toward the side of the pool.  I don't know if he fell or jumped but both of us were surprised.  I scooped him out and dried him off.  I was concerned he would be traumatized but minutes later he was zooming around the pool chasing the lizards.

We headed back to the dog park for an hour of me chatting with humans and Teddy racing like a mad dog with the other dogs.  On our way home, we took the scenic route, through some areas that were built up while I was in Samoa.

The weekend gave me an opportunity to reconnect with Lake Mary and to be reminded of what a beautiful place it is.  I've been gone long enough to be able to look at my own community with fresh eyes.  There are friendly people, physical beauty and all the conveniences I could ever need, including shopping, restaurants, parks.

While I'm busy looking toward the next adventure, which may take me half-way around the world again, I'm enjoying being home.

Near City Hall they have food truck events, Wine/Art walks, concerts and outdoor movies for families.

Parking near the market and some of the shops and restaurants.

In front of City Hall - that's the main street, Lake Mary Blvd., in the background.

Lake Mary is beautiful but not without a bit of danger.  Some of these hawks hang out in my yard and they are BIG.

This is his favorite position.  And the one he was in, horizontally across the bed, the first morning we woke up together.

Teddy is proud to be a Detroit Tigers fan.