today..i am 60 years old

60!

Holy buckets, I am 60 years old! I don't know how a person is suppose to "feel" or "look" at 60, but no worries here, since I only feel grateful to be alive and know that we all change in looks!

my 2nd grade pictue that my dad had on his desk  forever!

me, right after high school graduation

me as a young mom, with my son beau

today...60

Here is what I know....

I do have aches and pains that I did not have when I was younger. I get wisps of gray hair and some wrinkles.

I know that my energy level is not as high as it used to be, and I tell myself that is because ever since I had cancer and an on going thyroid issue, I have not worked out and have become addicted to sugar. ( I know, sugar feeds cancer).

I now know that it takes a lot, and I mean a lot for me to get angry or impatient. With this, comes a voice of saying anything I want, and often the word is "no."

Overall, I have had a fun life. I have a wonderful family and friends. I have gotten to travel to great and interesting places. I found, in my 50s, the person I was to suppose to find, (Steve), I love our home, our pup, Flora Adora, and that I get to do what I love for a job!

After reflecting on my life so far, I feel like I have many years ahead of me! So, it is time to start getting back into shape and being healthy! I want to spend many more years with Steve and the life we have made together, I will continue to hope that my son will find his person which would lead to the possibility of grand babies for us, and want to continue to work hard in my studio (my head is full of new ideas!).

I have big goals, big plans, and big dreams as I enter a new decade of my life!

ReadySetGo!

diana

Thank goodness tomorrow is election day!

Tomorrow is the day that we vote!

This has been the most excruciating year of campaign advertisements! I have not learned anything from the ads, that would be important to us...how to make our country better. I have witnessed a lot of meanness and am so tired of it.

I am an artist, self employed, and not a politician. I do not use the events I participate in as a platform for my political views. Often people pay to get into art shows and sales. They spend their money to get into the events to see art, meet artists and spend their money to buy art and support artists, not hear our political views.

This holds true for social media...I use social media to keep in touch with family and friends, other artists, share pictures of my work, and sometimes show silly pictures of my dog, Flora Adora, and not as a platform to spout my opinions on the candidates who, by the way are doing a great job of that!

I can promise that people saying nasty things, making fun of candidates or threatening to "unfriend" me if our views differ, will not alter how I will vote.

I feel strongly about this. I have left a concert when I have paid to be entertained, and that person decided to talk politics instead of singing.

My friends know how I feel about politics, the people running, and our country. If we talk and disagree, we are still friends. We will not waste time together trying to change what the other thinks, and we certainly don't argue about our differences.

As Americans, we have the privilege to vote and it is also our responsibility.

I will not vote for a woman, just because she is a woman. I will not vote for a man, because he is a man. I will not vote for someone, just because of their race.

I will stick to my simple core beliefs...
We need to be kind.
We all need to work hard and not expect to be given everything.
This starts at home, so we need to teach our children to be kind, and study hard!

I hope by tomorrow,  I will see something in a candidate that I can respect and honor as our next President. This might sound simpleton like to some, but after a year  of all of the commercials (or however long), I will be so happy when Tuesday is behind us, mostly so my eyes to have to see the meanness, read hateful things and hear about things that not one person can figure out if they are true or not.

Tuesday, after I vote, I will get back to work in my studio and hope that our new President surrounds her/him self with smart and honest people, and that we can all respond in peacefulness.