Spent yesterday and today with my cousin and her extended family. I met second and third cousins for the first time. It was a wonderful get together.

We were on a farm in West Texas.

It’s a beautiful property.

The kids spent some time building a swing over the creek.

Wednesday evening we  talked and ate. Today we ate and talked.

And I learned a new card game – Scum. It’s a  blast.

This retirement thing is pretty sweet. It’s a joy to be able to take a road trip whenever I want, just get in the car and go. Meeting up with family is such a pleasure. Getting to know seldom seen relatives is a treat.

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about reflection. Here’s little bit of it:

The word reflection means looking at something with thoughtful consideration. As I look back on my life, I see many things that were good, some that were great, and of course, some that were mistakes.

Am I thoughtful when thinking about them? Not always. Amused, sad, bitter, angry, and I guess, sometimes thoughtful. Usually the bad stuff doesn’t even get considered. (Forgetfulness in aging can be a good thing, hehe)

My career path changed several times. I started out to be a nurse, switched to librarian, and ended up as an receptionist at a senior housing community.

I’ve been married twice. Divorced. Widowed. Raised kids. Lost parents. Gained grandchildren.

A fairly normal life actually. Not too much that I would call bad. At least, nothing I would talk about.

Reflection is an exercise that I really should do more often. Especially since I’m calling myself a writer these days. It’s good for the soul, so they tell me.

This day was another time of reflecting on how good my life is. I am blessed.