Well, here we are! We have reached the stage of life where Michigan winters are too rough for us and we long for the warmth and sunshine of the south. However, we do like change of seasons. Therefore, the "south" to us means Tennessee.
For my health's sake, I must walk every day, and with dogs, I have another reason to walk every day. A few years ago in Michigan I slipped on black ice, and my back has never been the same. When it is snowing outside and there's any possibility there is slickness under that snow...I do not walk. I begin to bulk up, have more indigestion problems, and start putting the pounds on...even though my diet does not change. For me, that is the incentive to go south. For my husband, he hates winter, hates snow, hates cold. That is his incentive to leave Pure Michigan behind during the winter season.
We have become snowbirds this year. We will live in TN during the fall and winter months, and live in Michigan in the late spring and summer months. You cannot beat Michigan weather in the summer! TN, however, can become hot and humid during those months of the year.
On one hand I am delighted to be at this stage of life, but on the other hand...I'm getting old! How is that? Inside I don't feel any different than I did in my early adult years, but outward, it's so very obvious the timing of life has caught up with me! May my spirit always be young and alive, even as I now face life with so much more wisdom!!
Contented. That would best describe me right now. Pleased and contented...and so very grateful to God for allowing us to have these choices. We do this in faith that He will be with us, direct our paths, provide for us, and help us to represent Jesus well no matter where we are.
Regarding the picture above of our Michigan backyard...I would like to add that we made a trip to TN to secure a place to live. When we went back to MI to load up our vehicle, I stepped down from the truck into snow that came up to my knees. We spent our first half hour back in MI shoveling and blowing snow that was two feet deep, before we got into the house! Just a reminder of why we were making this transition! I wish I had gotten a picture of that snow!
