The "Day"

So the long awaited day has come.. come and gone now.. the day of my Retirement. December 31, 2018 I walked into my work and then left for the last time. You know how all your work life you dream of this day, anticipate and count the years etc well when the day finally arrived was it as euphoric as I imagined?  Well, yes it was. I've heard of some people say they were a bit disappointed, or sad to leave the place where they spent so much of their life in. Better yet they say they don't know what they will do with themselves now. They will be bored. Umm NO. I didn't feel sad. I walked out of there with my head high and looking forward to the future. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I wasn't grateful for having a place to work all these years because I was. I'm happy that I had a job, a place to come to each morning, work with good people, help the company prosper in my small way and go home with a paycheck that put a roof over my kid's heads and food on the table. For this I'm grateful but I never understood people who say they don't want to retire because they are afraid of being bored. Life is what you make it and I made sure I will not be bored. I've got plans for the future and it will be as exciting as it ever was if not more. It may be different from what I've been used to for so long but it will be interesting, fulfilling, embraced in love from my family and encompassed with dreams yet to be realized.

Passed by these views for almost twenty years, a chunk of life seeing the same sandpit, same parking lot, same trucks, day in and day out.

Feeling brand new. It is strange but seems like life is just beginning. How can that be when sun is suppose to be setting into my "golden years"? Who came up with that anyway???

St Stephen Part II

Further that day in St Stephen we walked around downtown to check out the restaurants, banks and whatever else they might have there. There is a community center, government buildings, post office. The shopping mall is further up in town but it was nice walking around, cars moved slowly and parking is free. There is no bus service in St Stephen since everything is within walking distance. There are many older heritage homes still in very good condition. Right across the river is Calais, Maine looking similarly quaint, both small coastal towns but there is something else we wanted to see in St Stephen, something very old and very beautiful. It was something that would change our life as we knew it.

St Stephen has a famous chocolate maker, Ganong Chocolates

and so they call it Canada's Chocolate Town

which sits well with me

It was such a beautiful sunny day in St Stephen, NB

Happy New Year 2019

Maya's Christmas

This was the last Christmas we spent in our current home. Among all the packing we tried to put up the tree. Decorations were minimal this time just to have a little less to put away later. It was a beautiful tree we found at the nearby grocery store. Maya helped put up the lights and decorate it. This was Maya's 5th Christmas with us and she enjoys the activities with the family, the presents and the love that surrounds us. She shows little fear of moving, for one thing Maya has moved a lot but I think she's ok with it because we're moving together. She's not going anywhere alone and she's not being left behind. There is safety in that and that's what she needs most of all. 

Our Christmas Tree 2018

St. Stephen, New Brunswick

So going back to August when we took the little trip to New Brunswick. We took the route through the New England state of Maine. We drove up to Calais border at the River St Croix. There were three bridges to cross at and we crossed at Milltown International Bridge. It was a quick process and we didn't wait long in a line up. We got right through to the downtown area of St. Stephen where main streets were Main Street and King Street. We were excited to check it out and see just what a small town was all about. It was cheery and bright, with large hanging baskets filled with flowers adorning every lamp post. St Croix River was low. It has tides that go up and down at certain times and we can check on our phones to see the Tide Schedule. Otherwise it's a wide river that separates Calais from St Stephen. We heard there was fishing there so one day we will see what we can catch. We also heard sometimes a fog settles over the river and the towns but that is how it is in coastal areas and I'm sure it's a much thicker fog than we are used to. There are many things we will see or experience for the first time once we make our move to New Brunswick.

Main Street and King Street, St. Stephen, NB

In 2016 population in St. Stephen was 4415 and this

year it's about to get bigger.

It is located in Charlotte County of New Brunswick

St Croix River

The St. Stephen Lighthouse at the end of the Pier

The Sign on it says St. Stephen Incorporated 1871

which is the year St. Stephen was officially 

incorporated as a town.

River was Here

Our newest addition River the Aussie was here. This is our daughter Kristina's dog. She got him a little while ago so he's 8 months now. He's an Australian Shepherd dog of medium size. He's quite a good size already but he will get a little bigger still. He was very playful with us as puppies are and loved to cuddle with all of us. He got on especially well with my husband Charlie  who enjoyed taking him for walks.  He is back home now where he loves to run all over his yard and the woods nearby. Run River Run.

Faith

I got this really cute butterfly key chain and on it, it says Let your Faith take Flight. Well, certainly that's what I'm letting happen here. It is now January 1st 2019 and it is the month where I'm looking toward my faith to guide me through. It's already taken flight and I'm just going along for the ride. It's going to be an exciting one that is for sure and every single part of it will be new and unusual one for all of us. So it's new territory and a new life. Looking forward to it.