CRUISING

When I was a young girl my uncle came by the house one day and brought a beautiful blue bicycle.  I joyfully rode that bike until I outgrew it.

A bicycle is a means of freedom for a kid.
The wind in your face as you roll down the avenue. 
Zooming down a tall hill.
Getting from point A to point B.

When I was a young mother, we would take our 6 children for a Sunday ride.  My husband rode in front, baby seat attached to his bike. I brought up the rear with a baby seat on my bike, and four kids on bikes rode between us.  We covered miles and miles together, down country lanes and neighborhood streets.  It was a great way to pass time and build relationships.  

One of my daughters just moved to a bicycle community in Florida.  It has been fun watching their family get on their bicycles and ride to the post office, library, and corner hamburger stand.  Every day my grandson rides his bike to school and I was privileged to ride with him last week.  

Then I remembered that when my husband retired we purchased cruiser bicycles.  Shiney black bikes with 7 speeds.  Big comfy seats.  Mine has pink rims and fat whitewalls with a basket to carry my straw hat and water bottle.  My sweetheart's bike has red rims.  

At first we rode our bikes often.  Then it got more difficult to get our bikes to the Tobacco Trail where we ride.  Slowly our bikes began to gather dust. 

This week we built a PVC bike rack that fits into the back of our truck.  We put our bikes in the back of the truck and drove to the trail this afternoon.  

It felt so good to pedal those four miles today.  We went slow and steady, as cruisers go.  We were passed by a jogger and we smiled.  Other bikers, helmets on their heads, were spinning and sweating as fast as they could go, and we smiled.  Joggers, heads down, concentrating on their gait, fists clutched as they plodded along, kept going, never looking up to see the beautiful countryside, and we smiled.

Tomorrow we will go 6 miles, smiling all the way.  I'll wear my straw hat and enjoy the wind in my face.  A bicycle is a great means of transportation, and exercising, no matter how old you are.

New Year, New Goals

It has been a long time.  It is time to start again.

As I've been reading my past posts I feel inspired to try and write some musings again.

Thank you mom, for the encouragement to start fresh.

Life has a way of marching on and on --whether you want to march along or not.

Since my last entry three and a half years ago, our family has grown and changed.

My opportunities to study the "BIG PICTURE" have increased.

I've learned, even more, that we are all subject to the consequences of choices, some choices we make, some the choices of others.

I have a strong conviction that the world can be a better and happier place if people will just be kind to each other.

I can't control anyone except me.

SO,

I will try harder to be kind to others.

I will share my smile more freely,

I will try to meet rudeness with gentleness.

I will try to slow down and let others go first.

I will look for a positive spin in a negative situation.

I've learned that most people carry a heavy burden.  Kindness from those we meet, as we walk along our path of life, will help lighten our load.

I'm making a goal this year to smile more often. It is a service to others. It is contagious.

Give it a try, you might make someone's day a little brighter.

😃😊😍😘😀😄😊😌🙂🙃😇😉  😊😃😌😉😊🙂😍

A children's song I taught my children went like this:

A smile is like the sunshine,
It brightens up the day.
Gives your eyes a twinkle,
And chases clouds away.