Don’t be a curmudgeon!
Today was absolutely gorgeous, with a high of 45!
I couldn’t believe it this morning when I woke up and saw that instead of 14 degrees, it was 34! Check out the temperatures predicted for Thursday!!!
In several places in the marina, bubblers have been set up, which makes it look like sea monsters are exhaling as they ascend from the abyss. Bubblers are de-icers that keep an area of ice open – used to prevent damage to docks as ice pack expands.
Since the sun was shining so beautifully, I went for a stroll while Captain Stan and a trusty helper worked on the engine. A sweet little white haired man, named Ernie, passed me on the dock and asked how my day was going. When I replied he asked where I was from and before I knew it, we were wobbling along the dock together (safe distance apart with masks on!). One of the first things he said was that his goal in life was to never be a curmudgeon. I’d never heard the word. He told me he was 80 and a retired bankruptcy attorney and had met far too many grumpy people in his life – hence his goal. Over the next hour, he told me all about how him and his sweetheart, Mary Ann, had met at a family wedding. He was 15 and she was 16, and that they have been dating ever since. His something something great grandfather was a “horney French monk”, who snuck away to Italy to find women, and became known as Francese (the Frenchman), and his last name became Francize. He bought land, started a vineyard and grew to be one of the biggest wine producers. I loved hearing his stories and his hearty, free flowing laugh.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote by Don Miguel Ruiz:
Far too often, we avoid the truth. But, if we can’t be honest with ourselves – we’ll never trust anyone. It’s important that we feel our feelings deeply, and allow them to be important to us. From there, we can improve, love ourselves and witness personal growth.
Adventures of a Tribe 