I have been married for close to 50 years, have three grown children, and 5 grandchildren. I have an MSW (social work) and a Ph.D. (clinical psychology) that allowed me to do very rewarding work before I retired in 2010. The work that I enjoyed so much involved being a mental health therapist along with a college professor and department chair. That part of my life feels like a long time ago. I am in the process of recreating myself yet again – this time because a chronic illness turned my life inside out. A very important factor in my ability to heal, physically and psychologically, has been my faith in God, who guides me and provides strength. My faith and my education have combined to form the belief that we have an amazing capacity to heal and grow if we look for and use the gifts that are available to us.
I value relationships, human development until our moment of death, social justice, world peace, and intellectual stimulation. I enjoy time with the people I love, being creative, reading books, writing, travel (including camping), quilting (especially piecing), and good food. I don’t enjoy exercising (but I do it), deciding what to have for supper (my household task), housecleaning (my husband does most of it), or being around people who don’t play nice.
8/2/12 Update as I am recreating myself:
I have allowed my long-denied desire to take photographs to emerge as an extension of my blogging activity. What a joy. I am looking at the world differently and having fun trying to capture the images of life in a meaningful way. The evening news presents so much ugliness and the antidote to this is seeing the beauty of God’s grace in people and nature through my photography. In this I have found new meaning for my life. A side benefit of photography is that it gets me out and moving as I explore the world with my camera.
A New Day: Living Life Almost Gracefully 
Just happened to run into your blog. You have got a beautiful space running here. Loved some of your write-ups. Its very subtle . I guess I will be hanging around here a lot. 🙂 Your vision and thoughts are indeed a revelation. Great work. Keep blogging.
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Thank you for the very kind words, Prasad. I spent some time checking out your blog and enjoyed the posts that I read.
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Thanks a lot Pat for stopping by at my blog-space 🙂
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Thanks for visiting my blog and the *likes.* 😀
~Lindy
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And back to you, Lindy. Thanks for your visit.
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Hi, stumbled across your blog, I’ve just read your about me, and it is surprising how much you remind me of myself, and you have achieved what I wish to achieve in the future (:
Good luck with recovery!
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Thank you, kjaylah. I appreciate your comment and know you will be successful in accomplishing so very much – just remember to focus on what you are accomplishing today. 🙂
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Thanks for writing your update about photography emerging as an extension of your blogging activity. That’s what happened to me–and I too, am so glad for it. You describe it well.
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Pat, I am recovering from an injury last summer and my blog took me from my bed out to the world. I already had the photos so that made it easier. Now I can get get out again and my camera makes me focus on the pictures that I am taking not my problems. It really has saved me.
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I hear you, Barbara. It is photography that gets me out and moving and the blogging makes photography even more fun because I have people to share the pics with. So glad it works for you too. 🙂
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I am glad I found your blog. We have a lot in common, 3 grown children, retired in 2010, love writing and photography, I too suffer from a chronic condition but refuse to let it hold me down. I also hate excercising (but do it) and deciding what to eat (sometimes it iends up just toast)
I look forward to more of your posts.
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Welcome, Lily. I’ll have to check your blog out. It is so much fun finding people with shared experiences and interests.
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It was a pleasure. 🙂
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thanks for the likes and deciding to follow my blog. I enjoyed looking through your blog. My wife also suffers from FM and has learned to pace herself. She recently decided to try and learn photography so it has been fun to help her along and have her with me on my photo walks. We are about to celebrate 43 years together and we still enjoy each others company. Best Wishes!
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Thanks, Eddie. I hope that she finds the benefits from photography that I have. It has kept me active both physically and mentally. I can still do most everything I used to do, I just can’t do it as often or intensely or as long. But that may also be aging. 🙂
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Pat – Very nice blog (my first visit). I, like you, discovered photography after retirement but it is a great hobby (or obsession). Enjoy!!
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Thanks for visiting, Scott. I enjoy your blog. I think we should allow photography to be our obsession! I know I have lost way too many other obsessions because of aging so I’m not fighting this one. 🙂
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Sorry to hear you’re a FM & chronic illness sufferer also.
But delighted to hear you’ve found new life in photography. As I had to take early retirement in 2010 due to chronic pain & illness, it seems that we shared similar paths in recent years.
I’ll be interested to read how you’ve found the 50mm lens.
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I love the 50 mm. It really suites type of photography I like best and it is light weight. I consistently get good images without a tripod. And it was inexpensive.
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Hi Pat. Thanks for sharing your life to us through your blog. 🙂
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Thanks Pat for visiting my neck of the woods!! It has been a pleasure visiting you here. I am so sorry that you must deal with the physical issues you’ve been dealt. But, you are an inspiration as most of us will slow down over far less!! So keep a goin’ and look forward to reading more.
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Thanks for the inspiring words, Judy. Today was a pity-party day so your comment helped. My discouragement doesn’t last long, luckily. 🙂
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Hi Pat, Thanks for following my photography blog. I hope you are inspired. Your photos are lovely and I look forward to seeing more.
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Thanks. I really enjoyed your photography and think i can learn a lot from you. I am trying to learn to do landscapes that please me. I have been more partial to macro but am getting intrigued with the “bigger picture”. You do a great job.
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Thank you for stopping by my blog and liking a recent post. I’m looking forward to reading your posts. (I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia over 20 years ago.)
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How are you doing? Can you still be active and get joy from life?
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I am doing well. Thank you for asking. I must pace myself and no longer work full time. I teach an occasional online class for a nearby university. Two nights a week I teach at an evening high school for disadvantaged mountain kids (the Appalachian region of the U.S.). Many of the students must work in the daytime to help support their families. Yesterday I interviewed for a morning teaching position at a another school. Some of my friends think that all of that is too much, but I still will have three weekday afternoons plus weekends in which to rest and recuperate. I am determined to keep going, so I push myself but also include time for rest. I have a wonderful, supportive family, so that helps so much. How about you?
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I pushed myself really hard for about 7 years and did a lot of great things at work. I then made the decision that I just couldn’t do it any more because I didn’t have a life outside of work – I had to sleep to heal enough to start again the next week. I was determined for those 7 years and had a great doctor that would help patch me back together after I went too far. I learned how to care for myself through that experience. It took me two years to get over being angry about having to retire. I did a little teaching, too. I have a passion for the returning students who are trying to get an education while they are doing what they need to do to support a family. But a recently decided not to do that any more because the 4-hour night class was just too hard. I am loving retirement now – and spend time each day photographing and blogging. But I still overdo and still pay the price. My choice. 🙂 Sounds like we have a lot in common – nice to meet you.
Pat
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Nice to meet you, too. It does sound as if we have a lot in common.
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Thank you so much, Debbie. I do accept but won’t be able to do anything for a couple of weeks. I am honored and appreciate your support.
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Awe, thanks. I am honored and will accept but it will be in a few weeks.
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You’re welcome (:
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Pat, You do such beautiful work! Thank you so much for the follow…following you back. I look forward to visiting you often!
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Thanks – I liked your work too. I’m excited.
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So I see you’re from Michigan too, Pat. I’m southwest on the lake. Where might you be? Isn’t the world small? I also taught.
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We are from Jackson and now spend our summers here. Isn’t it wonderful that spring has finally arrived.
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For sure…although it’s 38 on our deck right now.
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You sound like an amazing person. I love your photos. Thank you for choosing to follow my blog. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your posts.
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I followed your blog because your photos are amazing. Maybe this is the beginning of a wonderful “mutual admiration” friendship. 🙂
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Thanx. We have few things in common too. I have a background in clinical laboratory science and am now in an administrative position in a health science college, married for 40 years. Like you, trying to decide the next phase of my life. I have about a year or two to figure it out. Look forward to our “blog” friendship.
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🙂
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Thank you for your kind comments.
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thanks
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Hi Pat. Thanks so much for visiting my blog, liking posts and following! I appreciate it! I have been following you for quite some time and always enjoy seeing what you’ve discovered and photographed. Blessings, Robyn
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Pat, thank you for stopping and liking a recent post. I look forward to following your wonderful blog with its photography and insights provided through a variety of lenses.
Take care,
Ivon
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Thank you for the nice words, Ivon, and cheers to our potential new blogging friendship.
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I am looking forward to it Pat.
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Thank you, Pat, for following my blog. We have chronic illness in common (I have epilepsy), and we also share a faith in God. I will look forward to reading more of your blog tomorrow when I am not so tired.
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Yes, chronic conditions do bring fatigue – or maybe being tired impacts us more. I look forward to getting to know you through your blog and our comments. Have a good nights sleep!
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And here it is morning again and, darn, I’m still tired. How can this be? Oh well. I won’t stress about it. That would just make it worse. I hope you have a good day.
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