New Experiences at Any Age
The final count of my trips to El Paso this year will be seven! My 88-year old, World War II veteran, “Child of the Depression” dad is looking a little older and moving a bit slower but is still in good shape and of sound mind. The siblings in our family are always working on creating new experiences for him. It’s a challenge because he usually refuses to leave El Paso. This year he read The China Study and gave up eating meat, cheese and sugar. I introduced him to the iPod and he listened to over a dozen new books and started recommending book titles to the grandchildren. He visited the Farmer’s Market on occasion, successfully walked the entire three mile route on Scenic Drive and ate sweet potato fries for the first time ever. My sisters have introduced him to gluten-free tortillas (yuk!) and goji berries. He even joined us for family yoga last time we were all in town. Dad was also able to dance with the bride during my niece’s wedding in October. That alone was a fairly good year of new experiences.
To make things exciting, in early November, my dad’s niece, my cousin, was elected governor of New Mexico. She will be the first female governor for the state of New Mexico and the first Hispanic female governor in the United States. It was a historic event, especially for a man whose grandfather was a general in the Mexican Revolution. My dad was so excited about the election that my sister drove him to Las Cruces to watch the returns and listen to Susana’s acceptance speech. He actually spent one night in a hotel for the first time in over fifteen years. Now to wrap up the year, he’ll travel with us to Santa Fe for the inaugural activities on New Year’s Day.
There is no end to the things that you can experience at any age, especially if you keep in good health. This month, I'd like to recommend Farmhouse Delivery, an Austin-based company which prides itself on selecting the freshest produce, meats, dairy and artisan products from local farms and delivering them straight to your door. They make it easier to eat healthy foods so you can live longer and share more experiences with the people you love.
To make things exciting, in early November, my dad’s niece, my cousin, was elected governor of New Mexico. She will be the first female governor for the state of New Mexico and the first Hispanic female governor in the United States. It was a historic event, especially for a man whose grandfather was a general in the Mexican Revolution. My dad was so excited about the election that my sister drove him to Las Cruces to watch the returns and listen to Susana’s acceptance speech. He actually spent one night in a hotel for the first time in over fifteen years. Now to wrap up the year, he’ll travel with us to Santa Fe for the inaugural activities on New Year’s Day.
There is no end to the things that you can experience at any age, especially if you keep in good health. This month, I'd like to recommend Farmhouse Delivery, an Austin-based company which prides itself on selecting the freshest produce, meats, dairy and artisan products from local farms and delivering them straight to your door. They make it easier to eat healthy foods so you can live longer and share more experiences with the people you love.
Very cool about your cousin! That's awesome! BTW, does she need a graphic designer, my friend in ABQ needs a job : )
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