3 Reasons to start Walking in Nature as part of your exercise routine
https://amp.mindbodygreen.com/articles/heres-why-hiking-is-the-best-workout-for-your-mental-health
Take a Hike!
As a college student and in my 20’s and 30’s I discovered the joy and peacefulness of hiking. I started hiking in the nearby woods, then pastures and cliffs above the Northern California Pacific Coast. Then I expanded to trails in our awesome National Parks. Needless to say, I was hooked for life.
I found that I could add Photography at the same time. There are so many places photo subject found on these walks and hikes. Many are hanging on my and others walls right now.
The greatest benefit is the way I feel when I return home. I find both my body and mind are refreshed. I have more energy and stamina, a quieter mind. Many times solutions to problems and questions I been struggling with now come easily to me.
So, if you want to jumpstart your like, start walking and hiking anywhere you can, in your neighborhood or in nature.
Here’s a great article to inspire starting, https://amp.mindbodygreen.com/articles/heres-why-hiking-is-the-best-workout-for-your-mental-health.
See you on the trails, John
Too often when we weigh the benefits of exercise, we tend to focus on the aesthetic. There’s a persistent pressure to exercise to look “good”—to whittle ourselves down to a smaller size and to shape our bodies in a way that pleases someone else. Not only can that mindset be detrimental to our physical health by encouraging destructive habits, but it also takes our attention away from a far superior benefit of exercising: the betterment of our mental health.
Fortunately, the tides are starting to shift (albeit slowly), and more people are beginning to use exercise to improve their mental health—not just as a means to a fitter end. And one of the best workouts for your mental health, as it turns out, is hiking. Here’s why.
If you’ve read anything about the benefits of exercise, there’s a 99.85% chance you’ve come across the word “endorphins.” Yes, those are released through exercising, but there is so much more to unpack when it comes to the positive impact exercise has on our brains.
“Exercise is probably the most underutilized antidepressant,” says Ellen Vora, M.D., a holistic psychiatrist and mindbodygreen Collective member. “It’s been shown in large clinical trials to be just as effective as antidepressants (if not more), and it has benefits like improved sleep, focus, cardiovascular health, and life span.”
There’s also a long list of mental health conditions that exercise can help mitigate, Vora adds, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, stress, and bipolar disorder—all of which affect millions of people every year.
Any sort of exercise will, in theory, improve the state of your mental health and make you feel better. But if you can combine the benefits of exercise with the benefits of nature—like going for a hike—that’s when the true healing happens.
Beyond being an enjoyable solo or group activity, hiking combines two of the most potent antidepressants: exercise and nature.
“Nature is critical to our mental health,” Vora says. “Studies have shown that staring at trees and greenery can decrease stress and anxiety and improve your mood.”
And given that many of us spend our days toiling away behind computers and swiping for stimulation on our phones, getting out in nature, Vora notes, is more important for our mental health than ever.
“We as humans evolved while surrounded by and in tune with the natural world. In our modern existence, we’ve gotten so out of touch with that, spending our days in windowless cubicles and staring at screens. This disconnection with nature can make deep parts of ourselves feel alienated and very far from ‘home.'”
Hiking gives us the best of both realms—the natural and physical. As Vora notes, it reconnects us with nature while getting our hearts pumping and causing a burst of serotonin, dopamine, and GABA secretion.
So the next time you’re in need of an all-natural pick-me-up, first tell yourself to (seriously) take a hike, then gather yourself and go for it.
How are you going to spend your days? Golf? Fishing? Gardening? Working on your hobbies. Now is the chance for a new beginning!
Those activities are going to fill your time only for so long. What are you going to do after you’re bored with them?
Our friend Gary Vaynerchuk, known as GaryVee, has some powerful and inspiring thoughts and advice for our Baby Boomer generation that might light a spark in your heart. He’s fast talking, ADHD, and uses the “f” word so don’t be put off. His thoughts are worth the listen.
I hope you enjoyed this post. You can find more inspiring videos by GaryVee on his YouTube channel Come back again.
Thanks, John
Welcome back to our tree house building “documentary” Step 3, Part 1.
We’ve done all the planning and measuring, now it’s time to begin the work. First, you want to layout the basic shape to the measurements you made. We put the pier blocks where the corners are to be and temporarily laid the wood frame.
We set the pier blocks in sand and leveled them then screwed on our 4×4 s.
This is how we attached the 4x4s for to hold up the floor.
Here’s a view looking down on the entire frame for the floor.
The next post will be about installing the floors, then the walls, then the steps or ladder.
Thanks for stopping by, Enjoy, John
Step 2 Planning Stage – This is one of your most important stage. As I mentioned, for a fun, usable and successful tree house build, many elements need to be considered in the planning stage. Such as, is it the right tree, will the tree support a structure up in the tree? If not, you’ll need to build it from the ground and sort of lifting it into the tree. Also, consider how much room you have, how close are you to your boundry line, how close to the house or property next door, what age and size of people will be using it, what activities do they want to do in it? Play, spy on things outside of it, have tea parties, play “army”, will they want to camp out and sleep in it, read books, have quiet time, how high off the ground, safety features, how will they get in and out, do you want a slide, a firemans’ pole, a ladder, a ships steering wheel, a periscope, a basket on a pulley to lift things, ie. lunch, into the tree, a chalkboard, benches, a desk, shelves, a bird house or two, peep holes, port holes, windows -open, plastic, glass.
This would be a good time to choose a theme, such as Pirate, Fairy House, Combat Bunker, Explorers Lookout, Fort, Harry Potter, a Disney movie, or Boys/Girls Club house, Airplane cockpit, Sailing Ship Crows Nest or just about any theme you can imagine or want.
Consider the structure and how it will be built. What materials will you use? How strong and sturdy do you want it? Who is going to help you with the heavy lifting? How much will it cost. And, don’t for get to check local building ordinances for building restrictions.
My first step in Planning was to search the web for tree house examples. I looked at the type and size of trees used, whether it was built with the ground as the base or was it up in the tree. I looked at how to get in and out, material used and designs.
Once I had a good idea of what I wanted, I photographed my tree and printed it out.
Then I was able to draw my design (either on the print with pens, etc. or in a drawing program like Paper 53 for the iPad) right on the photo to see what it will look like. This made it feel like a real project and I was able to make changes until it was what I wanted. When it was drawn I was able to show it to family and ask for suggestions and what they thought it should look like. This was very helpful. Below, is my first, initial plan. I’ve made changes since then and expect to make more.
After making the initial plan and drawing I went out to the tree and measured where the structure will actually be. Then I got out the graph paper and plotted everything out.
Once the family and everyone agrees as best they can, it’s time to start a budget and supply list, go shopping and get to work.
After that, it’s time to begin the actual building. Let the fun begin!!
My next post will be about Building It with lots of photos.
Thanks for stopping by, John
Baby Boomers and others, sometimes find themselves faced with situations that are life changing. Maybe you got laid off, forced to retire early or you’re just sick of all the hassles, politics, daily commuting and daily grind.
What to do? Now’s the perfect time to Reinvent Yourself! Do what you’ve always want to do! Be a teacher, made wooden furniture, teach music, travel guide, become a voice over artist, a researcher, or become and author and speaker. Do what makes you happy. As they say, it’s now or never.
Below, is the story of an athlete that was forced to change careers, and how he did it. There’s lots of good information in his article. Additionally, there is great information online. Go for your Dreams! Create a new life for yourself. You can begin today!
(original article can be found at http://www.success.com/article/4-tips-to-reinvent-yourself-lewis-howes-style) or click here.
It all began, as many things do, with devastation and a door closing, permanently.
All-American football player and decathlete Lewis Howes sustained a wrist injury in 2007. The resulting surgery landed him in a cast for six months and out of the game forever.
As he recovered on his sister’s sofa, Howes pondered his future and didn’t like what he saw: no career, no college degree, no money.
Christmas came and he was still living on that sofa. He got one gift that year, from his brother who drew his Secret Santa. It was a book. “As a dyslexic who struggles with reading, I remember thinking it was one of the worst gifts you could give anyone like me,” he recalls. “Plus, it wasn’t even wrapped.”
The book was The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss—and Howes read it in three days, cover to cover. “Which, for me, was really fast,” he says. “I couldn’t put it down.” On the fourth day, he closed the book and said out loud: “One day I’m going to become really good friends with the author, Tim Ferriss.”
He had no idea how it was going to happen. Ferriss was already a big deal and “I was a nobody,” Howes shrugs. But on that day, eight years ago, he drew his line in the sand. Howes decided someday he would write a book. He would inspire and open up possibilities for millions of people around the world, the way Ferriss’ book had just opened up his.
And so he has. A few weeks ago, Lewis Howes found out that his book, The School of Greatness—based on his wildly successful podcast—is a New York Times best-seller. In eight years, the journey had come full circle.
In our culture, you hear many near-mythical tales of prodigies, golden men and women, and instant success. And, should this be your perception of Lewis Howes’ success, he deprives you of it immediately. It was a long, hard road of twists and turns, missteps, and trial and error.
So, maybe you’re broken and broke, too, not sure what’s next, either. His story can help you reinvent yourself and who knows, maybe, just maybe, build your own multi-million dollar business:
The first thing Howes did was find mentors. “I had been an athlete. I knew that the better the coach, the better I got. And so I very consciously looked for people to help coach me.”
He had three mentors during the long stretch on his sister’s couch—let’s just call them the Sofa Years.
It so happened that Howes despised the cast he was stuck in for six months. “It kept scratching my face, plus it smelled and was ugly.” And so he created an arm sleeve to cover the cast. It occurred to Howes that there might be a market for his creation. His girlfriend made an introduction to an inventor she knew.
Their first meeting was in a bar. “I was this talky jock walking into the bar with a backward cap on. I got up the nerve to ask him to mentor me.” And the inventor did. He taught Howes everything about taking a product to market: creating, branding, marketing, packaging, licensing, even how to name things.
That product went nowhere, but it served as a catalyst for Howes learning how to market and brand.
Another mentor had mentioned that Howes should check out LinkedIn, which he did, so much so that in 2009 he went on to self-publish a book about it. A third mentor helped Howes figure out how to leverage that book.
Remember Neo from The Matrix? Howes did his best to channel him during the Sofa Years. “I said as long as I’m here, I want to be like Neo and download as much information and build as many skills as I can and really I put myself out there.”
One of those skills was salsa dancing. And it was during salsa that Howes met a guy who traveled around the world and gave speeches for a living. Howes was terrified of public speaking and asked his new friend for advice on how to be a better public speaker. The man urged Howes to join Toastmasters.
The following week, Howes found a Toastmasters meeting nearby. He attended every single week for a year. By the end of the year he had overcome his fear of public speaking. It was another piece of the puzzle: “an incredible journey of becoming more influential and more impactful in my message,” he says.
Howes’ sister was amazingly supportive through all the troubles and experiments of the Sofa Years. Eighteen months in, she asked him, in the gentlest way possible, if he could begin pitching in by getting a job. “I said yes, of course. I was putting myself out there so much, but nothing was happening for me,” he recalls. He began searching Craigslist for sports marketing jobs in Columbus, Ohio. He sent out a slew of résumés and eventually got called in for an interview.
On the day of the interview, he couldn’t leave the house. “I was paralyzed. I had a feeling I was going to get the job,” he says, “and my instincts told me I was about to make a big mistake.” He called and canceled.
“I was still working with my mentor, the inventor, and I remember telling him I could really use some money.” Howe will never forget what the man told him: “He said, ‘Lewis, money will come to you at the exact moment when you’re ready for it.’”
It wasn’t until much later that Howes understood exactly what that meant.
“The first time I made $1,000 off sponsorships for a three-hour LinkedIn networking event, I was floored,” he says. For the next several years, Howes hosted dozens of these events around the country. He promoted them through his ever-growing channels and they continued to build momentum. He emphasizes the importance of consistency: “People will start a project or company and will stop because it got too hard. I was consistent in doing the same thing and building momentum.”
But consistency doesn’t mean you get too comfortable. Howes mastered every opportunity and then leveraged it to move to the next level. Following one of his events, he was approached to do a free live webinar. That led to him teaching an advanced webinar. He liked it. He also found it lucrative. “At the end of that first session, I gave out my PayPal link. Within an hour there was $6,200 in my account.”
That was a game changer, he recalls. “I could teach people from all over the world information that I know from my laptop? I thought, I’ll do this every day!”
And so he began to master the webinar, both to build his game and his audience. It worked. Since 2009, he has conducted close to 1,000 webinars, with more than $10 million in sales.
Howes knew it was time to move on when he began to lose his passion for the webinars. He sold the company to his partner and began to look around for his next gig. He moved from NYC to LA for a girl. She broke up with him the day he got there.
“It was so dramatic, being in a new city, and I was stuck in traffic all day.”
One day, during the hour it took him to inch forward a single mile, it occurred to him that there had to be a way to get in front of all these people, literally sitting in misery. He recalled the goal he had started out at the outset of the Sofa Years: to inspire, to open up possibilities for millions of people around the world.
The rest is history, of course. The School of Greatness book launched a few weeks ago and soon hit the New York Times best-seller list. The podcast has an audience of millions. And Howes himself is something of a phenomenon, particularly in the way he inspires people to do what they otherwise may not have had the courage to do: Start an ice cream company. Heal a relationship. Lose 100 pounds.
They come to his readings, from hundreds of miles away, to tell him their stories.
His success, he says, is all about connection, love and intimacy. He thinks people relate to him because he shares his pain. Because he’s open about his vulnerabilities. Because he shows his imperfections and fears.
This is what I believe, he tells me: “We were born to be great, to discover our unique gifts and talents and to pursue our dreams, even as they evolve. It’s our duty to go after our dreams. Because not only are we ourselves more fulfilled when we do, but we also inspire others to do the same. We give each other the courage.”
And with that, Howes bids me a quick goodbye, and school is dismissed.
– See more at: http://www.success.com/article/4-tips-to-reinvent-yourself-lewis-howes-style#sthash.1MISFB95.dpuf
We all want to be Happy, right? Sometimes happiness escapes us, including Baby Boomers, and Grandpas, especially when we go through life changing events such as retirement. An event like that can turn every part of our lives upside down. Don’t worry there is help and there’s always HOPE. Learn to Be Your Best.
This article from addicted2success.com (move down for article) can help you get back on you’re real path to happiness and the life you’ve always wanted.
Dwelling on our flaws makes it exceedingly difficult to achieve happiness in our lives.
Accepting ourselves and being kind to ourselves increase our enjoyment, resilience, and well-being.
Once you start noticing the world around you, you will begin to appreciate it that much more. If you’ve ever felt that there has to be more to life, you’d be safe in your assumptions. You just need to stop every now and then so you can take the time to appreciate what’s out there.
You have to have goals in order to feel good about the future. That takes direction and motivation. Our goals must be challenging yet realistically achievable. Attempting the impossible creates undue stress. However, choosing ambitious goals gives us direction.
Regularly experiencing positive emotions such as contentment, gratitude, inspiration, and pride helps us to develop our resources.
It helps us focus on the positive aspects in our lives (the glass is half full, not half empty).
Your mind is connected with your body. So when we are active it not only benefits our physical health, it makes us happier. Our moods improve and we can even lift ourselves out of depression as a result.
Interestingly enough, our activities do not have to involve complex exercises. There are simple things that we can do every day so that we are more active.
Caring about others and doing for others is vital to a person’s happiness. When we give to others or help them, it makes us happier and we become healthier in the process.
Giving helps us to create a better society. However, it also helps us to develop stronger connections with those around us.
People feel more in control, get more out of their efforts, and are typically happier when their lives have meaning and purpose. Plus, they experience less anxiety, depression, and stress in their lives.
Relating with others is quite possibly the greatest contributor to our happiness. Individuals who have broader, stronger relationships with others are happier and healthier. It also helps us to live longer.
We can increase our self-worth by developing close relationships with our family members and friends.
All of us have experienced failure, loss, stress, and trauma in our lives. However, it is the way we react and respond to these issues that can have a huge impact on our lives and well-being. In other words, it is the way that we bounce back when we get knocked down.
There are a number of positive benefits to learning. You get exposed to new ideas which enables you to stay curious and learn new things.
We become more resilient and improve our self-confidence, eventually gaining a sense of accomplishment.
Closing note: if you unscramble the first letter of each component above (A, A, D, E, E, G, M, R, R, and T) it spells “GREAT DREAM”.
Let’s face it Baby Boomers, even though we think we’re invincible, we won’t live forever. So let’s keep living life to the fullest! While we do, we probably want to evaluate our life priorities.
Here are 5 reasons to live life well now so you don’t have life regrets when your near the end of life. Now is the time to think about this and make changes before regrets arise.
There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counselled the dying in their last days has revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. And among the top, from men in particular, is ‘I wish I hadn’t worked so hard’.
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently,” she says, “common themes surfaced again and again.”
Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.”
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
“Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
“This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.”
What’s your greatest regret so far, and what will you set out to achieve or change before you die?
Thanks for stopping by today. Come back again, thanks, John
Ah, Happiness, that sometimes elusive emotion we all strive for. Now that we Baby Boomers are in our 50’s and 60’s, retirement is on the horizon, Happiness can, but shouldn’t, seem even more elusive. After all, our bodies are changing, our minds are changing, we change jobs or retire and most of our kids have left the nest. Hopefully, they haven’t had to come back, yet.
This is a lot of change happening in our personal universe all at the same time. Some of us adapt to these changes easily and quickly. “The good news is that with age comes happiness,” said study author Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist. “Life gets better in one’s perception as one ages.” And Duke University aging expert Linda George say, an older person may realize “it’s fine that I was a schoolteacher and not a Nobel prize winner.” I believe we all have special talents and skills and we are perfect the way we are.
Others, maybe not so much. Seriously, this is a lot for our brains, bodies, pride and egos to handle.
So, how do we deal with aging and continue to live life with zest and swagger? Here are some tips on how to become and stay a Happy Baby Boomer.
1. Life is Simple. don’t get bogged down with all the little details, keep loving yourself, happiness comes from acceptance-of yourself, your situation, your challenges and “who” you are; remain true to yourself.
2. Realize that life “is what it is“, in other words we’re gonna get older no matter what, we can’t stop aging. “It’s all good“, meaning just deal with it, and make life a good experience. We might as well, “enjoy life, there’s plenty of time to be dead.” (TEDX Pune, Aisha Chaudhari, Being Happy and Living in the Moment.).
3. Realize Happiness is a chosen Attitude, it only comes from within our minds. Choose to be happy, focus your thoughts on good things, be grateful for what we have, and control your thoughts. You can say to yourself, “I Declare I am Happy”, or “I choose to be happy today”. Block out the negative ones. We must become the Master of Our Brains. Our brains are just like the worlds’ best computers, they do what we tell them to do. At least most of the time. So, tell your Master Computer Brain to Be Happy.
4. Be in the present and expect an awesome future. Don’t get stuck in the past. As the old saying goes, “That was yesterday, today is TODAY!” We enjoy life more when we focus on the moment, what we’re doing, right now, at this moment. Get lost in it, enjoy it and do your best. However, it’s fine to remember and reminisce about past events and activities and accomplishments. This can cheer you up at a sad time. The key is not to dwell on past regrets. Remember the good times, enjoy the present moment and have something to look forward to in the near future.
5. As for our aging bodies, KEEP ACTIVE! keep working on your Bucket List. That’s the secret. Take walks, alone, with your dog, with a friend or two, no matter how far you can walk. Dance, move that body, all of it, even those hips. Swim, exercise, or learn Tai chi. Even the simplest Yoga stretches and movements help your body and mind be healthier. The better we take care of our body now, the longer it will last. Other ways to feel valuable and to feel satisfied is by volunteering and helping others. There’s hundreds of ways to do this.
6. Chill out. Stop being so serious, relax, tell jokes, sing, get a hobby, Laugh Every Day! Be Social and you’ll keep the blues away. In an ABC news article “81-year-old George O’Hare, a retired Sears manager in Willowbrook, Ill. He’s active with church, AARP and does motivational speaking, too. His wife is still living, and he’s close to his three sons and four grandchildren. “I’m very happy because I’ve made friends that are still living,” O’Hare said. “I like to go out and speak in schools about motivation.” “Happiness is getting out and being with people, and that’s why I recommend it,” he said.
7. Most important learn to Love Yourself and Be Your On Best Friend! The voices in our heads can be very self critical. When that happens tell the voices to go away, scat, and shut up, because they are wrong. We can forgive ourselves for the past and mentally move on to the present. Wake up each morning and count your blessings, own your potential and who you are. Be proud of that and have confidence in it. Imagine what it would be like to best your own best friend, what would you say, how would you act? Now, go do it! Start being your best friend TODAY!
And as a reminder, Happiness leads to success, so why not Get Your Happy On right now!
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this chat, thanks, John
When we were young lovers and just married we planted a tiny maple tree in our back yard. Over the years, it has grown strong and tall. Our kids have done the same.
This is a short story about our family’s connection and love for our Family Maple Tree. Hope you feel it and enjoy it.
Maybe you will plant a Family Tree for your family. Enjoy!
Growing Up In
The Shade of The Maple Tree
The term Tree of Life comes to mind as I relax under our beautiful, tall and wide-spread maple tree.
It began it’s awesome life as a “start”. It’s roots and legacy go back to grandma Ida’s yard, who knows where it was before that.
We planted it when we started having our kids some 30 years ago. It’s seen them, and us, go through all stages of life, with the good times and difficult times. That’s why I call our maple tree The Kids’ Tree or The Family Tree.
All the kids, including our son’s best friend Jason love our tree. Somehow it just makes them happy. Just being around it gives everyone pleasure, comfort, and peace of mind.
Really, it’s given much pleasure to all. It’s protected us from harsh summer temps. We take hot summer naps in it’s shade and dream of what could be. There have been large family Bar BQs and plenty of games and family discussions around it. We feel safe, protected, magical and invincible as it stands over us, so tall. It encourages us to go outside and sit quietly while we appreciate all we have and the blessings of mother nature.
The Family Maple Tree sheds its leaves in winter, and lets in the crisp blue sky between snow storms. We watch inside from the dinning room as the cold of winter comes and lays down a white blanket of snow all around it. The mood gets quiet and we listen to the sounds of winter. Every morning we rush to peer out the window to check if there are and animal or bird tracks in the new snow.
The tree has watched us grow into our married, adult roles and watched our babies grow up and have their babies.
It’s girth is bigger now, with yellowish green moss and other signs of aging, just like my wife and I. I guess that makes it a Grand Tree, just like we are now Grand Parents.
As the bible says, there is a season for everything. Now is the “planting season” for the next generation of kids and Maple Trees. So, I think it’s time for our grand kids to have their own Maple Tree so they too can play in it’s shade and to grow up under it while making memories and Kodak moments of their own.
Today, I think back to seeing that scrawny start of a tree sticking out of the ground, tied to a post for support, not realizing the pleasure it would bring our family through out our lifetime.
Thanks Family Maple Tree and our to kids and their friends for enjoying each other and making a happy family and happy life.
Love, Dad
