Monthly Archives: May 2024

Diving into 59!

Posted by bettinabennett2014

Taking the birthday plunge…

It’s official folks. I’m in my final year of my 50s — what in the effity eff? LOL it’s still 19-year-old me in my head. I spent the weekend diving and imbibing — and it was glorious!

I partied with the fishes and turtles below — and FINALLY I got to see a ray, a marble ray. I might have peed a little with excitement. I don’t have pictures of the ray, but thanks to Mike Borgert I have pics of some of what we see — including that fun pic of me. He’s got talent because he managed to get me during the one second where I didn’t yet have Medusa hair lol or my belly hanging out. A sexy diver I am not. But that is okay because we’re all under the water to look at these guys (thanks Mike for sharing your pics!)…

May is a wind-down month, teachers and students are finishing up the year, but it’s also a fun time for tweaking summer plans. Sadly, it’s also when we begin our goodbyes to those who’ll be moving. There’s always the good byes in this life, but we’re nomads now and we will see each other again — and there’s the internet (lol a spotty, unreliable one in Guam, hence the lowercase, but it’ll do). The good news is we have until the end of June to still play with the friends of ours that are leaving this year.

It’s a good life I get to grow old in, and I am always grateful for those who make it so much fun — and full of so much discovery. So, while this weekend was all about celebrating me, I’d like to end this post celebrating all of you. Thank you for keeping me young and keeping my 19 year inner self in check (when she needs it).

Cheers to all of you! And may we continue enjoying all that comes our way. We’ve got plenty more living and exploring to do.

Posted in Belgium Year three

Let’s hear it for the moms and our friends

May 14

Posted by bettinabennett2014

I almost squashed a hen today on our only six-lane road. I saw her darting from the other side. I noticed the cars on that side were far enough away, but then I realized oh no I’m going to hit her. I looked in my rearview, no one behind me, slammed my breaks, the guy to the left of me slammed his breaks, and my tires missed her by a few inches. She spun around and ran back to where she came from — only this time those cars are also way too close. Praise be … they hit their brakes too. Mama hen gets to live another day (or minute, if she makes another dumb move like that), huffing and puffing her oh shits before finding her way back to her chicks.

That, my friends, is motherhood.

You survive the near catastrophes (and why did no one ever tell us there would be so many of them) by the good graces and quick thinking of others (as well as your own quick moves —or dumb luck).

Okay, it’s also life. But it’s Mother’s Day, so let’s give it to the moms.

For those of us who live so far away, it’s a tough holiday. There is no over-priced brunch with bubbly and our kids. There is video calling (for me it’s via Facebook), but when you’re 17 hours ahead on the time zone, the calls will happen at work on Monday (with your office door closed and an “in a meeting” sign posted).

BUT, when you live on an island with good friends, you make do by going diving and enjoying Mother Nature’s gifts. While I most certainly didn’t do the mad-mother-hen dash today, I did get to hover near an extraverted octopus who changed her colors and toyed with us. I also looked a reef shark in the eye while he swam by us, and, lol most surprisingly of all, I got to see a baby squid mistake a dive buddy for its mama. We also swam with turtles and too many types of fish to list. I am so grateful for the people in my life who sway in and out of life’s murky waters with me — and who love the wonder within it as much as I do.

We miss our babies, but cheers! LOL and look at that baby squid. It attached itself to Pam’s fin. We hope it found its way to safety.

And because I got sidetracked, I didn’t get around to posting this on Mother’s Day. Sooooo, it’s now also an homage to the friends in my life who make it so much fun (there are so many more of you not pictured in below slide show, BUT you know who you are — and I bet you’re already posted somewhere in this blog).