Harry Potter Helped Clarify My Retirement Goals Yesterday April 28, 2013

Harry Potter Helped Clarify My Retirement Goals Yesterday

 

April 28, 2013

 

"You're a wizard, Harry Potter"

 

Inside Hogwarts stairwell, watching the paintings having their conversations with each other.

Photo Credit: www.fanpop.com

 

I joined the hundreds of Harry Potter fans approaching the entrance to Hogwarts.

Photo Credit:  www.ieadc.blogspot.com

 

Waited an hour to see the Beauxbaton and Durmstrang Wizards perform their highly different displays of powers.

Photo Credit:  www.blogsmeadevillage.com 

 

Enjoyed my lunch of pasties and salad at the Three Broomsticks Pub.

Photo Credit:  www.fanpop.com

 

Saw Professor Dumbledore up close and personal as he gave his lecture from his Headmaster's office.

Photo Credit:  www.fanpop.com

 

Adored seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione give their warnings and use the invisibility cloak for all the visitors to watch. 

Photo Credit:  www.fanpop.com

 

I strolled the streets of Hogsmeade as I sipped my delicious butterbeer.

Photo Credit: www.favim.com

 Lots of other people visited the shops of Hogsmeade as well.
Photo Credit:  www.caroghobrien.com


Moaning Myrtle wasn't visible, but you could hear her in the restrooms warning and annoying everyone.  Loved that.
Photo Credit:  www.harrypotter.wikia.com

     The visit to Hogwarts yesterday, and the memories of all of the seven Harry Potter novels, completely restored my abilities to focus on retirement goals.  I knew it would work its wizarding on me.

 

      I'm refreshed and ready to return to opening my thoughts to new ideas and new possibilities for my future.  My horoscope was right.  Thank you, Harry Potter.  You're a wizard!

 

Click here to see my pinterest interests. Lots of Harry Potter on my "Our Theme Parks" board.

 

 

 



 

 

 



Condos in Celebration, Florida (and Harry Potter!) January 13, 2013

Condos Are Wonderful--in Celebration, Florida, and So Is Harry Potter

 

January 13, 2013

 

Click this like to see more about this condo at a resort hotel in Celebration. More photos.

 

      I spent Saturday looking at many condos, and of course my favorite was the most expensive and the largest one.  The most surprising to me was the condo located in an elegant resort hotel pictured above.  Celebration is a planned community within a few miles of Disney World.  Universal Studios is located on Interstate 4, not too far away.  Perfect place to live for someone like me, who will soon have nothing better to do than visit theme parks every day. 

 

      Of course, being more practical, I also like several condos which were located in the beautiful neighborhoods of lovely homes on tree-lined streets.  People walking their little dogs, joggers, and walkers added to the peaceful and quiet neighborhoods. 

 

      We saw enough condos, in all sorts of sizes and locations, to get a very good idea of what was available in our price range.  All very livable and appealing.  

 

      This put me in the mood to begin the redecorating/repairing of my current home, to prepare it for renting in the fall.  Instead of wishing and dreaming, I'm going to start by mowing and edging my very raggedy front and back lawn this morning.  Start  at the beginning, they always say.

 

     Have a great Sunday, and think of me out in the 80 degree sun, mowing down all the weeds this morning!   Within a few weeks, we will be experiencing winter temperatures in the 30 degree range, so I'd better do this yard work before I procrastinate any longer.

 

     I hope I don't talk myself out of this mowing job.  I may just jump in my car and drive to Universal Studios to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter instead.  Much more to my liking!

 



                    

 

    

Click this link to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando. Harry Potter!!

 

 

Click here to see my pinterest interests. Look at my theme park board to see lots more Harry Potter photos and information.

 

 

 

 

 

     

Plans Changed Since 11/17/12 November 20, 2012

Plans Changed Since 11/17/12



November 20, 2012

 

 

     The plan was to go bowling on Sunday morning.  That was changed by being invited to watch the giant Christmas star being erected in downtown Orlando.  So by 7:15 I traveled to watch the star hanging which turned into an almost 2 hour process.  In any event, the gigantic star now floats majestically, and Christmas has begun, even though Thanksgiving hasn't.

 

      Had a pleasant breakfast with family and friends where I made a complete fool of myself by complaining about anything and everything.  We went to a nice restaurant around the corner from the dangling star.  For some reason, I turned into a rather spoiled child, so that everyone could hear my every complaint. 

 

      Returning home, knowing my next activity was bowling, I spent 3 hours on  pinterest.com instead, after sending an apologetic email to all involved with breakfast.  Obviously, I was contrite.

 

      Soooooo, Sunday afternoon, I felt so guilty, I felt I should do work instead of enjoying myself.  I edged my sidewalk and driveway, swept all the trimmings into piles, and vowed to bag them the next morning.   I really felt guilty about breakfast.

 

     Instead of choosing another fun activity to enjoy during my holidays, I did indeed bag all of the grass trimmings.  Then I looked at the piles of mail and other paper staring at me when I came inside.   I have a slight aversion to mail of any kind.

 

     So my fun activity for Monday was spending over 7 hours going through piles of mail, junk mail, political mail, and receipts.  Someone from the show "Hoarders" should have been filming, because I can't through mail away. 

 

      Lo and behold, I can see the surfaces of my little loveseat, my dining room table, my buffet, and the top of my stove.  And I hauled out a bag of the mess of trash that must have weighed over 30 pounds, if not more.  You really should have seen my assembly line.  But wait, there's more.

 

      In all of that paper left from the clearing, I then had piles of important records to be put in date order and filed.  So Tuesday, today, that is how I have spent my day.  The reward is that my paperwork for my taxes for 2012 are at least in one large manila envelope, and all of my important financial statements are neatly filed.  

 

       Tomorrow, Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, I am heading to the bowling alley  at ll:00 for a few games, then I'm driving to our Universal Studios theme park to spend the afternoon in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, enjoying some butterbeer and Harry Potter memories.  My guilt has been cured by hard work.

 

      My job for tonight is going to the grocery store to fill a cart with canned vegetables and canned fruit.  All of this will be taken to the Coalition for the Homeless, which is what the head kitchen manager said they need for the big meal on Thursday.   It's a small step, but it will help.

 

      Blessings on everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.  Planning on enjoying fun activities wore me out! 

 

www.pinterest.com/mimihylton

 

     To read about the hanging of the giant star, and see photos, and other fabulous Orlando events, go to this pinterest site:

 

www.pinterest.com/thedailycity