Mountains actual and theoretical

I realized today when I was thinking about this blog's title that there is more than one meaning to the word mountain in my life.

The mountain of life is one thing, and the obvious one in context to the intent of the blog.

Mountains in their geographical reality are the other significant context to this blog. I am lucky enough to have been living in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Western North Carolina for the past four years, and I never get tired of looking out my kitchen or living room window at the mountain across the field from my house. I watch the mountain's face change with the seasons. Right now it's at its most beautiful, since it's autumn, and this year the leaves are particularly colorful. Those leaves won't be on the trees much longer, but I'm enjoying them while they are.

Knowing how finite my life (any life) is, I am really concentrating on recognizing those moments of pleasure that exist, and being grateful for them.

Posting more

Spurred by my daughter's efforts to do the same, I will try to update this blog (and my other one -- maybe I don't really need two of them? Must think about that) more frequently.

I created this particular blog to focus on the age-related issues in my life -- my own life, as well as those who mean a lot to me.

I think my next post will have to do with the plus side (I focus too much on the minuses) of aging.

Yes, there *can* be positives about getting older!

Fear of aging and death

I'm one of those people who has worried about death my entire life. Not very productive, you say. We're all going to die sometime, right?

I do not have a strong religious belief, so I don't have a comfort that the essence of who I am will continue to exist after my corporeal self disintegrates. I like the idea of reincarnation a lot.

I've lost my parents in the past 10 years, and most of my adult relatives (I've got one uncle and aunt, in their late 80s and early 90s, still hanging on, but that's it.

I've lost beloved pets, and have another one who will probably not be with us for much longer (chronic renal failure). I keep thinking about my own death, and hating the idea of it. I can't imagine not being alive and aware.

Sliding down the mountain

The mountain is a metaphor for life, and this blog is my way of dealing with aging, and all that it entails, both positive and negative.

Because I will be talking frankly about things that are very personal to me, I am not going to identify myself. Just consider me everyman -- or everywoman -- if you like.

What should you know about me? I don't think you need to know much, other than I turned 60 in February of this year. I'm happily married, have one adult daughter who doesn't live nearby, and we share our lives with two collies and one cat.

That's probably enough to get started, don't you think?