It's official,,,I am now a Retiree!

Yes, as of Friday, I am now Retired.  Woot Woot!  It was an emotional week for me too.  I came in Thursday to find my office decorated with "Retiring decorations.  It was so cool.  My dear friend that I work with had decorated after I left for the day on Wednesday.

When she got to work she started decorating even more.  There was cupcakes and another little cake for me with the cutest little red car on it that looked a little like mine.  The cake said "Go Beth".

She also bought me the cutest sunglasses to wear.  They are Martina Glasses.

She really fixed the office up to look so cute!

She also modified our Word Wall in the office.

And soon I started having company come to visit.  All of my Co-workers came in during their free time to visit and have a cupcake and give me hugs and tell me how lucky I am getting to retire as such a young age.

This is my Principal that is standing with me.  He has been a wonderful leader and I have really enjoyed working for him. He really didn't want me to leave.

This gentleman was such a dear friend. We always joked and just have fun times together, even when our jobs were stressful.

Another wonderful friend.  He brought me a big vase of Roses and Daisys on friday. I cried!

Above is the wonderful person whom I work with.   She is like my sister.  We have shared so much together in the past 4 years that we have worked together.  She also organized all of this.  I am going to miss her more than any thing.
I am so Thankful to all my wonderful friends at work.  They all took up money and put in a card for me.  It was so special to me and they made my retirement alot easier.  As I left yesterday,,with my car packed up with all my belongings from work.  I had to cry again.  It was just a real emotional week.  But now I start a new chapter of my life.

Just 2 more!

Today as I was walking into my office this mornng, I thought to myself,,"wow,,I only have to walk in here two more mornings."  I kind of got choked up,,but just for a second.  I always thought others were kind of looney for being so sentimental when they retired, but now I can truly understand why they were like that.  It's really a bittersweet feeling.  Yes,,,I am glad I don't have to drive 37 miles into work every morning in rush hour traffic.  Yes, I am excited to be able to enjoy the activities that I love to do, such as Art, photography, sleeping late(biggie)  getting to spend more time with my family(espiecally Hubby, Mom and kids).  Spending more time with my wonderful friends(and that means you, Rosie).  Hopefuly doing some traveling, lots of reading and gardening too.  It's just going to be wonderful.  But,,,,I am going to miss my friends from work.  And feeling semi- important when someone depends on me to help them out.  It's just a really wierd feeling.
I guess if I was alot older I would wonder what is the next phase after retiring?  Growing elderly and then leaving this life one day?   But since I am fairly young I feel like I can accomplish a few more things and check off some items on my Bucket list.  I also plan on coming and helping out at the Adult program and visiting my friends at work.  I firmly believe that Adult Education is very much needed now days.  People are finally figuring out that even McDonalds will not hire you unless you have a High School Diploma or GED.
So now I will quit yakking and leave you with some more pictures.  These are some pictures of the time I spent in Riverside.  I will post more as I have time,,which I should have a little more of soon.  I hope every one is enjoying some cooler temps. like we are for a change.
XOXOXO

Beautiful Mobile Bay at Sunset.

A Egret at Pensacola Park on the Bay!

Rosemary and Mr. A.(the teen)

Mr A. and I at Bahama Bobs for lunch. On Gulf Shores beach.

I Love the Sea oats and this fence,,made for a great shot!

A little bit of refreshments at Lulu Buffetts(Jimmy's sister).
And No,,I wasn't tipsy,,my eyes do that is pictures sometimes, lol.

My delish Barb-que Shrimp at Felix's Fish Camp. Yummy!

Yet again!

So I guess I really didn't keep up my comitment that I made almost 2 weeks ago.  But I really did try.  I am still having some issues with my pictures.  But I have been trying to do it at work on a computer that is older than dirt.  It gets kind of fustrating.  I try to move my pictures in the blog and some how I leave parts of them and then blogger says "Nope,,won't work"  or something like that.  So, until I am off work for good, which by the way is this friday, I am just going to try to upload one pic a day.  My pic today is a skeleton of a Cicada that was a model for me one night when I was playing with my new camera.  I am going to get better with my picture taking as I am going to be taking a Basic Photography class every Thursday night for the next 10 weeks.  I want to learn how to master, aperture, and shutter speeds, and various other wonderful tasks that my new Rebel Camera can do.  I actually talked a good friend in to taking it with me so it should be fun.
I hope every one is doing well !  After some pretty nasty, hot temps the past few weeks, we are starting to cool down a little.  I will take low 90's with lower humidity over upper 90's and 100% humidity any day.
I am going to try to post one more picture at the end of my post.  I hope it works.  Another shot that I took late one evening when some thunderhead clouds were coming in.

Wow,,,I actually did it,,I have post 2 pictures, and I am at work.  I will master this picture issue soon.  I am sure it's all operator error now.  Love to all my friends! xoxoxoxoxo

Oh Wow!  I can't believe it.  I went to my blog today at work just to see if by chance the Picture issues I had been having were finally fixed.  And Lo and Behold,,,they were!!!  I am so happy!  I just wasn't getting use to Word Press.  It was easier with the pictures but the composing and placements of pictures were not that easy.  Today must be my day too because I came home from work and found a VERY LARGE BOX on my deck.  It was from my Dear Friend, Jilly!  And it was full of some wonderful goodies!
Earlier this year, Jill and I decided to do a cuff bracelet swap.  Well, it took me forever to send Jill's to her and she was pretty much the same way.  We just couldn't really decide how we wanted to make them and it just took a few to decide.  But we are good friends(she's a Bama girl like me),,we have even got together and had a artfully good time, so we weren't stressing about the swap.  We both work,,(yes,,I went back to work this week,,just for a little while) and we knew we would both enjoy whatever the other made for our swap.  Below is what was in my WONDERFUL box!

She Altered a Jewelry box for me and it is way cool.  I LOVE IT, JILLY! I am going to keep it in my Art Room and store some of my favorite beads and findings in it. And some cute little shells and whatever I treasure.  It is going to be my treasure box cause I do so treasure it.  Jill is an amazing Artist and I have always treasured any pieces of Art that I get from her.

And the Cuff bracelets are so awesome!  She made me two!  I only made her one,,I owe you, Jill!  I Love both of them and can't wait to wear them and show them off.

The details in the bracelets are so cool. They are very Vintage looking and I do Love any thing Vintage!  She also made me a necklace that is awesome too!  I can't wait to wear it too!

Love the red bead on it. And also the wire wrapped turquoise beads!  And she had alot of goodies in the sack that the necklace is laying on it the picture.

She also had it packed with some great tissue paper that I am keeping to do some collaging and make some great backgrounds for Journaling.   And I was so excited that I tore into the package and didn't take a picture of it.  But it was wrapped in the neatest dragronfly paper.  Yup,,I am keeping that too for some art projects.

This absolutely made my day.  It was a rough day because I came down with a good case of Bronchitis yesterday.  I went back to work on Tuesday.  By Tuesday night I was feeling really bad and coughing and having chills.  Went to the doctor yesterday.  I got a nice shot of Antibiotics/cortisone and some antibiotics to take by mouth.  I went back to work today but I sure didn't feel like it.  
Yes,,,I said I was retiring,,,and I still am.  I just felt like I should go back and help with the beginning of school as it's hard to start out with a new person that doesn't know what to do.  I Love the Lady I work with and didn't want to leave her in a bind.  She is a good friend.   I am going to have a bone spur taken out of the top of my foot at the end of this month and then I am retiring for good. 
So other than being sick today,,the rest of the day was wonderful.  I can blog happily again, and I recieved a wonderful box of some great Art from a Precious Friend!  Thanks again, Jilly!
And I am going to try to finish up the rest of my trip to Riverside with my Darling Friend Rosie this week-end.
I am back and I truly intend to stay current as I have alot of catching up to do!
Hugs to you All!