I received the most beautiful birthday message from my friend Linda and decided to share it in this gallery as it exemplifies how life has changed since retiring from nursing.
Linda is a member of the Crazy Women's Photography Club and loves to write poetry and
our friendship came about thanks to a mutual friend, Sheila, and a desire to improve her photography to include with her writing.
I paired her message which is both funny and touching, with a funny photo.
Inside of her card was included another bumpersticker for my car (woohoo!) and it says...
"Not All Who Wander Are Lost"

When I retired, a number of the nurses had expressed an interest in learning photography and buying a camera
and I felt I could help them get started and give them enthusiasm for the hobby...
and that is how the CWPC (Crazy Women's Photography Club) came to be.
My mission in doing so, was to give them a hobby that could take them through a lifetime
and hopefully decrease the stress that they would surely encounter in their careers.

Though most of our 37 members are in the healthcare field, not all are.
The requirements to join the club:
1- You must own a camera
2- You must be female
3- You must be crazy

We are women of all ages learning and having fun together. This is not a competitive or a techy club.
This is for fun, comraderie and quite simply, for the enjoyment that photography can bring into your life.
And out of this has come the CWPC blog where the gals are given monthly challenges as they learn and comment and develop friendships.
http://cwpcblog.wordpress.com/
Our members are not only from here in Texas, but also Oregon, Washington DC, and we have a member in the UK.
We go on outings together and learn as we go.

To commemorate our first year together, I made a book using their photos and stories.
You may see the entire book on line (maximize to be able to read the text):
http://www.blurb.com/books/4439493-the-crazy-women-s-photography-club

This club has become so much more than just taking photographs.
I have seen their skill level sky-rocket and have seen a comraderie amongst the gals. We laugh until our smile muscles ache!

So, on this... my special day, I thank each of the "CrAzY WoMeN" for bringing such joy into my life and
for sharing a hobby that can change life in so many ways, and already, I am seeing it happen to them.

I have found friends both near and far through photography, and I really like to hang out with photographers as they seem to understand how to live in the moment.
And when you meet a photographer in the field... there is an instant bond.

Yes, life has changed!
I can choose to see it through a wide angle lens or I can focus on the minute details that others may miss in their hurried and stressful lives.
It is my time to have fun, relax and enjoy the moment.
And none of this costs a lot of money but the rewards are tremendous!

I thank each person who has entered my life as a result of photography.
You have made it a life that I could have never imagined prior to my retirement.