Friday, May 18, 2018

Full Circle






In the early morning On Wednesday May 16th Lynne Braden past away.
She died peacefully in her sleep, after battling Cancer for the 2nd time.
Lynne will be remembered for courageously fighting her battle to the End.
Her passion for life, friends, family and travel can be carried on by all of us
By continuing to live like she did.
Her big smile, courage and loving heart is what I’ll take with me as I continue
My journey in life.
If you see the View on the road somewhere in the near future honk and wave to me as I will be navigating It on a farewell journey to spread her ashes to all her favorite places that she asked
To be and to start a new journey in my life.

Lynne’s brother Randy Braden






Full circles on:
- this blog
- full-time RVing
- Bosque del Apache
- home 617 Carlsbad
- friends
- family
- Grandy's bed
- finding God
- religion / the Bible
- my life's purpose on Earth
- transition from secular to spiritual (from life on Earth to life in eternity)

    • Back in mom’s bedroom at old family house
    • Next post will likely be my memorial.  Comments will be turned off and blog archived.
    • Cindy’s comments on showing how to die gracefully
    • Death is so often avoided and looked at with so much dread—
      • I believe God has brought be home (literally and figuratively) 
      • Cancer has given me the freedom of time to enrich my end of life with so many wonderful conversations and re-connections.  Never would have had this opportunity if a plane crash or heart attack had taken me.
      • So, do not mourn my death when it comes.  Remember me (as the Coco movie says).  That will keep my spirit living on.  Remember my story— don’t wait too long to start living your dreams.
      • Do I have regrets?  Perhaps only a few— that I didn’t give back sooner in my life.  Most of my life was self-centered and filled with consuming to my own wants/desires.  It left a huge hole that took years to figure out how to fill.  For me, that hole was finally filled by giving to others— financially and via my volunteering time or selfless acts of kindness and friendship.  I may have sacrificed a higher-paying career by not doing “whatever it takes” and walking over whoever I needed to get ahead, but in the end,  are time here on earth is only marked by the legacy we leave.  Not the power/political/financial gains we made.

Full-Circle
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3 years ago, I took a walk to find myself...

The past couple of months I’ve realized that many circles in my life are now completing.

Can’t explain the unexplainable, but so many things have led me back to this place...to home.

A physical residence that I’ve known since 1976,
A place where old friends have returned to reunite with me,
A place where I have met new connections that share uncanny things that cannot be passed off as mere coincidence (Melissa & my grandfather’s sermon bed)
God leading me home for a reason (not to stay in Colorado)

It is right to be here now.
My future is unknown, but my fate (and faith) is certain.
I wish I could live another few decades to share all the lessons I’ve learned these past few years of leading a purpose-driven life (not letting others drive it for me), but all I can do now is hope that some of my musings on this blog have made a difference in your lives, pushed you beyond your comfort zone to take control over your life and live the life of your dreams.  To discover true fulfillment by emptying yourselves of pettiness, shallowness, and worthless physical possessions for a deeper connection to your fellow humans/animals, our earth, God, and the amazing reward of giving in all the ways that you can.

Be the light.  When told to act divisive, seek unity with one another.  Overcome hatred, ignorance, and power grabs.  Be humble.  Find and live with grace and honor.    In the end, it is the only legacy we each can leave.

I hope I’ve made the earth a little more sustainable for future generations.
I hope I’ve left a legacy (although baron of fame, fortune, or even a tombstone— something that will be left as a lasting impression to those who knew me here or in-person to continue for generations.

I’m not ready to go, and yet, the circle is completing for me now, so I must obey it and go on to the next world.   Michell quote.

My final post here (my obituary) will be published after I’m gone.  Comments will be turned off to preserve the sanity of my surviving family members.

I thank you all for following this journey with me.  You’ve enriched my life as much as I hope I’ve helped yours.

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Quotes from Dorrin:


Though my soul may set in darkness,
It shall rise in perfect light
I have loved the stars too truly
To be fearful of the night    
                                                   ~Sarah Williams

I framed a quote of Edgar Mitchell and hung it on my office wall in 1990.  It still hangs in the waiting room for all to see.  It says:  

"There are no unnatural or supernatural phenomenon, only very large gaps in our knowledge of what is natural... we should strive to fill those gaps of ignorance."

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Chris Leeser’s quotes on the walls of BdA Volunteer Lounge:

Be Kind
Work Hard
Stay Humble
Smile Often
Live Simply
Love Deeply
be thankful always

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All good things are wild and free

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You make a living by what you get. You leave a legacy by what you give.
— Winston Churchill ?

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Rather than seek power in being somebody,
seek truth in being nobody,
Because power will emerge from God’s truth.












Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Leaving Colorado

My first winter in the Colorado Rockies turned out to be rather mild with minimal snow in the valley.  Great for a non-skier like me; not so great for my brother and family who make their living in the ski industry and love to ski.

One weekend, I headed down to Denver to check out the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge to see if I could spot some bison in front of the Denver skyline.  Yep!  They were there...and one even posed nicely for me!


Sunday, February 4, 2018

A Final Visit to Mexico

My dear Mexico traveling buddies, Hans and Ursula, helped me welcome the 2017 New Year from my hospital room in Guadalajara, so it was only fitting that we reunite again this year in Mexico to welcome the 2018 New Year.

The view overlooking Lake Chapala and its surrounding mountains was absolutely spectacular from Hans and Ursula's new home.  With constant daytime temperatures between 70 and 80F all year, it was the perfect place for 2 weeks of healthful rejuvenation!


Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Enchantment Times Two

As colder temperatures descended upon Colorado in November, I began to get restless.  It felt unnatural to stay in one place as the season changed after years of full-time RVing had taught me to migrate to warmer weather like the birds.

My mind drifted back to my happy place-- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment.  I missed the sights and sounds of those magnificent sandhill cranes, and missed my volunteer and staff friends there.


Monday, November 27, 2017

What's in my Camera Bag (& some Cyber Monday deals)

Last weekend, I attended the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico (more about that in a future post).  Being there with a hundred or so other serious amateurs and pros and seeing all the giant Canon & Nikon telephoto lenses, I realized that I'd never blogged about converting my camera equipment from Canon to Panasonic last year.

I made the jump when Panasonic released its amazing Leica 100-400 telephoto lens (which equates to a 200-800mm lens in 35mm full-frame format).  The ability to own an 800mm lens/camera system that was significantly smaller and cheaper than Canon was simply too compelling to ignore!  Here's a comparison of what I mean:

From L to R:  Panasonic G85 w/100-400 (eq 200-800), Canon 7D w/500 (eq 800), Canon 6D w/800

Lynne's Camera Bag

Best RVing Stuff Under $50

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