Song in my heart
60Life Begins At 60
All my friends were surprised when I told them that I am not asking for any extension when I retire. I told them I have already reached my fullest potential as a university professor and now it’s time to focus on other aspects of my being. I know I still have a lot to share with the world but not as a full time professor anymore. I love to teach so I still accept occasional teaching projects. However, checking papers has become a drudge and drudgery is not for me.
I promised myself that when I retire I will only do things that will make my heart sing and that’s what I’m doing now. So when I reached the retirement age of 60, I welcomed the whole world into my life and now everything is a blast!
But first thing first, I have to make myself financially stable so I do not have to worry about where I will get my next meal or new set of clothes. So I placed some amount in some financial institutions and I just get regular interest from them for my daily needs. Now that that is settled I was ready to spread my wings and soar.
The things that make my heart sing now are: my family (of course), photography, writing, health and wellness, gardening, reading (I’ve got a backlog here!), spirituality, bowling, blogging, and hopefully hubbing soon.
Song in My Heart through Photography
Because of my background in microscopy while in school, I was naturally attracted to macrophotography when I started my photography adventure. I focused on flowers and bugs and raindrops and even mundane things and tried to bring out aspects that others don’t normally see. I wrote about these in my later hubs.
MAKING-FLOWERS-TALK-A-PHOTOGRAPHY-ADVENTURE
RaindropsA-Few-of-my-Favorite-Things
THE-SECRET-LIFE-OF-BUGS-in-my-Garden
Then I joined a camera club so I can interact with other people who have similar interest. There, I learned to explore other areas of photography like portraits, fashion, landscape, events and even journalistic photography. I also learned to compete and join photo contests.
I am happy to say that I have started winning some contests and even published some photos in magazines. Some of my winning photos are in my multiply site. http://saanva.multiply.com
Below are some of my first photos that I shared here.
Song in My Heart through Blogging and Hubbing
I mentioned in my profile that I keep a few blogs and I have now published 20 hubs here in HP. I have even been a hubnugget through my hub on tea. http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Other-Uses-of-Tea. This recognition has kept me on my toes and increased my fans and friends.
I am really enjoying my time here in hubpages and even have developed friends. I cannot name all of you here right now but I just want to especially mention coffeesnob and James Watkins because they are the first ones who welcomed me here in hubpages. Actually they were my only fans for several weeks when I was struggling how to find my way around here in HP. I will properly acknowledge you my other friends here sometime soon. You know who you are of course.
More Songs to Sing
I am singing more songs now through more time with my family, perfect health and wellness, gardening, reading (I still got a backlog here, but whoever has read all the books he/she wants to read?), and developing greater spirituality and connectedness with the world. Oh, and my bowling has improved a lot too!
I wish to end this revision to this, my first hub, through Louis Armstrong’s, “What A Wonderful World”.
This is the song in my heart now.
The video is from: http://youtu.be/4NPc7Y829dE
What a Wonderful Life - Louis Armstrong -Kenny G
CommentsLoading...
Yes you can embed two links on each page in anchor text. Beautiful Photography! Welcome to Hub Pages!
Jill
Welcome to HubPages. Great first hub
Hello coffeesnob. Thank you for your welcome and your encouraging words.
Hello James,
Thank you for welcoming me to hubspages. You are very supportive and encouraging. I think I'm beginning to like it here.
Beautiful photos! I'll have to check out your blogs!
Thanks very much JamaGenee, you are very kind.
Yes, do check out my blogs please. Thank you!
Hi Jill,
Isn't it a wonderful thing about life that it's often the simple pleasures that make our heart sing- Beautiful pictures. I'm glad you are finding peace in your life. You are welcome to stop by and visit anytime.
To Your Abundant Journey,
Jim
I love the photographs! You are very talented.
Thank you very much my Jim (my success guru). You are very supportive.
Yes, I'm planning to read more of your hubs. They are very informative.
All the best!
Hi KatieE39,
Thank you very much for your inspiring comment! You are very kind.
I like your photos. They are from an artist's eye. Not everybody can capture the artistic moment because not everybody have developed the artistic eye.
Hi Francia,
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Jill of All trades,
Wonderful photography! You are able to capture the essence of your subject so vividly. You truly have a gift. Thank you for sharing! Blessings!
Hi DeBorrah,
Thank you very much for your kind words! You inspire me!
I have made some revisions to this,my first hub. Please check it out. Thank you!
I connected with your work/writing and photography Now, six months later, I have become so aware of having a connection with YOU - even tho we have never met. Part of it is there is so much we have in common - to include: "gardening, reading (I still got a backlog here, but whoever has read all the books he/she wants to read?), and developing greater spirituality and connectedness with the world."
But the biggest part is that we share a pervading love of life! You are awesome, Baby, and I hope to one day be able to meet you face to face -I am sure we would have lots to talk about. My time is coming! I am under one month left and I begin my new journey!
Hi coffeesnob,
I also feel the special connection with you. It's really amazing how we are able to feel that way even if we have not meet personally.
Like you, I also hope that we will be able to meet face to face sometime in the near future. I can almost imagine how we will talk about anything and everything under the sun.
Good luck and God bless in your new journey dear friend.
Thank you for the wonderful comment!
I always love that song: What a wonderful world! Thank you for sharing it here. More power.
Hi Teresa,
Nice to see you again. That makes two of us who love that song. Thank you very much for your comment.
Wow, I never knew you were a Professor? After reading this page, I now understand why your pictures are so awesome:) Your experienced background, really does show through in your photography:)
heart4theword - thank you very much for your wonderful words. You have made me very happy, and on Mother's Day at that!
I guess my being professor has determined my favorite kind of pictures to take - macro photos of flowers and raindrops. I just got used to looking at things under the microscope.
See you around! God bless!
The picture of the Debutante made my heart sing. .but then again this entire Hub is like one incredible symphony &hearts
Hello wavegirl,
What a beautiful thing to say! You just made my day!
Thank you very much for your generous heart.
See you around!
God bless!
jill. . you never have to thank me for your sharing of so many wonderful things . . that always make me smile .. even when I dont feel much like smiling. . and so tonight all the thanks are coming your way. . You are amazing!
Hi wavegirl,
You are so sweet. I'm really happy we found each other here in Hubpages!
While it's night where you are, it's day time here, so as I said earlier, you just made my day!
I am still thanking you for your visit and wonderful words.
God bless!
Yes you are jill of alltrades -your flowers are beautiful professor, and I agree with you,when I retired last year I had a choice of a good job,but preferred some thing to do which I had never done before, but some immature camera work,you are an inspiration.Thank you
Suny - thank you very much! Your words are music to my ears!
Yes, nothing beats following the music that your heart sings. I am loving every minute of my retirement.
I'm the one who should thank you. You inspire me with your comment!
God bless!
I really enjoy looking at your photos. I have also read your blogs. My husband's father was from the Phillipines. So I look forward to reading some of those hubs you did. Will rate up and follow.
Hello Granny's House,
It's nice to meet you!
I'm happy that we have some kind of connection even if only through a common origin of roots in the Philippines. I have written several hubs about the Philippines, so please check them out.
Thank you very much for the visit and rate up!
God bless!
Life starts at 60, congratulations on your retirement then. Right now, I am still 29 years old and has been my goal to be financially stable. A lot of people thinks I am risk taker but with reason as to why I do this. I event setup my own Photographers here in Edmonton just to make some extra money on the side. I really hope things work out for all of us in the end. Be financially stable before having fun.
Hi Bryan,
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a wonderful comment. How did you find this hub?
Well, you have so much ahead of you since you are still young. It's good you are already into photography. I visited your site and your photos are lovely. You are already a pro while I am just a hobbyist. I am however having the time of my life.
Good luck in your business!
Hope to see you again!
Many thanks for your visit.
God bless!
we just connected as friends with my leaving you a comment about your wonderful mother's birthday turning 90 I am also happy to read this showing that you are so much looking forward to spreading your wings after retirement from being a professor, but not retiring from life as so many sadly do. I welcome you to the Hubs and will enjoy following you and reading more of your hubs. Photography is an amazing artistic hobby and offers so many wonderful and beautiful challenges. I have a photographer friend on here, her names is Silvergenes, a great writer and enjoys hubbing about health and photography, you may want to have a look at her sites. peace and hugs.
Hello saddlerider,
It's nice to see you again! I too am happy that we connected. It's always uplifting to find other positive people.
Yes, I'm having the time of my life. I'm really enjoying photography and writing. I also enjoy sharing all the lovely things I discover around me.
I know Silvergenes. We follow each other too. Yes, I agree, she is very talented!
See you around!
God bless!
Hi, I enjoyed reading your hub and have always enjoyed your photography at RG, I just wanted to let you know that your video is not working, must be a broken link. Thanks, Becky(treasures306)
Hi Becky,
It's so nice to see you!
Thank you very much for your heartwarming comment! Thanks too for bringing to my attention that the video is not working. I will see how I can fix it.
God bless!
blogs
- what I like about...
my happiness blog - A Photo A Day
my photo blog
jill of alltrades Hub Author 2 years ago
Hello everyone,
This is my first time here and I will need a lot of help from you.
Jill of all trades, master of some – that’s me. I’m into almost anything that involves creativity. Professionally, I am a university professor but have retired a year ago from actively mentoring and checking papers. I still teach occasionally but my passion is now photography and writing. Topics that inspire me are: mind and self development, healing and wellness, nature, arts, spirituality, and science. Weird mix huh?
I maintain 3 blogs (one on photography, 2nd on things I like and 3rd on cells) and a photo website. I don’t know if we can create links to our blogs here though, so I purposely did not place the links. If somebody will say that we can link then I will place the links later.
I discovered hubpages.com through a photography website that I follow. This looks like an exciting community, so now I want to join you and try hubbing (is that the correct term?).