There’s something quietly magical about springtime in Northeast Texas—and if you’ve ever seen the azaleas in bloom, you know exactly what I mean. For a few fleeting weeks, the landscape softens. Yards, garden paths, and quiet country roads begin to glow with layers of pink, coral, white, and deep rose. In places like Tyler, Texas—often called the Rose Capital—azaleas take their moment right alongside the roses. The annual Tyler Azalea & Spring Flower Trail becomes a kind of pilgrimage for flower lovers, where entire neighborhoods open themselves up in quiet celebration of the season. But beyond the festivals and photo moments, it’s the feeling that lingers. I've experienced it for so many years but never tire of anticipating the next Azalea season. It’s stepping outside in the early morning when the air still holds a bit of coolness, and noticing how the blooms catch the light. Shrubs you might pass all year without a second thought—suddenly become breathtaking. Azaleas don’t bloom all year. They don’t rush. They don’t compete. They simply wait… and then, when the moment is right, they show everything they’ve been quietly becoming. And maybe that’s what makes them so beautiful. Not just the color. Not just the abundance, but the timing, the patience. The reminder that beauty often lives in seasons—and when it arrives, it asks nothing more than to be noticed. If you’re in East Texas this spring, take a slower drive, a longer walk, a lingering glance. The azaleas are putting on a show… and it doesn’t last long.

At this stage of my life, things have changed. Energy isn’t what it once was. Attention doesn’t always stay where I place it. (And between us—I’m 80 years young.) For many, that becomes a quiet permission slip to slow down… or stop altogether. But let’s be honest—that’s not a reason. It’s a decision. And I chose differently. Instead of resisting the changes, I designed around them. I began building what I like to call my personal set of 3 superpowers—simple, intentional strategies that allow me to keep creating, thinking, and moving forward. Here’s the first: Superpower #1 — SPURTS I work in focused 30-60 minute spurts. Short, intentional bursts of energy and attention. Not because I can’t do more…But because this is how I now do my best work. What I’ve discovered is this: When I ask my brain for sustained, hours-long focus, it resists. But when I give it a defined, manageable window, it shows up. Fully. There’s something powerful about knowing, “I only have to do this for 30-60 minutes.” It lowers resistance, sharpens clarity, and often leads to more progress than pushing through exhaustion ever did. I’m not trying to eliminate my limitations. I’m learning to work with them. And that has changed everything. If your energy or focus isn’t what it used to be, perhaps the answer isn’t to do less… …but to work differently.

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- I’ll start with a letter and a theme. - You comment with something that fits the theme using the next letter. - Then the next person continues with the next letter, and so on. - If the game slows down, you may participate several times to keep it going. Theme # 1 - Vintage & Old-Fashioned Words