A LOT is new to me right now. Letting go of old thoughts, old lifestyle patterns and ways of thinking. Rethinking the things that are truly important to me; my family, my art, my faith. I do not currently recognize my life as being anything similar to what I expected it to be like at my age. Being a romantic, I pictured myself growing old with the man I’ve been married to now for 47 years, falling more deeply in love with each passing year, sharing in the things we both enjoy; gardening, grandchildren, fishing, canoeing, travel, our faith and one another. I pictured myself surrounded by my children and grandchildren who all would live nearby and would come to family dinners on Sunday afternoons after church. I have the five children, I have the five grandchildren, I have the husband of 47 years. However, right now, we are adrift in uncertainty and separate ways, and the children and grandchildren are scattered though not TOO far. Things, I suppose rarely turn out the way you imagine they will and often they aren’t the way they seem.

I’d love nothing more than to retire from the work-a-day life and submerge myself in improving my art; traveling the world taking part in workshops with all of my favorite artists, but without a retirement fund, I still can’t quit the day job. So maybe I can figure out a way to do both.

So! I started a new job, one I really love; Real Estate, buying and selling the Greater Kalamazoo – Battle Creek Area. http://randydoan.exprealty.com with a great team The Leonard Group. We are growing and business is good. eXp Realty is a fairly new and innovative, cloud based real estate brokerage that gives agents many more opportunities to to build wealth, beyond commission sales. If you are looking for something new to build wealth and your future, check us out at http://randydoan.exprealty.careers

But, right now, at the beginning of this new year 2020, I am on my way to Three Rivers, MI for the opening of the 2020 Regional Juried Art Show at The Carnegie Center for the Arts . . . . . where my painting It takes a Village won BEST of SHOW. I am over the moon.