tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333088622024-03-23T10:59:13.945-07:009 1/2 Wide ClodhoppersMy musings as I go through each day, looking for a path, finding forks in the road and reflecting on where I've been. Everyday has a lesson...find it! Everyday we are supposed to learn something new; I just like keeping track of what I learn.Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-11063239137612324552008-11-12T16:18:00.008-07:002008-11-12T16:39:27.070-07:00Diversity<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtgYyN05r4tebzGT2MrvfGiLbZrhNLYNvLXRwh5noRpGhihoBQqUXg2hEcsSH0jVqYClupqpbIb5sUM3vfBm-9Q2nmptwfn-qgo__85VBUydF3Kt2ZFt0dlsJohXnztosRBKm/s1600-h/volunteer+raft+training+060.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267918261268632738" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtgYyN05r4tebzGT2MrvfGiLbZrhNLYNvLXRwh5noRpGhihoBQqUXg2hEcsSH0jVqYClupqpbIb5sUM3vfBm-9Q2nmptwfn-qgo__85VBUydF3Kt2ZFt0dlsJohXnztosRBKm/s200/volunteer+raft+training+060.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Hey, I'm back! It's been quite awhile since I've posted on here, but now is as good of a time to re-start as any, right? Lately I've had some extra time on my hands (for the first time in years) and it feels great to have a little more time to be creative. Recently I wrote an article about what nature means to me spiritually; below are my thoughs. Enjoy:<br /><br />A few months ago representatives from the Southern Utah Wilderness Association (SUWA) had a meeting at my church to talk about nature and spirituality. As I started to share my thoughts on these topics and really think about what nature means to me, I started to have a very cathartic experience. I'm not sure why this experience was so cathartic; perhaps it was because I was excited to share my thoughts and feelings with others in a safe and like-minded environment. Whatever the reason was, I was excited to have the opportunity to really think about this subject.<br /><br />When I was younger I grew-up in the country and constantly took advantage of all of the nature that surrounded me. I could run with my dog to a creek to swim and fish, track deer in the woods behind my house or even just watch the lighting bugs and listen to tree frogs on my front porch. I am extremely fortunate to have grown-up in this environment and I am extremely grateful for the appreciation I have gained of my surroundings.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvWMb9WNynCm0A9AyD_hSK-48Mn0-KmQehlrHHQ3XcAfNOu5fKQdiSnEsrFyPvLMW36dl2ZUByGXh3pHhbFkRVP6JHX33Hi87iSBov9fo7de_pxzQ7PBwWczp4yyYkA_WMcut/s1600-h/Fall+2008+110.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267919695060085138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvWMb9WNynCm0A9AyD_hSK-48Mn0-KmQehlrHHQ3XcAfNOu5fKQdiSnEsrFyPvLMW36dl2ZUByGXh3pHhbFkRVP6JHX33Hi87iSBov9fo7de_pxzQ7PBwWczp4yyYkA_WMcut/s200/Fall+2008+110.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Nature and spirituality are two things that go hand-and-hand for me. It is because of the joy I find in nature that I gain a sense of spirituality. Within nature I find peace, joy, solitude, balance and a sense of meaning that isn't always easy to put into words but is easy to experience. As I looked around the room that day at others, trying to find the right words to describe what nature and spirituality means to me, I started to notice how everyone in the room is so different and unique. We each have different styles, different colors, orientations, thoughts, speech and so on. We are all diverse and unique, as so often times found in nature. How many hundreds and thousands of variations of insects, fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and plant life are there? Is any one of these things more dominate than all the others? No. Are all of these things found in a balance with one another, each having a job, a purpose? Yes. For example, I once heard that there are 800 different species of ants. Wow. And each ant species has a specific role in a specific environment. Everything found in nature and everyone found in the room that morning all have their own diversity, uniqueness, gifts and order. It's as if we are all a puzzle piece in a beautiful picture, all having a place and enriching the final product.<br /><br />It is in this rich diversity and my own uniqueness that I rest assured that there is purpose in my own life (I may not know what that purpose is, but nature teaches me that I do have one). I look out a window and gaze upon a dying tree. Just because the tree is dying, does it have any less of a purpose? No. its days of providing shade and fruit might be over, but its gifts are not. In due time the tree will fall and start to decompose, giving nutrients and support to new life and being a part of an on-going and intricate circle. I know I fall in there somewhere too, as well as everyone else that was in the room with me that morning. A very young and wise little girl once said,"If we look for the beauty in everything, then the whole world is a treasure."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sPsMJRvK9iQSCp9aiEC_K7IXR15MOVzXCWVtiozf6kHt1nBQO-_phYG0GhK9mmFrUwRtrnq81-Cldvc_5D25DeFQSfbS7gDS8Amm0qRzO5G1o2-wnT0ox3SbwNnD5eS4z7As/s1600-h/vols+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267919119957267442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3sPsMJRvK9iQSCp9aiEC_K7IXR15MOVzXCWVtiozf6kHt1nBQO-_phYG0GhK9mmFrUwRtrnq81-Cldvc_5D25DeFQSfbS7gDS8Amm0qRzO5G1o2-wnT0ox3SbwNnD5eS4z7As/s200/vols+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As many of you may already know, I am passionate about working with people with disabilities. I love bringing people of different backgrounds and the environment together in a community. So often, when working with people with disabilities, outsiders might wonder, "What's the point?" But I know that people with disabilities, just like anyone else regardless of age, race, orientation, beliefs, etc., can enjoy the peace, joy, solitude and beauty that only the transformative power of nature can bring. I've heard time and time again that while someone with a disability is enjoying a rafting trip down the Colorado River, or snowshoeing in the mountains; that while enjoying nature is when the person feels like they don't have a disability! The beautiful things about nature is that it does not discriminate. A shooting star will still blaze across the sky whether you're in a wheelchair or not. The sun will still set on the magnificent Fisher Towers in southern Utah whether or not your child has Autism. And snow will still cover the mountain, trees will still grow into the sky and the seasons will come and go regardless of your abilities or diversities.<br /><br />Through nature everything finds itself in balance with its surroundings and in that balance there is a certain peace which keeps me hopeful that if others can find this balance, then the future looks good for all.</div></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-82573911821043681442007-07-19T15:38:00.000-07:002007-07-19T16:03:11.331-07:00Toast and Thursday Thirteen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkNISh_ZxF7QoWCytSB4FgN_mBQdlwyKZH0dj-Id-Jg105gi127wvFjtUw3WpD88N2eIO0OdehcPkyP6xj5YajYvhil4l8SOauq_py3xPPv8MWJnNMRGGBg3VFvD4wMutCBDm/s1600-h/me+4+jess+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089047215820152514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkNISh_ZxF7QoWCytSB4FgN_mBQdlwyKZH0dj-Id-Jg105gi127wvFjtUw3WpD88N2eIO0OdehcPkyP6xj5YajYvhil4l8SOauq_py3xPPv8MWJnNMRGGBg3VFvD4wMutCBDm/s200/me+4+jess+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Here's a toast, a toast to life: I love it! Yesterday I celebrated my 25th birthday...I'm now a quarter of a century old! The past 25 years have been great and I'm very proud of how much I've grown in just the last two years. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>In the "Blog World" there is a meme called Thursday Thirteen. I haven't done one before, but there is no time like the present, right? So my first Thursday Thirteen will be a list of good things to come in the next quarter of a century:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>1) Visit Prague, Czech Republic</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2) Fall in Love</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>3) Learn to play a musical instrument...right now I really like the harmonica</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>4) Buy some land</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>5) Adopt a dog from a shelter</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>6) Take a hot air balloon ride</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>7) Study paintings in Florence, Italy</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>8) Write more Thursday Thirteens</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>9) Get a really fancy digital SLR camera</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>10) Become a Naturalist and work for an outdoor/environmental education program that helps people with disabilities</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>11) Raise some honey bees</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>12) Get off the "Grid" as much as possible with a hybrid car, solar and wind energy</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>13) Continue to laugh, love, live and learn everyday!</div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-38609912810894216172007-05-29T17:48:00.000-07:002007-05-29T18:18:12.838-07:00I've Been Tagged...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXEHf02VwpmUuitssA-Jk5n77KiQXIFAVGGZhX9dgwJ2nFs-QVi4LKLHKBTSjgvAxkipOZ8m2NH36K_kxcFuy_pKq3VbBHwePOCZ24fOf87ESYrID7a7K_pcRk9391_x7N-XH/s1600-h/donut+falls+058.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070156570920777922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXEHf02VwpmUuitssA-Jk5n77KiQXIFAVGGZhX9dgwJ2nFs-QVi4LKLHKBTSjgvAxkipOZ8m2NH36K_kxcFuy_pKq3VbBHwePOCZ24fOf87ESYrID7a7K_pcRk9391_x7N-XH/s200/donut+falls+058.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>So, my friend Jess, "tagged" me. I'm supposed to list 10 weird/random things about myself and then tag others to do the same. Jess is my best friend, she knows me pretty well, so it might be a bit of a challenge to list 10 things. But I'll give it a try, into the "weird" depths of Susie; Enjoy!<br /><br />1) I love pretty much all food that is the color orange. Yeap, if it's orange, I'll probably like it: carrots, TANG, squash, cheese, etc. About the only thing orange I don't like is orange soda.<br /><br />2) I do not own a thong...I just don't see the point<br />(hope that wasn't too much info!)<br /><br />3) When I was a little kid, my mom loved the show "Hill Street Blues" and so I wanted to be a cop when "I grew up"<br /><br />4) I hate (and hate is a strong word that I try to avoid), Ground Hog's Day. I think it's the most absurd holiday ever. Folks get dressed up in a Tux to pull a vermit out of it's slumber and hold it up in front of a bunch of camera lights...why don't we get this excited about Earth Day???<br /><br />5) I would love to one day be a bee keeper. I love honey (eventhough it's not orange) and I think bees are amazing insects.<br /><br />6) I've been on TV 6 times.<br /><br />7) I cried when the Sports Announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals, Jack Buck died and to this day I still get a little teary-eyed whenever I hear sound clips of him yelling "That's a winner!"<br /><br />8) I can pop my right shoulder in and out of place.<br /><br />9) I have a pet rock that sits on my desk at work...he's called Fraggle.<br /><br />10) My first concert was to go see Reba McEntire...with my mom.<br /><br />And to be sappy, I'm going to throw in #11 and say that I have the best friends in the world. They don't always realize it, but I really do have amazing friends!<br /><br />Ok, now I tag:<br />Yellow over at A Roker Artist <a href="http://arokerartist.blogspot.com/">http://arokerartist.blogspot.com/</a><br />Nic from Finders Keepers Art Project <a href="http://fkartproject.blogspot.com/">http://fkartproject.blogspot.com/</a> <br />And my friend Emily who is living in Spain right now <a href="http://mividaenespana.livejournal.com/">http://mividaenespana.livejournal.com/</a> <br /><br />It's your all's turn. I've read all of your blogs, but now I want to know more about you!</div><div></div><div></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-34156139701201943042007-05-02T17:12:00.000-07:002007-05-02T17:18:34.897-07:00Like I said before, My Job Rocks!!!<div><strong><span style="color:#000000;">New Findings:</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">1) The Navajo describe rain fall as being either male or female. Male rain is the thunderous down pours; testosterone giving off energy. Female rain is a gentle rain that the Earth can soak-up and use to nuture new growth.</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></em> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5060121770716577394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFAqR7dpfn_xvfCttNfGbV9j9F5q9b994DKdnw_ZJ2CisstmgkCto0CA5h1a3iex77Kmbri1shpN1S82Fl3Xdn0GB6-MyT9MOF-pbaDf8MLkHlittcG0oD0FzLfyIeIHuwN7O/s320/misc.+044.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, some of you that know me know that I work at an amazing organization called SPLORE. SPLORE is a non-profit that provides outdoor recreation to folks with disabilities. The Story below is from a local news station doing a story on us. This is just a tiny example of what we do. We've been around for 30 years this summer and there are several other stories that can be told, but I wanted to show an example to all of you. My job rocks and I'm soooo happy that the news finally put a positive story out to the public instead of all of the negative "stuff" we hear all the time!</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><div><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The direct link to the story is: </span></span></div><a href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1149049"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1149049</span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(Watch the video!)</span></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-47889303811523953282007-04-18T14:12:00.000-07:002007-04-19T18:20:35.311-07:00WooHoo for Camping Trips<em><p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>New Things I've Learned:</strong> </span></p><p></em></p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>1) The desert is amazing! </em><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><em>2) A dry wash in the desert usually has a trickle of water running through it at night. There is no water running through the wash during the day because trees and plants like cottonwoods are photosynthesizing during the day and using all of the water that passes by. However, at night, the cottonwoods are Not photosynthesizing and therefore are not using water and the water trickles through the wash<br /></em><em>3) I want to write a children's educational book </em><br /></span><p><em></em></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I love getting away. I love going some place new to explore, learn and relax. I love wide-open spaces. I love mini-vacations and road trips and this weekend that well was nicely filled. I went to the deserts of Utah, hiked in Bell Slot Canyon, camped under amazing stars, woke to one of the most amazing sunrises I have seen in my life and turned into a kid again playing in Goblin Valley. I had been longing to get away, see and do new things and enjoy a little solitude. I could write forever about how much fun I had, all of the new things I saw and learned, how theraputic this trip was for me, but for right now, I just wanted to share a few pictures with everyone. </p></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><p>ENJOY!! </p></span><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055309761163028386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtxyOkJpUIXTP2r887iU8k5FiuyZmgU7wYouI9S61c1eLlxVuYrG13iH2vQdhhEjcT4MQHE-2n_MECx0AsazfazElwzb_8C-LJTKcYIhyphenhyphenjh2idAjh8rrOFMCCWQJKHk39xEUP/s200/Goblin+Valley+004.jpg" border="0" /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">A picture of the dry wash and the water-guzzling cottonwood tree</span></em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP2lEAEUPEBMwxbrvPGNdkPTer-j-LhO15GDIirV-gNTOv9Syxf1kpq-KbABZ8NuNMSOxtyOD8BGTQ97K7MR72mJKDc8r1LjSYZJk7v280NcTg0kZPUlt9JhNsDGIDFbKFYQO/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310590091716626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirP2lEAEUPEBMwxbrvPGNdkPTer-j-LhO15GDIirV-gNTOv9Syxf1kpq-KbABZ8NuNMSOxtyOD8BGTQ97K7MR72mJKDc8r1LjSYZJk7v280NcTg0kZPUlt9JhNsDGIDFbKFYQO/s200/Goblin+Valley+109.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> Disco Sheila flying high! </span></em></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPcUuHT4K8E0IXVKPNIjIswjuxGKEGqc2W-5Ji1amCJjSOFtF_8zkTAiUZXP9OShAmGNH4JzVNuJNiF-wJJtPffxnW4Sn0ljTrd7UYA6LI8bLMfqO0t6KlM7HWm-xltxA0HTy/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+095.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310517077272578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPcUuHT4K8E0IXVKPNIjIswjuxGKEGqc2W-5Ji1amCJjSOFtF_8zkTAiUZXP9OShAmGNH4JzVNuJNiF-wJJtPffxnW4Sn0ljTrd7UYA6LI8bLMfqO0t6KlM7HWm-xltxA0HTy/s200/Goblin+Valley+095.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">Goblin Valley!<br /></span></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCh0wJ2US3tpfyaTyl_6ynbXZEfC0EpfZxkkK6lG7D_qK3HqY61ww74QypVHhPe8i9dx5T6J3hqpptS4haJ0VioWsRg-Ck5i6abu8AqyXxI7_WNfz8M_ayYooq3jHFCJpaw0S/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+086.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310401113155570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCh0wJ2US3tpfyaTyl_6ynbXZEfC0EpfZxkkK6lG7D_qK3HqY61ww74QypVHhPe8i9dx5T6J3hqpptS4haJ0VioWsRg-Ck5i6abu8AqyXxI7_WNfz8M_ayYooq3jHFCJpaw0S/s200/Goblin+Valley+086.jpg" border="0" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:85%;">Just thought this was a cool shot through the Goblins.</span></em><br /><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievokDmJViu19p_O0tyf81DQG_QIen38qUFJJFE49ugrnyXu77dFWQhNe5GUWUChz6gjVxYWwSKLISF626FiG_DEpa0ybE95QnLPm5cR7l3IsJCmaH5Hjbpz99C1AmbhAM2Xrl/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310280854071266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievokDmJViu19p_O0tyf81DQG_QIen38qUFJJFE49ugrnyXu77dFWQhNe5GUWUChz6gjVxYWwSKLISF626FiG_DEpa0ybE95QnLPm5cR7l3IsJCmaH5Hjbpz99C1AmbhAM2Xrl/s200/Goblin+Valley+061.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Me, standing on top of ancient volcanic ash over-looking the Muddy River<br /></span></em><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPawmChGKSLoScv8WkfPQbdfQmVg-8Jf8d5KBw9-3X0DROkn_wZi1M1fe2M59Gm61mxcHHfTHxo4CuI0F_8lw5kVVbHahoN4J9XJ6Jl8ztskFzJxI-zGMuL9Ypjpc2yu-Z5Hp/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+045.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310160594986962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPawmChGKSLoScv8WkfPQbdfQmVg-8Jf8d5KBw9-3X0DROkn_wZi1M1fe2M59Gm61mxcHHfTHxo4CuI0F_8lw5kVVbHahoN4J9XJ6Jl8ztskFzJxI-zGMuL9Ypjpc2yu-Z5Hp/s200/Goblin+Valley+045.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> Our lunch spot gazing off to the snow-capped Henry Mountains</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055309907191916466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUXuUc2tjc4WXzoVbVW2DbrPDmAIlh0wnEP6efF8rh-ca20_m1Ei7l2OfzbwK7fRb2rViUZtqLqs4lBrrOzPBDNunvaTLr1cgtvdY_FW4RpCj8H9zivblNSPeVcSK0S3CWeCp/s200/Goblin+Valley+007.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Just me enjoying a climb in a beautiful cottonwood tree</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQROHW-Sd3DqtN0CEjQOSR2oU0LpcDkbQ_GMGbznv87IHqcNjvqGMhE7rk6Kj4cdQhAe4Zm3d-kJ5f3Ca5QB3uNy6CJF4AXzHp-AJ4cbTUrQshgrcEH4vIHxWXRIhvWn6bZxw/s1600-h/Goblin+Valley+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055310027451000770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="166" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQROHW-Sd3DqtN0CEjQOSR2oU0LpcDkbQ_GMGbznv87IHqcNjvqGMhE7rk6Kj4cdQhAe4Zm3d-kJ5f3Ca5QB3uNy6CJF4AXzHp-AJ4cbTUrQshgrcEH4vIHxWXRIhvWn6bZxw/s200/Goblin+Valley+029.jpg" width="150" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Bell Canyon</em> </span><br /><br /><div><div><br /><div><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></em></div></div></div></div></div></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-54648276151247548592007-03-30T16:09:00.000-07:002007-03-30T16:53:14.750-07:00Disco Sheila!<em><strong><span style="color:#000000;">Some New Things I've Learned:</span></strong></em><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;">1) There are about 200,000 Catholics in Utah</span></em><br /><br /><em><p></em></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">The other day I was "Blog surfing" (that's a technical term I just made up by the way) and came across one guy's site that said, "Screw it, it's nice outside, I'm not writing today. Instead, I'm going to grab a beer, my sketchbook, a chair and head outside."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">I sorta wish I would have took better note of this site so I could have checked back later to learn how this guy enjoyed his day off in the park. However, I decided I didn't want to learn how his experience went and instead I created my own lazy day in the park. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">The weather has been getting much nicer here in Utah and I, for one, couldn't be happier. (Tulips and daffodils are starting to bloom, the red bud tress are living up to their names and the grass is turning green! Green, I love the color green and today, as I was driving back from a rock climbing program, someone was cutting their grass; what I wonderful sme</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">ll I've been missing!) In celebration of the nice weather, I decided to buy a kite. I went the the park with some friends and we let the kite fly while we enjoyed a sun bath, the Spring air and just the wonderful outdoors.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SmK_zcJAdGbsH6AG8jnDraUrv-RsS3qzr5ln6hMFWhoFP7SQ3sLRoeIGXDegj4JngK5nPL0sl4zBIg4bVIbDUTYpXGaNhvxDFS_UjIMhWkjbwCN1LXl_DWN4kZ4ZGjdIy9ZY/s1600-h/me+kite+1.jpg"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047865659963589010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px" height="164" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SmK_zcJAdGbsH6AG8jnDraUrv-RsS3qzr5ln6hMFWhoFP7SQ3sLRoeIGXDegj4JngK5nPL0sl4zBIg4bVIbDUTYpXGaNhvxDFS_UjIMhWkjbwCN1LXl_DWN4kZ4ZGjdIy9ZY/s200/me+kite+1.jpg" width="200" border="0" /></span></a></span></p><div align="right"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span></div><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">I decided to name the kite Disco Sheila because she's bright and colorful and has some pretty cool moves when she's up in the big blue sky! </span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </p><p align="right"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><em>Disco Sheila and me; despite the scary butt-shot of myself </em></span><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"><em><span style="color:#000000;">I still thought this was a pretty cool picture. Check out the mountains, the pond below, am I lucky or what?</span> </em></span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">It had been years since I had flown a kite but I soon remembered why it is so much fun! It's an easy activity to do, the kite is pretty entertaining to watch, you're outside and it's a relaxing activity where can go into an almost meditative state...all of which is highly enjoyable to me. I'm lucky enough to be in a setting where I could fly Disco Sheila and then gaze at the snow-capped mountains in the background, or get distracted by the park's lake at the bottom of the hill filled with ducks, geese and sea gulls (despite the fact that I'm NO where near a beach, it sure felt like it because of the sea gulls always calling and soaring above). In the end, I'd always come back to watching Disco Sheila and her bright colors and being very happy about my Spring activities. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">This weekend, I hope you say "screw it" and head outside too!</span></p><p> </p><p> </p>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-82333596933303209292007-03-20T17:09:00.000-07:002007-03-21T09:53:54.610-07:00Wow, Last Weekend!<span style="color:#000000;"><em><p><strong>New Things I've Learned:</strong></em><br /><br /></span><div><div><div><em><strong><span style="color:#000000;"></span></strong></em></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em><strong>1)</strong> Aspen trees grow in groves; meaning that several trees can all be connected through a root system. One way to tell which trees in an aspen grove are all part of the same root system is by observing when their buds appear on the branches. Trees with the same root system (or trees that are all part of the same grove) will all bud at the same time whereas another aspen grove might bud a day or so later.</em> <p></p></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;">In my last post, I wrote about how I couldn't wait for the weekend. I was looking forward to day-light savings time and going on a dog sledding trip. I was not disappointed with my anticipation of the weekend, as I had an amazing experience! I could go on and on about the trip, but I thought I'd highlight it with pictures. Enjoy!</div></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe_jB3klCTEe41THzqzzZcFwO2sEJyN-LEMab2umWNeacYdWryK6bos8Zuj1n5ZSyaZ1vQrQs-k8in0gNU8Are0tCH6mJGXRZ-V9UZkqDVP1dAIvLvJ6Oke_QKRtnyWKvQCEX/s1600-h/dogsledding+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044164920120977298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHe_jB3klCTEe41THzqzzZcFwO2sEJyN-LEMab2umWNeacYdWryK6bos8Zuj1n5ZSyaZ1vQrQs-k8in0gNU8Are0tCH6mJGXRZ-V9UZkqDVP1dAIvLvJ6Oke_QKRtnyWKvQCEX/s200/dogsledding+014.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><div> </div><div><br /><em>The group f<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ99A9bh5zDkhpLBJZj21i0HCL4y7O56uzZNCFIZ7VKlipr71la5Gjadq-GRtYE5QzM9fvXB8aytOxEOqWs_EsGrLZwJLp8toD2qPZhQXmNsyhl7I9RH7lmAY4YCD223P4TNU/s1600-h/dogsledding+042.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044166762661947298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQ99A9bh5zDkhpLBJZj21i0HCL4y7O56uzZNCFIZ7VKlipr71la5Gjadq-GRtYE5QzM9fvXB8aytOxEOqWs_EsGrLZwJLp8toD2qPZhQXmNsyhl7I9RH7lmAY4YCD223P4TNU/s200/dogsledding+042.jpg" border="0" /></a>rom last weekend's amazing trip!</em></div><br /><br /><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div><em></em></div><div><em>The beautiful and mesmerizing Grand Tetons. We spent Saturday afternoon snowshoeing in Grand Teton National Park! (I think I was drooling a bit when I took this picture, I love this place!)</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieohX47NpvhTDrbDci_R3LtckkRPImDBd2eCIheqSx8Yr-Gg8JCXACZvAkhsYlh53_v9cyLGt6Mj77UUNyKyi02RDxsIssWRgC0BvjETMu_7sV6pYuYfY6Ig0j280wLagt9x9x/s1600-h/dogsledding+076.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044167690374883250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieohX47NpvhTDrbDci_R3LtckkRPImDBd2eCIheqSx8Yr-Gg8JCXACZvAkhsYlh53_v9cyLGt6Mj77UUNyKyi02RDxsIssWRgC0BvjETMu_7sV6pYuYfY6Ig0j280wLagt9x9x/s200/dogsledding+076.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><em></em></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><em></em> </div><div><em>"The Grand" Teton Mountain (Can anyone believe I actually came back after this trip? I had a hard time leaving)</em><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dDB_XqUfW27b2y5LtUsdzShPGLSmZeM_Ifm-T9Kub6q9fXq3ANjLzX4zhf4eiTsYHY96H8L-bZuLXsEvFUJhhAD2ezR4D9IdNr44e4FQnp_cyrZtVH8aCes2N6Hs7-lGnrAL/s1600-h/dogsledding+089.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044168703987165122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dDB_XqUfW27b2y5LtUsdzShPGLSmZeM_Ifm-T9Kub6q9fXq3ANjLzX4zhf4eiTsYHY96H8L-bZuLXsEvFUJhhAD2ezR4D9IdNr44e4FQnp_cyrZtVH8aCes2N6Hs7-lGnrAL/s200/dogsledding+089.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><em>On the reins of dog sledding. It's hard to put into words just how amazing it is to go dog sledding. The dogs love what they do, it's an amazing feeling to be driving the sled and your surroundings are breath taking!</em></div><div> </div><div><em></em></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-j04KQdrF1OV6Yke_ZN03dcM72ZE3DNrD7oUFt84FYUTxY75wk5eK2s9q3taZsYsUlacPp2zA1QQ_Vkyi9D7AsUdottrKBfgdUbyjE9QOj3UsDWB3cjY9UUPIrpMgVF6ua64/s1600-h/dogsledding+100.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044170207225718738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-j04KQdrF1OV6Yke_ZN03dcM72ZE3DNrD7oUFt84FYUTxY75wk5eK2s9q3taZsYsUlacPp2zA1QQ_Vkyi9D7AsUdottrKBfgdUbyjE9QOj3UsDWB3cjY9UUPIrpMgVF6ua64/s200/dogsledding+100.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><em>Puppy love! Me and the lead dogs of my team: Eske and Cree.</em></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9zT4_kPHMNRWewKXdSiUfCggBG_fhlVHUJYQjCzVSgFvC-JsDbD-soETvsxY7tmQE7MyxiQ7BaNA_W_c2dYUhXkm0wwMFEmrZQxljFIMRM0CLrgbuTURBmwylxYDFUFrM_bd/s1600-h/dogsledding+081.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044172530803025890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9zT4_kPHMNRWewKXdSiUfCggBG_fhlVHUJYQjCzVSgFvC-JsDbD-soETvsxY7tmQE7MyxiQ7BaNA_W_c2dYUhXkm0wwMFEmrZQxljFIMRM0CLrgbuTURBmwylxYDFUFrM_bd/s200/dogsledding+081.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><em>The view from the Grand Teton Science School in Kelly, Wyoming. Just think, this might be my new front yard for a year!</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000066;"><p>Like I said earlier, there are so many things I could go on and on about concerning last weekend. If anyone has any questions about my adventure, please don't hesitate to ask. I love talking about this and I could post my responses.</p><p>P.S. There were two highlights of the trip that cannot be explained in pictures. <strong>1)</strong> I received a letter from one of the participants I was helping. I'm not going to write exactly what she said (that's something I want to keep for myself) but she just wanted to thank me for helping her have an amazing experience. I cannnot explain how much the letter meant to me, but I will always treasure it as, eventhough I love my job, it's hard sometimes and receiving a letter like this can really change one's perspective.<strong> 2)</strong> I had been praying for some kind of clarity on what I should do after I finish my year of AmeriCorps. Part of the trip last weekend included staying at the Grand Teton Science School and I gained an interest in going to Graduate school there to gain skills in nature interpertation. Not promising I'll go there, but it's something I'll be thinking about!</p></span></div></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-3232723208910200242007-03-07T15:14:00.000-07:002007-03-07T15:49:44.105-07:00Hurry-up Weekend!<strong><em>Things I've Learned:</em></strong><br /><em>1) When backpacking, it's recommended to only carry 1/4 of your weight in your backpack.</em><br /><br /><em>2) If you're backpacking or camping and you're trying to light a fire, bring a set of those birthday "trick" candles that don't go out when you blow on them. That way, if you're match keeps getting blown out, or if they get wet, etc., you'll have the birthday "trick" candles to add some extra lighting support.</em><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33dHNFTD3bbfYQYzSGzi9QCK6GjDedH3Jh817yEGSchBI6yAllyFlhQhfdkA6AEtqwIuGcNnMu6AwFevyweqCEQA7C96IvDNxliL4hXZS7Jpe_PGn3Y9sOHmSaE0hNN_xuZIL/s1600-h/Dog+Sledding.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039311504972196818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33dHNFTD3bbfYQYzSGzi9QCK6GjDedH3Jh817yEGSchBI6yAllyFlhQhfdkA6AEtqwIuGcNnMu6AwFevyweqCEQA7C96IvDNxliL4hXZS7Jpe_PGn3Y9sOHmSaE0hNN_xuZIL/s200/Dog+Sledding.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95wp8OkkrsvDnIl9RHyyUpN4bkxFyxv6yUqxztDmafE93LG2WvIl-yjq-p1CEB602PqNTp5YsXaBg_1LNYYEuyGPaWfnVSkZGLu8GLow-5axJL34vYyFX0-u5jkL7yCA71dYz/s1600-h/cactus.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039311668180954082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="191" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95wp8OkkrsvDnIl9RHyyUpN4bkxFyxv6yUqxztDmafE93LG2WvIl-yjq-p1CEB602PqNTp5YsXaBg_1LNYYEuyGPaWfnVSkZGLu8GLow-5axJL34vYyFX0-u5jkL7yCA71dYz/s200/cactus.jpg" width="150" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><em></em><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><p>Oh, how I wish the weekend would get here soon! On Friday, I'm leaving Salt Lake to head-up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">woohoo</span>! I'm going up there to go snowshoeing at the Grand <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Teton</span> Science School and to also go dog sledding. I went on the trip last year for work and it was one of the most amazing trips of my life! I never thought that I, a girl from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">small-town</span> Missouri, would go on such an amazing trip with great people and now I get to go for a second time! </p><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><p>I'm also looking forward to this weekend because Sunday is one of my favorite times of the year. Sunday is the day we get to "Spring" our clocks forward. Some folks might think I'm a little crazy for being so excited about this one day because we also lose one hour of sleep. I'm so excited about this time of the year that I could care less about losing an hour of sleep, I could lose a whole day's worth of sleep and I'd still be incredibly giddy. Losing one hour of sleep for one day to gain an hour of extra sunshine in the afternoon is a heck of a trade to me! </p><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><p>I like this day not only because I gain some extra sunshine, but because it's the sign that Spring is soon to arrive. Don't get me wrong, I like winter, especially in Utah as everything is beautiful covered in snow, but I can't hold my excitement back knowing that Spring and all the wonders that come with it, are fast approaching. Right now I feel like a kid in a candy shop as I'm daydreaming about the day that I get to wear a short-sleeved t-shirt, drive in my car with the windows down while listening and whistling to some great music.</p></span></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-60775943205525325012007-02-27T19:08:00.000-07:002007-02-27T19:28:05.929-07:00My Job Rocks!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5G0dpfJ3Tz-gaTpaoiHgRY3SQletnJpL6mYOj1KptyA7a0D6EsiIWTt3o-wtHfGPD8MY3MceCUUwAl8Q98QPsE4V2awu14HAAVD6ZIvVk0AlZgC-eimRD6LlosNOcjHPNRgsE/s1600-h/compressed+Justin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036401727946210850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5G0dpfJ3Tz-gaTpaoiHgRY3SQletnJpL6mYOj1KptyA7a0D6EsiIWTt3o-wtHfGPD8MY3MceCUUwAl8Q98QPsE4V2awu14HAAVD6ZIvVk0AlZgC-eimRD6LlosNOcjHPNRgsE/s200/compressed+Justin.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><em>Things I've Learned:</em></strong></div><div><em><strong>1)</strong> </em>About 100 inches of snow has fallen in Utah during the month of February...amazing!</div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><div></div><div><em></em></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000066;">Wow, so my job rocks! My job is a lot of work, long hours, little pay and all worth it. Working at SPLORE is perhaps the hardest job I ever have (or ever will) love. There are so many reasons why I can explain that I love my job; so many experiences that I have been a part of and will always cherish. One such memory happened last week. I was taking a group of elementary kids (both with and without disabilities) indoor rockclimbing. These kids were amazing and they taught me so many lessons.</span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000066;"><div><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;">So often it's hard to find people without disabilities wanting to hang out with people with disabilities, let alone kids! However, this group all became friends and all shared each other's successes, creating great commaradie. If one kid was climbing, all of his peers would chant his name, cheering him on. Sometimes a kid would get scared to climb higher, or didn't think he could make it to the top, that was when his classmates would yell back, "you can do it, you can do it, keep going...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CAN'T."</span></div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"><div><br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000066;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color:#000066;">Wow, the insight of a 1st grader. I often wonder, "who gets the most out of a </span><a href="http://www.splore.org"><span style="color:#000066;">SPLORE</span></a><span style="color:#000066;"> trip? The participants or the staff and volunteers?" </span></span></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-66902093486511320252007-02-20T16:23:00.000-07:002007-02-20T16:40:48.735-07:00Feed Burner<em><strong>Things I've Learned:</strong></em><br /><em>1) White rhinos aren't actually white. Being lost in translation, "white" was originally "wide," describing the mouth of the rhinos. What was first called the wide rhino, got changed to white rhino. </em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000099;">OK, so for a quick update. I don't have much news, or a very long entry, but I wanted to all to know about a new update to this site. If you look to your right, you'll see a link to subscribe to this blog. All long as you have a Google account, you'll get updates of this site. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000099;">Woohoo! Now I just wonder if anyone still reads this and if you'll actually subscribe??? ;-) </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000099;">In the meantime, I'll find something to write to entice you all to sign-up for this blog (did I mention it's free?). Also, stay tuned as I hope to add some more updates, content and update the look of this site.</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-12085812067029963192007-02-07T18:30:00.000-07:002007-02-20T15:38:43.919-07:00Learning to be Small<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycR0_yC02KiSnj2_iWl9Nqi-XqsLGNrPgTyVCXypMToZaVG8CJ3qY_bJG-tHDRL9sNJ8g3cuuFRGGRBgsWExX4pMdb25Gs8QIVH9KeFeusYnRG2EfzcbP5x2LdG3B5RfVyD9b/s1600-h/misc.+069.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028972819264295954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycR0_yC02KiSnj2_iWl9Nqi-XqsLGNrPgTyVCXypMToZaVG8CJ3qY_bJG-tHDRL9sNJ8g3cuuFRGGRBgsWExX4pMdb25Gs8QIVH9KeFeusYnRG2EfzcbP5x2LdG3B5RfVyD9b/s200/misc.+069.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp0tGFcwwkc8n-HbICOUE4PYIAOtPRk3mbEa3nWGFfEvGscTItRYZTMAFAzA7YI2_h-He0LaQAMkJVMF1I9j1pdTzkiY1pBdyM9fGuYR7jsUfidmAh1UmQCZPMXBmh5rfQprp/s1600-h/26069-R1-04-4A_005.jpg"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VrEXS6MPb-BZM7E30Ht5rguabnsJyLHc0ieXKCvIbJ8mUSS3e4ZEQQVJPZUAGhgXKN3bOR93MJqIr8RBVZ8GANldhhXA-FpPmwIAHLptzvyUOvtd_au1pXTRxPpnvW8ZKMWj/s1600-h/26069-R1-18-18A_019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028973369020109874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VrEXS6MPb-BZM7E30Ht5rguabnsJyLHc0ieXKCvIbJ8mUSS3e4ZEQQVJPZUAGhgXKN3bOR93MJqIr8RBVZ8GANldhhXA-FpPmwIAHLptzvyUOvtd_au1pXTRxPpnvW8ZKMWj/s200/26069-R1-18-18A_019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr06Ycw4dRcf0h8dlNjCyWUEa42SKBo6PXRSX2Zi9_O4VXiNS5Oji8uTF78FtbLSXs8mtNFpBeEN4k2Jg3okxAHuLH6w5coLbGeKpUJ2s_K_YqiBWdGQAdLRU3MPEHjlDfpqk/s1600-h/misc.+069.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnS5DVVpivlU7JAXEIu6mqr5iD9GUtIe1LYWbxxW-m1Rr_r1WHhTYkr1A03hWyyiHZHOSHY8wbqTl1CxgyK0rX-KO4apglWFBEUk0mehkT_IQVTlTi_Da4AYQoXjazXV5x4Kf/s1600-h/26069-R1-04-4A_005.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjernrc8GPI0x-IJn02qjIO4yx5KpYeqP7Vja26-6ZEGBOKhkoyn0WNceO50bXUiYvZDbBV9irOmQmdlRGYsdxKSp76LfAtc9VVdFwSTWLReMkpZFH0os1TsUN0deC_Ly0RPLSX/s1600-h/26069-R1-18-18A_019.jpg"></a></div></div></div><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, I usually start off each post stating all of the new things that I've learned lately. This time, however, I don't have much to report along the lines of new facts I've learned (unless you want to learn that Alanis Morissette has a twin brother named Wade). I have learned a lot though since the last time I wrote, but instead of learning random facts, I've learned a lot about myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">I took an amazing hike this weekend (the pictures above don't do the hike justice). Lately, I've been hearing a lot about a place in Utah called Donut Falls. Donut Falls is a waterfall that runs across the top of a slab of granite rock. The granite slab creates a cavern, which opens up and you can walk into a room. On top of the granite slab runs a creek and there is a hole on top of the slab that the water pours through. After hearing so much about this wonderful place, I decided to check it out myself.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">At first, I was a little nervous about going on this hike by myself because I wasn't positive of the way. After guessing which paths to take and asking a few fellow wanders for some directions, I was on the right track. I finallly made it to the falls and realized that I had to scramble up (and thus also down) a few snow and ice-covered boulders. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Another group in snowshoes were also scrambling up the rocks at the same time. A lady turned to me and said, "You must be brave to do this by yourself." Joking back I told her that I was either brave or stupid. After the scramble, I reached the top and a state of gratitude and awe that I can't explain. The falls were beautiful and the scenery that I passed through behind me was powerful. I was so grateful that I made this journey and so grateful to witness such a great gift from God. I was also grateful that I went by myself; some time to pass through this wonder on my own, with solitude on the mind, refreshing my soul.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">The hike back seemed shorter that the hike there (they always do). I was in a great mood and my mind was wandering from one joyful thought to the next. I started thinking about how I read earlier in a magazine that one of the readers' favorite things about the outdoors was the feeling of being small. At first I didn't understand what was so great about feeling small because sometimes that can be overwhelming. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, however, my attitude changed and I realized that I did like feeling small, feeling surrounded by beauty and wonder for miles around me. At that same moment, I looked to my right and saw this cute, little pine cone on the branch of a huge tree. This pine cone was so small compared to me (about the size of my thumb), and the tree on which it grew. It was at that moment, a sign, that no matter how small we are, we have a purpose and I'm where I'm supposed to be. Just that one realization made this an amazing hike, let alone all of the wonderful sights along the way.</span></p></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-83629408692543516072007-01-26T15:19:00.000-07:002007-01-26T15:27:33.614-07:00Be Open<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IexvywDWMwRcdawK3axTVxu-ECRMuQPYyky-qsmfapsRuRNkAfyKzCbuoR-eY0TND1E5AGAzuX_ftfGRmNw91nJkP7IwE5NBbaTAoPks87k-nWCWieM-iW0WH6tDN_JhdzJK/s1600-h/TRAILS+rafting+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5024468034522580306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IexvywDWMwRcdawK3axTVxu-ECRMuQPYyky-qsmfapsRuRNkAfyKzCbuoR-eY0TND1E5AGAzuX_ftfGRmNw91nJkP7IwE5NBbaTAoPks87k-nWCWieM-iW0WH6tDN_JhdzJK/s320/TRAILS+rafting+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong><em>Things I've Recently Learned:</em></strong><br /><em>1) Years ago, Native Americans and Early European settlers used to make Birch Beer. They would boil down the bark and sap of a Birch tree, add some honey and then let it ferment.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#009900;">There has been a motto going around work and I liked it so much that I thought I'd pass it along to all:</span><br /><span style="color:#009900;"></span><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#009900;"><strong>Be Open.<br />Because some visionaries are blind.<br />Because some communicators are deaf.<br />Because some movers and shakers are paralyzed.<br />Because the only true disability is a mind stuck in the closed position.</strong></span></div>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1169084330987490922007-01-17T18:36:00.000-07:002007-01-18T18:50:27.820-07:00One Year! Thank You!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/1600/736363/winter%20stuff%20005.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/320/97172/winter%20stuff%20005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><em>Things I've Recently Learned:</em></strong><br /><em>1) The Sugar Maple has been in cultivation since 1753; being used for landscaping, lumber and syrup!</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, one year ago today I made my move to Utah. For years, I always wanted to go on adventures, try something new and move West; but until last year, I would always get a little too nervous to make the leap and would some how back out. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, today I'm celebrating me taking a leap of faith one year ago today. A leap that was exciting, rewarding, scary and uncertain all at the same time. A leap, that at the time I was so nervous to make, but am now so grateful that I did. Sometimes, as I'm wondering through the mountains or getting lost in the sun setting upon red cliffs, I still can't believe I'm here. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">After all of the amazing things that I've seen and done, I still long for home. It might sound corny, but I truly do love where I'm from. At home, I become a victim of comfort. Perhaps it is the familiarity of knowing where I'm at, who I run into or just knowing what kind of tree I'm standing next to. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">It's hard; feeling like I belong in one place, while longing for another. </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">I have no regrets moving to Utah, in fact, I think it's the best decision I've ever made. It's hard to have any regrets when you hear and see you're making a positive impact on others' lives and thus your own. Nonetheless, longing may be one of the hardest emotions one can endure. Could this be where the phrase, "Patience is a Virtue" comes from? Even though I long for home, my family, friends and even my dog Maggie, I must be patient and focus on the now and soak-up the experiences I'm having.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">After one year of being in Utah, there are those that I owe some thanks to. Thank-You to my family for supporting me in this transition. Thank-You to my friends for always being there for me and for supporting and encouraging me. Thank-You to some amazing folks that I've met along the way to keep me motivated. And Thank-You to countless others that have inspired me in ways unimaginable.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">Journeys conjeur-up a lot of emotions, but in the end it's about growth and learning and right now, I'm doing a lot of that. I'm no longer a victim of comfort and I find myself wondering, 'What's next?'</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1168390553443701902007-01-09T17:42:00.000-07:002007-01-09T17:56:43.283-07:00Poetry?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/1600/192242/cropped.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/320/282220/cropped.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><em>Things I've Learned:</em></strong><br /><em>1) Steel is the most recycled product in the U.S. After the collapse of the World Trade Centers on 9/11, a lot of that steel was melted down, recycled and is now being used to build the new USS New York naval ship. About 24 tons of steel from the WTC will be used to make the USS New York!</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">So, for the last three weeks I have been at home in Missouri for the Holidays. Whenever I get the chance to go home for awhile, I love reminicing about the past and this includes looking through old pictures, notes, etc. Well, this time I found an old poem I wrote. By no means do I think of myself as a poet, it's an artform that I never really got into. Nevertheless, I thought I'd pass it along...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"><strong>"Journey"</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions of snowflakes</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">All scurring to the Earth below.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Each on unique, each one beautiful, each on serving different intenetions.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">One my spiral down to delight the mittens of a child</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">One may glisten in the aged eyes of wisdom</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">And one my comfort the remaining leaf of a gingko.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions that make a journey.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">I may flutter down to a desolate lake</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Transform the placid surface with a ripple</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Extending out to the edges and tickle the feet of cattails.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions of different, unique and beautiful snowflakes.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Alone we might have different effects, but as a whole we transform the scenery.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">I am but one of hundreds, thousands, millions...</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Making a Journey</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">And touching the environment around us, as we haphazardly fall from the sky.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">But for now, I am just one of those millions </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Masked by the beauty and confusion around me.</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1167793874685915732007-01-02T19:39:00.000-07:002007-01-02T20:25:52.073-07:00Persistence<strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em>Things I've Learned:</em></strong><br /><em>1) There actually are quaking aspen trees in Missouri; however, they are only found in the very Northeast corner of the state.</em><br /><em>2) Harps have 47 strings and 7 pedals.</em><br /><em>3) 2000 years ago, midwives would cut the umbilical cord of newborns with a hard-crust of bread! Using a disposable crust of bread was much more sanitary than a sharpened stone.</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">OK, so it's the New Year. A time to have a fresh, new start, a time to reflect on the past and resolve for the future and get all sentimental about various stuff. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked, "So, Susie, what's your New Year's Resolution?" well, I'd be able to afford liposuction rather than actually sticking to a resolution to lose weight. Basically, everyone has the same resolutions, I call them the top three: lose weight, make lots of money at a new job and stop smoking or other bad habits. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">For the past couple of years, another blogger, <a href="http://www.christinekane.com">Christine Kane </a>has been picking words to be mindful of for the coming year instead of making resolutions that just seem to get recycled from one year to the next. I thought, 'hey, I can handle a word to live by.' So for 2007 my word will be persistence.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">Persistence, the act or quality of being steadfast, especially in time(s) of discouragement, opposition or obstacles; to perserver. I picked the word persistence because so many times I'll get excited about trying something new or starting a new project and then flake my way out of continuing with these projects when things get a little "hard." I have learned that I am an incredibly good rationalizer. If, for some reason, I'm feeling too lazy or unmotivated to do something that I know is good for me and growth, I can always rationalize my way out of what I should be doing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">My intent for being mindful of the word Persistence</span> <span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#006600;">is to become more steadfast in living a more healthy and conscious life. I intend to be more persistent with my artwork, my friendships, my exercise, work, and yes, Blogging too! (This should make my friend, Emily very happy!) I hope that being mindful of the word presistence will teach me more about myself, the world around me and maybe even teach me about a few more words such as courage, determination, conscousness, kindness, or growth. </span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1166238078661598962006-12-15T19:25:00.000-07:002006-12-15T20:08:19.320-07:00Susie at Random<div align="left"><strong></strong> </div><div align="left"><strong></strong> </div><div align="left"><strong>Things I've Recently Learned:</strong> </div><div align="left">1) "Mele Kalikimaka" means Merry Christmas in Hawaiian. </div><div align="left">2) Since piglets grow soooo fast, 147 piglets were used to make the movie "Charlotte's Web" </div><div align="left">3) This was from an email that I received from my cousin: <em>"The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin . . . "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder in your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or you may know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then--to learn.”</em> (Merlin to Arthur in "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White) </div><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">So, in the "Blogging World" I've noticed that there has been a neat trend that has been going around; it's called, "tagging." One blogger will be tagged to write 5 Random Things about themselves and then they'll tag their friends to do the same. I wasn't "tagged" to do this, but I saw this on other sites and thought it looked fun. I'm not going to tag anyone else to do the same but if you think this is fun, go ahead and add it to your site...just let me know so I can go and check it out. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>#1 I am addicted to Tang</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">Yeap, you read it right, it's the astronaut drink. I'm not addicted to anything else but I love sugar-free Tang. My parents bought Tang one day on a whim just to try a new sugar-free drink, I had a little bit too and now I'm known to drink 2 liters a day! </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>#2 I am a Missouri Master Naturalist</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">Even though I currently live in Utah, I grew-up in Missouri and I love the outdoors of Missouri so much that I decided to take some classes after college graduation to become a Missouri Master Naturalist. Missouri Master Naturalists are volunteers in Missouri that learn all about Missouri's natural history, flora and fauna, water sheds, soil, geology, etc. and then apply what they've learned throughout their community. In a week I'll be helping with a controlled burn and I'm very excited. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>#3 I had an imaginary, imaginary friend</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">What's that mean? Well, when I was little, I would hear my parents talking about how "so and so's" kid was so cute and funny with their imaginary friend and I started wondering why I didn't have an imaginary friend and I felt left out. I thought that if I were to be a "normal" kid, that I should have an imaginary friend. So I thought about the situation for a bit (and realized that I the concept of an imaginary friend was goofy) and decided to tell adults and other friends that I was normal because I have an imaginary friend. And if anyone was wondering, my "imaginary" imaginary friend was a little old Irish man in a kilt that played the bagpipe and wore a pinch-bill cap...his name was Bob. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>#4 I'm a Gypsy</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">My mom's side of the family is Bohemian and Bohemians are often called Gypsies. I have never traveled to Europe, but Prague, Czech Republic is #1 on my places to travel. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong>#5 I'm a ENFP</strong> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">On the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, ENFP stands for Extroverted, Intuition, Feeling & Perceiving. According to the website, </span><a href="http://www.myersbriggs.org/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">www.myersbriggs.org</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#006600;">, I am, "Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people."</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1165454721813423302006-12-06T17:47:00.000-07:002006-12-06T18:31:02.953-07:00Thinking About Paths<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/1600/248832/utah%20and%20california%20083.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px" height="219" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5356/3655/320/675787/utah%20and%20california%20083.jpg" width="285" border="0" /></a><br /><em><strong>Things I've Learned:</strong></em><br /><em>1) The black-throated sparrow can survive in the desert and low-water conditions by, eating insects and green vegetation and then metabolize moisture from their food. They can also reduce losing moisture in their waste by one forth when water is scarce</em> (Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country).<br /><em>2) The Plains prickly pear has a larger inhabitated range than most cacti. It can be found from southern sections of Canada to Texas. Unlike most cacti, the plains prickly pear can survive at, or below, freezing temps</em> (Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country).<br /><em>3) The dry, fluffy snow that makes the "famous powder" in Utah is called Talcum Snow.</em><br /><em>4) In 1976, the Chicago White Soxs baseball team's uniform included shorts!</em><br /><em>5) While taking a "Blog Hiatus," I learned that I really enjoy Nordic skiing.</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">This past weekend I went to Millcreek Canyon to go Nordic skiing with some friends and I had a blast! It was more fun that I expected, to tell you the truth; at first I couldn't imagine that trying to "jog" up-hill on skis in the freezing cold could be much fun, but I proved myself wrong. Now by no means am I claiming to be any good at this sport, in fact, a friend compared me to a clumsy duck on ice-skates. Never the less, this new adventure was a lot of fun and it's a new activity that I intend on doing more often.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">After this weekend I thought, 'Did I ever imagine that I'd find myself in the mountains enjoying Nordic skiing?' I've been in Utah for 11 months now and sometimes I still can't believe I'm here and seeing what I'm seeing, doing what I'm doing or experiencing what I'm experiencing. I mean, I'm a girl from a town of 500 people; Hawk Point, MO, a town I love and call home. As hard as it was for me to leave my corner of the world, I went to the "big city" of Springfield, MO for school and now I find myself 1300 miles away in the "booming" area of Salt Lake City, having an array of experiences of a lifetime.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">Admist this reflection I think, 'Wow, how did I get here? What events in my life lead me to Nordic skiing in Millcreek Canyon this weekend? What has influenced or inspired me to be where I am today?' Could this be a debate of Nature vs. Nuture -- was I determined to be on this path? No, I don't think so, I think life throws all sorts of forks in the road that we decide (consciously or no) to take.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">One path that I took to get where I am now is an academic path, a path of curiosity. I remember in 6th grade, me and my classmates took a test that would tell us what we're "supposed to be when we grow-up." I don't really remember what the test said, all I remember is that I tried to figure out the test so that I could be told that I'd have a "cool" job. Turns out, the test didn't really have any influence on me, but picking up a copy of <em>National Geographic</em> later that day did. For various reasons like getting to travel, write, meet interesting people, take pictures, and getting paid to do so, I decided that I wanted to be a photojournalist. I followed that <em>academic path</em> throughout high school, on my own and onto college where I got involved with a lot of volunteering which lead me to the possibilities of AmeriCorps. I found the perfect AmeriCorps program for me. A program that would foster my desire to travel and try new things, write and help others; and now I'm sitting here, writing about the journey I've been on.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">The <em>academic path</em>, however, was not the only route of getting to where I am today. There have been many paths that I am grateful for, paths filled with choices, chances, people and inspiration. One of my favorite sayings is, "I'd rather regret something I've done that regret something I didn't do." My mom always said (and no, I'm not trying to sound like Forrest Gump here), is that she regrets not doing something like the Peace Corps. I didn't want to live with a regret like that and so I did some research on AmeriCorps and, as the old saying goes, "the rest is history."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">For me, the decision to actually join and go through with the AmeriCorps adventure wasn't as easy as it sounds. I was worried about the whole thing; Would I like it? Would I do a good job? Could I handle being 1300 miles away from home? Through my wavering confidence, I heard an old Zen saying, "Leap and the Net will Appear." Take this chance, take this opportunity and something will catch you.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">How did I decide to come West? I had never been out West and I was curious about the romantic ideas of adventure and expanding the free-spirit. Perhaps this was inspired from hearing the free-spirit tales and adventures of some close friends that I greatly admire or from reading about Muir, Thoreau or Kerouac. Either way, it's another fork in the road that helped me find myself where I am today and doing things I've never dreamed of doing: River rafting, rock climbing, dog sledding and even Nordic skiing.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">Reflecting upon the paths I've stumbled upon, blazed or trekked through, I'm grateful to be where I am and I can't help but wonder what will happen when I find the next fork in the road? </span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1163033334404386212006-11-08T17:14:00.000-07:002006-11-08T17:58:53.353-07:00Finding Writing Inspiration<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/balloon%20items%20030.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/balloon%20items%20030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><em>Some things I've learned since last time:</em></strong><br /><em>1) People in Utah like to put their Christmas lights up early. This weekend there were a handful of houses already showing off their holiday lights. </em><br /><em>2) The state flower of Utah is the Sego Lily.</em><br /><em>3) The plateau striped whiptail lizard is a species of lizard that is only comprised of females. There are no male striped whiptails; the females lay unfertilized, yet viable eggs. The offspring are essentially clones of the mother!</em><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Lately I've been in a writing slump. I guess sooner or later everyone goes through a writing slump but knowing this doesn't make the slump any easier. Last week I found myself at an outreach event. I admit, the event was pretty boring and long. All of the sudden I found myself upset at myself for not bringing a book or my journal to help pass the monotony of sitting at a table, handing out brochures and watching the hands of a clock that didn't seem to pass time. I kept thinking, "I really wish I was writing right now; I can't wait to get home to open my journal and put pen and thoughts to paper." </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Once I finally got home from a long day, I was excited to have the chance to write. After waiting hours for the chance to write, I sat on my bed and tried to think about what I would write about...no thoughts seemed to jump to mind. For some reason, I seem to believe that everything I write must be poetic, "deep" or enlightening instead of just enjoying the act and process of writing. </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">My excitement soon turned into frustration because I couldn't find any "topics to muse about." I decided, "This won't be a deep entry, I'll just casually write about my day." And before I knew it, I had two pages of notes, ideas and ramblings and, truthfully, I felt pretty proud of myself. After two pages of what seemed to be nothing, I remembered an email I received earlier from a friend. It was one of those emails we've all seen several times; one of those filled with pointless survey questions. About half-way through the ever-so-enlightening-survey, filled with questions like, “what is your favorite food?” I came across a question that asked, "What inspires you?" I thought, 'Now this is really a question worth answering amidst all of this hooey.' </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">What inspires me? I said that people helping others inspires me. Good music inspires me. Passion inspires me. The perfectness of Nature inspires me, like the picture posted above. Good writing also inspires me which is perhaps the reason I had such and "urge" to write the other night. Earlier in the day I received another email from a different friend. It didn't ask me if I preferred vanilla or chocolate ice cream; instead, it was a report on my friend's travels through Europe, headed to Spain. My friend's writing of what she has seen, done, felt, etc. were all beautifully written in an email that I felt I was walking through. It truly was an amazing update of my friend's travels and thoughts, and perhaps it was the inspiration for turning "nothing" into four pages in my journal.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, if you could be a crayon, what color would you be? :-)</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1162342237681093362006-10-31T17:35:00.000-07:002006-10-31T17:53:07.520-07:00Just Stuff<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20004.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20016.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20016.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20019.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Howdy!!! </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">I know I haven't posted for awhile and I really don't have much to say today BUT I have been keeping track of all the new things I've learned while I've been on my "Blog Hiatus," so I thought I'd pass some stuff along. Enjoy! As I'm sure you've already noticed, I added some pictures on here as well because, quite frankly, I just like pictures :-) </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">1) The tighter you grip a ball, the slower the speed of the pitch. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">2) Americans produce 210 Million Tons of waste a year! (Gross! My personal mission is to reduce my production of waste and to be more mindful of my environmental impact. I'll start listing ways that we can all make a positive difference in our world). </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">3) Genes account for only 48% of the factors that determine one's IQ. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">4) The United States is the largest consumer of bananas. On average, we eat 26 pounds of bananas per year. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">5) The Wellsville Mountains in northern Utah are the steepest mountains in the U.S. Their steepness is determined by their height and the width of their base. </span></p>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1161983972618967482006-10-27T14:02:00.000-07:002006-10-31T17:32:02.510-07:009 Reasons Why I Should Marry Chris Carpenter<span style="color:#000000;"><em>Things I've learned: </em></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em><span style="color:#660000;">(Let me first say that I've been slacking on this a bit; I've been totally tied-up with work and any of my free time has been spent watching Cardinal Baseball. Woohoo, go Cards! Next week I intend to add more pictures, facts and entries; but for now, "Let's Play Ball!")</span> </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#000000;"><em>1) It is customary in Major League Baseball that the starting pitcher for the team is the one who selects what kind of music should be played in the locker room before the game.</em></span> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">OK, so I'm 24 and single, but I've just found the man of my dreams. It's Chris Carpenter, the outstanding starting pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals. Why is he perfect for me, you may ask? Just read the 9 reasons why below: </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">1) He plays for the greatest baseball team in the world...the St. Louis Cardinals!!! And, (heaven forbid) if he ever plays for another team, I'll still support him. (Unless, of course, for some very Odd reason, he starts playing for the Chicago Cubs! A girl has to set her limits somewhere!) </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">2) I've always thought he's cute...beard or no beard. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">3) He is a Cy Young Award winner! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">4) I have his rookie card! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">5) Chris Carpenter's favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band. How nice? Mine favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band too. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">6) Just like me, his favorite cartoon is Tom & Jerry. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">7) His favorite athlete is Tom Brady. OK, Tom Brady isn't My favorite athlete, but I Do have a lot of respect for the guy. Once we're married, of course Chris Carpenter would be my favorite athlete! </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">8) He is afraid to fly. I might not be afraid to fly, but I'm 24 and I've only flown twice in my entire life...both times in just this past year! I am scared of actually going through airport though; they're all so big and confusing. This fact might not be completely compatible, but it's close enough. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">9) Last, but not least, he wears red shoes. How ironic, I LOVE red shoes. Every time there is a game on; I get a little superstitious (just like all baseball players are superstitious) and wear my old-school red Adidas sneakers. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color:#000099;">So, as you can see, Chris Carpenter and I are a match made in heaven. Now, all I need to do is meet him. If anyone has any ideas on how to do that, please let me know and I'll make sure to invite you to the wedding of the century! </span>:-)</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1160335225618544952006-10-08T11:51:00.000-07:002006-10-08T12:22:23.646-07:00Why do I Blog?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20028.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/320/ms%20canoe%20and%20misc%20028.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Some new things I've learned:</em><br /><em>1) Most people associate the Kiwi fruit with New Zealand; however, kiwi was first grown in China and it was called the Chinese gooseberry. A kiwi needs at least 240 frost-free days to grow!</em><br /><em>2) The Utah state tree is the Colorado spruce (Colorado?)</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, I have been blogging for a month and a half now, but what is my purpose for this Blog? I have to admit, I haven't posted as often as I would like, but I am glad I have stuck with my new task. And it turns out, there are several reasons why I like blogging.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">One reason is because it allows me to put some thoughts down. There are several times throughout the day that I find myself just contemplating about various issues; however, I don't usually get the chance to express those issues or stories. One goal I had when first starting this blog was to keep track of all the new lessons/facts that I've learned. I must say that that goal has forced me to pay closer attention to life around me and it's been great having a record of the new things I've learned! Whether others find the facts "amazing" or not, I still think most of them are pretty interesting and you never know, one day I might be on Jeopardy and the answer might be, "The land where kiwis origniated." I could quickly reply to Alex and say, "What is China."</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">Another great aspect of blogging is that it allows me to totally be myself. That might be a strange statement to make because I always try to be myself, but I do find myself acting differently around different groups. (Susie, what's your point here, you're not making sense). What I mean is that some groups only see certain sides of me and each side is genuine, but it's almost like I get in a personality pattern with these groups because I know what each group expects me to be like. While blogging, it's just my thoughts, my words put out to the cyber world, a chance for new folks to not have any reserved expectations of me and therefor an opportunity to not hold anything back.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">I love meeting new people and blogging allows me to connect with others. Just the other day, I came across a blog of a woman in Moab, UT...a place that I love and spent a lot of time at this summer. As corny as this may sound, this is a place to share so I'll share that other blog I found, it's called <a href="http://wordplay.lastpromise.com">Novelist in Training</a> and I highly recommend checking out her photographs of Moab because they're amazing. Another blog that I frequently check out and comment on is <a href="http://www.christinekane.com"> Christine Kane's Blog</a>. She's an amazing singer/songwriter and her site was a great inspiration for me to start my own. Sometimes the world seems so big, but this allows me to still hear other's thoughts on issues and ideas I find interesting. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">And the last, but not least, reason I like blogging is because I like to write. That statement might seem a little ironic if you went to college with me because you know that, eventhough I was a journalism major, I hated having deadlines and would greatly procrastinate on my assignments. The truth is that I really do like to write, but I hate being pressured. The pressure seems to take the enjoyment out of the writing and I don't feel as creative when I do so. Here, I can give myself the assignments and the deadlines are whenever I feel like presenting them.</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1159403955096010862006-09-27T16:29:00.000-07:002006-09-27T17:43:24.066-07:00Fall is here!<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/MNC%20Hike%20013.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/MNC%20Hike%20013.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/MNC%20Hike%20017.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/MNC%20Hike%20017.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Some new things I've learned:<br />1) Do you think genetics plays a big role in your probability of getting cancer? Turns out that only 5% of those diagnosed with cancer can attribute their illness to heredity (from the book, "The Biology of Belief" by Dr. Bruce Lipton).<br />2 )Ever wonder why the closer you get to the equator, the spicier the food gets? It's because before refrigeration, meat would spoil and the hotter the weather is ( like it is the closer you get to the equator), the more spoiled meat you would have. Folks soon found that cooked spoiled meat tasted horrible and so they started using spices to cover-up the taste. The more spoiled the meat, the more spices to help the taste.<br /></em><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Can I just say that I love the fall? I really do. Does anyone know what I mean when I say that there is just a certain "energy" in the air in the fall? I seem to get motivated and have a lot of energy during the fall. Perhaps because there is so much to do. Now is a great time to go hiking, camping and exploring. To me, fall is that great time of the season where it's nice and cool in the morning so you can cuddle up in your bed with you blankets and start the day off with some hot cocoa. Then, as the sun goes up, so does the temperature, allowing me to do all sorts of fun outdoor activities.<br /><br />I love watching the leaves change, it's one of my favorite activities and I'm looking forward to observing the fall in Utah. Just this past Monday, I took a group for a "stroll" up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was great to see all of the colors from the aspens and maples in the canyon while still being surrounded by green pine and spruce trees. The air smelled great too...fresh and full of life. Tonight I look forward for going up Millcreek Canyon with some friends to see some more leaves, start a campfire (which always smells great), roast some marshmallows and just soak up the atmosphere.<br /><br />Some more things that I like about the Fall is apple and pumpkin picking, making homemade pies, getting up early to spend the whole day at church to make apple butter, hayrides, tracking deer, watching the geese get ready to fly South for the Winter and the list goes on and on...<br /><br />Another great aspect about the fall is that now is when the baseball season gets exciting. I get all caught up in the playoffs and the World Series, especially when the St. Louis Cardinals are involved!<br /><br />Perhaps the only thing about the fall that I don't like is that I know the days are getting shorter and that cold weather is soon to come. This will be my first fall in Utah and already, on September 15th, snow dusted the valley and there is now snow on the mountain tops...I don't know how I feel about snow this "early" but it sure is pretty. On the upside, if farmer's tales have any truth to them, it shouldn't be too bad of a winter. According to folklore, you can gauge how bad a winter will be by how much black is on a wooly worm, like the one above. I'm going to trust the farmer's almanac and say that the little guy's orange stripe pictured above is a sign of a decent winter...I hope so! But whatever happens, I'm sure it will be pretty and my 9&1/2 Wide Clodhoppers will be excited to put on some boots and check things out.</span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1158797459372036072006-09-20T16:35:00.000-07:002006-09-20T17:10:59.406-07:00What is an Adventure?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/misc.%20pics%20003.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/200/misc.%20pics%20003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>As always, I start of my blog with new things I've learned. I think this is important because it makes me pay attention to my surroundings and it keeps me from forgetting what lessons I've learned. So, something new I've learned lately is that 1) The average human body is made-up of about 50 trillion cells! 2) One climbing pitch is equal to one-half of a rope length. One rope is about 60 meters long, so one pitch is about 30 meters long and 30 meters equals about 90 feet.</em><br /><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"> I love my friends. I have some of the best friends in the world. They support me, they make me laugh and they also make me think. One thing that my friends have made me think about lately (whether they realize it or not), is determing what exactly is an adventure?</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;">A lot of the time we describe an adventure as taking on a new endeavor, traveling, seeing and doing something new and exciting. I have to admit, so far, I have considered my whole AmeriCorps service an adventure. I nervously left home, a place I love with folks that mean a lot to me, to move 1300 miles away to a place I have never been to, to do an array of projects that are fun, challenging, unknown and rewarding. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Right now I'm in that interesting stage of life where my friends are getting married, having kids, succeeding in their jobs, buying their first house, completing graduate school, etc. (Which, by the way, Congratulations to Nicole and Jeremy on the birth of their little girl this morning. Welcome to the world Dorothy Ann!) Lately a lot of my friends seem to be in awe of the continuous "adventure" I'm on right now, which is ironic because I think they're the ones on a real adventure. So this makes me think, "What is an adventure?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">One dear friend of mine says she loves hearing about what I've been up to and that now, because she's limited on her activities due to "life," expecting a boy in November and moving, she said she vicarously lives through me. I told her it's strange how life works because for so many years that I talked and longed to go on an "adventure" like AmeriCorps, I lived vicarously through her. One of the reasons I joined AmeriCorps was because my friend inspired me to live freely and I'm forever grateful to her wisdom and spirit. I also find it funny that she says her "adventures" are on hold for the time being because of her pregnancy...I told her motherhood will be a whole new adventure, full of twists and turns, but none the less rewarding.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">Another dear friend of mine said she always knew that I would do something Huge (meaning moving to Utah to join AmeriCorps). When in reality, I think she's the one doing something huge. She's expecting her first child in February and her and her husband just built their first house. Another friend of ours is about ready to celebrate a one-year anniversary of helping start a real estate business and metting her goal of buying her first house by the end of the year!Huge doesn't have to mean that you're "changing the world" or doing something few others have done. Me and my friends are all in a spot where we are doing something huge. To me, "huge" means making progressive steps in our lives, taking on endeavors that make impacts on our personal lives. Although we're all taking on different things that are "huge" I'm so grateful that we're all able to share these moments together and celebrate each other's accomplishments. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, I'm really not sure what the point of this post is; perhaps part of it is to brag on my friends, or to make others ponder what an "adventure" is. Whatever meaning you find out of this post, I hope you consider what kind of an "adventure" you want in your life. It doesn't have to be as big as joining AmeriCorps, having a baby, building a house, starting a business, etc. Life is full of possibilities, see where your feet take you. The soles of your feet is full of excitment, lessons and adventure...have fun out there and don't live vicarously through others, blaze your own paths</span>I!</p>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1158102343873813602006-09-12T16:01:00.000-07:002006-10-06T16:38:47.210-07:005 Days in Moab<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/compressed%20budding.4.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/320/compressed%20budding.2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/compressed%20blue%20lake.3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/320/compressed%20blue%20lake.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Some new things I learned over the weekend:<br />1) There is a mountain range West of Moab, UT called the Henry Mountains. The Henry Mountains are the last mountains in the U.S. to be names and they still have a wild heard of buffalo roaming the hills.<br />2) The Earth rotates at 900 mph (wow!)<br />3) Pistol Budding (see the picture of the Aspen Tree above), is when a tree is growing on a side of a hill and their first grow to the side and then straight up. The trees do this because their roots are actually planted up the hill but due to erosion and moving soil down the hill, the tree is pushed further down the hill until it can start to grow upwards again. This is a sign of unstable ground.</span></em><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;">So, this past week I haven’t posted much because I’ve been in Moab, UT. I was unable to get to Internet access, I didn’t watch any TV and I enjoyed sleeping outside for four nights.<br /><br />Moab is a small community in the desert of Southeastern Utah. It is full of great people, art and history. I was there for business but had a blast while I was there as well, meeting new people, sharing laughs, rafting and hiking through beautiful country. I went to Moab to pick-up donations for SPLORE’s auction that is coming up soon in October; to my surprise, most of the stores we went to were more that happy to support us. Everyone I met was friendly to talk to and they all enjoy the good work that SPLORE does.<br /><strong><br />Westwater Canyon Rafting</strong><br />While I was down there, I didn’t do just work of course; it’s Moab! On Friday, some of our staff and volunteers took a trip down Westwater Canyon. Half the time it was cold and rainy, the other half of the time it was sunny; but most of all it was great. I loved seeing the clouds come in and over the canyon and then the sun breaking through to show the bright, beautiful colors of red sandstone rock and black, shiny Pre-Cambrian rock called Visnu-Schnit (bad spelling). Visnu-Schnit is the oldest Pre-Cambrian rock to appear in North America and it’s only found in three places in the U.S., including, Westwater Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The massive amounts of rainfall in this delicate area created a lot of flash floods and mudslides that are incredibly rare and beautiful to see. One mudslide erupted as we floated around a bend and the landscape gave way!<br /><br />But perhaps the highlight of this rafting trip was getting dumped after going through the Sock-it-to-Me rapid and then being pushed into the magnetic wall where we high-sided, resulting in me falling out and floating down the canyon. Yesterday, I reported on this excitement if you want to learn more.<br /><br />Best of all, this trip was a way to thank our volunteers for their support and a way to celebrate another great summer of providing outdoor recreation to people with disabilities.<br /><br /><strong>Hiking in the La Sal Mountains</strong><br />So the La Sals is a beautiful mountain range located on the outskirts of Moab. Surprisingly, these mountains are covered with aspen and spruce trees despite the fact that the La Sals are located in a desert. Some SPLORE volunteers, staff and I decided to take a hike up in the mountains. We drove about 10,000 feet in elevation before stopping to hike. Lets just say that chubby girls from Missouri aren’t used to hiking at this altitude. Hiking somewhat steep trails, my legs quickly started to burn and I was huffing and puffing like none other. After taking a few rest stops, I kept going, pushing myself because I knew the rewards will be in the effort. We hiked to Blue Lake (as can be seen in the picture above) and were surrounded by nature, solitude and beauty every step we took.<br /><br /><strong>Delicate Arch by Moonlight</strong><br />Once I got back from hiking in the La Sals, I met up with the rest of the SPLORE group. I was exhausted from being out of shape and hiking at that elevation. A friend suggested the idea that we hike to delicate arch at midnight, using the full moon for light. I had already seen Delicate Arch on an earlier hiking trip and thought it was wonderful. Now I had to decide if I wanted to let my body pass-out or keep pushing myself and not live with the regret of how this magnificent formation would look lit by moonlight.<br /><br />We started the hike and I was surprised at how fast we got there (despite my struggles from the first hike of the day). Heather and I both commented on how fast the hike went compared to the first time we went to Delicate Arch. Nearing the top, I started to remember how awe-struck I was when I first went around the last curve in the trail to be revealed to this sandstone wonder. Again, I went around the last curve and was mesmerized at how grand the arch looked at 1:30 in the morning, lit only by a full moon. I must say, this once in a lifetime moment took my breath away.<br /><br />We all sat at the top for awhile, all in our own peaceful thoughts and becoming belittled in the grandeur of our surroundings. We ended by letting out shouts to see who had the best echo. We were all alone in one of the most amazing places in the world…we had it all to ourselves and it’s a memory I will never forget.<br /><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><strong>Reflection</strong><br />The best part of this whole adventurous weekend wasn’t just spending time with good friends, seeing beautiful scenery or creating lasting memories; it was that I got to do all of this because I joined AmeriCorps. I’ll admit it, joining AmeriCorps and moving to Utah was out of my comfort zone, I was scared but now I’m completely grateful that I took a leap, trusted in faith and myself and have love ones to support me.<br /></span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33308862.post-1158016552535225152006-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:002006-09-11T16:38:49.406-07:00The Magnetic Wall<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/sock%20it%20to%20me.1.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/400/sock%20it%20to%20me.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/sock%20it%20to%20me.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/1600/funnelfalls.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5356/3655/400/funnelfalls.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000099;"><em>(The first picture is of the rapid called Sock-it-to-Me; it's from the all about rafting.com website. The second picture is of Funnel Falls from the Canyon Voyages Adventure Co. website)</em></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"><br />So this weekend we went rafting along the great Westwater Canyon. It was a blast! I rode in a 16 foot paddle raft so I was really close to the action…perhaps too close as 5 out of 7 people (including me) high-sided and got dumped in a class-IV rapid called Sock-it-to-Me. We went through the rapid ok, but then the waters slammed us into some rocks called the magnetic wall. Below is a video of someone else going through the same rapid. You’ll see that they get pretty close to the magnetic wall…which is where I fell out. It was still a blast though! And luckily I got back into the raft before hitting another rapid.<br /><br />To see the video, Click <a href="<a">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=68176095480347800</a><br /><br />To see more of where I went, Google Westwater Canyon and click on Google Images.<br /><br /><strong>And if you're wondering, YES, I would do it all over again!<br /></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Susiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404950873844091527noreply@blogger.com4