tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44287434082297897322024-02-29T21:41:26.319-08:00wilsonmommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-45899941150586192762023-10-16T17:12:00.001-07:002023-10-16T17:12:47.457-07:00Seasons of LifeI love Autumn! I love the cooler temps and the bold colors and the flannel and the decorations. It also makes me think about my life. I feel like spring is up until 25. Still growing and learning. Summer is up until 50. Fun in the sun. Livin life. Autumn is now until 75 and Winter follows after. When I told my kids this they said that is so depressing. But it does not feel that way at all because I love autumn! I feel like I am the red and orange and yellow of life right now- bold and standing out. Autumn is when you reap all the efforts of your labor- I am harvesting all sorts of love right now. Autumn is when you get cozy and snuggle up with a good book.
Related to this- when I turned 50 I said to myself -I want to exit this decade healthier than I entered it. I have had a lot of chronic pain, especially migraines. It effects my quality of life and my ability to enjoy my friends and family as much as i want to. So I have been on a journey these last couple of years. It has cost some money but as my husband reminds me, it is an investment in my health. I have gotten back to a more regular yoga practice, started getting massages while also going to a chiropractor and for physical therappy. All of these things combined have helped me feel better.
I just finished reading a book called Die with Zero. This is a good read that helps as we transition from a lifetime of saving to the spending phase. The book mentioned "Memory Dividends" which refers to the idea that the sooner we create fantistic memories the longer we have to enjoy the memories. I really like this thinking as it is so easy to keep putting off great trips and memory makers waiting for the "right time" when it is very likely the right time is NOW... so pardon me while I start planning that trip to Costa Rica!mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-86089495365694474172022-10-09T10:08:00.000-07:002022-10-09T10:08:06.156-07:00My 2022 Playlist<p>If I had to pick three songs that sum up what 2022 has been like so far, here is what I would say: </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnf46boC3I" target="_blank">Both Sides Now
</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHwVBirqD2s">I'm Still Standing
</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVoFniQnYQ4" target="_blank">Only a River</a> </p><p>Both Sides Now shows how I have matured. I used to be a lot more black and white and with more and more life experiences I see that when you look at both sides it is a lot easier to have empathy and see that everyone is doing the best they can. </p><p> I'm Still Standing is how I feel after this summer- it was one thing after another but I'm still standing and trying to see how challenging times help us grow. </p><p>Only a River reminds me how healing nature is for us. Whenever I get out I always realize it is just what I need. I love the mountains but I also love the river- to me it is truly in the moment because the moment of a river is always there for that second never to be the same before or after. I love the sound and the view and the smell and the feel. The only sense that is not engaged is taste- although I usually am eating at the river also. It is just such a healing space for me.
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ldkCfjDStWg" width="320" youtube-src-id="ldkCfjDStWg"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-64920083024057961542022-07-17T14:18:00.001-07:002022-07-17T14:18:31.738-07:00Go with the FlowUsually summer vacation means lots of down time to catch up and restore. But the summer of 2022 is not turning out that way. My summer began with a three week road trip out east to catch up with friends and family, especially my mom. The first week was great- lots of laughs with Justin, a fun stop in Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio and getting to catch up with many friends while in NJ. But then things got challenging. We picked up Owen after a horrific 22 "direct" flight from Denver whihc then turned into a diversion to Cincinatti. Then we drove to Binghamton to get my mom and head to Vermont to see my cousin. The first 24 hours were fantastic and I was so happy to be with family. Then Owen tested positive with Covid and we quickly sent my mom off to stay at my sister's while we (hopefully) isolated and waited to be reunited. But then 5 days later Justin tested positive so we started the long drive home. As soon as we got home I tested positive. So pretty much the whole month of June was spent with a slow burn of covid. But we tried to regroup and figure out how to find tme for a re-do. In the meantime a job came up for me to work with an adventure travel company in Yosemite National Park. I always like to try new experiences so I decided to dive in and give this a try. It was an intense learning curve and a tremendous amount of hard work but the guests were fabulous and I enjoyed the experience. I was also happy to earn a little extra money to plan a return trip to NJ. But while Justin was waiting in the cell phone lot for my delayed flight our new car was totalled by a hit and run U-Hual truck. So much for earning a little extra money. (In case you do not already know- this is not the time to buy a car. We looked into it in May and cars are selling $5000 over sticker price with a 6-12 month wait.) So I can say I know the universerse is trying to tell me something but I am not sure yet what it is... In the meantime Justin is off to work a job in Glacier National Park and I am going to stick close to home- hoping to finally get my first hike of the summer in! Hiking always clears my head and helps me get perspective so hopefully that will happen this week.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1i5mG2AftPeCSVpRdnbjGZLSerX42gCw6ki4k3ijWWSOrwMyiNV1VhY4OPCaxeid_7HxfR-1zNMZmItsa4Uyh2QlOFKo1gAL2rHLVETOPBTn79sY9u5GnHVgSdAEuwq9BxFOqHM_PZwg2Ptruqo3-I_SXYtYNrytAVISyWARSdc9IJQ0tNppshJIkA/s1440/BACA5E64-1238-4692-B03F-39EEFCF150D7.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1i5mG2AftPeCSVpRdnbjGZLSerX42gCw6ki4k3ijWWSOrwMyiNV1VhY4OPCaxeid_7HxfR-1zNMZmItsa4Uyh2QlOFKo1gAL2rHLVETOPBTn79sY9u5GnHVgSdAEuwq9BxFOqHM_PZwg2Ptruqo3-I_SXYtYNrytAVISyWARSdc9IJQ0tNppshJIkA/s320/BACA5E64-1238-4692-B03F-39EEFCF150D7.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsoF7y9o0YF3bCmKMkk9lK73squJ1qSjEvEnZCGCtYHeq88Dzo5C08FCezSVnc5VS9r51zq2cCmCK4K7m2IN7N8dxBlvuKcsEGWKk_pPVFEoz2jJoJAy9st-xXj2Ko-ATuY99rXmyDaGLI_rWaT1gC6WGc7-oE2EY7b6rFMoQch-Uw-SWrdUsQSaFzQ/s4864/DSC05448.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="4864" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsoF7y9o0YF3bCmKMkk9lK73squJ1qSjEvEnZCGCtYHeq88Dzo5C08FCezSVnc5VS9r51zq2cCmCK4K7m2IN7N8dxBlvuKcsEGWKk_pPVFEoz2jJoJAy9st-xXj2Ko-ATuY99rXmyDaGLI_rWaT1gC6WGc7-oE2EY7b6rFMoQch-Uw-SWrdUsQSaFzQ/s320/DSC05448.JPG"/></a></div>mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-51847744924025653422021-08-28T12:20:00.001-07:002021-08-28T12:20:04.406-07:00Balancing Health, Money and TimeYou might remember in 2019 I posted about <a href="http://mommyreader.blogspot.com/2019/04/my-year-of-intentional-spending.html" target="_blank">intentional spending of time, money and energy</a>. My husband and I have continued along this path of asking when is enough enough when it comes to money and how to balance the need for money (and more importantly health insurance) with a solid balance of time and good health. In March my husband took a leave of absense to test out life on a teacher's salary and also to see what it is like to live without work as an anchor to your routine. He has greatly enjoyed this break. So much so that now that this leave is up he plans to give notice and officially stop working. A lot of people do not understand this mindset so let me try to explain. We have been very fiscally conservative and have saved a large portion of our income since the day we graduated college and started working. This path might not be for everyone but for us we were always happy with "enough" and put most raises and bonuses in mutual funds. Over time this money has given us freedom to leave a job when the match wasn't good, leave secure income and benefits in NJ and move to Colorado where the outdoors lifestyle better fit us and even take a break from full time work now and then. Much of what we enjoy doing requires good health so waiting until the elusive retirement that some choose to do at 70 just isn't appealing to us. So while we are healthy Justin is cashing in on some of his hard-earned frugal years and we are enjoying the pleasure of time and health over money that often creates as many problems as it solves. I know this might not be for everyone but it feels right for us. So now that Justin has all this time you might be wondering what he is going to do. First up he will plan and do some of the longer thru hikes he has always been longing for. First up was supposed to be the Superior Trail. But now it is closed because of smoke from forest fires and drought. So now he is looking for another trail. If you are interested in following along on his hiking adventures- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHUGdJKpsZP4TjizgkNkA1w" target="_blank">this </a>is his youtube channel. mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-25964467016892472442021-07-09T13:47:00.001-07:002021-07-09T13:47:59.081-07:00Perfect EpiphanyThis spring break we visited our daughter in Arizona. I was excited to visit Saguaro National Park since I had never been there before. We did several hikes and the scenery was beautiful. On the first two hikes I was looking for the "perfect" cactus. What does the perfect cactus look like? Just look at the emoji on an iPhone- or the Roadrunner cartoons. Basically a tall center body with two assymetrical arms, both pointing upwards. On my third hike- after passing hundreds if not thousands of cacti I finally realized it was not that I wasn't finding the perfect cactus, it is that my defintion of the perfect cactus was more based on clipart and cartoons than the real thing. Once I changed my defintion of "perfect" the trails were full of perfect cacti. It made me wonder how many other times have I had some vision of perfect that was in not why based on reality. Here are some photos of just some of the perfect cacti that I saw.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpul66TIIvlX4qwNfSp21kmgt2Xk6dcQ3T0V76pYjebP8uVyFyLU9EngUiFKd-fH22nbSQB0r-4VehuTTmDGbHDFiI8dlFuaYataSbDXE1A3XXeHE37VvL19mfxL64owFGgE0SXIWEoVlu/s5472/DSC02198.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="5472" data-original-width="3648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpul66TIIvlX4qwNfSp21kmgt2Xk6dcQ3T0V76pYjebP8uVyFyLU9EngUiFKd-fH22nbSQB0r-4VehuTTmDGbHDFiI8dlFuaYataSbDXE1A3XXeHE37VvL19mfxL64owFGgE0SXIWEoVlu/s320/DSC02198.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguEHxSWFUt6sDt5sRZDuqBkEXRPa3oudQ1xUbhEA8J6WFaQNE38bZU79KmQPDmeV41EyZBKwXWFISE83H3UgE8Qh4EKLmlIeB9mWsHS2JjzSvLJkDokqqFnPd32Fo7t4Wnm-0gVnvWEvh/s5472/DSC02194.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="5472" data-original-width="3648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguEHxSWFUt6sDt5sRZDuqBkEXRPa3oudQ1xUbhEA8J6WFaQNE38bZU79KmQPDmeV41EyZBKwXWFISE83H3UgE8Qh4EKLmlIeB9mWsHS2JjzSvLJkDokqqFnPd32Fo7t4Wnm-0gVnvWEvh/s320/DSC02194.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBfQ8FBgLSEjV4Ae8uk2Wm-jM18TtAQzBPtIhFoHmGdRAo1knsrK8CNsVz-xtcbSNWrpePkW55gpKbXyGhxCjyHazbefmNkgZ5ko8XnnsjK3-7DQ0Mgc4yjUJ8S190bU1wq8zEiw1idQq/s5472/DSC02193.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBfQ8FBgLSEjV4Ae8uk2Wm-jM18TtAQzBPtIhFoHmGdRAo1knsrK8CNsVz-xtcbSNWrpePkW55gpKbXyGhxCjyHazbefmNkgZ5ko8XnnsjK3-7DQ0Mgc4yjUJ8S190bU1wq8zEiw1idQq/s320/DSC02193.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMwvjhjvbNPxjM-8izFRp12WM0PhGZaEGiagMjrsLcKcPHuRjRXR0K64dZ2g7F7e0jcneNWZvGEoEDWbScZ4TCZOtpMTAseK9pMgd5QU5-_yrKiUjHXGrPfVHkwLOtjs_ZGd2MiTqchAV/s1854/DSC02190.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1854" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMwvjhjvbNPxjM-8izFRp12WM0PhGZaEGiagMjrsLcKcPHuRjRXR0K64dZ2g7F7e0jcneNWZvGEoEDWbScZ4TCZOtpMTAseK9pMgd5QU5-_yrKiUjHXGrPfVHkwLOtjs_ZGd2MiTqchAV/s320/DSC02190.JPG"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwlurQdMMVmZ0hfrhCpDGUOX4d4iVMrXm1A1HeaM2Ro1kGOMf_3EFxA-i78IL-qyncxmO7kzSTeYWEysqD8f0OMteW4_6IaygW8UjkS9rsLpp2QACboYIm5Li7RUJ5jecERjslZ8Uq42Z/s5472/DSC02185.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="5472" data-original-width="3648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwlurQdMMVmZ0hfrhCpDGUOX4d4iVMrXm1A1HeaM2Ro1kGOMf_3EFxA-i78IL-qyncxmO7kzSTeYWEysqD8f0OMteW4_6IaygW8UjkS9rsLpp2QACboYIm5Li7RUJ5jecERjslZ8Uq42Z/s320/DSC02185.JPG"/></a></div>mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-16702251864569768132021-01-07T08:31:00.001-08:002021-01-07T08:31:41.057-08:00<p> Segments 1, 2 and 3 on the Colorado Trail</p><p>This fall I was often meeting up with my friend Jenna to go hiking. Since she lives south of Denver it was fun to look for new places to go that were a reasonable drive and not too crowded. We went to Roxborough State Park and very much enjoyed the beauty and the trails there. On the way to that park I noticed we passed Waterton Canyon which is the northern terminus of the Colorado Trail. So then we met there to hike the start of the Colordao Trail. The following week we did segment two and I lost my smurf so Justin kindly went back to help me find it. So now he also completed segment two and the following week the three of us decided to do all of segment one which was made a little easier since Laurel dropped us off at the trailhead and we hiked back to our cars at the other end. So now we had the first two segments complete. This past weekend we did segment 3. So now we have 40 miles of the 567 miles completed. Next time we are going to try a more efficient method. Rather than doing the shuttle drop off which can add an hour each way to get from the start trailhead to the end trailhead (and then again at the end of the hike to get the drop off car), my friend and I will start at one end and Justin will start at the other. Then we will drive the opposite car north to an agreed upon meeting point and I will hop back into our car. This will save us the shuttle time. We will hopefully still meet somewhere around the middle to eat lunch together. We will see how far we get with this method. At some point we will probably need to to transition to weekend backpacking trips because some of the segments are just too long for a day hike but for now it is a fun little project to chip away at. Also, because of snowy back roads we will be haulting the project until spring. But since the hikes are pretty hard with both distance and elevation it should keep me motivated to stay fit throughout the winter in order to be ready to hit the trails again in spring. Here are the stats so far:</p><p> Segment 1: Just a taste- 13.4 miles Dec 5- start of the Colorado trail out and back<br /></p><p>Segment 2: 11.5 miles Dec 20 <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bXzeafOIGUYCdDp3XvE3h5NT-SMxJ5uNJST-lRloOS8gcmU5JW_Z7iir5f189sg8WI7MqElUcMJrnnhqTfBgu1QcsTctnK4UHDzq_En7qaUF79jN87Ujgmf2QH-qfNi7mrQgAcNtNnpk/s960/IMG_4304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bXzeafOIGUYCdDp3XvE3h5NT-SMxJ5uNJST-lRloOS8gcmU5JW_Z7iir5f189sg8WI7MqElUcMJrnnhqTfBgu1QcsTctnK4UHDzq_En7qaUF79jN87Ujgmf2QH-qfNi7mrQgAcNtNnpk/s320/IMG_4304.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Segment 2: Smurf Rescue with Justin Dec 24</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VbDx-C35-U" width="320" youtube-src-id="3VbDx-C35-U"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p><p>Segment 1(17 miles): Dec 26</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaOseCz32ErknIyeKfXvtpRG7V431ETBYMeiBgQJetUuMRQ2Qdd-gIo1wxGB3l7NZ380mYK8nOJ7fjJMlgzeikIe7_N61FeaTkAD8G_W6bdnob0bnO-u8yPsc_jOdwfACFrghtVe3xzMo/s960/IMG_4303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaOseCz32ErknIyeKfXvtpRG7V431ETBYMeiBgQJetUuMRQ2Qdd-gIo1wxGB3l7NZ380mYK8nOJ7fjJMlgzeikIe7_N61FeaTkAD8G_W6bdnob0bnO-u8yPsc_jOdwfACFrghtVe3xzMo/s320/IMG_4303.JPG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Segment 3 (13.4 miles) Jan 3</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PfFGzR_qSRibg9h_syIu5P5ecx-zaKc41HtEHaXyjYJO_bpAvFl4TjyqpfYJqQ_F6blFAUg3BFe8P5GNt8HomwawfbdiL7ZOVQIE4FHEmmq7bxSMGght8M-3alcSINroePXf2DSot08l/s960/IMG_4302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PfFGzR_qSRibg9h_syIu5P5ecx-zaKc41HtEHaXyjYJO_bpAvFl4TjyqpfYJqQ_F6blFAUg3BFe8P5GNt8HomwawfbdiL7ZOVQIE4FHEmmq7bxSMGght8M-3alcSINroePXf2DSot08l/s320/IMG_4302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p>mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-4364349617555682212020-12-14T08:51:00.000-08:002020-12-14T08:51:13.704-08:00My 2020 Reading Life<p> At the start of 2020 I decided for the first time to sign up for the Goodreads reading challenge. I set my goal for 30 books. And then Covid life arrived. Unlike many who said they could not read, I buried myself in books. I had made myself read 60 pages before I could look at any news each day. It helped me start my day without the stress of all that was wrong. By the end of the year ( or almost) I have ready over 60 titles. Some were ok and good distractions and some were favorites. Here are my top picks from what I read in 2020.</p><p> My favorite book for all of 2020 would have to be This Tender Land. When I first read the synopsis it really did not sound like my kind of book but after seeing it on many lists and having friends suggest it I decided to give it a try. The characters are so easy to care about and during a year filled with disappointments it was nice to escape into a book where people really helped each other out and were a community for each other. Another book that I also wouldn't have guessed I would like based on the description was Shiner by Amy Jo Burns but it was also a great read.<br /></p><p>My favorite non fiction book was Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia to Zion Journey Through Every National Park- Conor Knighton . I am a sucker for travel memoirs in nature. But I really liked the lens of this one. Every entry had really interesting reflections and there was always some tidbit that I had never known before. And of course it made me more than ever want to start my vanlife adventure visiting many of the places he referenced.</p><p>Here are some other stand outs from my 2020 list: <br /></p><p>Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup- I started 2020 reading Shoedog- an inspiring memoir by Phil Knight telling the blood, sweat and tears that went into building Nike. As much as Shoedog was inspiring on how to follow your passion and start a company, Bad Blood was infuriating as to how greed and narcissism can fool many. To make it even more interesting, the trial is now starting so I will be very curious to see how it turns out for Theronos and Elizabeth Holmes.</p><p>Untamed by Glennon Doyle- There is a quote from Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
“Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books
that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were
true.” I feel like Untamed landed in my lap at the perfect time. While I did not love every page, there are enough gems in here to make it well worth my time for a rare re-read, which I hardly ever do because there are just so many other books out there that I want to read. If you liked Untamed, I also suggest Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb and Life Will Be the Death of Me: And You Too by Chelsea Handler.</p><p>Breath- James Nestor I listened to this one as an audiobook. It was around seven hours long and worked really well as audio because at the end there are breathing exercises. I am very aware of my open mouth breathing now and found it to be a fascinating listen and important reminder of how important proper breathing is for a healthy life.<br /></p><p>The Awakened Family- I was listening to an Oprah meditation series and she referenced a quote from this book. So I wanted to know more and read the whole thing. I wish I had come across this book five years ago but it was still a very worthwhile read. <br /></p><p>Book of Two Ways- I have always enjoyed the way Jodi Piccoult weaves so much fact into her stories. This book had a lot about Egyptian archeology and the present day work of a death doula- both topics I know little about. Piccoult continues to be one of my favorite fiction authors.<br /></p><p>Favorite New Author discovery: Matt Haig- I first saw him mentioned in reference to his new fiction book, The Midnight Library but then I also came across his memoir Reasons to Stay Alive and NonFiction book Notes on A Nervous Planet. And then, while waiting for these holds to be available, I read How to Stop Time- All of these books were great and I am glad I stumbled upon his works. <br /></p>mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-82078572322083136262020-11-17T06:07:00.001-08:002020-11-17T06:09:29.463-08:00Teaching in a Pandemic<p> I have been teaching for 27 years and never has a year been more challenging or stranger than this one. Here are a few things I thought I would mention.</p><p>1. It is not the what, it's the who- More than ever I need to focus on the people not the objects (like iPads and books) . We can efficiently toss an iPad in their hands but if we do not check and see how they are doing, we have given them a procrastination device not a learning tool. And focusing on the person is for all aspects of life. Rather than feeling frustrated at all I cannot do, I am focusing on the people in my life. Building strong relationships (virtually of course) so when this is over I have someone left to celebrate with :)<br /></p><p>2. While we have always worked on WHAT to teach, the winners in this game will be those who focus on HOW to learn. We could have a transformational year if we all focused on soft skills that last a lifetime such as time management, task initial and self control. We are simply asking too much of students. For years they have been micro- managed with someone standing over them to put the phone away, open the book, get your pencil out. Now suddenly they sit alone in a room and we expect them to magically have skills of a CEO such as running 8 different projects (classes) at once. We are frustrating everyone- student, teacher and parent. And how much learning is really occurring? I am not trying to be negative, I am trying to be realistic and acknowledge that if ever there was a time for reflection and root cause- now is the time. Look at what is happening and why it is happening. Try to solve the root cause and we will come out of this with self-starter students who can take on anything.</p><p>3. Teaching to the void is REALLY weird. I understand there are sound reasons to let students learn with their camera off and microphone muted. But also understand that it is really hard to monitor understanding with zero feedback. I had no idea how much a relied on non-verbal feedback until I had none. And in the meantime my camera is on and I try not to show the desperation in my face as I wait for someone, anyone to say something, anything. I do not know if there is much of a solution for this other than trying to build community and trust enough that a few students turn their camera on. </p><p>Finally- if you know of any decision maker in education- please pass this along. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17iIyle1CWdTDCFcLkuLDco_SfYv6t5RvqUMNhaHQkW0/edit?usp=sharing">This</a> is my open letter of what it takes for successful face to face instruction. (Pasted Below)</p><p><br /></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-dd905eec-7fff-260b-54ad-e0b5466f4b5c" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If I could get a decision maker to listen to what it takes for successful face to face instruction, here is what I would tell them:</span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Be firm with families and remind them often what it takes for schools to remain open</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Here is an example of what you could say: If you want schools to remain open remember everyone in the household needs to make good choices 24/7 not just while in school. This message should be tweeted, emailed, announced, and done so weekly at a minimum. The message of being a COMMUNITY has never been more important. It is about priorities. If we all truly want schools open safely, everyone needs to be on the same page, at school, after school and on the weekends.</span></p><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Be innovative. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The best solutions to this unprecedented scenario will not look anything like what we have done before. It is more important than ever to have a clear vision and use that vision to make a successful plan. Here is an example: Our number one goal is to educate not to provide child care. So we must look at this as the best way to provide education in a SUSTAINABLE way. It might be remote learning. This on again, off again, start and stop filled with quarantines is very ineffective. Also- fair is not always equal. We need to see who needs in person the most and do everything we can to provide for those students. It should not be “open for all or open for none”- clearly priority should be given to those struggling academically and emotionally. </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Science should drive decision making</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. For example- what are the most dangerous parts of a school day? Eating lunch with no masks. Therefore if you want the face to face to be successful do half days with bag lunches that students take home. Also face to face time should be shorter. Viral load has a lot to do with catching this. So either have true cohorts like you could in an elementary class or have short class but these so-called cohorts with teachers teaching six different rosters and students attending 8 different mixed classes do not set us up for successful in-person learning. </span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Ask for teacher and parent input</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">- Don’t just listen to the squeaky wheel. So many of these decisions are made by people who are not living it day by day. Here is the latest example- Parents were told the students could choose whether they attend in person or not. They can choose class by class if they want to come to school or be remote. The teacher has no idea who might be there any given period. There are teachers planning face to face instruction only to have one student show up for class and the rest to be remote. This totally changes the lesson. Teachers are told to be flexible without any consideration to how “being flexible” every single period of every single day can create exhaustion and set them up for lessons not to feel successful. It is more important than ever to make decisions that support everyone, including teachers.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Communicate sincere information not positive platitudes </span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span> </span><span> </span>Here is an example: When the county moves to orange and teachers are told this will </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">change the quarantine process and teachers ask how will it change and the answer is- we need to be flexible and see how it plays out. No- there should be a clear plan already in place. In order for us to feel safe we need to know thought is going into all of the scenarios.</span></p><ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Don’t punish teachers for asking questions.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> Everyone should feel safe to understand the process and what is happening. When you use phrases like- “you have a choice- you can resign” you are creating a threatening atmosphere rather than one of trust. (Not to mention- our choice is leave of absence so using the term resign is definitely not coming from a place of support.)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Avoid hypocrisy </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> - Related to the communication that because of rising cases, parents and students can choose to stay remote. But teachers can’t make that choice. To me the unstated message is - teachers you take the risk but students don’t have to.</span></p></li></ol><br /><br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-28802943000904005662020-07-05T19:05:00.003-07:002020-07-05T19:05:52.054-07:00Ten Day Hiking ChallengeI love this quote from The Fellowship of the Ring:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAz-4ZVnVFGWuin-mYtiUnMiUkkifPaRRauVJGPQf00dv5DMZ5wy70keuXNJidMK5ddX63fk6z548WMYNbITF5jwvAi2wZPu71IKOujA8Z4UyoJJY_VHiWqRmAmDmPBtOqOOe8ewUHAJ3D/s1600/IMG_0506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAz-4ZVnVFGWuin-mYtiUnMiUkkifPaRRauVJGPQf00dv5DMZ5wy70keuXNJidMK5ddX63fk6z548WMYNbITF5jwvAi2wZPu71IKOujA8Z4UyoJJY_VHiWqRmAmDmPBtOqOOe8ewUHAJ3D/s320/IMG_0506.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
After spending too much time cleaning and doing puzzles and lamenting about how hot it is, I decided I needed to make a plan. So I created my own ten day hiking challenge to do ten hikes of at least ten miles for ten days in a row. I also listened to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy while I hiked.<br />
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It was a fun challenge. Here is one photo and one thought from each day:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtYH4FYZUdLEjO-ZFXeX8xqEJkDRpxj3n6KV7HTV8wTiWp53nuLJHG2KQSVSXzBe03N-BjETQJkdTYrG4aHySp3GqueFOwzPJZx6lVbzkyX04mphpUz_rp8peD5g7rQtZkHCeH6H0TkFb/s1600/IMG_0746.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtYH4FYZUdLEjO-ZFXeX8xqEJkDRpxj3n6KV7HTV8wTiWp53nuLJHG2KQSVSXzBe03N-BjETQJkdTYrG4aHySp3GqueFOwzPJZx6lVbzkyX04mphpUz_rp8peD5g7rQtZkHCeH6H0TkFb/s320/IMG_0746.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
Friday June 26- Ten mile loop at hall Ranch<br />
Day one was easy - feeling motivated and loving the time on the trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp11uZBd8NxHG6sf_BCI4FbPsRYUOKW_E2AlkftfitA99LZSYILmSyCRSjzGE7SbBTWG7BzoKCURBO2IG_bV56rF6niz1lwmV6v5_CziXGJCujVjr6oxuVXbmhbKuAOdNTAH8_CiQJi6vA/s1600/IMG_6648.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp11uZBd8NxHG6sf_BCI4FbPsRYUOKW_E2AlkftfitA99LZSYILmSyCRSjzGE7SbBTWG7BzoKCURBO2IG_bV56rF6niz1lwmV6v5_CziXGJCujVjr6oxuVXbmhbKuAOdNTAH8_CiQJi6vA/s320/IMG_6648.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
Saturday June 27- Laurel and I decided to plan a backpacking trip to Thunder Lake. The hike in was about seven miles and then we did some exploring to get up to ten.<br />
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This was our first mother-daughter backpacking trip and it was a ton of
fun, especially with our hammock, mini playing cards, music and jetboil
stove. <br />
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Sunday June 28- Hiking out from Thunder Lake. First I did some early morning exploring and then we hiked out. I love early hiking in the backcountry- awesome lighting and no one else around.<br />
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Monday June 29- Early start to beat the heat (just like all the other days). Headed to Rabbit Mountain with Willow. She was happy to be included. We did all three trails to get the ten mile goal in.<br />
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Tuesday June 30- Woke up at 4:30 so I could get to RMNP before six when the timed entry starts. I parked at East Portal Trailhead and explored many of the trails around this area. I was very surprised to come around the bend and see this guy with three of his friends practically laying on the trail. <br />
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Wednesday July 1- Decided to explore one of my favorite local trails- Dead Man's Gulch- and see how it connects to one of my other favorite trails at Hall Ranch. Came across this turkey parade and it made me think of my dad because he always called me a turkey.<br />
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Thursday July 2- Another very early start to get to RMNP before 6AM. I thought by now I would be feeling great and enjoy this ten mile loop around Deer Mountain. But between the heat and the elevation gain and the altitude, I was hurting. I considered stopping the challenge and just making it a one week challenge. Another interesting thing about this hike is it was a ten mile loop right in the center of the park, and still I only saw one person as I was coming off the loop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vNd4Tyh3KAihhamFeHqkpxMOCjcJKE3CFdOUFcsMZO8Bk3712Qr4AFOwZsCKpj1ZfljszfJilW4p82E1DbvQSDLeIRRCUfbZdZiNu5XIrlldjfCHfbChHHO98k2WGkE98D3twwp8_Jmy/s1600/IMG_1942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vNd4Tyh3KAihhamFeHqkpxMOCjcJKE3CFdOUFcsMZO8Bk3712Qr4AFOwZsCKpj1ZfljszfJilW4p82E1DbvQSDLeIRRCUfbZdZiNu5XIrlldjfCHfbChHHO98k2WGkE98D3twwp8_Jmy/s320/IMG_1942.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Friday July 3- Even though I was feeling pretty tired I decided to at least give it a try. I headed back to Hall Ranch but just did the Nighthawk Trail up and back to avoid bicycle traffic. Even though I started out really tired, with each mile I felt better and I was really glad to head out again. I always wonder when I pass this impressive rock wall 4.5 miles into the hike who built it and what the story is. It is a very well constructed wall that I am sure served a purpose at sometime but for now it just feeds my imagination.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHbYlWXlUYeKh5psmtmMA5LbYgeSGB-9ewHXFY2c40uIBoJi2Nmc3xWBdwwh8OivnwjStFkiUrbnqMXbjOws8qrc1FPz8SP1QsZp9kZf97YXzOd_VhHNP6x-4CkX2x9ak1Z-RZLxI7XNl/s1600/IMG_0753.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHbYlWXlUYeKh5psmtmMA5LbYgeSGB-9ewHXFY2c40uIBoJi2Nmc3xWBdwwh8OivnwjStFkiUrbnqMXbjOws8qrc1FPz8SP1QsZp9kZf97YXzOd_VhHNP6x-4CkX2x9ak1Z-RZLxI7XNl/s320/IMG_0753.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>
Saturday July 4- Laurel and I head out early to do a training hike for an upcoming backpacking trip. We head up Flattop Mountain and continue along the Continental Divide Trail until we hit 5 miles. It is an amazing day for an awesome hike. Over 3000 feet in elevation gain but we still feel great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-v9U_IdjpdIzXmnJ_gC0NvtYPd8kualSOFmgi7QcKFikozDg0GLNnGLjMatfwKb7mhwQX47eI05-x4eXOn92q7Hrl7ldT34Nf-l5Qgf_TIwZVXxN_dRyavYXO5vK0lwBPk6Fyfx1_LIV/s1600/IMG_7554.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-v9U_IdjpdIzXmnJ_gC0NvtYPd8kualSOFmgi7QcKFikozDg0GLNnGLjMatfwKb7mhwQX47eI05-x4eXOn92q7Hrl7ldT34Nf-l5Qgf_TIwZVXxN_dRyavYXO5vK0lwBPk6Fyfx1_LIV/s320/IMG_7554.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>
Sunday July 5- Justin and I did an afternoon hike from Button Rock to Hall Ranch via the Nighthawk Trail. Even though I was on day ten I did not feel very strong. I do not know how thru hikers do it or when it kicks in but for me, day ten felt harder than day one. But I am glad I did the challenge and now it is time to catch up on chores.mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-30629899639892978162020-06-18T13:42:00.000-07:002020-06-18T13:42:38.675-07:00<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span class="il">College</span> <span class="il">101</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Here is what I have learned so far about <span class="il">trying to afford and find a college</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">You know how people say small liberal arts schools cost less than state
schools? It is true (sort of). If you do not qualify for need-based
aid and do qualify for merit-based scholarships, it might be worth
looking at private schools. College is an excellent study in economics and the law of supply and demand. In our situation, the most our children
would get at state schools like CSU and CU Boulder was 1000 off a year,
even with high test scores and higher than 4.0 gpa’s and many activities. In addition, many
classes have hundreds of students taught by TA’s. This did not feel like
a fair value for $27,000. The small liberal arts schools level the
playing field by giving money not just need based but also lots of merit
based. (Note- not all schools are like this. Some
are need blind. From what I can gather this is also bad for middle
class. They also do not give merit based and all money is based on need.
If you are middle class in an area of the country with a relatively
high cost of living, the formula is not going to work out in your favor. )</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">You
know how people say test scores aren’t everything? Not so true. We
chose to have our daughter miss a very academic-heavy year to do some
amazing adventures. I do not regret this. Her life is richer and she is
more prepared for <span class="il">college</span>. But, especially in
the area of math, it probably effected her scores. And while she had
very good scores, they were not high
enough for some of the most lucrative scholarships. I would listen to <a href="https://www.choosefi.com/114-how-to-get-college-scholarships/" target="_blank">this podcast a</a>nd heed the advice. Disciplined test prep and practice will go a long way and possibly pay off. I wish I heard this podcast before this week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">As
far as the final package, it felt a lot like buying a new car. There is
the sticker price which does not even come close to what we will pay.
There is the initial offer which is a ballpark idea and then there is
the final offer which is significantly lower than the initial package. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">When all is said and done, it is still way more than you would have saved if all you rely on is the maximum <span class="il">college</span>
savings plan. We started this when each child was born. We deposited
150 monthly. This equaled about 32000 and it grew to 46000 for each
child by the time we started drawing it down. But it won’t come close to
paying for <span class="il">college</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">So where does all this leave us? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">The
final decision is up to the children. We can contribute a set amount per
child per year. Anything above that will be for them to cover. So they
might decide to do community <span class="il">college</span> for a year or summer school or <span class="il">college</span>
loans (greatly discouraged) or get some high paying jobs. We were clear from the beginning what this amount would be. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Here
is one more interesting piece of information. The more competitive the
school, the less merit money you will get. So, unless you want to pay
full price, you might not want to look at the more selective schools
unless you qualify for need-based aid. Here are rough stats. A school
with 25% acceptance rate, accepted but no merit scholarships. A school
with 50% acceptance rate provided a $30,000 merit scholarship which left
$30,000 balance and a school with 93% acceptance rate gave a package
that would have cost $18,500 for tuition, room and board. So bottom line
is if you won’t qualify for need based aid,
consider less competitive schools if you want better packages. However
if you want your child to attend a more competitive school you need to
weigh if it is worth the debt you or your child will take on. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Good luck. At a minimum I would suggest<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> a tour at a small liberal arts school as part of your college
search. They have a lot to offer and it is important to consider and
weigh these factors as you make the big decision. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">I found <a href="https://www.amazon.com/College-Finder-Ph-D-Steven-Antonoff/dp/1936035901/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TGQ5D6Y8YWMXME63DA3W" target="_blank">The College Finder Book</a> a really great resource. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">I also really found this article interesting. </span></span><br />
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<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/1/18311548/college-admissions-secrets-myths&source=gmail&ust=1560518742734000&usg=AFQjCNFwCJ8VY-VYcHJrUpJ6FSNP8meL7g" href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/1/18311548/college-admissions-secrets-myths" target="_blank">https://www.vox.com/the-<wbr></wbr>highlight/2019/5/1/18311548/<wbr></wbr>college-admissions-secrets-<wbr></wbr>myths</a></div>
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This was my favorite quote: "The four years of college are as important socially as they are
educationally — the right fit is far more important than getting into
the highest-ranked school you can." The whole article is a reminder to keep things in perspecive, but I especially liked point #7.<br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"> </span> </span><br />
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Update: In March we went to a Scholars Weekend at one of her final choices. There was the chance to be selected for a four year full tuition scholarship. Since this school was in her top three and the dates fell over spring break, we decided to go. She loved the school and when we returned home she learned she was chosen for the full tuition scholarship. Better yet, since this school is in the Mid-West, housing costs are significantly lower than Colorado. So that is something else to consider.... All in all it was a very eye opening experience. We do not have it totally figured out but maybe this info will help get someone started who, like us, does not believe debt is the only way to get through college. </div>
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mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-90119825575744647672020-06-09T10:56:00.002-07:002020-06-09T10:56:35.966-07:00PuzzlingIt has been way too long since I have written a post. Not so much because nothing has happened but more so because EVERYTHING has happened. Most notably we sold our nice big house and downsized to a small townhouse in Novemeber. The plan was to use this as an economical base during the college years and spend a lot of time hiking, camping and backpacking. Well- the joke's on us. Little did we know our daughter would return home early from college and who knows when the nest will be empty. But at least we have a mortgage free place to live, even if it is a little small, it takes some financial pressure off and leaves us with some money for Airbnbs when it gets to cramped.<br />
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The start of the Covid Life was pretty scary. My sister was one of the first to get it from community spread while working in a nursing home. She was very sick and this was a personal and impactful intro to our "new normal" and what we had to fear. Then I was busy wrapping up an online school year and doing a lot of cooking now that everyone is home 24/7. But just last week I had a bit of downtown and completed three 1000 piece puzzles in one week. It made me wonder how others tackle the fun of a puzzle. Here is my gameplan:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSzLOh5JWp_wgPLdCCkM0UNg7t1KhBcs8WNv-SDDXRAcXeQI3nY0rgTojdhh8KZlsrbVGVekaWUkN9wLO8jqVL4TcwKT72XMxW3WF4BQRLQfr2Wzn8v2TEjDBFo8t6BTNrWO9L3Ofi2tA/s1600/61265315270__28808E95-7253-4D1E-BCC2-FA9E25031923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSzLOh5JWp_wgPLdCCkM0UNg7t1KhBcs8WNv-SDDXRAcXeQI3nY0rgTojdhh8KZlsrbVGVekaWUkN9wLO8jqVL4TcwKT72XMxW3WF4BQRLQfr2Wzn8v2TEjDBFo8t6BTNrWO9L3Ofi2tA/s320/61265315270__28808E95-7253-4D1E-BCC2-FA9E25031923.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Sort and complete edges first and roughly sort remaining pieces by color</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXKryGZ_VuJCZOKhgldpP-ZWT86AOo_5yBVJP_mUHLHXWCVhA7Nichojr2ButtKIzWYoXigMcEuY2p5IphyQiTbL_FcsnrCkHkpNEBOBLQi9ljGNAfIjrN7qYgO4pQ9rcn4Re507Q9F-i/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXKryGZ_VuJCZOKhgldpP-ZWT86AOo_5yBVJP_mUHLHXWCVhA7Nichojr2ButtKIzWYoXigMcEuY2p5IphyQiTbL_FcsnrCkHkpNEBOBLQi9ljGNAfIjrN7qYgO4pQ9rcn4Re507Q9F-i/s320/IMG_1335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Once there are not too many pieces left, sort by color and then by shape</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn8t4NiEcBsRUQVh-R9dsXPUdMlvNds4xdAqFKPLJnDeHYAA5hwvj5UyfuFACL8pLmSFGrYS7t66rQGAe7gBJAUXD2rjvP6pV6utf9uboyFRIV7KQHAKWg1eg3cHC4ZrFlh6kAtUJlsio/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn8t4NiEcBsRUQVh-R9dsXPUdMlvNds4xdAqFKPLJnDeHYAA5hwvj5UyfuFACL8pLmSFGrYS7t66rQGAe7gBJAUXD2rjvP6pV6utf9uboyFRIV7KQHAKWg1eg3cHC4ZrFlh6kAtUJlsio/s320/IMG_1336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAEHhYge-9LJHMwCo9DOh8eeh2j9Alb04yZPDSIncsSpgIMZN3py1YrhJtOsn2Ab1u_Xi5e4sivEvtlZJTtgLuyTA010ivcYnqXREcGhxs4sHxuM-6nHPH3CfkVdzk2Ywkw602EiiRHg-/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAEHhYge-9LJHMwCo9DOh8eeh2j9Alb04yZPDSIncsSpgIMZN3py1YrhJtOsn2Ab1u_Xi5e4sivEvtlZJTtgLuyTA010ivcYnqXREcGhxs4sHxuM-6nHPH3CfkVdzk2Ywkw602EiiRHg-/s320/IMG_1338.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completed puzzle :)</td></tr>
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<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-83634148104127211962019-08-06T12:04:00.003-07:002020-06-09T10:56:51.852-07:00Tahoe Rim Trail<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qJwYTcijdqU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qJwYTcijdqU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 17.41pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">We just got back from a nine day 120 mile backpacking trip. I always wondered what a longer trip would be like. Now I know. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Mostly it was really challenging. There were a couple surprises. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I was hoping that with each day I would feel stronger. But after the first three days I just felt more beat up at the end of each day. Usually I was ready for the hiking to end about two hours before it did each day. Even though we agreed at the start that we were going to take it easy and not go too hard it is a lot harder in the day to day to do this. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Backpacking reminds me of the board game Settlers of Catan. But instead of a good ratio of resources, you need shelter, food and water. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>So first we would need to get near water. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Then we would need to find suitable (meaning flat) land for a tent, then we would need to have a rough daily mileage of 15 miles so our food would last for the whole trip. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>When you put all those issues together it, along with swarms of mosquitoes, is not as easy to take it easy as one would think. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I still really enjoyed the challenge and the beauty and the teamwork with Justin but I don’t think I have the grit in me that true thru hikers have. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Nine days was enough and I was really happy when I did not have to dig holes for toilets and worry about where the next water supply was. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Here is what I loved most:</span></div>
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<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Stoveless cooking- I did not miss the stove at all. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have always loved snickers and all the other treats I packed and I felt perfectly nourished. </span></li>
<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Wildflowers- I just love fields of wildflowers and this hike was no different- I think my trail name would be Flower Power because whenever we came across a field of wildflowers I felt new energy, even if I was exhausted.</span></li>
<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I could not have done this hike without these things: <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(worth carrying)- backpacking pillow and air mattress, hiking poles, dirty girl gaiters (keeps pebbles out of your shoes), battery pack for my phone</span></li>
<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I really liked having the Guthook app. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Granted it would have been nice if there was a little more crowdsourcing but even the basic info was really handy. I liked seeing where I was and how far I had gone and how much further we had to go until the next water or break.</span></li>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">Here is what surprised me:</span></div>
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<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">I still had a list of things to do on my mind. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I thought I would just be walking and thinking about anything but there is always something to think about- in this case it was where a good rock to pee behind was or what to clean at the next water spot or what to remember to get from my pack at the next break....</span></li>
<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">The Tahoe Rim Trail was not nearly as crowded as I expected- we met very few others doing the loop and even fewer day hikers. Even the 50 mile stretch that merged with the PCT trail was not very crowded.</span></li>
<li><span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">My water pump stopped working three days into the hike. I have since learned this abrupt problem has happened to others. Luckily Justin’s Sawyer was fine. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Always have a back up water supply. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="p2" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.8px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sf ui text"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="s1" style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: small;">In case you are interested here is a day by journal of what our hike consisted of:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 1: We got to the hotel around 1AM local time. We got up at 6AM and took an Uber to the Tahoe Meadows Trailhead near Mount Rose. We started a southbound, clockwise loop at about 8:30 AM. Day one was spectacular. It was a really nice way to start the hike- beautiful views, a really nice trail and perfect weather. After 13.5 miles on the trail (although 16 miles total including the scenic loop and water run) we wrapped things up at Marlette Campground. Surprisingly only one other person was at the campground. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4UT593FllHPVviY70CMUKOGFV6vERHmau-Xkuu6lLu4wutcEyK6IP1m5K5R0ZTv3H3DBBuFJjYz-rJTl-qiMKVW4NmLC6l4ZNFT2kTniLdMGqweZK1WzZklmCMRQpVcUmOzI5YU-y-ok/s1600/DSC09796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4UT593FllHPVviY70CMUKOGFV6vERHmau-Xkuu6lLu4wutcEyK6IP1m5K5R0ZTv3H3DBBuFJjYz-rJTl-qiMKVW4NmLC6l4ZNFT2kTniLdMGqweZK1WzZklmCMRQpVcUmOzI5YU-y-ok/s320/DSC09796.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day2: I am really glad day two is over. I knew it was going to be hard for two reasons- no water and a long day of hiking. We got up at six and were hiking by seven. Before we left camp I drank two liters of water since I knew it was a long hard day with no water along the way. We also filled all our extra water bags which meant heavy packs- especially for Justin who carried a lot of the extra water. The day started with a good climb. Soon we were at Spooner Lake. We were deciding if we should walk a mile downhill to the lake to get more water when a nice guy offered to give us a gallon of water from his car. That along with what we still had was enough to get us to Kingsbury the next morning. It saved us at least an hour of going down and up from the lake. Yay for trail angels! SO we crossed the highway and started a pretty steady climb for the next two hours. This was hard. It was hot. We were rationing water and for me uphills are always harder in the afternoon after hiking all morning. Finally we got to the top but we still had a lot more miles to cover. After 18 miles we made it to a flat enough area to camp. Our waterless day is over!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VqBjHzX7tSU0RqUilu9Nh8mHES_3_IQ_TrbyC5DBUD1__noKc2ikSszJe7nJiMAH01JsosIz6Bl1uqU0odN3ItDN-l8M33lPPmpcwvtlBkbkL8VeyXlOM6qTFZ6GU5XdqTkVT8NuNzbB/s1600/DSC09820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VqBjHzX7tSU0RqUilu9Nh8mHES_3_IQ_TrbyC5DBUD1__noKc2ikSszJe7nJiMAH01JsosIz6Bl1uqU0odN3ItDN-l8M33lPPmpcwvtlBkbkL8VeyXlOM6qTFZ6GU5XdqTkVT8NuNzbB/s320/DSC09820.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 3</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Today was somewhat of a near-o day (kind of like a zero day but with a
few miles). We hiked out 5.5 miles to where the trail intersects with
206 in Kingsbury. Ben, Jeannie, Connor and Skyler drove up from Folsom
to meet us for lunch. We ate at a delicious place right on Lake Tahoe.
It was cool to see the lake up close after seeing it from up high. It
was also awesome to see our California family. Our plan was to resupply
at the supermarket and head out in the afternoon but after hiking in the
afternoon heat yesterday I suggested we stay here and get an early
start tomorrow for a long solid day of hiking. So we got a room, cleaned
our clothes and took a shower<img alt="😍" class="CToWUd" data-goomoji="1f60d" data-image-whitelisted="" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/1f60d" style="margin: 0 0.2ex; max-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle;" />.
Then we walked to the supermarket and carefully chose five days worth
of food because we have about 80 miles to cover before our next
resupply. We also won’t have much cell coverage so you might not be
getting many updates these next few days.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQbS4L66SWV-IGc4I4z51bLJuK5QI3UG4Gn5oTPqEpSHyXLHGp23XF4y7u5gLt6V-XMPQUZJbNkDciEZdYGpYawHkOErNDUmze4P8yVxXQmaHCpKw8m5IU-P_Q3ekfHAIMTp8PRk2fvJG/s1600/DSC09872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQbS4L66SWV-IGc4I4z51bLJuK5QI3UG4Gn5oTPqEpSHyXLHGp23XF4y7u5gLt6V-XMPQUZJbNkDciEZdYGpYawHkOErNDUmze4P8yVxXQmaHCpKw8m5IU-P_Q3ekfHAIMTp8PRk2fvJG/s320/DSC09872.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 4</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We ate breakfast before heading out of South Lake Tahoe and took a Lyft
to the trailhead. We were heading up a steady uphill by 8am. I used to
listen to a backpacking podcast called the first forty miles. The
meaning behind the title was that it takes 40 miles to get your groove
on in a backpacking trip. Early on today’s hike we hit 40 miles for the
trip. And today definitely went smoother but it is still plenty
challenging. After a few hours we crossed over from Nevada to
California. Then we stopped for lunch at Star Lake. After that we
climbed a little more to our highest point for the day before a long
decent to where we set up camp after a 14.3 mile day. Even though our
packs were heavy with five days worth of food it helped that we only
ever had to carry one liter of water since there were more steams than
the past three days.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw6miWT6Xhl3Zb4PdelK_BWrvXEycL0Yc2GHxgEjYyrOcojWOoGmT96Blw-6k3FZn1uaeKKUMa0tfZ4foa_7-TfA4oyTzTSG82d9Na62QqRWkRzcZg4zVlPJzn5SfF4rg-RT2zh0NMjOb/s1600/DSC09893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw6miWT6Xhl3Zb4PdelK_BWrvXEycL0Yc2GHxgEjYyrOcojWOoGmT96Blw-6k3FZn1uaeKKUMa0tfZ4foa_7-TfA4oyTzTSG82d9Na62QqRWkRzcZg4zVlPJzn5SfF4rg-RT2zh0NMjOb/s320/DSC09893.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 5</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Today we got another early start. We were hiking by 6:30. We had a brief
uphill followed by a really nice downhill through a meadow of
wildflowers. Then we stopped to eat breakfast at a beautiful viewpoint
of Lake Tahoe. After that we had a very long decent to the Great Meadows
Trailhead. After filling up our water we hiked another two miles uphill
to round lake for lunch. Then we went a few more miles uphill to where
the Pacific Crest Trail and the Tahoe Rim Trail combine together. After
about 17 miles we wrapped things up at Shower Lake. This gave us time to
enjoy the lake and the views and rest up to get another early start
tomorrow. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ8HtGwax3YwAO0qEea4eKPUkcnXdD-8tYK8EAy6ESWPv9uU5daaGgUy3LWSLQOGOJhHhEUTnKisx2jabhLqI2wsCx8ppcqIMo2sbWCQ30wKDNUngRtbStr51q-oKfMSmbK8-9Ofd-fQz/s1600/DSC09919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ8HtGwax3YwAO0qEea4eKPUkcnXdD-8tYK8EAy6ESWPv9uU5daaGgUy3LWSLQOGOJhHhEUTnKisx2jabhLqI2wsCx8ppcqIMo2sbWCQ30wKDNUngRtbStr51q-oKfMSmbK8-9Ofd-fQz/s320/DSC09919.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 6</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Another early start. Good news is it seems our water worries are behind
us. Bad news is with water comes mosquitoes. The ying and yang of life.
We decided to skip eating breakfast at our site in search of a place
less buggy. After walking for awhile we decided to just eat something
quick. Soon we started a really long descent. Usually our hikes average
about 3000 feet of elevation gain a day. It is somewhat of a roller
coaster with a good amount of ups and downs through the day and nothing
is ever so steep up or down that I can’t take it - just enough to feel
like a good workout. But the descent we had this morning was killer. My
knees and ankles were so sore by the time it was lunch. I also was
nursing a couple hotspots from yesterday that I do not want to turn into
blisters. Justin could tell I needed a little boost so he made the wise
decision to call it a day after ten miles and rest up. We are ahead of
schedule anyway because our permit for Desolation Wilderness begins
tomorrow and we already made it to that point of the trail. So we will
head into town, rest my feet and hit the trail again first thing in the
morning. The only regret is if we had known this we could have carried
less food the last couple days. But at least we don’t have to waste time
resupplying. So off to an unexpected but much needed shower and back on
the trail first thing tomorrow.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydgX0UpL-j2Q7VAI9uRzJZpl5PtzDaV6Cz51Iy4ONU4oMjxJ_NjCRYRZVUo2uupRXIkCO1bLHbgiLZE-Y7DLrtLmlCUGabK5kEjeLfKzZq0iOGzBqFrvMnNUXOSJMZb21Ua_havtaQNf7/s1600/DSC09923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydgX0UpL-j2Q7VAI9uRzJZpl5PtzDaV6Cz51Iy4ONU4oMjxJ_NjCRYRZVUo2uupRXIkCO1bLHbgiLZE-Y7DLrtLmlCUGabK5kEjeLfKzZq0iOGzBqFrvMnNUXOSJMZb21Ua_havtaQNf7/s320/DSC09923.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">By 8am we were entering Desolation Wilderness. We have been looking
forward to this part of the hike and it did not disappoint. First we
walked along Echo Lake and after five miles we made it to the gem for
lunch- Aloha Lake. We actually took two lunch breaks here because it was
that spectacular and also we were not in a huge rush since we were
planning a shorter day today. Aloha Lake also had ideal foot soaking
areas and my feet are still in need of a lot of soaking after
yesterday’s killer downhill- I am still not back to myself. After lunch
we continued on past several other lakes until we stopped at Gilmore
Lake around 4:00pm. Even though we only clocked 11 miles, it still took
awhile with all the photo stops. Also there was quite a bit of
rerouting for snow and the terrain was not the fastest to traverse.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRJIlMT05cE4konaUOzLeVLNGGUmr3lx0T77tXvnj6yUqJ-Md47QjWQNkoco2UEl_zZXnhIXtVdC8euB_e7yRidsy9HSydmnoFJaZyUGayuSD7POqJeKGs6O37-cxIgvKEVo7nF8YT99b/s1600/DSC09931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRJIlMT05cE4konaUOzLeVLNGGUmr3lx0T77tXvnj6yUqJ-Md47QjWQNkoco2UEl_zZXnhIXtVdC8euB_e7yRidsy9HSydmnoFJaZyUGayuSD7POqJeKGs6O37-cxIgvKEVo7nF8YT99b/s320/DSC09931.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 8</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A week ago we hit the trail. Since then we have covered over 100 miles
on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Today we did about 15.5 miles. Our morning
started with swarms of mosquitoes. We broke down camp. (Well let’s be
honest mostly- Justin broke down camp- he has been pulling a lot of
weight on this trip- finding camping spots, getting water and making
sure we stay on trail when there is too much snow to follow the trail.).
Anyway.... after leaving Gilmore Lake we headed up to Dicks Pass. This
was a good climb and we had some snow but the harder part was on the
downhill on the other side. It was hard to stay on the trail with all
the snow and there were a couple parts I had to sled down on my bottom.
Sledding in July was a first for me but I do not recommend sledding with
out a tube. My tailbone hurts. Once we got over the pass and through
the snow the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. After about ten
miles the mosquitoes let up and thankfully our lake tonight- Richardson-
has a nice breeze and we are bug free.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92u08OXQzJ9LjGp4EBthwiH5u1ZSq4hhsfusXkScH3vlXoQTJJ7OhptGeLyDz5QAW3r1adOQlBgDiZenDl3iJ9p5qoM3cA_xqjsqM9-h6SkYBhP7VdJjywjpPRhsqzZhxHqYFtlUox5em/s1600/DSC09944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92u08OXQzJ9LjGp4EBthwiH5u1ZSq4hhsfusXkScH3vlXoQTJJ7OhptGeLyDz5QAW3r1adOQlBgDiZenDl3iJ9p5qoM3cA_xqjsqM9-h6SkYBhP7VdJjywjpPRhsqzZhxHqYFtlUox5em/s320/DSC09944.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Day 9</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Another early start- trying to get miles in before it gets hot. Once
again we ate on the run from mosquitoes. We went up and down and up
again and finally found a little reprieve so we took our first break of
the day. Then we headed across our final snowy area. As we got closer to
Tahoe City we started looking for somewhere to camp but the closer we
got, the more we realized we were getting too close to town for good
camping so after about 18 miles for the day we hitched a ride with a
couple at the trailhead and they dropped us off at the closest brewery
to celebrate. So after 9 days we are wrapping things up with more than
120 miles on the Tahoe Rim Trail. We won’t finish the entire circuit but
we got pretty far and had a lot of fun. Special thanks to Justin for
being the brains behind the operation on most days.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDshCmqtKswiElGcKuZYSgKNRTE9ENDggwDrpUgTmayXUphn69aBTiMTlPEjEU-nROvbq4cijHbz-o7sOOLacKVH1L_IDdprOvKFY0OKE9zIDbRiZRlCB2ZfUEL3EraJhp1HijEW3JZ8j/s1600/DSC09986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDshCmqtKswiElGcKuZYSgKNRTE9ENDggwDrpUgTmayXUphn69aBTiMTlPEjEU-nROvbq4cijHbz-o7sOOLacKVH1L_IDdprOvKFY0OKE9zIDbRiZRlCB2ZfUEL3EraJhp1HijEW3JZ8j/s320/DSC09986.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-2178241138850692502019-04-25T18:46:00.000-07:002019-04-25T18:46:01.155-07:00My Year of Intentional SpendingThis year I am hoping to be more intentional about how I spend my time, energy and money. It is related to a goal my husband and I have set to try to save as much money as we can during a very costly year- the first year we will have a child in college (followed the very next year when we will have two in college.) But we are determined to do this without going into debt so in the fall we started looking at ways to increase our savings while decreasing our spending and still maintaining a good quality of life. (In other words we did not want to resort to our college days of cup-o-soup and ramen noodles for dinner.)<br />
<br />
The first round of cuts were pretty easy- no more Green Chef, an organic meal delivery service that would send us two meals per week with recipe cards and all the ingredients I needed for cooking. We dropped Netflix DVD and started using the library. (I needed more errands for my son's driving lessons anyway.) At the same time we dropped Sling. We had dropped cable years ago so now we are down to streaming Netflix which is now included in our cell phone plan since we switched from Verizon to T-Mobile (another cost-saving measure.) Next week we will drop to the smaller garbage can as we have become pretty good at composting and recycling and rarely fill our current can. Last but not least we sold our larger family vehicle, a 2011 Honda Pilot and shuffled the cars around so that now I drive the electric car and no longer use gas for my commute. My husband, who was using the electric car now drives a very fuel efficient Hyundai Iconic which he also uses for his side hustle of Uber and Lyft. The teens share the CRV which we also use for family road trips.<br />
<br />
Our cost saving choices are not just financial but also a small step to improve our environmental footprint. So while it is good to save money on the gas and garbage, it also feels good to know we are adding a little less to the landfill each week and less dependent on fossil fuel. We certainly still have a ways to go but at least it is a step in the right direction rather than just using more and more of everything.<br />
<br />
So far this journey has been fun and eye opening. There is something called Lifestyle Creep which is when you start to spend money a little over time but it can really add up. At the end of a rough work day you can say lets eat out. We deserve this. And next thing you know you are eating out 2 or 3 times a week and it really is not that satisfying. Now we have pulled back to about once a month and it is back to being a real treat. (Not to mention the weight loss that occurred along with more meals at home and the major cost savings.)<br />
<br />
So to keep me on track and working towards more ways to cut down on time wasters and money waster I am going to try do the following "free" days once a week. Mainly I am just trying to test habits and see which changes I can adjust to and which might be more than I am ready for right now. I figure if I just do a day at a time I can at least experiment a little and then hopefully work up to week free as the year progresses. But for now, this is what I am aiming for one day each week:<br />
<br />
Meat free Monday- Shouldn't be too hard for me but I will read labels on that day so maybe it will be harder than I think<br />
Animal Free Tuesday- This will be a lot harder than meat free but I figure
anything is possible for a day and maybe I will decide I can make it a
weekly standard <br />
Garbage free Wednesday- I admit I use way too many ziploc bags. On these days I will need to use my reusable containers and not put anything other than tissues in the garbage.<br />
Spend Free Thursday- No matter what comes up the wallet can not come out on my spend free days<br />
Screen Free Friday- Aside from work no screen time<br />
Car free Saturday- This means I will need to bike, walk or (if needed) carpool everywhere that I need to that day.<br />
Sunday? Still trying to think of another free thing- any ideas? If not I might make it a double yoga day.... still a work in progress <br />
<br />
<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-9221692792807513132019-04-25T18:43:00.001-07:002019-04-26T07:32:44.969-07:00What FI Means to Me<span style="font-family: "arial";">About 18 months ago my husband introduced me to the Mr. Money Mustache blog. He is a local legend from my town who I have never met but he blogs about the FIRE Movement- Financial Independence Retire Early. Since then we have been reading more and more about this movement and learning about how this philosophy might fit into our own life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">While we are still working we like the freedom that FI offers. By reining in our spending and increasing our savings we have more choices. I know that I could stop working sooner if I wanted to but I am choosing to work as long as I find my work fulfilling. It is no longer a case that I HAVE to go to THIS job, but I am choosing this work. If I really decide I am not fulfilled I can choose to do something lower paying but more fulfilling since we have lowered our expenses while also increasing our savings. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Related to having choices, I am using time with intention. Ultimately time is our greatest asset and FI gives us time to do more of what fulfulls us. So while I am working and as I make decisions of what I will do when I work less, I ask myself how I want to spend my days. It is these deep conversations about what makes us happy and how I want to spend my days that helps me solidify what really matters and how I want to use my time. These are the top ways I want to use my time: Being with friends and family, hiking, yoga, eating healthy, reading, growing my mind, and traveling to connect with new and old friends and see natural wonders. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";">By spending less and using less I am also making more sustainable choices. Sometimes the differences are not necessarily huge financial gains but they are still worth doing because it is saving money and still making less garbage. For example, we have tried to eliminate paper towels. That alone will not lead to FI but it is also rewarding to switch over to rags simple because I like knowing that I am not literally throwing dollars in the garbage when I could simple use a rag. I also enjoy biking to and from work when the weather allows. Not only does it save a little on gas, it also gives me a little exercise and I actually enjoy starting and ending my day with some fresh air and sunshine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-9b224c91-7fff-9ec3-2e15-658061ef9eb8" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">In case you are interested in learning more about the FIRE movement, here are some good first steps.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/mr-money-mustache" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> is a video from PBS that introduces the Fire Movement.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mr. Money Mustache lives in Longmont. </span><a href="https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> is his blog. </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I like the ChooseFI podcast- pick and choose the episodes you like but </span><a href="https://www.choosefi.com/100-welcome-to-the-fi-community/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">here </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">is a good place to start.</span></div>
mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-42321529349903551732019-03-09T06:24:00.000-08:002019-03-09T06:24:09.039-08:00Yoga RetreatI have enjoyed yoga for much of my adult life. But usually time and
money kept my from a very dedicated and consistent practice. Last spring
a studio opened up in my neighborhood and I started making more of an
effort to make it part of my routine. In the summer I got a monthly pass
and tried all the different types of classes and really started being a regular student. On Thanksgiving I learned about a teacher
training class that was beginning. While I had hoped to do this once my
children headed off to college, I decided the circumstances were just
too perfect to put it off. So I began my journey as a yoga teacher. It
has been such a great experience and I know it is just the beginning
because it is the kind of thing that the more you learn, the more you
learn you need to learn. But for now I am just so happy to be learning
more about breathing and mindfulness and awareness and surrounding
myself with others who are on a similar path of discovery and
appreciation for each other.<br />
Part of my teacher training included a week long yoga retreat in Costa
Rica at th<a href="http://www.thegoddessgarden.com/" target="_blank">e Goddess Garden Yoga Retreat Center</a>. We nourished our bodies
with vegetarian meals, nourished our minds with yoga talks and
meditation practice and practiced postures and breathing daily. We also
had free time to enjoy the beach and reconnect with nature in the rain
forest. It was such a gift and I am so grateful to my family for
supporting me and encouraging me to begin this journey a little ahead of
schedule.<br />
<br />
Some of my favorite yoga quotes and comments from this week:<br />
"Yoga doesn’t happen on the mat. It’s what happens when I get off the mat."<br />
"Massaging the earth with each step you take."<br />
"If you want to change one thing you need to change everything"<br />
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mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-12117176202821710432018-07-29T07:03:00.000-07:002018-07-29T07:03:11.532-07:00Embrace Plan EI was supposed to have TEN DAYS ALONE! I am a happily married mother of two teenagers but I would be lying to tell you I was not looking forward to the once in a lifetime opportunity to have ten days alone. It really was too good to be true. In fact I hadn't even made too many plans because I did not want to jinx it. But if everything went as planned Laurel was going to be in Germany on her exchange semester, Owen was going to be in Japan with the Longmont Sister City Program and Justin was going to be hiking the Washington portion of the PCT. So the big day had arrived. I had just returned from dropping Owen off at the airport and going to the post office to mail Justin a resupply box. I was sitting on the couch deciding what would I do first- eat cereal for lunch, plan out my hikes, or start to organize decades worth of photos and then my iMessage dinged. It was a message from Justin saying he had had enough of the PCT and was heading home. And just like that my ten days of solitude turned into 24 hours. But it also turned into the best ten days of the summer. Because there is something really amazing about embracing plan e- because let's be honest- at this point I was past plan b,c and d -but it still turned out really well. Luckily I had already been really productive and gotten most of my summer chores done. So the time was pretty open. We brainstormed our possibilities. We considered more backpacking. Or maybe some lake camping. There was also a hike seven hours away that I was planning to go to by myself. I had been training for this hike all summer but because it was in an area that was closed earlier this summer for a wildfire and currently was in monsoon season I was doubtful if it was the best time to go. But at the same time I decided if not now, when. We decided to just give it a try and see what happens- so in the matter of an hour we mapped out a five day roadtrip and I managed to book places to stay along the route. And what a fantastic time we had! So maybe Justin did not hike all 500 miles of the Washington section of the PCT. And I did not get those photo books sorted. But we had a rare couple's road trip to the San Juan Mountains, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Mount Princeton Hot Springs filled with laughs and chats and amazing views and weather and there is not one thing I could have changed if we had planned this trip for a year. So here's to spontaneity from one who can be little too much of a planner at times. I am so grateful my summer didn't turn out as I planned because there is no way I would have had that much fun by myself anyway!<br />
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<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-54670719320531118272018-07-07T18:39:00.001-07:002018-07-07T18:39:22.830-07:00A Year for Adventures2018 has been an exciting year for our family. First Laurel departed
for a semester in Germany. If you are interested in hearing more about
that <a href="https://laurelsfreiburgadventures.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>
is a link to her blog. My big adventure was at the start of the summer
when I went to visit Laurel. I kept a pretty detailed journal but so
as not to bore you all with too many details, and since a picture is
worth a 1000 words, I figured I would post a top ten photo summary of my
visit with Laurel. <br />
<br />
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This
photo was taken along Lago Maggiore while we were waiting to take a
ferry to visit three islands- Isola Bella, Isola Superiore and Isola
Madre.<br />
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Enjoying some pizza and the sunset along Lake Como in Bellagio- (We enjoyed a lot of yummy pizza and gelato while in Italy.)<br />
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One of many beautiful villages along Lake Como.<br />
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One
day we took a funicular up from Como and then took an 8 mile hike along
a trail called the Strada Regia through the woods to another town and
then we took the water taxi back to Como. It was a very nice hike but
hard to stay on the trail which made it much harder and longer than we
planned. <br />
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Prosecco and eggplant parm was a well deserved reward after our long hike!<br />
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Enjoying the Austrian Alps above Innsbruck.<br />
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While
back in Freiburg we took a day trip to Basel, Switzerland. I have been
to this city several times and always enjoy the visit.<br />
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On
another day we took a bus ride to Strassburg, France with Rahel and
Renate. We enjoyed walking around the city and treats from a French
bakery.<br />
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Another picture in Strassburg- this section of the city was called Petite-France.<br />
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Laurel enjoyed showing me around Freiburg. She was especially excited to show me all of the pens. She loves the German pens.<br />
<br />
So
that about sums up my European adventure. It was a wonderful two week
trip filled with lots of good visits with Laurel and Renate and the rest
of her family. I am so grateful that Laurel has had this opportunity
thanks to the generosity of Renate and her family. <br />
<br />
Yesterday
Justin began his big adventure- he will be hiking the first 500 miles
of the Pacific Crest Trail. He will start at Hart's Pass, WA- hike up
to the Canadian border and then turn back to head all the way to the
Oregon border. He can't just start at the Canadian border because of
9/11 permit regulations. That is why he has to walk in 30 miles south
from the terminus. I am so excited for him and I cannot wait to hear
about his adventures.<br />
<br />
Owen has his own big
adventure coming up in a couple weeks. He will be going to visit
Longmont's sister city in Chino, Japan. He applied to be an ambassador
last fall and he has been attending many meetings to prepare for this
special trip. When he returns he will have a host sister with us and we
will enjoy showing her around Longmont and Colorado for a couple of
weeks. <br />
<br />
So even though we are not taking a traditional
family vacation this year, I am glad that everyone is pursuing some
sort of interest and we are all growing by taking our own trips and
living through each other's trips. And once we all return home we will
plan some nice weekend getaways to reconnect this last year as a family
of four before Laurel heads off to college. mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-29413713966309702992018-01-01T07:20:00.001-08:002018-01-01T07:20:16.256-08:00Mantras to Live ByIn November I took this excellent class about teens and how to celebrate this time of development rather than dread it. It was one of the best professional development classes I have ever had and worth giving up a fall weekend of hiking (which says A LOT). Another benefit of this class is it reintroduced me to the wonders of meditation. This was my third try at meditation and I am not sure why it took this time but for some reason the timing was right. In the past I would always find it so stressful to sit around and do nothing. "I just don't have TIME meditate. " But I happened to be in a stressful place and I could not ignore the immediate calming and relaxing benefits I was experiencing. At the same time Oprah was offering her free 21 day meditation so it was perfect timing. Below are some of my favorite mantras. <br />
<br />
My go-to mantra is No Regrets. Whenever I start to wonder what-ifs about my job and how things would be financially different had we stayed in NJ I just keep repeating No Regrets. My friend said it better- your life choices reap better health. She reminded me there is more to life than salary and health benefits. And whenever I start spiraling I just keep repeating No Regrets until I feel calm again.<br />
<br />
Here are some other mantras I like to meditate with:<br />
<br />
"Be present in all things and thankful for all things" -Maya Angela<br />
<br />
"Live today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, just today. Inhabit your own
moments" -Jerry Spinelli<br />
<br /> These three all came from the Oprah 21 day meditation- I do not think there we names tied to them:<br />
<br />
The fullness of life is here now<br />
<br />
Awareness is the home of wholeness<br />
<br />
Happiness itself is a kind of gratitude<br />
<br />
Since I am an admitted planaholic living in the moment can be a challenge. One of my resolutions and goals is to be more intentional about living in the here and now and enjoying the present. <br />
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Here is a watercolor Laurel made with some of her favorite mantras. It was hanging in her wing at Conserve School that is why it says Badger Wing<br />
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mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-55072993203585951332017-08-30T05:53:00.002-07:002017-08-30T05:53:49.063-07:00My Favorite Hikes<span style="font-size: small;">If I had to choose my favorite thing about living in Colorado it would be the hiking. I really enjoy hiking. But the window for perfect hiking is small. This summer snow is still covering the Continental Divide! Right now hiking is spectacular, especially if we do a trail with wildflowers. But school starts in less than a month so that leaves a pretty small window. Of course there is always winter hiking and fall hiking. And even spring hiking if you don't mind the wet and the cold.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: small;">People often ask me what my favorite hikes are. I figured it would be efficient to make a list so you it is easy to share.</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: ".sfuidisplay"; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">My Favorite Hikes (Not ordered in rank order because that would just be impossible.)</span><br />
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The first 5 are in RMNP<br />
1. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/60/rocky-mountain-national-park-nymph-dream-emerald-lakes" target="_blank">Nymph, Dream and Emerald</a><br />
2. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/49/rocky-mountain-national-park-black-lake" target="_blank">Black Lake</a><br />
3. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/366/rocky-mountain-national-park-west-creek-falls" target="_blank">West Creek Falls</a><br />
4. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/57/rocky-mountain-national-park-glass-lake-and-sky-pond" target="_blank">Glass to Sky Pond</a><br />
5. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/62/rocky-mountain-national-park-lawn-lake" target="_blank">Lawn Lake</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/322/indian-peaks-wilderness-area-lake-dorothy" target="_blank">Lake Dorothy</a><br />
7. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/114/indian-peaks-wilderness-area-lake-isabelle" target="_blank">Lake Isabelle</a><br />
8. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/391/summit-county-eagle-county-clear-creek-county-james-peak" target="_blank">Jame's Peak</a><br />
9. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/103/indian-peaks-wilderness-area-rogers-peak-lake-and-heart-lake" target="_blank">Heart Lake</a><br />
10. <a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/680/summit-county-eagle-county-clear-creek-county-mt-flora" target="_blank">Mount Flora </a>(tied with <a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/butler-gulch" target="_blank">Butler Gulch</a>) <br />
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And too far for a day hike but worth the trip- <a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/blue-lakes-trail" target="_blank">Blue Lake near Ouray</a><br />
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A few questions about what kind of hike you want...<br />
<b>Lake or Summit?</b><br />
<b>Sunrise or Sunset or something in between?</b><br />
<b>Escape or workout? </b> This is where my husband and I need to compromise. My number one goal is escape. I want to get away from people and bikes. He wants to burn calories. So some days are workouts and some days are all about the Zen.<br />
<br />
<b>Most important tips:</b><br />
1. Go early- you beat the CROWDS and the CLOUDS. Especially in the summer the weather pattern often starts with a blue sky and the clouds build in the early afternoon. For hikes above tree line you don't want to be hiking when the lightening rolls in. Leaving early increases the odds of great weather while also having more of the trail to yourself. <br />
2. Pack your <a href="https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html" target="_blank">ten essentials</a><br />
3. Layers- there is a quote in Colorado...."If you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes". This is even more true while hiking. On some hikes I start with hat and gloves, put on a raincoat and finish with shorts. At a minimum. Always have my pack-able down along with hat, gloves and raincoat in my pack.<br />
4. Elevation matters- notice the start and end elevation. If it is more than 2000 feet it will be a workout no matter how short or long it is. If the destination is over 10,000 feet the air will be thin. <br />
<br />
What's up next?<br />
I<a href="https://www.outdoorproject.com/adventures/colorado/hikes/ice-lake-island-lake-hike" target="_blank">sland Lake and Ice Lakes near Silverton</a><br />
<a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/672/rocky-mountain-national-park-mount-chiquita-and-ypsilon-mountain" target="_blank">Mount Chiquita and Ypsion</a><br />
<a href="http://www.protrails.com/trail/118/rocky-mountain-national-park-mirror-lake" target="_blank">Mirror Lake </a>(Backpacking)<br />
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My favorite resource (although it is a bit dated) is Protrails. I also like to read trail reports the week before I do a hike because often I will be aware of something that might need my attention.<br />
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<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-75266759140911996012017-05-14T06:05:00.002-07:002017-05-14T06:05:58.449-07:00Happy Mother's DayAs I sit down to write my mom a card for Mother's Day I am reflecting
on all that she has taught me. Here are some things that come to mind
in no particular order:<br />
1. <b> Family is everything </b><br />
She
has always been there for me and raised us to do the same. Just about
every decision she has made was based on what would be best for the
family. Her loyalty to family- both near and far is gigantic. <br />
2. <b>Life is for the living </b><br />
My
mom has certainly had her share of tragedy and hardship. My sister
died when she was only 20 and ten years later my mom became a widow to
the love of her life. She could have become a sad lonely widow and no
one would have judged her. But she has always said "Life is for the
living." While she always remembers and honors loved ones who have gone
before us, she wakes up ready to make every day count.<br />
3. <b>If you lose something, pray to St. Anthony</b><br />
My
mom's faith is very deep and very strong. From childhood whenever I
lost something her response would always be did you pray to St.
Anthony? He always helps me. Now I find myself giving the same advice
to my own children.<br />
4. <b>Usually when people are mean it is out of jealousy</b><br />
This
one took some time to make sense. When I was growing up and my mom
said this I really did not believe but now that I see similar events
through adults eyes I see she was right. It has helped me not to take
hurt personally because usually when someone is being mean it is their
own issue, not mine.<br />
5. <b>When you are cooking, the most important ingredient is love. </b><br />
One
of my students told about the traditional way to make tamales. It is
not just the ingredients but she said everyone needs to gather together
with love. She said the one time they were arguing when they made them
they did not turn out. I believe this. Because sometimes I will make
something with my mom's recipe and it just doesn't taste the same.
There is something about the love she puts into it that always makes it
just right.<br />
6.<b> Laughter can see you through almost every single situation.</b><br />
My
mom tells the best stories and many are to retell a funny teaching
story. Many dinners were highlighted with one of her funny and
loved-filled stories. She taught me empathy and love and a love of
storytelling with every story that she told. <br />
<br />
There
is a lot more I can say I learned from my mom but this is a good start
for now. Because if I wait any longer Mother's Day will be over!<br />
<br />
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Circa 1972: My mom smiling with 5 kids under the age of six!<br />
<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-11242838943555981542017-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:002017-02-12T06:45:40.785-08:00This is What Determination Looks Like!My daughter did not find the sport that brought her joy until she was a freshman in high school. First we had a long tour of sports.... cross country, soccer, gymnastics, lacrosse (I was even recruited as an assistant coach even though I knew NOTHING about any sport with offense and defense.) Then in middle school she tried volleyball and track and field. I began to wonder if there was a sport for her. When she was in 8th grade, one of her friend's father suggested swimming and she decided to give it a try. The summer before freshman year she went to a few stroke clinics and learned to do a flip turn. I wondered if she would stick with it when the real season began- six days a week in chlorine sounded like a demanding schedule. But with every week she loved it more. She was not a stand out but the coach explained at the start of the season that anyone with perfect attendance to all practices and meets would letter. At the end of the 4 month season Laurel was the only girl on the team with perfect attendance. Over the next summer Laurel again went to some off-season practices and continued to enjoy it. She still hadn't found her event but just tried whichever race they needed someone for. About halfway through this season each girl had a private session with the coaches to discuss goals. Laurel said her goal was to make state. Her coach said let me crunch some numbers and I will get back to you. Later that night she texted her and said I think you can do it. You need to drop 18 seconds in three weeks. So think of it as 6 seconds a week. Anyone in swim knows seconds can be tough to knock off, even in a long distance event like the 500 free, but the coach had the girls visualize meeting their goal. Laurel closed her eyes and pictured the time she needed for state and just kept picturing it happening in her mind. At the next meet she dropped six seconds. Then she dropped nine so going into conferences she needed to drop 2 seconds from her 200 and three seconds from her 500 in order to qualify for state. Justin, Owen and I left work and school early so we could watch the conference meet. The 200M free is the second event. Her split was really fast. I kept adding the numbers and tried to guess if she would do it or not. As she came down with her last lap I looked at the clocked, the entire team was cheering and yelling. She got 2:13.23. She qualified for state. I was so happy for her. 99% hard work is what got her there. It is hard to believe that 18 months ago she had never even done a flip turn and now she is going to state for two long distance events. What a fun ride it has been this season!<br />
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mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-53835511933140263542016-09-20T20:40:00.001-07:002016-09-20T20:40:40.967-07:00Quandary Peak<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/72lVcShmcuU" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />
It is so easy to get sucked into the daily grind of work and chores. But STOP!!!! As my dad used to say (quoting Mark Twain): "Never let school work interfere with your education." It would be quite a treat to head to NYC to see a broadway show on a school day. Well- I am not quite as spontaneous as my dad but Owen and I wanted to get one more 14er in before the snow covers the mountains. I looked at the weather forecast and the only way to do it was to miss school. So.... at 5:00AM Monday morning we headed off to the Quandary Peak Trailhead. It was such a fabulous day and we had a wonderful hike up to the summit. <br /><br />
Sadly this month I have had a lot of reminders that life can change or end in a heart beat. First my Uncle Phil died after a long illness, then my friend Matt died very suddenly on a camping trip, then my colleague Jared, along with his wife, died in a tragic car accident and left behind their two year old daughter. All of these events make you stop and ask what really matters. And of course the answer is always- time with those we love. So pick up the phone and call that person you have been meaning to call, make a date with someone you need to catch up with or snuggle up a little tighter with those you love. Yes I missed a day of work and Owen missed a day of classes but I am going to guess twenty years from now he will still remember the day he went hiking with a goat and you can be sure that whatever we missed at school wouldn't have been that memorable! Here's to keeping it all in perspective! mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-79085148438434157942016-06-14T13:51:00.003-07:002016-06-14T13:51:39.120-07:00Farmer HelenThis summer I have created a nice garden. It is fun and I enjoy the time in the yard. But I will be surprised if this is cost effective. So far I have spent the following:<br />
<br />
Soil $120 for 2 yards delivered: I once heard this quote: "I would rather put a $5 plant in $30 soil than a $30 plant in $5 soil." I learned the hard way last year that good soil is critical. Our soil is mostly clay so I got 2 yards of planters soil delivered to mix in with the current soil.<br />
<br />
Mulch $200 for 2 yards delivered: I am really, really good at growing weeds. Maybe the best in the neighborhood. I do not like to use chemicals to keep weeds away but all the watering makes more than just the plants want to grow. So I plant everything and then mulch like crazy. I like to use Gorilla Hair Mulch because it matts down nicely and mostly stays where you put it.<br />
<br />
Water: Not only do I need to spend a bit watering the plants. I also use quite a bit soaking the greens and then rinsing the greens as I prepare them to eat. Hard to know the cost of water because we are on a tiered system. The first 5,000 gallons of water is only .0024 cents a gallon. The second tier is .00342 cents a gallon. I usually never hit the 3rd tier that starts at 15,000 gallons and cost .0042 per gallon. I like this tiered plan because it encourages conservation- the more you use, the more expensive it gets.<br />
<br />
Seeds $12: I bought radish and cilantro seeds. I also tried to plant some pepper, lavender and carrots but seed but none of those germinated. <br />
<br />
Starter Plants $70: I bought six tomato starter plants at the farmer's market. I know I could have gotten these cheaper but there is so much fracking going on near me, I wanted to know exactly where the plants were started and that there were free of fracking soil and chemicals. Some other plants I got for fun were: Bok Choy (already harvested- YUM!!!!), Kale (3 kinds), Swiss Chard, Brussel Sprouts, and Celery.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://conservationcenter.org/gardens/" target="_blank">Garden in a Box</a> $70 from Center for ReSource Conservation: This is my second year using Garden in a Box. I love it. This year I got the <a href="https://conservationcenter.org/gardens/shop/xeric-greatest-hits/" target="_blank">Xeric Greatest Hits</a> for my perennial flower garden out front. I also got the <a href="https://conservationcenter.org/gardens/shop/savory-seasonings/" target="_blank">Savory Seasonings</a> vegetable garden.<br />
<br />
Ultimately I will say this is a fun hobby. I will not be harvesting enough to cover the costs but at least I am making good use of the land, learning a little bit about farming and enjoying fresh picked greens. Here are a couple pictures of the garden so far. I hope to post and update around harvest time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYdn6aujaOXgWy4ab_Kq7n2ei9sL6XYhAmu8nQ9V9uoitCOoEtLEAa3tNCtf6nvzou3cLIzhfd6jRQHzcNKuPUPe1U4HC2XLaqhUkatF5JG13TLhg0B4zE1Qo2GUMvYeARiMIM33eNmVV/s1600/DSC00349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYdn6aujaOXgWy4ab_Kq7n2ei9sL6XYhAmu8nQ9V9uoitCOoEtLEAa3tNCtf6nvzou3cLIzhfd6jRQHzcNKuPUPe1U4HC2XLaqhUkatF5JG13TLhg0B4zE1Qo2GUMvYeARiMIM33eNmVV/s320/DSC00349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-26725231197505914412016-06-10T14:15:00.004-07:002016-06-10T14:15:35.246-07:00Biking in HygieneBad News: The mountains are still filled with snow which limits hiking choices. <br />
Good News: While trying to cross train, I learned that I happen live near some fantastic bike routes in Hygiene. So while I am not wearing biker shorts (and have no plans to do so any time soon,) I am enjoying this new-to-me sport of road cycling. Here is a video of one of my favorite loops- a 14 mile relatively flat trip that starts and ends right at home.... How lucky are we to live with such great routes right from our house?<br />
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<br />mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4428743408229789732.post-40244895807460538202016-02-15T16:31:00.000-08:002016-02-15T16:31:00.508-08:00Snowshoeing to Chuck's HutSince I moved to Colorado I have wanted to plan a hut trip. So back in August I logged into the <a href="http://www.huts.org/index.php" target="_blank">10th Mountain Division Hut Association</a> and looked for a family friendly destination. Normally it requires a lot more planning than a few months so I was surprised when I saw Chuck's Hut was available. Granted it was for a Sunday night but I figured I would follow my dad's advice (via Huck Finn): "Never let schoolwork interfere with your education." I asked everyone if they were on board and booked the hut.<br />
Fast forward a few months to mid January when I looked up my reservations. I noticed a slight problem- our hut trip was for Super Bowl Sunday. Well- no problem. Usually we don't even know who is playing. But as every week got closer it was more and more obvious that the Broncos would be headed to the Super Bowl this year.<br />
Oh well- what's done is done and I was not about to give up our hut trip for a football game. So we headed to REI, bought a backpack and some freeze dried meals, ordered a radio from Amazon and headed up to Vail Pass. On our way we stopped at Dam Brewery in Dillon to get a good hot meal before our trek began. From the trailhead it was 2.7 miles to Chuck's hut. This does not sound hard but between the wind, the snow, the slight incline and the 10,500 altitude, it was far enough for a family outing. After about two hours we arrived at the hut. It was like a little dream in the woods.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07ks4Nm8lWdMbw2qNmzXK9x07Zy79PI8w5KNMdfJnuHoaRXVzZ62byYpb_viro5_5UXDkdbG3qzcjZIgkgmd77wGX1IjDkXByNOuXWIh2NtoNwVIGAqWcyMgMiuPzv-VaC3X8jdJQeZ9M/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07ks4Nm8lWdMbw2qNmzXK9x07Zy79PI8w5KNMdfJnuHoaRXVzZ62byYpb_viro5_5UXDkdbG3qzcjZIgkgmd77wGX1IjDkXByNOuXWIh2NtoNwVIGAqWcyMgMiuPzv-VaC3X8jdJQeZ9M/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="240" /></a>And even the Super Bowl worked out fine because we were able to tune it in perfectly on the radio. Here are some outside views:<br />
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And in case you want some more details, here is a short youtube video I made about our trip. I would certainly tell anyone interested to go ahead and plan your trip- even if it does turn out to be on Super Bowl Sunday!mommyreaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232059575724547207noreply@blogger.com0