Ski to Sea event

Yesterday all 454 teams in the Ski to Sea relay race contended with each other, some very competitive, others not so much. Since it was overcast with rain spitting now and then, I decided to pretend like I'm a real Washingtonian and go out in the light rain as if it wasn't there. That's one thing I've noticed here: if it's a light rain, most people go about their business without raincoats or umbrellas.

The Ski to Sea began at Mt. Baker with a 4-mile cross-country loop, then the downhill skiers took over for a 2.5-mile loop (this made me wonder how you do a "loop" with downhill skis, before I discovered that they have to climb up the hill before skiing down). There's a PDF file showing the entire course on the Ski to Sea website, if you're interested. The timing chip is passed from the team member finishing one part to the next leg of the relay. After skiing, runners descend on the road 2,200 feet in eight miles. Here's a picture I took from the newspaper showing a bicycle competitor who just took the chip from his teammate:

The running segment is followed by a 38.5-mile road bike race, which is followed by an 18-mile canoe paddle down the Nooksack River. Many of the team names were takeoffs on the name of the river: Kicked in the Nooksack and Nooksackulous, to name a few. One of my fellow Trailblazers was in the canoe section and we chatted when he picked up his team packet on Friday. I also took this picture of the canoe competitors from the Bellingham Herald:

The canoe team then passed the chip off to the mountain biking team member, who went through 14 miles of muddy bike trails before passing the chip to the kayak team member, who would finish the race after a five-mile kayak race to the end at Marine Park. This is where I went to see the finish line. I saw several teams who came in within the first 50 teams to finish. Here's the kayaker from Well Hung Jury almost on the beach:

Once the kayak comes to shore, two volunteers pull the kayak out of the water, while the competitor raced (or hobbled, or somehow made his or her way) to the finish line to ring the bell, as shown below:

Once the bell is rung, the race is over for the eight team members who navigated the shoals of the Ski to Sea relay race, before finally calling it a day. The entire area in Fairhaven was shoulder to shoulder people, coming to support their friends, or people who were sporting numbers from earlier segments of the race to watch their team member finish. It was quite an experience, and after volunteering I am thinking (just thinking, mind you) about which parts of the relay I might be able to do. I've done quite a bit of cross-country skiing and still have my gear, and bike riding is not out of the question.

I finished my time in Fairhaven by going into the gated temporary "beer garden" and getting a brew while standing in the light rain and chatting with these two young men. They wouldn't let me out until I had finished the beer, since it was only legal to drink inside. I finally made my way to the bus stop and went home after a fine afternoon experiencing the Ski to Sea with what seemed to be most of the city of Bellingham!
:-)

Blue Award

TechnoBabe has honored me with an award, a really interesting one (and my favorite color, too!). So, here's my attempt to follow the rules she has laid out, which are: (1) answer her ten questions; (2) make up your OWN ten questions, and (3) pass it along to six other bloggers. The only thing I might add is that I wish the bloggers whom I tag to know that I sincerely would like to know their answers to the questions, but if they choose not to do this, I won't mind a bit.

Here are TechnoBabe's ten questions, and my answers:

1. What is one thing you do not want to write about in your blog?

Writing about politics, sex, religion, and other controversial subjects makes me uncomfortable, but in the right context I will write about any of them. I would never write about any (possible) past drug use because of the possibility of ramifications, as I pointed out in the second half of this post.

2. If you were able to travel any place for a month, where would you want to go?

Oh, this is a hard one! If I could spend a month in France, especially Paris, for its incredible museums, architecture, the Left Bank, and then of course traveling to Versailles and absorbing the French culture. And since I don't speak French, I would love to have Vagabonde along with me to show me what I would otherwise have missed.

3. What is your favorite book reading genre?

I realize this has changed in the past few years. I once read every science fiction book I could get my hands on, but I've moved lately to really well-written novels, especially historical ones or those written about other cultures. Only rarely do I read mysteries, but I've got The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on my list because I enjoyed the movie so much. And right now I'm reading Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez about the mysterious land and creatures of the Far North. So the answer is that I don't really have one.

 4. How old do you have to be to consider yourself really old?

Well, I'm 67 right now and I'm not there yet. I think, however, if you had asked me that question when I was in my twenties, I would have considered the late sixties as being really old. Now, I'm thinking that "really old" must start at 80. I've got friends in my hiking club who are in their late seventies and still going strong.

 5. What part of blogging do you enjoy most?

The friendships, without a doubt. I have made friends who enrich my life every day, who are as real and present to me as those I see daily. Even more so, in some circumstances. I also enjoy seeing the myriad outlooks we have on the same topic; it broadens my world and causes me to think.

 6. If you were looking for a roommate, what is your ideal roomie?

An introvert (since I'm an extrovert), someone who honors my space as I would honor theirs, and someone who likes to cook (I don't). Oh, wait! I've got that roomie, and he's called my Life Partner. How lucky is that?

 7. What does the word spiritual mean to you?

"Spiritual" is an adjective that defines something else, so it varies in context. A spiritual person, to me, is someone who seeks to understand the mystical aspects of life, who is either religious in the traditional sense or follows devotional practices to enhance his or her own spiritual life. A spiritual experience can be anything that uplifts me, no matter how mundane it might be to someone else.

 8. How many siblings do you have?

I am the oldest of six siblings, with twenty years between my youngest sister and me. We also had a sister who was born prematurely and died within a day of her birth, so maybe I should say I have seven. None of these questions is easily answered, even this one. :-)

 9. Have you ever been in a car accident?

Hasn't everyone? It depends on what kind of an accident. In my twenties I ventured out in a car to go to work when the roads were a sheet of ice. I couldn't stop going down a hill and ran into the mailman in his vehicle, the only other person on the road! Nobody was badly hurt, but the vehicles didn't fare as well.

 10. Do you have a pet?

Not at the present time. When I met Smart Guy, we were both active skydivers and the only pets I had were plants, and even those had to be cared for when we were out of town for any length of time. We presently live in a no-pets apartment complex, or I would have a cat. They are my preferred pets, because they require much less attention than dogs. I have nothing but fond memories of the many cats that have owned me over the years.

 Okay! That part is done. Now I will think about my own questions I'd like to ask. But first I need to think about who I'll choose to tag so I can make sure they take awards and to figure out what I'd like to know about them. My ten questions:

1. What is your favorite book and why?
2. If you could be anybody, living or dead, who would it be?
3. What is your first memory? Why do you think you remember it?
4. What do you think is your strongest asset?
5. Do you like parties? Why or why not?
6. What is your favorite activity?
7. Why do you blog?
8. Do you get regular exercise? If so, how?
9. Are you happy? Why or why not?
10. Tell something about yourself you want to share.

Wow! That was a LOT harder to do than I thought it would be. Therefore, I'm going to list the six people I'm tagging, but if for any reason you find this award onerous and you don't want to do it, I officially release you from it. If it's not fun for you, please feel free to forget it. Drumroll, please:

Whitney at Somebody Else's Nose.
Gigi at gigi-hawaii.
Crazy Cris at Here and There and Everywhere.
Lucy at My Secrets for Happiness.
Wendy at Overhaul.
Linda at Linda Letters.
:-)

Ski to Sea volunteer gig

I am really trying not to panic over getting behind on my favorite blogs and with writing my own posts. TechnoBabe honored me with one that I am getting to within the next day or two, and I also have a couple of ideas that are percolating in my head. Yesterday I spent the entire day volunteering for the Ski to Sea race that happens tomorrow, Sunday on Memorial Day weekend. For my time and energy, I was given a nice lunch, coffee all day long, and the great t-shirt you see above. But I had no internet access!

What is the Ski to Sea, you ask? Well, Bellingham has held, over the past 99 years, a relay race from Mt. Baker down to Marine Park in Bellingham Bay. It starts with a cross-country ski leg, then downhill skiing or snowboarding, then a 3-mile run down the paved road, a 38-mile bicycle leg, a canoe section down the Nooksack River, a mountain biking segment, and finally ending up with a sea kayaking finish. Eight different people are on each team, one for each segment except for the canoe, which has two. I signed up to help pass out packets to the team captains.

Each packet has competitors t-shirts and instructions for the start of each segment, along with a computerized chip that is handed off at the end of each part to the competitor of the next part. Once they have their packet and their chip is activated, they go off to distribute the goods to the rest of the team. I assisted with finding the correct number and/or name for each captain and yelling out the corresponding number to the runners who found the packet. There are almost 500 teams this year. When someone would walk up to me, I'd ask if they knew the number for their team (most didn't) or the name (most did). Some of the names were priceless: Well Hung Jury, Bitchin' Hot Babes, and some which would be whispered to me, they were so risque.

Here's some of the volunteers: the lady in front, in green, is Mandy, the volunteer coordinator (I sat where she is now), Sherry, my cohort, and Kevin, standing behind her. We were there until 6:00 pm, when I came home too tired to read any of my blogs, had my wine and some dinner and just sat down to relax. We were cold because the door was wide open, with the wind blowing in, and the temperature in the mid-fifties.

I feel much more connected to this event now that I've volunteered for it, and I'll be back next year. It was really fun, if a fair amount of work. Now I'm off to my Fairhaven walking group, which I'm going to attend, reluctantly, because it's still raining, and it's still cold. Hope your Memorial Day weekend is not that way!
:-)

A Book Worth Reading for Parents!

Hello Creative Homemaker Friends! I have been very "hit-n-miss" with my posting, especially lately... I've been working a temporary part-time job for the past 6 weeks, and there seems to never be enough hours in a day for extra stuff. I'm just not beautifully organized like Heather is. Which is okay. We all have our strengths/weaknesses.

I've had to really pay attention to prioritization lately, and one of my biggest priorities right now is to teach my oldest child the "facts of life". {{sci-fi music please}} I've been meaning to do it for a couple of years now. (At least, my parents gave me "the talk" at about age 9.)

But these days we need to be talking to our kids much earlier on! I really wanted to be prepared and know how to do it the RIGHT way. (Not that my mom did it wrong, but I was pretty horrified to hit puberty! And sex was always protrayed by most adults [from my young perspective] as something bad, embarrassing, forbidden, wrong, awkward, etc.) Eventhough I'm sure the intentions were that of love and protection!

So guess what?? I found the answers... on the pages of THIS book...

I'd heard this book was a "must have" for parents, so I hurried to get a copy. And YES!! Definately a MUST-HAVE!! In fact, the other day I was reading it while waiting for my son at an appt. and just had to show it to a mom sitting next to me. She was SO impressed and appreciative that she was planning to pick up a copy for herself!

Lake Padden and party

For the past few years, Norm and Gina have hosted a party for all the Senior Trailblazers, both for our group (the Half Fast contingent) and the slower more sedate hiking group, to celebrate the beginning of summer. They have a lovely summer home on Cain Lake, near Lake Padden, and today we had a short five-mile hike around Lake Padden before heading to Norm and Gina's home for the potluck. The two groups went on separate hikes; one around the lake, and the other on the horse trails around the southern part of the lake, making it a little longer and giving us over 1,000 feet to climb up and down. At each intersection you will find a map, such as this one, letting you know where you are.

The weather cooperated, since all day yesterday (Wednesday) it rained and rained. Never mind those raindrops, they were left over from yesterday. Today was cloudy but dry, but tomorrow (Friday) is predicted to have rain all day. The holiday weekend looks mixed, and we here in the Pacific Northwest are experiencing the coolest and wettest weather in the nation. This weather, though, gives us scenes like this gorgeous fern garden along our trail (click to enlarge any picture):

Once we got to Norm and Gina's, they provided us with burgers and hot dogs on the grill (neither of which I ate, but there was some great smoked salmon that I enjoyed instead). The potluck was filled with abundant salads and baked beans, and some great desserts.

Here is Norm flipping burgers, and Gina behind him in assist mode. The two of them have been married for 47 years, and I complimented Gina for raising him to be such a gentleman. Norm always helps the ladies across fallen logs and across streams; she said their boys do the same, having been raised to be gentlemen like their dad.

As we gathered on the steps and across the lawn to eat the great food, Norm asked how many of us are in our nineties, and some hands were raised (they are in the slower group, but they are still hiking!). A few are in their eighties, with most of us in our seventies or sixties. But if you take a close look at this picture (above), you can see that most are fit and accustomed to exercise (or should I say addicted). You know the old saying, "use it or lose it." We all take that adage to heart!

Norm took some Seniors out in his boat before we left (that's Norm in the back drinking coffee with his hand on the tiller). The Senior Trailblazers have added life to my years, and years to my life, no doubt. I am blessed to have this hike to look forward to each Thursday, and these friends to share it with.
:-)

Straw/RaspBerry {Jam}

I got a great deal at Costco on some fruit yesterday & our Freezer Jam is getting low so I decided to make some jam today. Growing up my mom made this every year & I have followed in her footsteps. I only buy store bought jam for sauces on meats(mix with mayo & dijon mustard-yummy!) but for toast,pancakes,waffles,etc. this is the only way to eat it.

1-Wash & then mash up all the fruit (I pulse it in the food processor for a bit-we don't like it chunky)


2-Put 6 3/4 cups of sugar(I know that's alot, may that's why its so GOOD!). . .


3-2 cups raspberries. . .


4-1 1/2 cups strawberries. . .


5-Mix all together & let it sit for 10 minutes.


6-Using this pectin . . .


7-Boil 3/4 cup water, put pectin in & boil for 1 minute(constantly).


8-Pour boiling pectin in the fruit/sugar mixture & stir for 3 minutes.


9-Pour into washed containers & let sit for 24 hours before putting it into the freezer. I'm able to get 5(2 cup) ziplock containers full.
TIP: It will not look like a solid when frozen or in frig-its supposed to be a little running. Its better this way!


Now you have a good supply of freezer jam. Yepee!

{Shopping} List Clipboard

As a MOM, to make my job easier at the store I carry my trusty Shopping Clipboard. I am a "crosser offer" & mega list maker(I have them everywhere in my house). I have to cross something off to feel like I accomplished something in my day(because diapers, dishes & laundry don't count!).

I just decorated it Heather "style" (6"x9" clipboard at an office supply store). I'm glad it has a place to clip my pen on so its easy access.

I love that I can clip regular paper or a 5x7 notepad. I also attach the coupons I'm going to use so when I get to the register they are ready to give to the cashier. I've had some nice compliments regarding this. I feel good knowing this makes their job a little easier.

This is my version of a grocery shopping list. I made this on my computer to fit what I normally buy for our family. The main categories are: Fruit, Vegetables, Meats, Breads/Bakery, Baking, Dry Items, Snacks/Sweets, Beverages, Dairy, Frozen Foods, Condiments, Canned Goods, Personal Care, Household, Miscellaneous. Here is a great place for a printable list. It had many things we don't buy so that is why I made my own. Before I go, I mark what I need then cross it off at the store. I just fold the list in half to fit the clipboard. After I'm done shopping the clipboard is small enough to fit in my purse.


What works for you when you go shopping?

Symbiosis

Picture by triciawd on Flickr

This post is a perfect example of how I get sidetracked and hours go by, just reading blogs and pursuing ideas. It all started when one of the blogs I follow mentioned that she has ants all over her peonies, and she was thinking about trying to find some way to get rid of the ants. It jogged an old memory about peonies and ants being in a symbiotic relationship, that the peonies secrete an irresistible scent to the ants, which crawl all over them and thereby assist in the opening of the blossoms.

In researching this, I found the above picture of a symbiotic relationship most of us have heard about: the birds take the parasites off the gazelle and consume them, while the gazelle looks on as if to say, "Thanks, guys! I feel so much better now." But let's go back to the peonies and the ants for a minute. I found this website about their relationship. Here's an excerpt:

Some people dislike the peony flower due to the fact that they have a symbiotic relationship with black ants. In early spring, the peony buds will secret a small amount of nectar, which attracts the ant. The ants will then pull slightly at the peony petals to get to the nectar. This helps to loosen the peony's petals and makes it easier for the flower to open. The ants are not absolutely necessary to helping peonies bloom, but they are helpful and do not harm anything. Most gardening experts advise against trying to kill the ants.

 It turns out that there are several different kinds of symbiosis. (This is why I've been swimming around in this black hole, reading about this or that fascinating side of symbiosis and going to my favorite site (Wikipedia) for more information.) The real problem came when I discovered the story of Owen and Mzee. I remembered learning a little about this symbiotic relationship a few years ago.

Owen is a baby hippo who was orphaned during the Indian Ocean tsunami. He was found alone and dehydrated and was placed in a wildlife sanctuary in Mombasa. He immediately began to follow around a 130-year-old giant tortoise named Mzee (which means "old man" in Swahili). Well, in researching this wonderful story, I found that this particular kind of symbiosis is called commensalism, where two different species live in close proximity to one another, to the benefit of one and without disturbing the other.

Owen and Mzee in 2006

 At first, Mzee didn't want anything to do with Owen, but Owen followed him around long enough to wear down his resistance. I think that the wise old tortoise recognized a needy soul and took pity on him. From that Wikipedia link about Owen and Mzee (in the caption):

Owen immediately bonded to Mzee and would crouch behind him. However, Mzee initially resisted Owen's overtures. Over time, the old tortoise came to accept the young hippo, who began to mimic his adoptive parent. Gradually, Mzee taught Owen, who was a nursing calf, what to eat and where to sleep. In the first year, the two became inseparable companions who ate, slept, swam, and played together. Owen often played with the old tortoise by jumping on Mzee's back, scratching the old tortoise on the neck, and in many other ways. They surprised scientists with the strength of what appeared to be a genuine bond, as well as with the unique vocal communication that developed between them.

That just made my day, learning about them. They even have their own website, complete with documentary videos and links to several media articles about them. I also found this wonderful page which describes examples of symbiosis in action, which has more delightful pictures of this unlikely couple.

Given the news of the day, and the weight of the world as it hung around my neck this morning, I needed this. I hope it will give you a lift as well.
:-)

I can hear again

Today I had an appointment with an ear doctor. In Boulder, I had been a patient of the the same doctor for years, so I had never before seen an ear specialist for a buildup of ear wax. Apparently it's pretty common that, as we age, ear wax doesn't come out like it used to and can impair your hearing. That has been happening to me for a few decades now, and every few years or so my doctor would simply sit me down in a chair and hand me the ear irrigator, remind me how to do it, and close the door. She said to come get her when I thought I was done. She cleaned up anything I missed, but it took a while.

It worked pretty well, I got good at it, but a few weeks ago I noticed the telltale crinkly sound in my left ear and when I would wake up in the morning, I couldn't hear anything out of that ear. I'd wiggle the ear, pull on it, and eventually get the wax away from the eardrum, but it wasn't working all that well. Now that I am a Medicare patient and have moved away from Boulder, I called the Center for Senior Health and figured they would just do the same thing I was used to. No, they sent me to a specialist, an ear doctor. I was a little disgusted that they couldn't just let me do the work, but apparently liability issues wouldn't allow it. (Probably had some old geezer whose eardrum got punctured and didn't want a repeat.)

Of course, I googled the doctor I was scheduled to see and learned he has an "excellent" rating. So I waited for the appointment and went to see him. I walked into his office at 2:10 pm, we chatted about my ear history, he got out a cute dainty little vacuum cleaner, and whoosh! my ears were clean as a whistle, and I walked out at 2:20 pm. And I could hear just fine! It was the best doctor visit I've had in a while, and I wasn't drenched from the top of my head to my elbow, either. (I didn't always have the best aim back there in Boulder.)

Although I have heard about ear candling, I don't know anything about it, and I certainly don't want to mess with something that might actually harm my dainty little ears or my hearing. When I was in Bangkok, I recall that there were interminable little shops in the alley behind my hotel that advertised "Ear Wax Removal" along with their foot massage. I wonder what they used? I got a foot massage twice a day, I was hooked on them. But since I wasn't having any problem with my ears, I puzzled over the signs but didn't pursue it. I was sure that if I inquired about it, before long I would be fending off the practitioner.

Since I have a very international bunch of blogging buddies, it got me to wondering what other people do when (if) they can't hear because of ear wax buildup. Is it just me? I don't think I've read about this question having ever been addressed before. Anybody?
:-)

Talk to Her

The weather didn't cooperate today for Smart Guy and me to go skydiving, so after giving up on our hopes for blue skies, I finally decided to watch one of the Netflix movies that had been languishing on my coffee table for a few weeks.

I chose to watch Talk to Her, a Spanish language movie made in 2002. It's a very complex and interesting dark comedy. That link will take you to Rotton Tomatoes, which gives it a 92% freshness rating. I liked the movie a lot, but I wouldn't say it was one of my all-time favorites. The reason I wanted to write this post about it is that it triggered something I've noticed many times before: the difference in ethnic temperaments reflected in movies made by directors of different nationalities. Pedro Almodovar, the director of this movie, is (I guess) rather well known for avante-garde movies that deal with melodrama and obsession, teasing truth out of the absurd.

In this movie, a sensitive man who cries at the drop of a hat also writes articles and travel guides, and he falls in love with a female bullfighter. She ends up in a coma from a bullfight gone bad. The other couple in the movie is a male nurse, Benigno, who falls in love with a ballerina who is also in a coma from having been hit by a car. The men become friends, and the movie revolves around these four people. Almodovar uses flashbacks to develop some of the relationships. An excerpt from one of the reviews:

In the end, some of the lovers live and some die, and it becomes obvious exactly who the real cripples are. There is perhaps a smidgen too much patness in Almodovar’s fantastic script, something a little too easy about the way he wraps this up, but he doesn’t shrink from raising some problematic questions. Benigno is a creepy character, who nevertheless touches us — with his Peter Lorre eyes and dewy softness, he reminds us of a certain confused type of young man we all encountered in high school or college. He is all hurt and yearning and he uses his “devotion” as a kind of weapon.

So, as you can probably see from this description, the movie is so... Latin! I remember the time I spent in Mexico when I learned about telenovelas, those melodramatic soap operas that are watched by millions of people. (That link will take you to the Wikipedia page that compares telenovela style by country. It's fascinating reading.)

But what strikes me is the difference in temperament in movie styles by nationality. I recently watched a German movie, The Lives of Others (the link is to my review of the movie) and sometime last year I watched and thoroughly enjoyed a French movie, "I've Loved You So Long." The comparison of the style and feeling of these movies is, to my mind, strongly flavored by the nationality of the directors.

It made me wonder how much of what I experience in life is colored by my own American nationality. How real is this premise? What's your take on it?
:-)

Birds in the springtime

Well, it must be springtime when the sparrows start acting like this. At first I thought these two birds, the one being fed and the one closest to the camera, were females in a courtship ritual, since the bird with its tail up in the air was feeding them both. But these must be the first fledged sparrows of the spring, because according to this Wikipedia article, this is typical feeding behavior. These "babies" are actually bigger than the parents, but maybe it's just the fluffy down, what do I know? (Click to enlarge.)

Anyway, the springtime frenzy of birds in the neighborhood is amazing. They are flitting from place to place, and all kinds of new birds are singing in the trees around the apartment. I sometimes stop in amazement and listen to the cacophony of birdsong. The chickadees are constantly calling in their two-note song (which sounds to me like "pick me"), and with the sun coming up so early I am awakened every morning now by the constant sparrow chirp, chirp, chirp. Their song is the same note repeated over and over. Some of the other birds have beautiful songs, like the house wren. It stops me in my tracks when I hear it, and you can't help but think the bird is happy.

For those of you who have not been following the Hornby eagle cam in British Columbia, one of the eggs did not hatch, but the growth of the eaglet that did hatch and that is now less than a month old is amazing! Yesterday I watched Dad fly into the nest with five herring, and Phoenix (the eaglet's official name) ate one whole! Eagles put their food into a "crop" and his little guy gets his (hers?) so full he can't stand up! If you are interested in seeing this amazing hotspot video, click here! The main Hornby Eagle cam is available at the first link in this paragraph.

This picture of Phoenix and Mom is from the Facebook page for the Hornby Eagles, and I think it was taken yesterday. Phoenix's feet are now almost as big as Dad's! Eagles usually fledge around 85 days after birth, so we're looking at somewhere around the end of August for Phoenix to take wing. When we had that windstorm a few days ago, as soon as it was light I checked to see if Phoenix was all right. With his parents in their mid-twenties, I guess they know what they're doing. What did I do with myself before I started bird watching? Oh yeah, now I remember: skydiving. I'm going tomorrow, so I might not have a post up, but don't worry, I'll be back!
:-)

Homeopathy

Today after my workout, I got a great massage from Sarah, who has an office at the YMCA and with whom I schedule a massage every two or three weeks, whatever I can afford. While I was on my hike yesterday, I slipped while climbing over a wet log and sprained my thumb. It's not a bad one, I've had worse, but I decided to tape it so I wouldn't forget to treat it with care.

Before the massage starts, Sarah always asks if I've got any issues I'd like her to deal with, so I told her about my thumb and showed her the taped digit. She asked, "are you taking Arnica?"

Well, if I had a dollar for every time somebody suggested I take arnica for a bruise, I'd have enough money to open a bank account. Apparently Arnica is used by many people to treat bruises and swelling, usually in a homeopathic formula. I remember years ago when I had a pretty good bruise, I used something called "Traumeel," a homeopathic topical cream, but other than that, I've never used any homeopathic remedies. I'm not sure I believe in them.

But just to be on the safe side, I stopped by the Co-op to get a bottle of Arnica tablets and started taking them. For what it's worth, after two doses, my thumb does feel better. I believe that the placebo effect could be responsible, or that it would have been better anyway (I don't have any way to test the theory). So I thought, well, maybe I can get some feedback from my blogging buddies about what they think about Homeopathy. (This link will take you to Wikipedia, which gives information about what it is and what the traditional medical community thinks of it, which is not much.)

But I remember very well when allopathic medical doctors dismissed acupuncture, which is based on body meridians, as hocus-pocus. That is, until they were shown unequivocally that it works. I went to an acupuncturist in Boulder for awhile and was amazed at how I could feel the energy moving between needles placed in my thigh. I became a believer when he cured my chronic knee pain and hot flashes.

Do YOU use homeopathic medicine? Do you believe it works or not? I'm really wondering if I've been missing out all these years on something I could have been using to heal up faster.
:-)

Blanchard Mountain

Yesterday a very vigorous storm moved through the Pacific Northwest, bringing rain, high winds, and basically some pretty nasty weather. I woke several times last night to howling winds and figured that at least I'd have a few good friends to share my misery while on our hike up Blanchard Mountain today. However, by the time I arrived at the Senior Center, we had a good turnout: all the regulars showed up. Plus the second, less dedicated hiking group canceled their scheduled hike, so we picked up a few strangers who joined us today, making a total of nineteen Seniors.

And the weather cooperated! Although it was cold, overcast and sometimes windy, we were prepared for much worse. The trail was a little muddy but nothing like we've had in the past. Peggy and I took credit for the rain staying away, since we both had put on our rain pants before starting the hike. We hiked four miles up about 1,800 feet of elevation to the North Summit lookout, where we were treated to an actual view.

This picture looks across the bay at the town of Anacortes, south of Bellingham and the starting place for some of our other hikes. You can see that the clouds were threatening, but we didn't have any rain all day. Looking a little bit to the north, I used my telephoto lens to get a picture of this boat.

I had to lighten the picture a fair amount to make the boat more prominent, so this is not the true color, it looked much more like the previous picture before I doctored it up. Since it was still early when we reached the summit, not even 11:00 am, we decided to hike back down to Lily Lake to have lunch. Once we got there, it was interesting to see that some beavers had been very busy yesterday. We saw no beaver lodge or beavers at work while we were there, but we could tell they will be back to finish what they started. (You can click any picture to enlarge.)

And last of all, we sat on the bridge eating lunch while overlooking Lily Lake, and the sun came out for a few minutes, just in time for me to get this picture showing the lily pads, some pink unknown flowers, and the sparkling water of Lily Lake.

Just after I snapped this picture, the sun was again obscured by clouds. As we hiked back down to the cars, a few sprinkles threatened rain, but not enough for anyone to stop to put on any rain gear. In the car on the way back to the Senior Center, however, we had a deluge. That is what we thought we were facing today, but we went anyway and it turned out to be a very lovely day, as you can see. I got home early, which is why this post is already up! I hope you had a great Thursday in your part of the world, too.
:-)

Personalized {MOM} Keychain Charm

I adore things personalized. Even my keys. I think this charm will fit perfectly!


1-Get 2 different sized metal washers (mine were 1 3/8" & 1 3/4" found at Home Depot or Lowe's: screw aisle). I love that these washers fit through my clip ring. I will either clip it onto my purse or pants(I know this might remind you of the janitor but when your hands are full it works!)


2-Stamp (really hard a couple of times) letters into the washer. I got my stamp set for $5.00 on sale.


3-Wrap your desired choice of 3/8" ribbon (5/8" buckled when I tried it-too big)


4-Glue (using E-6000) the top washer to the bottom washer.


5-the back . . .


6-the front. . .

These would be great teacher or birthday gifts. I'm so excited to make some for the girls' backpacks. Since the spelling of their name is not very common.


What type of charms do you add to your keychain?

Memories of {ME} Box

These might look a little odd but for now they are serving a purpose!
I was inspired by 2 things to make these Memory Boxes for our kiddos. One was when a mom gave her children a priceless gift for Christmas and the other was my notebook of collections I kept as I was growing up. Right now this is what I could do for the container part(so I had to jazz it up by letting the kids paint their name on a piece of wood) . Maybe someday I can transfer it to a cool treasure box. But for now all I'm concerned about is getting all their "papers" in order. And getting it in one place for that matter.


Inside the box I labeled manila folders by year. I filled it with papers like these: school artwork, drawings, school grades, notes from different family/friends, newspaper articles, any other misc. item that would mean something to them. When I'm done with their journals I'll add those also.


My notebook collections of growing up. . .(I thought about doing this for them but its too bulky and the space is limited-as you can see).
I let them look inside and it was fun to hear them say to different things " Ohh, I remember this. . . "
These are the priceless moments of a MOM.

How do you keep for kiddos treasured papers?