Saturday, November 26, 2016
The why
It seems these days, there is a blog for every topic. So every time I sit down to write, I think to myself, why are you doing this? What do you possibly have to offer to the world? I lead a pretty average life so why would anyone care to read what I have to say? But I've realized it's not what others gain from my perspective that really matters to me, but that I learn to be more open and willing to share and to let others in...plus what I write here becomes a sort of record of my life: my own personal history, a memoir of sorts that allows me to remember where I've been and a guide that reminds me where I am going- a way to reflect on my journey and hopefully to inspire myself to do one thing each day to make the world a little better. So I am going to go full-steam ahead with this blog and try to make an entry at least once a week. Wish me luck!
Sunday, September 11, 2016
15 years later
9/11...at one point in time it was just another day. And then it wasn't. It's hard for me to believe it's been 15 years since that day. It changed so many lives and impacted every one of us in ways we may not even realize. It changed America.
It started just like any other day. I got up and took Nicol to school and went to work. I'm sure I stopped at the Marathon and picked up a Mt Dew just like I did every other day. I got into the office, turned on my radio, and started my work day. I remember Tim Baron's voice on the radio telling us about the first plane crashing into the first WTC Tower. I remember thinking what a horrible tragedy that was...and then the second plane hit. I remember the immediate thought "Are we under attack?" It was a scary thought. I made a call and wondered about the safety of my daughter...she was on a field trip at school that day. Everyone in our office began to gather in the training room to watch the events of the day unfold on the TV we had there. I couldn't join them; I needed to keep working and to be alone. I kept listening to the radio and heard about the crashing of the other planes and about the Towers falling to the ground. I stayed there, alone in my office the rest of the day.
I made it through the day at work and came home. Up to that point, I hadn't seen any of the TV coverage of the day. But at home, coverage of what had happened was everywhere; there was nowhere to escape from it. I remember thinking I just wanted it to be over. Hours and days of coverage on this event...and selfishly, I just wanted it to end so I could get back to my normal life. I wasn't heartless, I knew how many people had been affected by this tragedy, but I thought that it was time to move forward. But for hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of people, they couldn't just move on...they were there, living this horrible nightmare. They had loved ones in the buildings or on the planes, they were the families of the first-responders, they were on vacation, they were normal people just like me who went to work that day like they had many other times, but then it was no longer like just any other day.
Unless you've lived under a rock, if you are an American who was alive on that fateful day, you've seen the coverage. The flames from the planes crashing into the buildings, the towers crumbling to the ground, the people in the streets scared and confused. I haven't gone out of my way to watch any of the news specials or features regarding 9/11, but I know what it looked like in New York City that day...out here from the safety of my living room through the screen of a TV. But last night I watched some of the 15th anniversary coverage and got a better glimpse of what it was like there on that day. Our experience is so much different than those who lived and worked in NYC...especially of those who were right there on that day.
I have a good friend, Janie, who I've known for about 10 years. She's a New Yorker and she was there, right there at the heart of it all that day. I remember the first time she told me that she had walked through those buildings on her way to work that day. It made it a little more real for me. 15 years later it is still raw for her. She doesn't speak much about the happenings of the day or what she saw, but I know that it has shaped who she is today and is still very real for her. There are so many others out there, just like her, who really lived through this day. This is an American tragedy, but to them it was so much more personal. So, on this September 11, 15 years later, I send my love and prayers and my admiration for their courage to make it through the day. We're thinking of you all.
It started just like any other day. I got up and took Nicol to school and went to work. I'm sure I stopped at the Marathon and picked up a Mt Dew just like I did every other day. I got into the office, turned on my radio, and started my work day. I remember Tim Baron's voice on the radio telling us about the first plane crashing into the first WTC Tower. I remember thinking what a horrible tragedy that was...and then the second plane hit. I remember the immediate thought "Are we under attack?" It was a scary thought. I made a call and wondered about the safety of my daughter...she was on a field trip at school that day. Everyone in our office began to gather in the training room to watch the events of the day unfold on the TV we had there. I couldn't join them; I needed to keep working and to be alone. I kept listening to the radio and heard about the crashing of the other planes and about the Towers falling to the ground. I stayed there, alone in my office the rest of the day.
I made it through the day at work and came home. Up to that point, I hadn't seen any of the TV coverage of the day. But at home, coverage of what had happened was everywhere; there was nowhere to escape from it. I remember thinking I just wanted it to be over. Hours and days of coverage on this event...and selfishly, I just wanted it to end so I could get back to my normal life. I wasn't heartless, I knew how many people had been affected by this tragedy, but I thought that it was time to move forward. But for hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of people, they couldn't just move on...they were there, living this horrible nightmare. They had loved ones in the buildings or on the planes, they were the families of the first-responders, they were on vacation, they were normal people just like me who went to work that day like they had many other times, but then it was no longer like just any other day.
Unless you've lived under a rock, if you are an American who was alive on that fateful day, you've seen the coverage. The flames from the planes crashing into the buildings, the towers crumbling to the ground, the people in the streets scared and confused. I haven't gone out of my way to watch any of the news specials or features regarding 9/11, but I know what it looked like in New York City that day...out here from the safety of my living room through the screen of a TV. But last night I watched some of the 15th anniversary coverage and got a better glimpse of what it was like there on that day. Our experience is so much different than those who lived and worked in NYC...especially of those who were right there on that day.
I have a good friend, Janie, who I've known for about 10 years. She's a New Yorker and she was there, right there at the heart of it all that day. I remember the first time she told me that she had walked through those buildings on her way to work that day. It made it a little more real for me. 15 years later it is still raw for her. She doesn't speak much about the happenings of the day or what she saw, but I know that it has shaped who she is today and is still very real for her. There are so many others out there, just like her, who really lived through this day. This is an American tragedy, but to them it was so much more personal. So, on this September 11, 15 years later, I send my love and prayers and my admiration for their courage to make it through the day. We're thinking of you all.
Monday, June 6, 2016
Bridge to adventure
After three very long months away, we finally returned to the UP over Memorial Day weekend. I don't know how I made it being away for so long, but once I can see the Bridge in the distance, all that time becomes a distant memory and I feel like I am home once more. My little brown spotty adventurers realize what is happening too, as I get off of the highway at Exit 338. They know the routine and it is clear that they understand where we are. The excitement builds as we drive toward the parking lot, toward the Lighthouse and Bridge view. We park in "our" spot and they wait not so patiently for me to get them harnessed and ready to go. I am sure that they wish it were February and not May, because if that were the case, they wouldn't have had to wait. They would have exploded out of the car door and headed directly for the beach. But tourist season has begun and so they must wait. As we get out of the car, they sniff the air, stop for a quick potty break, and then head directly to the water, ears blowing in the wind. It is a brief stop, enough time for us to stretch our legs, get a drink, feel the lake air on our faces and stick our toes in the sand and then we are off to head over the Bridge headed for adventure. Although we never stay long, Mackinaw City holds many happy memories and every trip to the UP starts there.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Being a Mom
Mother's Day...it means different things to different people, but ultimately it is all about appreciating the one person who has been with us from day one-our mom! Whether you realize it or not, your mom probably loves you more than anyone else on this Earth...and why wouldn't she? You are an extension of who she is...you truly are a part of her. That's a pretty special relationship!
Had you told me 28 years ago that I'd be a mom one day, I would have laughed at you. Being a mom was not part of my life plan. After all I had big plans to be a fancy lawyer living in an apartment in a big city with lots of dogs. Funny how some things change and other things never do! Move ahead to today and I can't imagine my life not being a mom. I've spent 60% of my life as a mom. It is really what most defines me. I AM a mom! And I think that is a pretty great thing to be!
I can tell you that as a daughter, I am not always good at appreciating my mom. However, I think that being a mom myself has given me a much greater appreciation for my own mom. I think we all have those moments as children when we under-appreciate our mom. Some of us are better kids than others (and I think mine is pretty great!). Sometimes our moms drive us crazy, I'm sure my daughter would agree that I drive her crazy at times-I'm willing to own that. But no matter how angry or crazy they make us, we never stop loving them. And hey, I bet we do a pretty good job of making our moms angry and crazy too, but she never stops loving us. I just don't think it's possible for a mom to not love her child.
For me, today is also about my journey through motherhood...from the day I found out that I was pregnant to this moment in time right now. I think about all of the things I have experienced because I chose to take this journey and what a journey it has been! From feeling her kick for the first time, to the first time I saw her, to leaving her on her first day of kindergarten, to her college graduation and so much in between, it has all been pretty amazing. And the pretty awesome thing about being a mom is that even though we each have our own experiences and in some ways we take our journey alone, I feel like I am part of a club...the Mom Club! And only other moms can understand how we feel about our children and how we feel about being a mom. It's a great club to be a member of because I believe that what we do and what we bring to the world is pretty special.
I must add here that I don't share the belief that in order to be a "real" mom, you must have given birth. I do believe that there are other ways to be a mom too. Having kids just isn't possible for every woman, but I know that there adoptive moms out there that love their children just as much as I do. I know that there are foster moms acting as a mom to kids who have ended up in some unfortunate situations and there are surrogate moms-the women who take other people's children under their wings to offer extra support, guidance and love when it is needed. And of course there are the moms whose children have four legs and fur. I'm lucky enough to be one of those too and can tell you that I love my girls just as much as I love my daughter! All of these great women are loving, caring, nurturing people who put someone else's needs before their own and isn't that what being a mom is all about?
Although Webster's dictionary defines a mother as a woman who has given birth, I much prefer the Urban Dictionary definition of Mom-"The woman who loves you unconditionally from birth, the one who puts her kids before herself and the one who you can always count on above everyone else." Moms are pretty awesome people!
Thanks mom, for all you've done for me! And thanks to all of the other mom's out there who are giving of themselves every day.
Had you told me 28 years ago that I'd be a mom one day, I would have laughed at you. Being a mom was not part of my life plan. After all I had big plans to be a fancy lawyer living in an apartment in a big city with lots of dogs. Funny how some things change and other things never do! Move ahead to today and I can't imagine my life not being a mom. I've spent 60% of my life as a mom. It is really what most defines me. I AM a mom! And I think that is a pretty great thing to be!
I can tell you that as a daughter, I am not always good at appreciating my mom. However, I think that being a mom myself has given me a much greater appreciation for my own mom. I think we all have those moments as children when we under-appreciate our mom. Some of us are better kids than others (and I think mine is pretty great!). Sometimes our moms drive us crazy, I'm sure my daughter would agree that I drive her crazy at times-I'm willing to own that. But no matter how angry or crazy they make us, we never stop loving them. And hey, I bet we do a pretty good job of making our moms angry and crazy too, but she never stops loving us. I just don't think it's possible for a mom to not love her child.
For me, today is also about my journey through motherhood...from the day I found out that I was pregnant to this moment in time right now. I think about all of the things I have experienced because I chose to take this journey and what a journey it has been! From feeling her kick for the first time, to the first time I saw her, to leaving her on her first day of kindergarten, to her college graduation and so much in between, it has all been pretty amazing. And the pretty awesome thing about being a mom is that even though we each have our own experiences and in some ways we take our journey alone, I feel like I am part of a club...the Mom Club! And only other moms can understand how we feel about our children and how we feel about being a mom. It's a great club to be a member of because I believe that what we do and what we bring to the world is pretty special.
I must add here that I don't share the belief that in order to be a "real" mom, you must have given birth. I do believe that there are other ways to be a mom too. Having kids just isn't possible for every woman, but I know that there adoptive moms out there that love their children just as much as I do. I know that there are foster moms acting as a mom to kids who have ended up in some unfortunate situations and there are surrogate moms-the women who take other people's children under their wings to offer extra support, guidance and love when it is needed. And of course there are the moms whose children have four legs and fur. I'm lucky enough to be one of those too and can tell you that I love my girls just as much as I love my daughter! All of these great women are loving, caring, nurturing people who put someone else's needs before their own and isn't that what being a mom is all about?
Although Webster's dictionary defines a mother as a woman who has given birth, I much prefer the Urban Dictionary definition of Mom-"The woman who loves you unconditionally from birth, the one who puts her kids before herself and the one who you can always count on above everyone else." Moms are pretty awesome people!
Thanks mom, for all you've done for me! And thanks to all of the other mom's out there who are giving of themselves every day.
Utah
I spent some time with a good friend earlier this week, one of those friends who isn't on facebook, so I actually had to pull out my computer to show her my vacation pictures. Lucky for her, she got to suffer through every single picture I took! It was nice to sit back and look through my pictures after being home for a little over a week and talk about my time out West. As I was looking through them, it reminded me of a thought I had as I was driving Eastward toward home. That thought? The entire State of Utah should be a National Park.
There are lots of amazing places in this big awesome country of ours, but Utah just seems extra special. Last fall, when we traveled out to Oregon and Washington, we drove through Northern Utah on our way home. I remember thinking then how beautiful and unique the landscape was there and knew then that I would have to go back to Utah. I guess I just didn't realize how soon I'd be back. And after seeing more of it this trip, I know that I will go back again.
Anyone traveling to Utah needs to make the drive along US-89. It takes you from the dry desert-y area near Page Arizona, through some beautiful canyons and then becomes a curvy drive through small mountains-with some stunning views along the way. You get amazing views of the edges of the Grand Staircase-Escalante monument with its ever changes rock formations and amazing colors from bright reds to deep grays. We only traveled as far North as Bryce Canyon on US-89, but you can take it all the way North to Provo and I bet it would be beautiful for the entire drive!
There are lots of amazing places in this big awesome country of ours, but Utah just seems extra special. Last fall, when we traveled out to Oregon and Washington, we drove through Northern Utah on our way home. I remember thinking then how beautiful and unique the landscape was there and knew then that I would have to go back to Utah. I guess I just didn't realize how soon I'd be back. And after seeing more of it this trip, I know that I will go back again.
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| Great Salt Lake |
From the Great Salt Lake to the spot where four States meet and so many places in between, I think Utah is just amazing.
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| Four Corners Monument |
There are definitely some extra special places in Utah and it already has several National Parks and National Monuments, but what really amazed me about this place was just the awesome views you can experience simply driving down the highway.
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| Along I-80 in Northern Utah |
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| Driving on US-89 Near Big Water, Utah |
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| Grand Staircase Escalante |
Our ultimate goal for the day was to see Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. But we got way more than we bargained for with the views along the road.
After leaving Utah for several days to explore other areas of the Southwest, we returned on our trek home, this time traveling along US-50...also known as the Loneliest Road in America. A very fitting moniker for this highway because you can drive 100 miles and not see a town. But the views along this route are absolutely stunning!
If you really want to explore Utah, I say get off of the expressways and onto roads like US-89 and US-50, you will not regret it! Just be prepared not to see a lot of other people and make sure to have a tank full of gas and lots of snack and water! I'm in no hurry to leave Michigan again any time soon and we still have several other States we plan to visit, but I know for certain that we'll return to explore Utah even further some day.
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| Nevada Utah Border |
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| Roadside "lake" |
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| Farmland |
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| A view of US-50 |
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| Mountains! |
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| Imke and Maddie at Bryce Canyon |
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
The Beginning
Tonight I make it official...I am starting a real blog! I have thought about doing this for years and actually started a couple of posts years ago(which you'll see here), but I never got serious about it and never made a real effort at writing regularly, however, that all changes today. I figure this is the best way to share pictures and fun stories of my life with these crazy brown spotty dogs that I love. There is just no better way to chronicle my life with these awesome, loveable, quirky German Shorthaired Pointers and all of the amazing things that we experience together!
We love nature and hiking, U.S.history-especially Presidential, American Revolution, and Civil War history, State Capitol Buildings, and all of the beauty that surrounds us in the Great Lakes State, especially the Upper Peninsula! You can follow us on our dog-friendly adventures across Michigan and across the entire United States as we see the sights-both natural and historical.
I hope you enjoy!
I hope you enjoy!
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