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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

Along I-80 in Northern Utah 

Driving on US-89 Near Big Water, Utah 

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!

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!

Nevada Utah Border

Roadside "lake"

Farmland

A view of US-50 

Mountains!

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.  

Imke and Maddie at Bryce Canyon

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!

Jake

As I sit here on the couch surrounded by my warm and fuzzy snoring balls of energy, I can't believe how lucky I am.  I will share stories about all of them, but we will start with a little history of Jake.  Jake is my first rescue dog and the sweetest old boy I know.  He came home with us on December 1st, 2003 from the Ingham County Animal Shelter at age 6.  He had been turned in to the shelter by his previous owner and had been there about a month. 

On his first night with us, he was unsure and I am sure he was confused.  I remember his first night as he came into the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed looking at me with those big brown eyes.  I felt for the guy and so of course I let him up on the bed and he curled up in a ball at my feet. I think he knew then that everything was going to be okay.

He was immediately loyal and loving and we loved him right back, but I don't think any of us could have loved him as much as Imke did.  He was instantly her buddy, her playmate, her wrestling partner, her pillow and her best friend.  They were inseparable and he tolerated all of her puppiness.  I credit him for helping raise her and make her the dog she is today.

There are many things that I want don't want to forget about him and probably somethings I have forgotten, and that is why I decided to write this and share.  He LOVED to play ball.  If there was a tennis ball thrown, he would chase it and chase it and chase it.  I have never known a dog who liked to play ball as much as Jake.  Now he may chase the ball (if Imke doesn't beat him to it), but only to bring it back and lie down next to you and protect it so that no one else can have his ball. 

He also loves the hose-if you are spraying the hose, it won't take long before there is a barking dog in front of you biting at the stream of water.  And if you allow him to play in the hose, he will still chase that stream of water as long as you let him.  It may be his favorite thing to do now.  He is my water dog...the one who likes to swim and to chase the waves, who loves to be sprayed and splashed, and who loves to spend the day at the beach.  That has certainly never changed.

Here are a few other things that I will call Jakisms-things that are uniquely Jake:

• Go-go Gadget tongue...there was I time that if you got your face anywhere near his face, out would come the tongue to give you a kiss.  He was always quite the kisser.
• The circle-dance...the way he would run in a circle any time he wanted to go outside and the more excited you made him them more circles he would make.
• The cuddler-of all of my dogs, Jake has always been the one most likely to curl-up in a ball and cuddle.  He especially likes to climb on the pillow next to your head at night and make sure you know he's there.  And he loves to stay in bed and cuddle in the morning.
• The way that he crams his nose against the window in the car...and the way he used to duck down any time we drove under an overpass on the highway when he was sitting in the front seat.
• His love of people...and when taking a walk his constant need to make a b-line right toward anyone walking toward us.
• The bee hunter...he could spend hours watching the bees flying around the sedum plant every year and trying very hard to catch them.  And then when he did catch them, he would shake his head to make sure they were really dead.

There are so many memories I have I certainly can't put them all down.  I love the way he smells when I lean down to kiss his warm head and I love the sound of his sigh as he lies down to relax with me at night when I know he is just happy to be alive.  I just love all of his Jakey-ness.

He is now 14 years old.  He has slowed down.  He has lost some of his hearing, some of his sight, and some of the pep in his step, but with all that he has lost, he has gained a devotedness and sweetness that I appreciate more every day.  He is definitely a different dog today than he was in the beginning and sometimes it is hard to see him in the waining years of his life knowing what he was, but each day with him is a blessing.  I feel privileged to be his mom and wouldn't change one minute of my time with him. 

What is it about a dog?

What is it about a dog that can make even the worst days seem tolerable?  In my experience, any situation is better when there is a dog involved; even if the dog is not your own.  They greet you with a wagging tail and a warmth that is inexplicable.  It seems that they have never met a stranger.  They seem to have a way of making you realize that even at your lowest point, everything is going to be okay.  And it doesn't seem to matter how difficult their lives have been, they just want to bring joy to everyone around them.  They have so much love to share and seem to want to give all of themselves to making someone else happy.  I think we as human  beings could learn a lot from these kind and loving creatures!  The world would be a better place if we could learn to greet each other with a smile-even if we are complete strangers-and be more compassionate to our fellow humans.