Most Beautiful Thing in the World...Family

The most beautiful things in the world are not seen nor touched.
They are felt with the heart.~~Helen Keller

In our fast paced and time constraint society, I reckon it is the norm that working dads spend about 3 minutes a day with their children...dads who abandon their families...dads who rarely see their children because of divorce, and dads who are busy and have very little or nothing to do with raising their children.

Dad gets up early...takes the long drive to work...gets off late...takes the long drive home...and gets home exhausted. He just wants to have dinner, relax a little, and go to bed so that he may repeat the same routine the next day. Every now and then, he tells himself he will spend more time with his children tomorrow.

But my hubby is not like that. As long as I can remember, I have been amazed and delighted that he has always been in their lives since birth...up until now. How much time did he spend with our children in the day? Not just in the same house, but together...really together. More than we can count. Quality time spent between hubby and our children is essential for both hubby, me, and the children. Our children know that their father loves and cares for them, and hubby has been careful that he doesn't lose his relationship with them by neglect.

Now, all that has changed. Hubby is leaving in the morning for California all in the name of...providing us with the good life? In light of the sadness, we spent an evening making memories.

This month's intention is to work on Right Speech and Pain is inevitable, Suffering is Optional. I find it makes a big differnce in my life while going through some difficult family situations lately. Keeping this in mind has helped me maintain a positive frame of mind. The situations are actually far less difficult because I just try not to see them as difficult, but, merely a momentary blip in life that can provide an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s just a different way of looking at life.

Encourage, inspire, laugh...Go GREEN!

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Happy 232rd Birthday, USA!

Happy Birthday USA
Happy Birthday USA
Happy Birthday United States of America
Happy 232nd Birthday to you!!

Much like Memorial Day and Veterans' Day, I take a moment to remember all of those who have fought for our freedom and who protect and serve our citizens each and every day. Happy Fourth, everyone!

A special friend at the Pet's Parade, our very own Zebra!

Hubby enjoying time spent with the kids

Free Popsicles at end of Pet's Parade.

Hangin' out with friends brightens the day...outside of library book sale...and, needless to say, I hit the jackpot with some great finds!




Added July 5, 2008: Our own firework here at the foothill of Pilot Butte, at Juniper Middle School. Thanks to those irresponsible litters, Pilot Butte Middle School Tracking Field is no longer an option for up-close viewing. We insured Juniper's ground was clean before leaving the site...hopefully, we may return for another enjoyable celebration next year.

Encourage, Inspire, Laugh...and GO GREEN!!

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Quiet Harmony

Imagine what is possible and try to live
my days mindfully and with a sense of humor.

Being a mom today seems to require I move swiftly most of the time. Much as I may crave quiet interlude with my children, family mealtime, and meaningful ritual, I have resigned to life without it. There may be days when I barely manage to bring my children and husband together in the same room at the same time--let alone share our innermost thoughts, a joke, or a moment of quiet intimacy.

Yet I also know my relationship--with me and with each other--need time if they are to flourish. My children and I need time for solitude, time to stretch and think and wonder, time to become acquainted with myself and with the world around me. My children and I need sacred time together, time that is carved out of my busy life, protected, and honored but not scheduled. Time, instead, for just being.

I came of age in a world that was quite different from the one my children now inhabit. As a child, I was fed, clothed, loved, and cared for--and otherwise left to my own devices a good deal of the time. Even a generation ago, childhood could still be experienced as an accumulation of idle hours, hours in which we were allowed to discover the world for myself, piecemeal, and to awaken slowly to its beauty and complexity. In the process, I awakened to myself.

I can't reclaim those spacious hours, any more than I can turn back the hands of time, and return to that more innocent age. But the lessons taught by solitude and imposed leisure of childhood are still imprinted on my soul. As child, I learned the pleasure of my own company, how to be happy where I was with what I had, how to fill an empty afternoon. But I wonder: Do I give my own children time enough to absorb subtle teachings of such tranquil moments? Am I granting them the time they need to develop an inner life as well as a social one? I remember many, many ways when I had nothing but time. Yet today I find I have to struggle to give my children the very ease and space I once took for granted.

No, I cannot turn back the hands of time. But as the overworked, exhausted, sleep-deprived parent of a generation of busy overstimulated children, I can slow down the pace of daily life in my own home. I can gently reshape life that have become overstuffed and overly stressful. I can give my children fewer activities and more room to breathe, fewer lessons, and more time to make their own discoveries. I can take a good look at my own maxed-out calendars and crowded life and let go of the activities and commitments that don't enrich our days. I can be easier on myself and demand less of my children. I can protect and honor quiet, unscheduled time, and I can bequeath it to my daughters and son.

Does a quiet story told by candlelight seem impossible to manage? In truth, the story--told from the heart and shared in flickering darkness--is more nourishing for a child's soul, and for my own, than another soccer practice, a dance recital, or a pile of birthday gifts. I know this to be true. But sometimes I forget. Sometimes, I do need help and inspiration, as I try to negotiate my way from the full-scale chaos of a running-late Monday morning to a place of repose at a child's bedside at the end of the day.

A simple gesture or small goal reaps the greatest reward. I don't have to suddenly see the light and re-create my life. Out of my own needs as a mother and my desire for more space and harmony in my family, I begin mindful reflections more frequently. I live more deliberately by taking the time to put what I care about into words. I yearn to offer my children an alternative to our culture's noise, pressures, and materialism. Even a small shift in my own thinking has a more powerful effect on day-to-day life than any full-scale attempt at self-improvement. Holding a vision of my best, true self in my mind, the picture could come to reality. I create my life within my own imagination well before I ever realize it here on earth. It is not about changing my life, but, rather paying more attention to the life I already have, about taking my own life back as I protect my children from the pull of a world that is spinning too fast. I must find my own way to be in the world.

As mother, I walk a common path, through a rugged and ineffable territory of love and fury, exhilaration and exhaustion, self-doubt and self--discovery. Every mother I know wishes for close, meaningful relationships with her children, yet none is immune to the daily press of obligations and events. I fall captive to the demands of my job and family, and to the insistent tug of my fast-paced culture. I find it increasingly difficult, in the face of all this external pressure, to remember what I already know: True happiness is found within me and in quiet harmony with others. Yet if I let this inner knowledge slip away, my children may never learn it themselves, for I am their first teacher. It is up to me to set the example, to show by my own actions, my respect for intimacy, contemplation, and wonder. This is perhaps the greatest legacy I can bestow on my children: the capacity to be enchanted by quiet gifts of everyday life.

May God shine light upon our trails so we might find our own way with a bit more confidence. Happy living!

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Simplicity = Freedom

When I stop speeding through life, I find joy in each day's doings
in a life that cannot be bought, but
only discovered, created, cherished, and lived.

As mother, I want so much for my children...and I ask so much of me. Yet when I rush headlong through my days, I am left scattered and exhausted, unable to luxuriate in the quiet gifts of everyday life. I end up shortchanging the ones I love, depriving my family and me of moments of grace, intimacy, and joy. But there is another way...

In simplicity there is freedom
--freedom to do less and to enjoy more.

Even in the midst of a busy, stress-filled world, I can pare down my schedule and tune into a gentler rhythm...clear a space for silence and contemplation, wonder, and spiritual renewal...for rediscovering the pleasures of the family dinner table...for seeing the sacred in the ordinary...for teaching me the value of a deep breath...and for turning my home into haven, where peace and creativity may flourish, and where I feed not only my children's bodies and intellects but their souls too.

I can only bring peace to my children when I possess it myself.

In these moments when I did pause long enough to fully experience my own life, my children seemed happier and more peaceful too. I truly have something to celebrate not just a simple reflection: the joy of real togetherness. Happy living!

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Mini Tour of Tumalo State Park

Nestled against the Deschutes River and among the many Ponderosa Pines lays the quiet spot of Tumalo State Park, just 5.5 miles (one-way) away from home, northwest of Bend off Highway 20. The two part park has a day use area and--across the road--the campground, both are simultaneously close enough to town for a quick jaunt either into Bend for any kind of shopping or to Tumalo for a nice dinner and libations but yet the park is far enough away to escape the bustling commotion.

The riverside of the park has a very large and comfortable grass area for picnics as well as tables and grilling stations. The park is large enough to throw Frisbee, play tag, or setup a croquet, volleyball, or badminton game. The river can be easily rafted or swam in by young and old alike. The kids' favorite spot is by the bridge as this allows a good ½ raft trip when they walk up river. The kids love to play around the boulders catching crawdads. The bridge area also has great fishing for both Kokanee and trout and plenty of bait resides on the rocks for these edible creatures. It is a popular fishing spot for beginners and veterans gamers alike.

Here you can park your RV, your tent, or just rent a yurt. If you are not big on roughing it...this is a perfect solution. The yurt is very adorable and quaint. There are bunk beds, a futon, coffee table, table and chairs. Kick back, Relax and enjoy a glass of wine around the fire with families and friends. The campground has 23 full hookup campsites and 54 tent sites; equipped with a solar shower building and flush toilets are available.

On either side of the river there are many hiking trails and legend, from what I've heard through native friends, when they were kids the bluff side of the river had several old coins thrown out by land owner who owns the property above you. As kids, they actually did find a few buffalo nickels and Indian pennies so this has good potential for those who also endeavor in metal detecting.

When they camped out earlier on Wednesday, my girls reminisced watching deer forage for food--just as the sun creeped below the rim of the canyon--listened as coyotes performed their haunting call, announcing sunset and coming darkness, smell the sweet fragrance of sage and juniper as the dew dripped off its branches, sat quietly in the evening and let the stars put on a show of its own.


American Bakery in the park? This cave was found off the bridge (as pictured above) across the camp ground...interesting, huh?

Next to the cave, there is an unmarked, graveled trail...

which led to this ridge...

with hundreds of feet steep drop...did I tell you I'm afraid of HEIGHT!!!

View of the park across the river...from the Ridge...

Don't look DOWN...Getting an adrenaline surge!

My body redirecting flow of blood to other muscle groups--if any left--I'm tensing up!

Which way?

Not down, for sure.

Here--about a foot-wide path?

A single careless slip...I'd end up down...down...down here!

Stumbling block...should I...should I not? It's time...

A sign??...Disrupting a flow of energy...Did I tell you I'm afraid of HEIGHT!!

All that adventure...led me to the middle of the highway...at the crossroad of Johnson/Tumalo Reserve and OB Riley/Tumalo Reserve



These adorable domestic turkeys were fearless, hangin' out at the park all week...can't figure out how someone heartless could abandon these cuties!

By the way, this was my second trip to the same trail because I left the camera in the van on first expedition! I will no longer be paralyzed by fear of HEIGHT...not...someday perhaps. Hope you enjoy the mini tour. I didn't get to the river trail on the other side by the camp ground as planned. Another day...another tour.

Happy living!

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Save a Gallon

A true Inner Vision isn’t doing something you can live with
It’s doing and being something you can’t live life without!”~~Me

Last night, both girls slept over at Tumalo State Park with their Campfire friends. Downside, besides missing them? I lost my reliable babysitter. What am I to do with my 7-year-old on knitting night? It's unimaginative to skip my weekly knitting social. So, my son and I, picked up my friend Cindy on our way, walked 2.5 miles to Makahna's...only to see that Cafe was closed once again. Meeting was canceled last minute last week because Cafe owner had another family emergency. I agree it is a great spot to meet, but, proven unreliable thus far. It's time to consider other venues like WineStyle at Northwest Crossing. Cindy and I weren't the only there, joined by Hildy, Tamra, Carla, Judy, and Dany. Thanks to Dany, the gracious hostess, we had our social at her home just around the corner. Knitting out in her yard was terrific. Weather was perfect--warm with light breeze.

Though whining a bit walking there, DS really perked up going home. We chatted all the way home, joyfully, telling me about camp hike and things he did and found earlier in the day. Wish I had taken my NEW CANON with me as we came across many points of interest in our walk. Next time for sure...FIL called last night to tell me the second best sunset he has ever witnessed. DS couldn't stop ranting to grandpa about his 5-mile adventure. He is quite a charmer, with sored feet. "I am on fire!" as he put it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We have been doing more walks around town since February even before gas hike. Now, I am more allured than ever trying to save a gallon (in order to offset all the driving hubby is doing to California and back!) It's not too hard to save a gallon a week when your tank, like mine a guzzler, not a sipper, gets under 10 miles a gallon! Here are 10 easy ways I came up with so far:

1. Hop on the bus, Gus. Even if you think this is not an option, check out Bend Area Transit or here for other cities/states. You may be surprised by all the options you have never considered. Or carpool. Leaving the car at home and sharing your commute occasionally can help you reach your gallon-goal quickly. Sharing the ride--and expense--with another person regularly can cut your gas costs in half. Check out your carpooling opportunities at eRideShare.comand CarPoolConnect.com.

2. Take it easy. Faster you drive, more gas you use. If your average commute includes 20 miles of highway time at 60 mph, instead of 70 mph, it will take you only three minutes longer to get to your destination--and you’ll save approximately 1.3 gallons of gas in a five-day work week.

3. Trip-chaining. Need to pick up groceries, mail a package, pick up gardening or craft supplies, and go to the bank? Instead of spreading these tasks out over a few trips, chain them together by doing all of them at one trip. Park in a central spot and walk from place to place.

4. Shop online. Save trips to the store and consider other online services to minimize errands such as banking, buying stamps, and paying bills.

5. If you own vehicles of differing size, take the smaller, more fuel-efficient one on any long trips that you can.

6. Take a hike (or ride a bike). Instead of driving everywhere, lace up your sneakers and get some exercise while you save gas. A bicycle can help you rack up car-free miles even faster.

7. Work in your sweats. If you have a job for which working from home is possible, ask the boss if you and your coworkers can telecommute one day a week to save gas. If you are the boss, consider making it a company-wide initiative.

8. Drive as if gas is being rationed. The time may come that you will be allowed only a set number of gallons per week no matter the cost, no matter your needs. Drive now as if you are on a 10-gallons-per-week limit. The practice will do you good.

9. Share rides. Instead of picking up your kids from gymnastic, dance, swim, or tennis practice every day, ask a neighbor with kids in the same class/group to help. You can each take turns picking up.

10. Keep the trunk light. I am the bigger offender I know because I like to have everything accessible at all times! Heavier the load your car has to carry, more gas it guzzles. Don’t use your trunk for long-term storage.

What are your gas-saving tips? I'd love to hear about them!

Encourage, Inspire, Laugh...and GO GREEN!

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