Memories In Motion

January 2012 Mileage Update

2012-01-29T17:45:00.001-05:00

It's been cold. It's been snowy. It's been muddy. It's been raining. I have put one foot in front of the other pretty much every chance I've had.

Mileage Total for January: 28.65

6+ Miles in the Mud!!!

2012-01-29T17:43:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I have hiked a full 10 miles in the mud this weekend! Wow! That's awesome!

Just me

After church I grabbed a quick lunch and packed a snack and some water. I met up with my gal pals at North Park where we pounded out a full 6+ miles on the muddy trail. It was REALLY sloppy! There was one fall (not me). We caught two dogs on the fly. Snagged a geocache called "Ice Rink and a Bathtub." We spotted some other hikers right in the vicinity of the cache and thought surely they were looking for the same. I asked the man "How much further?" He said "I don't know, where are you trying to go?" My reply "Ice Rink and a Bathtub." "What?" he says. Ummm... it was then fairly apparent that he had NO IDEA what we were doing. LOL A few feet beyond that conversation we found the container. I logged the find from my iphone. Very cool!

Those of you on my facebook, had you been on FB this afternoon you may have been able to track our progress via Runkeeper. I'm loving this tool that maps our hikes. It's impressive technology.

Girl Power!!!!

4+ Miles In The Mud

2012-01-28T18:01:00.002-05:00

Today: January 28, 2012
Where: Hartwood Acres
With: Me Myself and I
Mileage: 4+

I just HAD to hike today! Couldn’t find a buddy, so I opted for the trails more traveled just in case. It was MUDDY, like a slip and slide! I hiked out a mile and remembered there was a geocache somewhere in that vicinity. I love my new iphone. I does SO MUCH! I opened the geocaching app, searched for the closest, just to find that it was 113 feet from where I was standing. YAY!!! So I logged a cache today too.

For some reason I keep making mistakes with my RunKeeper. Last week I forgot to zero it out before I started. This week I accidentally paused it along the trail and didn’t realize it until I had gone some distance. On my map there is a gap. I could account for a third or a half mile or somewhere there about. Oh well. FOUR miles is good! I’m happy with it.

Welcome Snow!

2012-01-21T19:55:00.001-05:00

It finally snowed… a good 6 inches!!!! Yay!!!

I shoveled my little heart out today. I like to shovel. That’s nothing new. I shoved the walkway, the porch, a path around the house, and the parking area. I also shoveled a third of the driveway we share with all the neighbors. It’s good exercise. I shall not complain. The fact that it was cold and sunny, but not windy was a blessing.

Here are my new snowshoes! Oh ya! I finally got to try them out. Now I need to find some matching attire to go with them.

I learned that my usual hiking boots are not the best option. My feet eventually got wet. They ended up rubbing and I got a blister. Oh well… live and learn. Next time I shall wear my leather boots.

There were 4 of us today. Tammi, Jill, & Jordan were with me. Love this classic shot of all our feet at the end of a hike. I didn’t set my Runkeeper correctly, so our mileage was all fussed up. I’m recording 4.5 miles for today.

6 Mile Hike

2012-01-15T21:57:00.001-05:00

Hiked and even 6 miles with my gal-pals this afternoon at Jennings Environmental Center. It was cold. I'm thankful for my matchy matchy hat and scarf that Rene'e made me for Christmas. What a practical gift! A fine time was had by all!

Is This Winter?

2012-01-13T07:03:00.001-05:00

This winter has been mild. It’s been unusually warm for the most part. It’s much more bearable than a complete dumping of snow. I do like the snow. I like it when the sun is shining and the wind is NOT blowing. I like it when you walk outside into a winter wonderland of untouched beauty. You know… before the first tracks are laid into it. I like the white outlining each and every exposed tree branch and it’s heaviness weighing on the evergreens. I’m excited to try out my new snowshoes. I’m waiting for some of the fluffy white stuff to arrive. It’s here… but not in the pleasant way. It’s BITTER cold outside this morning! There are gusts of wind too…. not pleasant.

Brrrrrrrrr!!!!

New Adventures… 2012

2012-01-07T19:11:00.001-05:00

The New Years Day hike was cancelled, partly due to in climate weather (rain) and party because both myself and my Pal were feeling slightly under the weather. But, alas, today we made up for it! Yay! 2012 will surely bring many many new adventures, many of which will be on foot. (some will be via horseback too) We set out on the North Country Trail at Moraine State Park. It was brisk and windy, but pleasant in the cover of the trees. The mud was a slight challenge, but did not deter us. We hiked out under the 422 bridge. Very cool picture, don’t you think?!

Two miles past the bridge we hit road. The trail crosses over Interstate 79 and continues west, eventually crossing route 19. We turned back at the 4 mile mark, just shy of route 19. Road walking is less interesting. I much prefer the soft floor of pine needles. There was a way to shorten the trip, but we chose to backtrack the entire route. All said and done, we walked ALMOST 8 miles, 7.8 miles to be exact. By that time my Pal had a blister from an ill fitting sock and the bottoms of my feet were beginning to feel less cushioned in my hiking boots. When I changed back to my tennis shoes, I noticed that I’ve walked a hole right into my sock. Grrrr!!! These socks are NOT that old! I feel pretty good now, despite a small blister on the pad of one of my tiny toes. Ouch!

I’m so excited to log my hiking miles this year! We are off to a good start! Here’s to adventurous hikes in 2012!!!

Holiday Observed

2012-01-02T20:28:00.001-05:00

Today was the holiday observed. I observed a whole box of tissues for my runny eyes and dripping nose! I observed my headache coming and going and experienced ongoing congestion. A few meds and lots of fluids… still fighting. UGH! Not a very happy way to bring in the new year. Bummer

Looking Ahead With Sweet Anticipation

2012-01-01T09:23:00.001-05:00

The new year has come and with it arrives many new beginnings and aspirations. What do I hope for it to bring?

Many Many miles of hiking! This time I’m keeping track, starting TODAY!
At least 25 more geocache finds! That’s about 2/month, should be doable.
I’m going to clean out at least one of our spare rooms. Should it be the small or medium sized room? Hmmm… The medium sized room would be much quicker, but the smaller room has the potential to be somewhat of a game or tv room. It has cable hookup. Hmmm… Any votes?
I’m going to reconcile my birthday list and post a master calendar. My aspiration is to send everyone a birthday card for his or her birthday.
With Keith working a new tour, hopefully our budget will iron out.
I need to get back to my weekly couponing. We save a lot that way and it brings extra to share with friends, family or for donating to the less fortunate.

Ideas that are still developing…

I’d like to take a class on web-design.
I’d like to find a farm that is affordable (ministry opportunity)

A look over my shoulder…

2011-12-31T19:29:00.001-05:00

So like most anyone, the change of a year is a time to ponder over the events of the past year and then look ahead with sweet anticipation to the year to come. So why don’t we do that…

2011

Having received a jewelry making kit for Christmas, I started the year making all sorts of fancy jewelry. I still enjoy it.
In January I went snowshoeing for the very first time! I was so excited. I cannot wait to go again! This time I have my very own snowshoes… if we ever get any snow.
We visited Cincinnati in January too. We visited family. As much as I’d like to count it a joy to be there, our purpose there was sad. We bid Keith’s Grandma Vulhop goodbye.
We did some geocaching in the freezing cold! It was grand! We found our very first Nano cache.
February brought on more hikes, some with Keith and some with my gal pals.
Hiked Wyggeston Trail with the girls. Some guy lost his beagle. I wonder if he ever found it?
Set a 200 mile hiking challenge with my girlfriends. Started out hard and heavy. Finished under the mark. There is always next year.
In March I was hot and heavy into the coupon game. Picked up 9 tubes of Crest toothpaste for $3 and gifted it to a friend. I stock piled cereal and cleaning products.
April brought the arrival of my precious Kitler… aka Lovey. She’s such a fun kitten!
April was also a time for horseback riding, hiking, and geocaching.
We went to opening day for the Pirates. It was FANTASTIC!!! We had awesome seats and enjoyed the entire day together. Keith is quite the autograph hound! AND… the weather was PERFECT!
In May we hiked some of the North Country Trail (among other trails).
We also celebrated Keith’s birthday.
There was the Gettysburg trip for my work conference. We had a great time and I’m so glad Keith was able to tag along!
We went fishing with the Zombecks at Lake Arthur and I caught a big catfish! Awesome!
June was filled with more baseball, more hiking, more geocaching.
July was hopping! We found new places to hike and new places to fish. We vacations with the Zombecks to Kalahari and then the Toledo Zoo… very fun! We had a caricature done at the zoo.
We found a new restaurant La Vite’ at Narcisi Winery. LOVED IT!
Went on a really cool daytrip to West Virginia. HOOFED it up some BIG hills… mountainous!
In August we went canoeing and I actually liked it!
My cousin Ellen got married and moved to Butler!
Then came our annual vacation week the same as our wedding anniversary. It rocked!!!! It was mostly hiking and geocaching. We planted a travel bug in honor of our anniversary and tasked it with visiting all the coolest honeymoon destinations in the world! How fun! We also earned some merits for geocaching. Challenging and FUN!
October brought with it seasonal beauty, prime-time for hiking and geocaching!
We adopted a soldier via Adoptaplatoon. We were so excited to start sending care packages. Not long after we began, we got the word that he was coming home. Now we have a new soldier we are supporting.
Novembers hikes took us to see a waterfall. Who knew it was so close by? I also hiked McConnell’s Mill with friends the day after Thanksgiving. SO FUN!
Keith and I walked for the AHA… I walked in honor of my Grampy!
Keith changed jobs mid-November. I’m so thankful that he still loves his new job!
The end of November we helped decorate at church for the Christmas season. It’s so pretty!
December has been a blur of hustle and bustle, getting ready for Christmas. Not much snow, but festive none the less. AND… I got my new iphone. Yay!

It’s been a good year. Work was hectic. We thought we might move, but God had other plans. My vision for a specific ministry was revived and again placed in God’s hands for a time in our future when it is right. We’ve grown emotionally and spiritually as would be expected. There have been sad times, fun times, and just plain lovely times. I’m so grateful that God provides. I’m so delighted to live in this complex world that God has made and that we actually set out to enjoy it frequently. I’m so thankful to have a heart that puts my plans and desires into the hands of God. I delightfully ask each day for His desires to be upon my heart. If nothing else, I wish to allow the presence of Christ to be reflected in me, through my words, my actions, and most significantly in the deepest pondering of my heart. God is SO GOOD! I am SO BLESSED! So if there is anything to be said about the year that has passed, may it be…

“To God be the glory!”

Dec 6

2011-12-06T20:57:00.003-05:00

HELLO THERE Mr Snowflake... Long time No See...

It's okay... I can wait!

Dec 5

2011-12-05T19:16:00.003-05:00

Just what I've been waiting for... an invitation to a certain holiday party!

YAY!!! I really hope my husband will be able to accompany me.

Dec 4

2011-12-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

Spent the afternoon geocaching with Keith and my friend Milly. Keith has it in hand... Great times! This time of year we SHOULD be into snow. We were delighted to enjoy the mild weather.

Dec 3

2011-12-03T18:04:00.000-05:00

Special cake, made of cheese, for a delightful dinner with our Pastor and his family. There was a creamy white topping and cherries too. A lovely and yummy time was had by all.

Dec 2

2011-12-02T19:07:00.000-05:00

Ok... so maybe I failed to get a picture on the 2nd. :(

December 1

2011-12-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

What Weekends Are Made For...

2011-11-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

Hiking of course and maybe a little geocaching!

Hanging of the Greens

2011-11-26T13:50:00.004-05:00

The church is always beautiful, and the Christmas season is no different. There are all sorts of sparkles in the midst of this holiday, but none quite like the sunshine through the stained glass window.

Now... if only we had the umph to decorate at home already. Hmmm...

McConnell's Mill 11/25/11

2011-11-26T13:44:00.002-05:00

What an AWESOME day for a hike! Sunny and pleasant with fabulous company! The water was COLD and moving swiftly, but there were adventurous boaters out there anyway. It was surely one of the few pleasant afternoons for 2011. I could not help but enjoy it! We hiked 2.8 miles.

Fall Run Park 11/20/11

2011-11-22T06:17:00.002-05:00

There is a cute little park in Glenshaw, PA called Fall Run Park. We happened upon it because there are a couple geocaches hidden there. It's easy to get to, right off the beaten path. The trail winds about 3/4 deep into the revine. There is a lovely waterfall and several wooden bridges. We only found one of the two geogaches. The one near the falls called "Starwars" is what we were after, but alas it eluded us. Grrrr! Oh well... perhaps we will return another day.

Plans... Are they overrated?

2011-11-22T06:03:00.005-05:00

God's plan forever perplexes me. We thought we might be going somewhere or getting somewhere and that the timing was right. Alas, it has been made very clear that we are to stay put for awhile longer. I was certain that change was on the horizon, and it was, but this isn't what I meant. God has a sense of humor. God has a bigger better plan. We are living it every single day. The best part is that we are willing to wait and to listen and to roll with it... as it is revealed to us. Thank God that we are not in charge of our own plans! We obviously don't know where we are going or when.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Someday

2011-11-06T18:21:00.001-05:00

Someday I want to have a place where I can have a few good quiet horses. I want it to be a place where kids can come and interact with them and ride them. Not a business intended to make money, but a ministry and a labor of love. I have the vision. I just need to find the place.

Keith is afraid that I will fill it with too many horses and maybe some other animals too, like chickens and cows. I told him that I CANNOT promise not to do that, but not to worry either.

For now we shall keep praying about it… and we’ll keep looking.

Heart Walk Success

2011-11-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all who donated to the AHA for the Heart Walk on October 22nd. It was a nice time with a great cause. I walked in memory of my Grandfather, Paul H. Blair.

More Seasonal Beauty

2011-10-11T22:03:00.001-04:00

I note the changes each morning on my commute to work. An abundance of yesterday’s gorgeous orange leaves have exhausted their efforts to hang on. There are large piles of crisp leaves on the ground. They crunch under my feet. I fear that I am letting precious time pass by without making myself fully available to enjoy it.

Here is my beautiful pony with the awesome backdrop of the season. Love it! I cannot wait to enjoy it while riding!

Seasonal Beauty

2011-10-10T06:27:00.001-04:00

Yesterday’s hike revealed much of the seasonal beauty that surrounds us. I did NOT wear my Bear-bell this time. Even though there seems to be a steady slow flow of hikers and bikers out there, the wildlife is definitely THERE. It was a joy to sneak through the woods fairly quiet so as to not disturb much. While I was walking in the woods, I saw:

A 6-point buck lounging just about 25 feet off the trail. I had stopped to look at the leaves, when all of the sudden I heard a snort. WHOA!!!! He was RIGHT THERE! He didn’t even get up until I had lingered and took a bunch of pictures. Oh what I would have given to have a GOOD camera on that hike. He was not a large buck, but boy was he pretty. His fur looked as though it is thickening in preparation for the winter months to come.

Chipmunks everywhere! The leaves on the ground are getting crunchy, so you could really hear them scampering around. They are obviously stockpiling nuts for the winter. There were piles of acorn nuts here and there and many remnants of nut shells. I also took note of an especially beautiful grey squirrel. It’s tail was SO FULL. I wish I had a super zoom camera to capture its beauty. You just cannot get so close to them. They are such nervous creatures.

Vibrant colors galore. My favorite picture below. Leaves turning orange and yellow and red, mostly still on the trees, but there was definitely a covering of them on the ground in the woods. Tis the season here. I also took note of little red berries on a bush. They were such a bright contrast to the yellow leaves surrounding it.

I wonder what I will notice today. There is just so much to see!

The Season’s Beauty

2011-10-09T18:43:00.001-04:00

Today I walked about an hour at North Park. The trail travels right through one of the old shelters.

This lone leaf is so so so yellow.

I just love the change of season and drinking in all the beautiful changes!

Don’t Miss It

2011-10-09T09:19:00.001-04:00

Fall is here in full bloom. The vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow surround us now. It’s happening SO fast! It will be gone before we know it. Don’t let it pass by without a few lingering glances. All part of the Lord’s awesome creation, everything has its time and season. Make a date with the Creator. Get out and drink in the details of the environment. What do you see? Notice it’s beauty and thank God for it.

Random Morning Thoughts

2011-10-06T06:40:00.001-04:00

Good morning Lord. Thank you for a new day, a new chance to bring you glory, a fresh start. Ahhh… it’s refreshing.
Mmmm… boy this coffee tastes good. It’s probably the cream that makes it taste so good. I tried changing to soy cream or non-fat cream. It just doesn’t cut it. I love real cream!
Looks like the next few days we are expecting superb weather. Yay! I hope I can get out to enjoy some of it.
I enjoyed giggling with Keith last night. He got home late, but it seems that we both had stories of silly things from yesterday’s work. Thank goodness for some lighter moments.
Our kitties are ultra-lovey in the morning. I know it’s just because they are hungry, but I like it. My Lovey-Kitler is perched beside me. She loves me most of the time and usually more than the others. She is SO soft and cuddly.
It’s still dark out. It seems much earlier than it is.
BRRRRRRR… I love fall, but not the cold mornings. I don’t like to get out from under the warm covers. (wonder what got me out early today)
I have a TON of coupons clipped, but haven’t used them this week. What am I waiting for?
I’m sad that my friends precious doggy has cancer. She’s always such a happy dog. In that regard, not looking forward to the weeks to come.
I am an active witness to the change of the season happening right before our eyes. I long the fact that I’m missing much of it because I’m working behind closed doors most of the day. It’s in progress though. The vibrant colors are here, more and more every day. It’s awesome.
I wonder how much laundry I need to do.
I miss my friend Ed and his cows. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for 11 years now.
I’m having dinner with an old friend this evening, my former boss. I look forward to catching up with her and to having tacos for dinner!
Keith is sound asleep. God bless his precious heart.
My friend and her husband recently decided to pursue adoption. What a wonderful thing!

From the looks of this, I have entirely too much on my mind for a simple morning. Hmmm…

The Least We Could Do

2011-10-02T08:53:00.001-04:00

Check out AdoptaPlatoon. I stumbled upon this by way of another blog last week. I didn’t know this existed. I had a notion, but had no idea that you can sign-up individually to support a soldier one on one, not just an entire platoon. This is fantastic! We signed up right away. It took about 3 days to finalize the details.

Keith and I are now proud supporters of a soldier named Daniel. I cannot share much about his identity or location. The notice came with a few details about him (age, marital status, where he’s deployed to and from). We understand that he has limited access to the daily amenities that you and I likely take for granted. His PX (supply store) closed a month ago, so I’m not sure where he gets his basic needs from at this point. He needs a pillow. That’s at the top of my list of things to send right away. I don’t know if he doesn’t have one or if the one he has is spent. I do know that having a pillow is important. He also wants snacks, dvds, and toiletries.

Our commitment includes sending letters and cards of encouragement and a care-package once per month. I ordered a package of 12 flat-rate boxes from the post office. It’s about $10 to mail the box and it can hold up to 70 pounds of goodies. I wonder how anyone fits 70 pounds into a box 12x12x5.5? I plan to use my stockpile items from coupon savings to fill the boxes. This will be a minimal investment for us from the pocket, but is a huge investment of the heart.

Our introductory letter is on it’s way along with a questionnaire for Daniel to complete and return to us letting us know his likes and more specific wish-list. We should receive our boxes in a day or so, but we already have a pile of goodies ready to pack. It’s great that Keith has some deployment experience. He helps me understand what to get. I really want to give this box a Halloween theme because that is likely when he will receive it.

We are really excited about this! It’s the least we could do for someone who is so selflessly serving our country. Please pray for our soldiers… and for Daniel by name. Thanks!

American Heart Association

2011-09-25T13:10:00.000-04:00

My family history is rich with Heart Disease. Keith and I are going to walk in the American Heart Association’s Heart 5K Walk at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on October 22, 2011.

If you’d like to donate and or walk with us, click the “Sponsor Me” thermometer in my sidebar.

We have all been touched by the effects of this oh so common disease. Thank you for the support!

Crazy Anxiety!

2011-09-25T12:20:00.000-04:00

My Lovey-Kitler… she’s MAD!!!!!! She is easily over-stimulated and takes out her aggression on whatever is in her path. Many times it is ME! She bites and scratches. She and I have weekly stare-downs to remind her who is boss. I’m happy to say that she is making progress. She is still rough when she plays, but is learning to keep her claws in more. She still bites, but with less force. Sometimes she just puts her teeth on me and then quickly retracts. I wonder what made her be this way? It’s been interesting to see her changing from a very frustrated nasty-girl to a more respectful and ultra-lovey girl.

My life has seemed so CRAZY lately. Lot’s of things going on… Work has been especially trying lately. There are SO MANY duties and not enough time. I took a week of much needed vacation early in September and feel as though I have been paying for it ever since. (I shouldn’t feel that way – right?) Nobody does my duties when I am not there. Everyone I work with is stretched to the max. The word from higher up is: 1) Customer Service is HUGE and 2) Do more with less. Great ideas! As a matter of fact, I am really big on the idea of “efficient” work. You know… use your resources to their fullest. Reduce waste. Manage time and other resources effectively. I’m always thinking “there has to be a better way” and “we are probably making things harder than necessary.” The problem is, I cannot keep up with the volume of work AND do the same quality of work as I aspire for AND deliver spectacular customer service (which in my line of work means DO IT FAST!)! My anxiety stems from the idea that I may have to lower my standard of work in order to keep up with the volume. At whose expense??? (I’m not even going there today)

I’ve identified the issue. Now how shall I respond?

1) God knows my anxiety and will give me the strength to deal with it. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

2) Attitude is key. I will be pleasant to work with. I will be patient with others.

3) Focus. I will prioritize, stay on-task, work hard, and put forth every effort to maintain the level of quality that is important.

4) I will be realistic. While I desire to be swift in performing my duties, there are limitations (time being a very important one). I shall present realistic expectations to my customers.

I also need to protect my personal life from being over-run by work and the stresses of it. It’s sometimes difficult to leave work at work. I often physically bring it home. It often monopolizes my mind, attitude, and even my sleep. Some things I can do to minimize the detriment of work-related stress at home…

I shall enjoy the peace of working with my horse and enjoying the outdoors.
I shall experience the love of caring for my husband and keeping our home.
I shall appreciate others and surround myself with positive influences.
Most importantly, I shall protect the sweet time I set aside for Bible Study, ministry, and worship.

Reality Bites

2011-09-05T22:27:00.001-04:00

My kitty’s name is “Lovey” or “Kitler.” YES – she bites! She really does, and it HURTS. But that’s NOT what I’m talking about here. What I’m talking about is… vacation is over. Boo hoo! We must return to the reality of our working lives.

Keith returned to work today. It’s quiet and boring and rather lonely without him. Tomorrow I not only go back to work, but it will be a LONG day as we have the quarterly meetings in the evening for which I must attend. Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do. I enjoy the people I work with. But there is just a peace about not having to be there that I love. Plus, I really enjoy being with my husband.

I pondered today… is retirement like a never-ending vacation? I never thought I’d get to the point where I’d be looking forward to retirement. I’m almost there… not to retirement, but to looking forward to it. I hope that when I’m finally retired that my husband will be as well and that we will enjoy one another’s company for the duration. Hmmmm…

Friday Adventures 09-02-11

2011-09-03T10:43:00.001-04:00

It started at Pymatuning State Park. We dropped a travel bug in honor of our anniversary attached to a giant diamond ring. We also picked up the geocoin that we earned on the AGT-Crawford County.

Then we motored off to Clarion. There was some monkey business as you see here. Keith makes like a monkey and climbs all over the big rocks. This is my favorite picture… I didn’t mean to step on him. I just wanted to get a good picture of his efforts. Too funny!

And he climbed the fire tower. Now, I climbed the one in Gettysburg and didn’t think anything of it. I may have been convinced to climb this one had I not fell down the stairs at home bruising my butt and pulling something in my leg. I was (conveniently) convinced that I could not climb that many steps up and down. I sent Keith up and kept yelling “Stop! Look out!” (so I could take a picture.) He was NOT impressed. He thought he needed to stop and look out because something was wrong. Tee Hee.

More rock climbing. Looking for signs of the Seneca Indians that once inhabited these parts.

What an AWESOME view at Seneca Point overlooking the Clarion river.

And of course, a stop at Helen Furnace. It’s really cool inside and SO BIG!!!

We finished half of the required geocaches on the Allegheny Geo Trail – Clarion. We’ll have to return another time to finish it and get our prize.

The more I hike the greater appreciation I have for the outdoors.

11Years

2011-09-02T08:40:00.001-04:00

11 years ago today, I married my sweetheart! It was a beautiful day and all the right people were in attendance. It was the most fun day of my entire life. I still reminisce about it… hair/makeup at the salon, the flowers, the candelabras in the church, the music… boy can Tammy sing!, the silly shenanigans of the wedding party, the tongue tattoos, the food, the cake, the people, the pictures, the smiles and laughs, the video of Joyce peaking under the railing at the front of the church, the entrance at the reception, the chaotic photo shoot, the sour apple pucker, the special gift I opened at the reception from Ed and his paying a whole $20 for a dance with the bride, OH the dancing, the song my coworkers requested, the look on my Dad’s face as Keith danced to that song, the bridal dance, the father/daughter dance, and how my feet cramped like a charlie-horse the moment I sat down afterwards to pay the DJ. It was a grand affair…

And now 11 years later we’ve been through many trials and triumphs but I can honestly say… I love him even more today than I did back then! God is SO GOOD!!!

Anniversary Week Vacation is a Tradition to Keep

2011-08-31T12:13:00.001-04:00

Last year, we took vacation the week of our anniversary to celebrate 10 years. The weather was superb… so we did it again. This week the weather, again, is superb!!!! It’s sunny, warm but not sticky, and just so entirely pleasant. So we’ve spent the majority of it outside.

We happened upon the Allegheny Geo Trail and decided it would be fun to tackle this week. Well… at least a portion of it. Basically, you visit a specific county in PA and pick up a passport booklet. County by county, you have to find at least 6 specially marked geocaches. They have a special stamp in them that you use to mark your passport. Then you take it to the passport headquarters for that county and they will give you a trackable commemorative geocoin.

We started in Venango County. It was HARD. The first cache find took hours because we kind of went the hard way. Ooops! It didn’t help that we forgot to mark the waypoint for the car and decided to just pick our way through the forest in the supposed right direction. We were thankful to find another hiker out with his dog who pointed us to the right trail. We would have eventually found it, but it may have taken a while longer. All in all though… we got the required 6 and returned for our little prize. We closed out the day with a quick stop at DAIRYQUEEN!!! Oh ya!!!

Yesterday we hit Crawford County working on the same goal. We found 5 out of 6 caches. We would have had all 6, but we failed to read the fine print telling us that we had to find one of them during regular business hours. UGH!!! It was beautiful there though. We loved the sky and the water.

The Covered Bridge cache was the first one yesterday. It was so neat and quaint. It’s near Seneca Hills Bible Camp. We saw a chicken way out there in nowhereville… WEIRD!!!

This sunflower field was in a conservation area near Polk, PA. What a neat town in a really cool valley. Very nice.

I couldn’t resist this photo of the awesome sky reflecting off the pond. So majestic!!! God sure does know how to put together an awesome site!

Here we are… happy hikers!

We ended the day with a DELICIOUS dinner at Rachel’s Roadhouse. We had a gift card that cut our bill in half! I’m all about a bargain. Today we think we’ll visit Red Robin… to get my free birthday sandwich. The offer expires after today. Mmmm…. chicken sandwich. YUMMA!!!!

Today we are doing other things around home. The car needs a little repair. I think it’s not cut out to handle all the back country dirt roads of the north. Hopefully it’s not an expensive repair. It did, however, convince me that it would be good to have a AAA membership. Thankfully, it didn’t leave us stranded.

We have plenty more exploring to tackle… we can’t wait! AND… we are planning to drop a geocaching Travel-Bug on our anniversary, in honor of our anniversary that will be tasked with traveling to all the coolest honeymoon destinations in the world. How fun!!!

Crouse Run Nature Reserve

2011-08-20T14:07:00.001-04:00

Over coffee this morning, Keith says “What’s the plan for today?” “Well” I reply, “I’d really like to hike, but I realize that you are really beat from working hard this week.” “Sorry. I really don’t feel like it today.” he says. “I understand. If you don’t want to go, I can go later without you. No big deal.” The conversation continues noting that we have a couple of travel bugs we need to move. Maybe we could find somewhere close by to drop them. That turned into agreeing to hit this little trail not far from home… The Crouse Run Nature Reserve.

There were three caches along this trail that we were determined to find. If we hoofed it a little farther, we could have had four, but we were on a race against the clock because he has to work today. The photo above is the one called “Wildwood Boardwalk.” There is a marshy area on the trail where they have basically built a boardwalk so you can continue on. And then hidden not far off the beaten path was this box of goodies. We snagged a small container of Playdoh, trading it for one of the travel bugs we needed to move.

The trail was really neat. It followed close to a creek bed. We crossed the creek at least three times. I guess that’s why the geocaching site warned to wear boots and prepare to get wet. I wish we would have had time to play in the creek. There was so much shale that its probably a fossil-gold-mine if you take the time to search. As a matter of fact, if we had not had time constraints, we probably would have walked back IN the creek bed instead of on the trail.

There were all kinds of interesting sites along the way. Aside from water, rocks, trees, and foot bridges, there was an area with a bunch of odd structures around a fire pit. I’m not sure what happened or happens here, but maybe some kind of Indian re-enactment? There were a couple tent-like things made out of tree branches and leaves. It was slightly creepy. We did not linger long.

So all in all… so much for NOT hiking today. It was kind of short (hike-wise), but it was still really fun. I enjoyed spending quality time with my Hubby.

Weekend Adventures

2011-08-07T19:29:00.001-04:00

Here is a photo from the wedding picnic on Saturday.

After church Sunday morning, we hooked up with my friend and her daughter and went hiking at North Park. We found SIX caches in 2.5 hours. We hiked up big hills and down steep valleys. We saw a lovely doe in the woods. We passed over some baby snakes and around creepy spider webs. There was an observation deck, but there wasn’t much to see because of the overgrowth of vines in the area. There were bird-boxes and houses galore. There was a pond, wetlands, prairie, ants, birds, squirrels, and the like. It was sunny, hot, and humid. We stopped at a bridge to admire rather large trout and a school of baby bass. Afterwards, we stopped for ice cream. (that’s allowed on Sundays)

Overall… it was an AWESOME afternoon of hiking! I cannot wait to go again!

Recap of Last Week

2011-08-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

Monday: work, haircut – nice and short

Tuesday: work, chores, cdentist

Wednesday: work, chores, RIDE!!!

Thursday: work, chores, Penny had her feet trimmed, spent hours chatting with friends and enjoying the evening

Friday: work, chores, home early to do house-work and enjoy some peace.

Saturday: WEDDING celebration!!! My cousin married her high-school sweetheart. It was hot, but just lovely.

Sunday: Up early…. to be continued…

This weeks goals:

Focus on intake
HIKE!!!
Clip Coupons
Get Groceries
Ride at least once

Canoe Trip Continued…

2011-08-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

I just thought these were pretty pictures that Keith took with his cell phone. Enjoy!

Am I Adventurous?

2011-08-02T22:09:00.001-04:00

Ok. It’s gone beyond just trying a new food, turkey burgers. Somehow I got the itch to try canoeing again. I’m NOT a water sport kind of a gal. Not by a mile!!! We went once before, years ago, and I hated every minute of it! When your feet are supposed to be dry… they are supposed to be dry! Perhaps I didn’t really know what to expect? Hmmm… The thing is… we both hurt our ankles on Saturday, so we didn’t want to hike, but we definitely wanted to enjoy the day.

I DID fall out of the boat. We banked it here in the rocks. I got out first. I slipped on a slimy rock and fell right on my butt in about 6 inches of water!!!! My other leg was stuck in the boat. Ahhhhh!!!! So then the people floating past on tubes wanted to know if I was ok, which I was, just embarrassed. When I finally regained my composure I noticed a lobster-size crayfish in the water right beside where my butt was planted! Ahhhhh!!!!!!! Keith said he could see it from the back of the boat. WOW!

Oh well. The water was warm and mostly calm. It was a nice upper body workout, only 4 miles. What a gorgeous day for it! I would do that again in a heartbeat! (don’t tell Keith!)

So there you have it… perhaps an adventurous side of me does exist? Hmmm… what next? Fish for dinner??? Doubt it!!!

Recreation Gone Bad

2011-07-30T18:56:00.001-04:00

I was so excited this morning to have my Handy Hubby home for the morning hours. He agreed to hike with me, so I located a couple of geocache coordinates and told him I wanted to go to North Park. The Red-Dot trail I’ve frequented lately has a cache along it that we have yet to look for. It’s a multi-cache requiring approximately a 2-mile hike. That sounded perfect given the fact that he would need to be home by lunchtime to get ready for work.

My walking sticks were worth their weight in gold today! I slipped on the first hill. I almost landed on my butt; however, I caught myself with my walking stick. Whew! We opted to hike UP the hill on the Red-dot, as I usually do. Well… I twisted my ankle about half way up the hill. It was bad enough that the next few steps were extremely ouchy, and I needed to stop and regain my composure. Keith was so concerned and supportive. I love that about him. I decided to walk it out, so up the hill we went.

So we find the approximate spot where the first leg of the multi-cache is supposed to be. We found a clue attached to a tree reading “You are close. Keep looking.” That was cute. We didn’t find the actual cache with the coordinates though. We gave up after scouring the area and finding nothing but a zip tie on a tree with nothing attached to it. So much for our geocaching idea.

We decided to go back down the trail towards where we parked, in search of another cache in that general direction about 3/4 of a mile. Part way down we switched trails to the one that passes by the stone ruins I may have mentioned in another post.

Of course Keith insisted on checking it out. There is even a picnic table down there. It’s at the bottom of a muddy hill, which I refused to tackle today because my ankle was still a little bit tender. The problem was his getting back up the hill. He had NO traction. I watched him almost make it up, but then slide back down as if he was skiing backwards, probably THREE times! I was laughing, but he didn’t think it was funny, especially when he wacked his ankle on a tree branch. OUCH! So he finally climbed up out of the pit, but at that point he was in pain. So much for finding the other cache.

We walked a little more slowly back to the car, dumbfounded about how this recreational opportunity panned out. So we stopped at the grocery and got some good fresh fruit and vegetables and then headed for home. We both ate lunch with our ankles elevated and iced. How romantic…. NOT!!!

I want to be out and about tomorrow too. I’m trying to think of something to enjoy in the outdoors after church. I’m thinking hiking (if our ankles are up to it) or fishing or something like that. I’ve been considering the possibility of canoeing again; however, I have not yet fully convinced myself of that. It’s just a notion. Although that would probably rest the ankles, right? Hmmmm…

Last Weekend’s Fun

2011-07-28T23:05:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we made a little road trip to a fishing hole we hadn’t tried yet. We went to Westmoreland Park. It’s a lovely park with picnic tables everywhere, pavilions for parties, a beach area for swimming, camping, hiking, fishing, and boating. There were kayaks and canoes constantly passing by.

We didn’t catch a lot. It was HOT! We did catch a couple small bass and some sunfish. The water was surprisingly clear. We could see fish coming close to shore. I mostly fed them worms instead of actually hooking them.

A couple times we caught our lines on the rocky bottom. The first time Keith snagged his about 8 feet from shore, I offered to get in the water to free it for him. An then as you can see… he was obliged to do the same for me.

It was an enjoyable time. It’s never long enough though. We need to learn to plan ahead better. I’d love to return to this park to do some more things….like hike! I *might* be coerced into trying a boating activity since the water is so clear and seemingly calm. No guarantees though.

My Lovey

2011-07-23T21:00:00.001-04:00

I love my new kitty. I love my old kitties too, but this one is different. She LOVES me back… like in a BIG WAY!!! She wears a collar with a bell. I can hear her come from afar when I call her. She snuggles with me all the time. She wants to be wherever I am. She’s possessive. She doesn’t like the other kitties to be near me. She wakes me in the morning, which is annoying but so freaking cute that you can’t be mad. She is precious! She’s my LOVEY.

HOT Date!

2011-07-23T20:57:00.001-04:00

Keith took me for a dinner date this evening. We have been to this winery before; but, now they have a restaurant too. We sat outside on the patio, under an umbrella, listening to live music. The food was fantastic! We both ordered the same thing, Pasta Vite. It was pasta with grilled chicken, spinach, roasted plum tomatoes, and a light sauce. YUMMO! I was pleased that it was light and refreshing.

Keith had red wine and I ordered Sangria. It just seemed like a Sangria kind of a day. It was very tasty! Of course, we both drank full glasses of water too.

When I said it was a HOT DATE… it was… Literally!!!! It was 89 degrees outside! Thank goodness for the umbrella! There is a beautiful tiered fountain on the patio. They have a special picnic area for people who buy a bottle of wine and bring their own food. I would definitely recommend this place. We will surely be back!

Afterwards he took me to Sincerely Yogurt. It’s a new place where you serve yourself and pay by weight. His was chocolate with peanut butter sauce and Reeses peanut butter cups. I had blackberry with fresh strawberries, maraschino cherries, and a squirt of whipped cream. YUMMA!!!

I’m not a big fan of the heat, especially when the humidity is high. I have to say though, I really enjoyed my time with Keith tonight.

Weekends Are Made for Hiking

2011-07-23T17:01:00.001-04:00

I went for a short hike this morning at North Park. The humidity is at 90%. I parked on top of the hill on the Ridge Road, but as it goes, there was a pretty big hill about half way. It dropped about 200 feet elevation in about a quarter mile. Coming back up was HARD!!!

I saw a very pretty deer. It was a young buck. Then there were baby turkeys that I kicked up. They scared the bejeebers out of me! Perhaps I should have brought my Bear-Bell? There was a snake, but it was dead. It still startled me though. There were bikers, hikers, chipmunks, squirrels, bunnies, and bugs… beautiful dragon flies and even a butterfly or two. It’s interesting how much you will see when you are out there without making a lot of noise.

Given the heat and humidity, I chose to keep it short today… only 80 minutes and 2.6 miles. Better than nothing, but not long enough to be caught out in the hottest part of the day.

A Few Pictures From Vacation

2011-07-11T19:10:00.001-04:00

The Zombecks took these pictures of us at the Toledo Zoo.

Raccoon Creek State Park

2011-07-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

We went to Raccoon to hike, fish, and boat. We ended up fishing and boating. Well… Nobody hiked. Keith did not fish. He forgot to bring his license. Amanda and I did not boat. It’s just not for us. But it was FUN anyway!!!

Milestone

2011-07-09T22:03:00.001-04:00

My reliable little Corolla rolled past 100000 miles this past week. Wow! It’s been a good car. The most we’ve had to put into it has been tires, brakes, and oil changes… with the exception of the deductible I paid when the tree branch fell in front of me a couple years back. The air conditioning died a little more than a year ago. We had it recharged with dye last week when we took it in for inspection. That lasted a whopping THREE days. UGH! Keith is taking it in next week to be re-assessed. Nothing like a little summer heat for an hour long commute to get you thinking about trading it in on a new car. We both agree… we’d rather save save save with hopes to buy a house someday. Toyotas have longevity. We hope to squeeze a good many more miles out of it.

Solo Hike Today

2011-07-09T21:55:00.001-04:00

Keith doesn’t like me to go out hiking alone. On days like today the urge was just too much… I HAD to do it! On the rare occasion when I do set out alone, I try to stay on trails that I’m sure are fairly well traveled.

North Park was bustling with people today, mostly in the picnic areas. I started out on the red-dot trail UPHILL. I spooked Jake-the-Snake as I crossed the creek. YIKES! He was brown with darker brown markings on his back and about 2 feet long. This is when I decided that it would be a good idea to wear my bear-bell when I hike. Unfortunately, it’s clipped onto my saddle and an hour away. So I clipped my keys on my hip so they’d jingle just loud enough to disturb the wildlife that may be lurking in my path.

After passing the point where we turned around last week, I hoofed it a good long ways past the spot. I hit the red/green dot on the way uphill. Note to self: red/green dot uphill is a killer. A pep-talk may be in order before doing it again.

After finding my way much further on the red dot, I eventually turned around and tried the red/yellow dot, which is where I happened upon this cute little bridge. The sun was hot but most of the trail in under the cover of the trees, so it wasn’t too bad. I eventually ended up back on the red dot trail headed back towards home-base.

On the way back I picked up the red/black dot trail along the upper ridge. I found some sort of stone structure up there. Another note to self: Must go back with Keith and check that out. Great spot to hide a cache if there isn’t one already.

Eventually I found myself on the Rachel Carson Trail and actually ended the hike near this sign which is just about where I crossed back over the creek… no snake this time. All in all, it was about 4.5 miles, maybe slightly longer. YAY!!!

Vacation Day #7: Loner But Not for Long

2011-07-02T18:31:00.001-04:00

Today started bright and EARLY!!! I went to the Farmer’s Market to help put up orders for Kennedy’s. As always, it was refreshing to return to see old customers and friends. It was a very busy and tiring morning.

I visited with Keith for a bit. Took a nap. Gave the kitties some attention. Clipped my coupons. Made the shopping list. Clipped some internet coupons. Did almost all the laundry. Now I’m effectively putting off going to the store. I just don’t feel like shopping today, but I must. I’d like to hike, but have yet to find someone who wants to go with me. Bummer.

Plans for tomorrow include attending church, putting my fruit-kabobs together, and heading to the Zom’s for a picnic birthday celebration for Joyce and David’s birthdays. I already have something for Joyce. I’m thinking of giving David cash this year. That’s what I’m doing for Wendy’s kids.

Vacation Day #6: I’m a Loner

2011-07-01T18:21:00.000-04:00

Keith went back to work today. Boo hoo!

The fun must not stop here! Tammi & Caleb & I hit North Park for a fairly quick 2.5 mile hike. It was mostly uphill on the way out so an easy downhill on the way back. We saw squirrels, bunnies, chipmunks, and some deer, with a fawn still in spots! The lake looks so much more inviting now that it’s being re-filled. It was a good little hike followed by a stop at the ice cream stand.

From there I went straight to the farm. We loaded up our tack and precious equine cargo and went to Moraine State Park for a nice long ride. I’m so proud of Penny. She loads and hauls pretty easy, quite the contrast from her first trailer ride about 16 years ago this week. Some of the trail was familiar and some was new. I wish I would have taken a camera to snap photos of one particular portion. There is a land-bridge type area, swampy on either side with heavy Lilli pads. At the end was a fairly large wooden bridge. Penny didn’t much care for the strange hollow sound of her hooves crossing the bridge, but she pressed on like the good little trooper she is. We trotted most of the ride trying to leave the bugs behind. No amount of fly spray truly repels deer flies. They were HORRIBLE!!! She led the way for the last leg of the trip. Again… I’m so proud of her!!! I think she moves out very well and is actually better matched with Rambo as a riding buddy this year. He covers the ground faster and doesn’t try to race like Sir. It was GRAND!!!

What a well rounded day of exercise and fun! Vacation is SO AWESOME!!!!

Vacation Day #5: Valley Falls WV

2011-07-01T11:02:00.001-04:00

We wanted to hike. Keith suggested somewhere other than north of home, and I NEED to hike hills to boost my longevity, so… WV here we come! Valley Falls State Park is just south of Morgantown. We took the new GPS so we could cache along the way.

The drive was pretty. Once you get off the main road you snake back into the foothills of West Virginia. We happened upon a double-decker trailer, but were too wigged-out by the toothless wonders in front of it to stop for a photo. Sorry! It was very interesting to drive past though. There was a confederate flag in the window of the door hanging wide-open exposing their mountainous pile of laundry. On the other side was a clothes line and the lower level of the homestead. I can’t truly even describe it.

The falls are so beautiful! It makes you stop and appreciate the Creator!

We hiked a couple of trails and could hear the roar of the falls most of the way. The trail going out was an easy terrain. The last was not so much. It was pretty much straight up the mountainside and around enormous boulders the whole way to the top… and then back down the other side. Some of them were like cliffs you could walk out to the edge and look WAY down!

We enjoyed the scenery and a little bit of wildlife. There were several deer and some bunnies, squirrel, and chipmunks. We photographed the Flinstones house…

I’m so proud to have completed it. Anyone who hikes with me, knows I hate hills. This was an exceptional hill. The photos do not do it justice. It’s steep enough that Keith doesn’t like to stop on the hill because the backpack pulls him back. YIKES. It was a great hike! I was really energized by it. Day #5 really ROCKED!!!

Vacation Day #4 Fishing & Relaxing

2011-07-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday, we slept in a little bit. We had big plans to hike our hearts out, but as it goes we had a late start and then ended up making alternative plans to be lazy.

1) we picked up my car, newly inspected, air-conditioning working. (I hope it stays that way)

2) we shopped for a new GPS unit, a step up from the old one. So anyone wanting to borrow the old one is welcome to do so. I know several people who would like to borrow it, so don’t sit on it for long… share share share!

3) we hit a small fishing spot at Moraine near where we dropped our travel bug for geocaching. Unfortunately, it is gone and nobody has claimed it. Boo hoo! Keith caught a blue-killer while I sat and read the manual for the new GPS. Look how beautiful the day was!!!

4) we went to the barn and did the chores. Drat! We forgot long pants to go riding. So bummed!

5) we went fishing at the Oneida Valley Reservoir, along the back side. I caught several blue-killers and a bass. We saw some big ones jumping as the sun went down behind the trees. Awesome!!! Didn’t realize there were big fish in that pond! We also spotted what we thought were an enormous line of tadpoles, but upon closer inspection, decided they were catfish-minnows! Very cool!!!

6) wrapped up the evening by planning a day-trip for Day #5.

Vacation Day #3: In Search of the Elusive Water Horse

2011-07-01T10:33:00.001-04:00

I was reading in one of those cheesy brochures that you get at rest-stops about what fantastic attractions one might find in the area we were headed. I found a HIPPOPATOMUS!!!! About an hour from Sandusky is the Toledo Zoo. Sign-me-up!!! Both Amanda and I have a draw to such creatures… an awe for them! The rest of the zoo was just a bonus. I think it’s really cool that they have webcams set up for some of their exhibits. I’m a little disappointed that the Hippoquarium is under construction. We only got to see them inside… still really cool though. The Zom’s have much better photos than us.

Other favorite attractions was the polar bears, the aquarium, and having our caricature done.

Day #3 was a LONG hot day, but still very enjoyable!

Vacation Day #2 Waterpark

2011-07-01T10:21:00.001-04:00

On Monday we packed up and headed out to Kalahari, in Sandusky, OH. Oh WOW! This place is overwhelming. It’s enormous! They have water rides, slides, rafting, wave pool, surf-pool, lazy river, regular pool, hot-tub, zip lines, mini-zoo, restaurants, bars, candy shop, boutiques, arcade, etc. Our room (with a balcony) included waterpark access for Monday and Tuesday as well as a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolate covered cherries. YUM!!! It also included a buffet breakfast at one of the restaurants. We were permitted to order room service, but chose the buffet.

The slides were my favorite, the ones with the big rafts where Keith could ride along with me. The Zom’s have a really cool camera that works under water, so they have some really fun pictures. The wave pool is what I thought I might like the best, but alas, I injured myself in the wave pool. That stupid wave flipped me right over in less than 2 foot of water and I landed on my head. I have an abrasion and a lump. Ouchy!!! Keith insisted on getting me an ice pack at the first aid station. It was a good idea. Thanks for taking care of me Keith.

It was a really fun time!

Vacation: Day #1

2011-06-26T21:49:00.001-04:00

Today started with devotions early in the morning. Thanking the Lord for such a gorgeous day and for providing some respite from our jobs.

We arrived in downtown Pittsburgh late morning. We enjoyed the weather, the waterfall, and the river view.

I really need some SUN on those legs!!!

We saw the Pirates vs. Red Sox at PNC Park. Great game, even if they lost. Keith scored several autographs. (not surprising)

Keith had enough gift cards to almost pay for a Neil Walker jersey. He had to pay $15 out of pocket. SAWEET!

This game and the jersey were on his list of “want really bad’s” this year so it made me feel really good to see it happen. He also got to see one of his favorite Red Sox players hit a homer into the river… thankfully via the foul line.

We rounded out the day enjoying dinner with the Zom’s. Not bad for day #1 of our vacation.

Short Hike but Very Enjoyable

2011-06-25T21:57:00.001-04:00

Keith, Jill, Joelle and I hit Hartwood Acres this morning. We let Joelle use our GPS to do some geocaching. She caught on pretty quickly. Then we followed the red and white dot trail for a while, followed by the #1 and #2 trails before finishing out the hike. I’m so blessed to have people around me who want to hike alongside of me. Yay! I so enjoyed it!

I’ve concluded that I need to shop for some much more attractive hiking gear. Hmmmm…

Saturday’s Savings & Meal Plan

2011-06-25T21:50:00.001-04:00

Grabbed a few good deals this evening at Giant Eagle and Walmart. Could have grabbed Colgate at Rite Aid and actually made a few bucks on it, but I chose to pass on Rite Aid this week.

2 Boxes of Snuggle Fabric Softener Sheets: (40 count) $.50 each. Not bad!

2 bottles of Xtra laundry detergent (28 load): $.99 each. This isn’t my favorite laundry detergent, but it’s good to have on hand. I can use it as a back up in case I run out (not likely to happen any time soon) or to wash utility items such as rugs, rags, horse blankets, etc.

4 packs of Ballpark Beef Bun-length hotdogs: $1.34 each. Not bad!

10 boxes of GE Pasta: $.90 each + extra $.10 fuel perks which will add up to $3 savings bringing the price of the pasta down to a total of $.60 each. Not bad!

2 packs of gum: $.28 each – sometimes I get it for free, but this is still a good deal.

2 Three Musketeers bars: $.25 each. Not bad! Keith will enjoy them!

14 Bags of Iams catfood (1.8 pounds): $1.67 each. I usually pay $25 for one 14 pound bag. My coupons were all worth $3 each, bringing this out to $23.38 for 25.2 pounds. If you do the math, I usually pay $1.78/pound, but today I got it for $.93/pound a savings of $.85/pound. Yee haw!!!

Meals

No big plans. We are on vacation, though not actually at the tropical paradise. We are home. We hope to take a few day-trips and just enjoy being home and free from work. So… I’ll plan meals on the spur of the moment this week. One things for sure… we definitely have PASTA and HOT DOGS if we need them.

Have a great week!

NCT–Revisited

2011-06-20T06:33:00.001-04:00

Had an AWESOME hike last night with Tammi. The North Country Trail should know us well by now; although, we rarely hit the same portion more than once. I love this trail. It’s very well kept and fairly easy to travel.

We hoofed it for a flat 2 hours and covered a good 4.62 miles as per the GPS. This was an evening hike, so it was a race against the clock. Of course we always dilly-dally on the way. We gawk at things in the woods and water. There was a blue heron hunting his dinner. I wonder if he caught anything. We admired the dam and spillway and took note of fishermen along the way.

The turn-around point at about 7:30PM was under the 422 Bridge, where the trail actually travels UNDER it. That’s neat! We saw some bats flitting around down there. It’s always an adventure. I cannot wait to go again!!! Hiking makes me feel SO GOOD! I cannot wait for vacation to start so I can hike some more.

The Story Behind "I Refuse" by Josh Wilson

2011-06-12T13:58:00.000-04:00

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

2011-06-11T20:52:00.000-04:00

Sanctus Real - The Story Behind: Lead Me

2011-06-11T20:51:00.000-04:00

Another Couple of Miles

2011-06-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

Tammi and I hit the North Country Trail again this morning. We went 1.8 miles out and then back-tracked. We are up to 23.6 miles of our 200 mile challenge. No worries… when the fall arrives, we will likely pound out much longer hikes. The weather was superb. It was sunny; but we were mostly under the cover of trees. The first and last portion was well maintained, recently trimmed. In between the grass was high, but we didn’t have any trouble following the blue-dots. Some of the terrain was muddy. Overall, it felt like a very easy hike today. I’m already itching to get back out for another adventure.

Next year I’m going to track my total miles for all hikes…

Harrison Hills Park

2011-06-05T18:04:00.000-04:00

This park is located in Freeport. Oh wow… a treasure that took entirely too long for us to find! I can’t wait to go back!

There is a 5-mile trail that loops around the perimeter of the park. There are voluminous trails that wind through and intertwine with one another all over the park. The Boy Scouts have done a fantastic job with trail signs and marking.

The park is also rich with geocaches. We found 5 or 6 of the traditional ones. We didn’t even have time to tackle the multi-caches. One of them was not far off the Rachel Carson Trail, past a really cool waterfall, and in a small cave-like area.

We walked the creek-bed down down down the hill until we found the tiny cave. The picture above is Keith jumping from one side to the other across the creek. Notice the ammo box… that’s the cache! He’s going to put it back where we found it.

A little ways further we happened upon the “look-out” area. We spotted a couple of osprey hunting. The coolest part was that we were looking down on them. The river is WAY down there!

We hiked for 4 1/2 hours up and down hills, over creeks, through the woods, all over the place. It was grand! What an awesome day of hiking!

We started hiking about a year ago. I’m so glad that it’s something we both enjoy and have stuck with. It really is good for the mind, body, and soul.

Just This and That

2011-05-29T19:45:00.001-04:00

I feel like we are stuck in a time-warp. Summer arrived, pretty much over-night it seems. Where has time gone and where is it going? Hmmm…

Work. It’s necessary. It takes up a lot of time, the majority of time I think. It’s been taking more time than usual lately. That’s what happens when I take a few days off… things pile up and then I have to work harder to get back on track. Not to mention that this time of year is a busy time for my work. A lot of practitioners complete their training in May or June and want to start work immediately. I don’t blame them… they probably need the money for the mountains of student loans they must have. So as they clamor to get in, my piles stack higher and higher, and occasionally I feel overwhelmed. Nevertheless, I am blessed to have such gainful employment.

Play Ball! We caught a ball-game not long ago with our neighbors across the street. Keith pretty much lives and breathes baseball at the moment. He talks about all the games he wants to go to. I think this year we may go to more baseball games than I’ve been to in my entire life. I cannot tell a lie… I actually enjoy it. The Pirates are actually doing well this year. I’m sure you are shocked to know that I have some favorite players…. Walker (of course – hometown boy), McCutcheon, and Jones.

Play Softball! Keith is playing with the church league. They have at least a game every week, sometimes two. It’s a great group of guys and the cheering section is pretty neat too. Last week he couldn’t play because he had to work. Hopefully he’ll get a game in this week though. What a great opportunity it is for him.

Gallivanting… Yes, that’s what I do with my horse. I had one really bad ride and one really good ride in the past week. Penny has a new fancy bridle with beautiful pink rhinestones on it. (Thank you Mom-Hudson) Oooooohhhh she looks soooooooo pretty. She did not, however, like the short chinstrap I used. That caused quite a bit of a fuss, more like a rodeo-type reaction. I’ve rectified that with somewhat of a ghetto fix for the time being, but rest assured, I shall be heading to the tack shop in due time. This last ride was absolutely lovely. I need many many more like that. I’m trying a lot of new things this year. New feed. New bridle. New bit on that bridle. New time to ride – AFTER she eats dinner. It’s hard to say what’s been the best change for her, but so far so good.

Horsing Around. Well, that’s not always the same as riding, but yes it is taking up time. I usually do the farm-chores at the stable 4 days each week. There are times when I’m more flexible, but that’s my usual schedule. I clean the stalls, sweep the floor, feed the ponies, treat the doggies, pet the kitties, and then decide if there is time to ride or not. By the time I get out of work, over to the stable, finish my chores, and home again… several hours have passed. I usually don’t even get home until about 7:30pm, later if we ride. Soon there will be hay to bale too… yay!

Exercising. I started my hiking binge last year about August-ish. Sometimes with Tammi and other times with Keith, I’ve enjoyed many miles and look forward to more. We hit Moraine a few times, McConnells Mills, North Park, Hartwood Acres, Deer Lakes Park, and other misc spots. It’s been really good for me. It’s great exercise, so soothing for the soul. I’d like to try Zumba sometime too… if I can find someone to go with. Not till winter tho. Summer is just too full already.

Gardening. Oh I so wish I had a REAL garden. Alas, Keith has aspired to plant some flowers in front of the house. I hope they survive. I hope it’s as beautiful as he plans. I spent some time tilling some of the flower-bed by hand today. I plan to add some better soil and plant more flowers there. I usually have one tomato plant on the porch… haven’t decided about that for sure yet. Some day I hope to have a REAL garden with vegetables and flowers. I can dream can’t I? In the past I have canned stewed tomatoes. I really miss those. I just do not have the space for gardening at this house.

Planning. Oh yes, planning takes time. We’ve got all sorts of plans… we just don’t know what they all entail yet… Kind of odd, yes I know. We plan our meals. We plan our activities each week. We plan to do things that we sometimes do and sometimes don’t follow through with. I PLAN to take my bike up to Paul’s to be fixed. If anyone can fix it… he can. I PLAN to ride that bike at some point this summer. (my butt is gonna hurt – I need a big-butt seat!) I plan to go fishing. I plan to hike. I plan to take some vacation time at some point. I plan to get organized. I plan to study. I plan to pay off our debts. I plan to clip coupons. I plan to make jewelry and sometimes I THINK about selling it. WE plan for our future… contemplating where we will live, settle, and prosper. We plan for everything… And just need the time to do it all.

North Country Trail

2011-05-22T22:04:00.001-04:00

We guessed that we hiked 3 miles today, but after measuring on the map it seems that it was more like 4 1/2. YAY!!!! Girl-Power Rocks!!!

Good Morning Lake Arthur

2011-05-07T18:02:00.001-04:00

We met the Zombeck’s at Lake Arthur this morning.

We spotted this Osprey over the water. Wish I could have captured a better shot of him. He would occasionally hover, searching for his next meal. Very neat!

The Zombecks enjoying the peace and CHILL of the morning.

I caught my very first catfish and it was a pretty NICE one! They kitty was 25 inches long and weighed 8.4 pounds. WOW! That was FUN!!!!

Keith reeled in a catfish too…

Here it is… 19 inches long and 5.9 pounds. Awesome!

Of course… John caught one too. Amanda did NOT.

When fishing was over we hit a geocache near the bike trails to drop off a travel bug we named Carpe Carp Diem. (Sieze the Carp of the Day) We cannot wait to see where it ends up!

The horses are fed and spoiled taboot. Laundry is washing. The tv is on anticipating the Derby. Keith is settling in for his nap. I have coupons to clip and errands to run. This day feels much too rushed, but I sure am enjoying it!

Gettysburg Trip

2011-05-01T09:18:00.001-04:00

Wow – comparing the truck to the statue, you can really get the size perspective.

I had a work-related conference held in Gettysburg this past week. Keith took a couple vacation days and joined me. He did all the historical touristy type stuff while I was in my sessions. He joined us for dinner and Ghost-tour with the group.

The last day Keith took me (and a friend of mine) to the tower, to Little Round Top, and to a memorial for his personal hero, Chamberlain. WOW… 120 steps up and 120 steps down. The tower is way up there and it was windy. But the view was breathtaking.

Loved these really cool rocks.

Loved these pictures my friend took of us!

Here is Chamberlain’s Memorial….

And here’s a loose cannon! HA!

We stopped at a winery on our way back and bought several bottles to share. It was a great time and I even learned some stuff!

Blessings Monday

2011-04-25T20:12:00.001-04:00

I’m blessed to be afforded the opportunity to go to a work-related conference later this week. With so many budget cuts in the workplace, I’m feeling really blessed to have this opportunity. What’s even better? Keith is taking some time off to join me and enjoy some history! Yay!

Saturday’s Savings and Meal Planning

2011-04-24T07:55:00.001-04:00

There is really no need to spend on groceries this weekend. I will hit Rite Aid today or tomorrow to use my perks before they expire. We will only have two meals at home this week. We have some salad that we need to use up. Maybe I’ll make grilled chicken salad for one meal and spaghetti for another.

Cached Out

2011-04-23T21:10:00.001-04:00

We spent most of our day geocaching. I’m so glad the rain held off until early evening!

We started at Erma Kost Trail in Hampton Township. About a month ago we dropped some trackable items in a cache out there, not realizing that the cache was deactivated. It was there. It’s just out of service on the web. So we thought why not run out there and snatch them again so we can move them along. While we were there, we completed a multi-cache that we had tried to get before but was a bust.

From there we hit one at a park along Rt 8 in Hampton Township. Looked for one at Good Will in Gibsonia, which we failed to find. Then we hit Adams Township Park where we found 4/5. SAWEET!

On the way home we hit Richland Township Park. We found three there and also stopped to admire Penn Tree, which is a REALLY old tree and mighty large. Then it started to rain.

All in all, we found 10 out of 13 caches today! That’s the most we’ve ever searched for in one day. What was the best part of the day? Just spending quality time with my Sweetie! I love him!

Blessings Monday

2011-04-18T21:42:00.001-04:00

Just a few blessings for which I am grateful:

home that is affordable and adequate
gainful employment
reliable transportation
precious and unique pets
loving husband
washer n’ dryer at home
throw-rug in the living room
coupons and sales
free lamps
hand-me-down couch, entertainment center, and tv
soft bed and pillows
photos… precious memories
pantry and freezer full of food
sweet smelling soap
lovely pansies on our porch
soft cuddly fleece
air-freshener
computer, blackberry, cellphone
wine
Bible, Bible Study, and friends who are in the Word
Prayer warriors
Exercise, exercise equipment, exercise buddies

So many things… and so often taken for granted. Thank you Lord for so many blessings!

Saturday Savings & Meal Plan

2011-04-17T19:39:00.001-04:00

I’ve been clipping coupons a little at a time. I haven’t had time to compare the ads. I didn’t get my Sunday paper yet so I don’t have the Rite Aid ad yet. Grrrr… Anyway, I already have some ideas for meals this week.

Beef roast with red potatoes, carrots, and either green beans or salad
Honey Mustard pork chop with beets and peas
Smoked sausage frittata with red pepper and onion
Chicken Scampi over pasta with side salad
Mamwich Sandwich and potato chips
Salad

I need to pick up salad makings and some fruit to snack on this week. I’ll also need garlic for the scampi and probably another red or green pepper. That’s about it! We can pretty much eat from the pantry and freezer. Yay!

2011 Horseback Riding Season

2011-04-17T19:22:00.001-04:00

Penny will be SEVENTEEN this year! WOW!

It’s finally underway… the riding season for 2011. I have grand plans to put many a mile on my pony this year. By mid or late May she should be needing some shoes to protect her toes. I shall not get them unless I’m riding enough to need them.

Thursday, April 14, 2011 was the first ride. It was like riding a pogo stick for an hour and a half. She bounced the jig pretty much the entire time. Well, I guess that is to be expected for my first ride of the year. She’ll eventually come around. I was satisfied to just make it out and back safe and sound.

The second ride was Friday, April 15, 2011 and Keith joined us riding Sir. It was windy. What was I thinking? Actually, we stayed in the woods as much as we could and it wasn’t that bad. She did have a couple of ‘moments’ but we stuck it out. She even played in the creek. Another spin on the books. Just getting started. I do think that I’m going to try a different bit for a while and see if that helps any. We shall see. Here’s to many fun rides in 2011.

Camilla The Gorilla

2011-04-17T19:08:00.001-04:00

We are trialing an addition to our mad-house. This lil’ gal, affectionately called “Kitty” by her former owner has found our home to be adequate so far. I was going to call her “Tripper” because that is why she is here… she tripped her former owner a few too many times. I saw on her papers from the humane society that her given name is “Camilla.” After seeing her reaction to Wizzy tasting her food last night… “Camilla the Gorilla” it is, although, I confess that I’ve been calling her “Lovey” because she just IS. She loves all over me… SO affectionate.

Like most women, she is obsessed with taking baths.

She clips coupons with me.

She’s explored all the nooks and crannies, even behind the couch. She’s been exploring mostly all afternoon. Crystal is angry and Wizard is curious but still establishing boundaries.

She ‘thinks’ she’s white trash?!?! She LOVES boxes and this one is just her size!

She’s perfectly content resting on the back of the couch… just like the other kitties do.

And here she has taken up residence IN the trash can. Thankfully, this is only paper trash! Silly girl! I gave her a bed with a nice soft blanket, but empty boxes and trash cans full of newspaper is what she desires. Ugh!

So there she is… Consider yourself to have met her. If you visit our household, she will offer a MUCH warmer welcome. She’s already met the Zom’s and showed plenty of affection to them. What can I say… she’s a lover and if all goes well a keeper too!

This Weeks Menu

2011-04-13T07:04:00.001-04:00

I never did get around to setting the menu, though I have it all planned out in my head.

1) Smoked Sausage w/ cabbage & potatoes

2) Ham slice w/ green beans almandine and potato

3) Lemon Herb Chicken with rice and peas

4) Beef Roast (crockpot) w/ carrots/red potatoes and salad

5) Honey Mustard Pork Chop with salad and beets

That’s the plan… including the past 2 days.

Wednesday’s C.O.W. (Coupon of Wisdom)

2011-04-13T06:57:00.001-04:00

Job 1:8

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

My Handy-Hubby is studying Job and also my Girls Group is embarking upon the same. I appreciate that K is tackling it because I can lean on him for insight. He and I had a brief discussion last night before I hit the sack. We looked at Job 1:8 (above). These words are also repeated in the following chapter. Hmmm… I found it interesting that it was God’s idea to send Satan after Job. See there… even our most strenuous situations are part of the Lord’s plan. God ‘allows’ bad things to happen to good people and in some twisted way that we cannot fathom, it’s part of His plan, his PERFECT plan. Imagine that!

Savings

2011-04-10T22:12:00.001-04:00

I hit Rite Aid today. I paid $8.46 out of pocket and took home $22.00 in Rite-aid dollars for next week. Here’s what I got:

2 large bottles of Gillette Body Wash

4 John Freida hair products!!!

8 Bic Razors

I combined sale products with coupons and used my Rite Aid dollars from last week… My receipt says that I saved $57.99 in COUPONS!!!

I have a list for Giant Eagle for tomorrow evening and then I’ll finish the meal plan.

YAY!!!!

2011 Ultimate Blog Party

2011-04-08T22:13:00.001-04:00

Late, but not over… Just for kicks I thought it would be fun to participate. A few people read my blog, but really… I just ramble. BUT… for those who might stop by I should write a little bit about who I am…

I’m in my 30’s (thankfully still). Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a little bit chubby. I’m married to a wonderful man for more than 10 years now. We met on the internet. Falling in love wasn’t intentional, but I guess that’s the best way for it to happen. He’s witty and kind and supportive and fun and I would just be lost without him! He was a city-boy and I was a country-gal. Together we are an eclectic mix of contemporary-country.

I like anything country… blue jeans, flannel shirts, ball-caps, fields full of daisies, muddy boots, farming, gardening, shoveling, milking cows, driving trucks, tractors (especially Farmall), and of course anything horse related. I have a pony named Penny. She’s adorable and sassy and I plan to ride her for many a mile this summer. I’m an outdoorsy gal. When I’m not horseback riding, I like to go fishing and hiking.

I work at a hospital. My job is to check the credentials of the practitioners who are or want to work there. Basically I make sure they are trained to do what they want to do and that they are who they say they are and that they maintain the competency to perform the work they desire. I am blessed to have a job that is interesting and appreciate the compensation. I’ve been working there for almost 10 years now.

About blogging… as I said it’s mostly babble. Specifically I’m keeping a journal of some of the days/events of my life for future reference. I’m also trying to be deliberate in establishing healthy routines. I’m aspiring to be deliberately thankful and praising God for all the blessings in my life. I’m trying to be thrifty with our wages by clipping coupons, shopping the sales, and managing our menu so we don’t overspend on eating out. I’m also trying to put more focus on physical activity and eating more healthily. It’s all a journey and I’m making memories as I go. The blog is a good way to look back and reassess progress.

So that’s the scoop, for what it’s worth. That’s who I am.

Special Date

2011-04-08T13:07:00.001-04:00

Keith has been pining for years to go to a home-opener baseball game. It’s NEVER been in the budget. Since we recently paid off a huge bill, we decided to splurge on a date-day… The Pirates Home Opener!

So yesterday we donned our favorite ball-caps and headed for the Burgh. We parked at Station Square and took the ferry to the Stadium. The rivers are up, the Mon Wharf is closed for flood stage. The water is muddy and murky, but the view of the city from the point was still lovely for a spring pass-through.

We got to the game and found our seats, which were AWESOME, by the way. Seven rows back on the baseline, just past 2nd base. Our favorite players are McCutchen, Jones, and the hometown boy, Walker. Neil Walker is from Gibsonia and his family goes to our church. The guys in front of us heckled the umpire and Hill, from the other team until he got both of their attention. Honestly, the heckling was WAY more entertaining than the game, as we LOST. This is only the 2nd game I’ve ever been to when they lost. Bummer! None the less, here we are enjoying the 7th Inning Stretch.

So afterwards we stayed and got some autographs. Well… Keith got them. He’s like the king of autographs. Only three players stopped, but he got all three of them to sign is baseball and walked away a slightly more satisfied fan.

So, we missed our ferry ride back to Station Square, but never fear… I had wanted to hike yesterday too, and that we did. We strolled along the river, across the Roberto Clemente bridge, past the Byham Theatre (I wondered where that was), across Liberty Avenue, and into Market Square where we stopped for a coffee. There are FOUR coffee shops in Market Square. From there we passed through the PPG buildings where we admired the height of the tallest one.

We continued along the riverfront and across another bridge which brought us past the Grand Concourse restaurant and the Station Square bars, right back to our parking spot under the trestle at the far end. Whew! What a hike, but I guess we accomplished both of our hearts desires… ballgame and hiking.

All in all… it was a very nice and very much needed date-day for us.

Blessings Monday

2011-04-04T21:39:00.001-04:00

Times are tough considering the economy. There has been downsizing at work and some people have either retired early or have been eliminated. It reminds me how blessed I am to have a job. I’m so grateful for the provision which comes from employment.

I was reminded tonight of the blessing of having my beloved Penny back in my grips. I was faithful in letting her go and following the calling of the Lord for my Sweetie. God blessed the sacrifice I made in so many ways. I’m so grateful to have her and to enjoy her so much. I’m looking forward to warmer weather and long rides.

Each time I go out hiking, I’m reminded how blessed I am to have such an abundance of well marked and maintained hiking trails close to home. For many years I took those kind of trails for granted. Now that I’m addicted to hiking, my appreciation grows with each new found trail we conquer. Likewise I am so blessed with friends and family who accompany me and encourage me in these quests.

Three simple things yet not even a snippet of all the blessings my Faithful Father bestows upon me. I am so grateful for a loving God!

Saturday Savings & Meal Planning… a day late

2011-04-03T16:28:00.001-04:00

I didn’t feel like shopping yesterday. I ad a pile of coupons to clip and sort and some sales flyers to review. Yesterday all I could think of was getting outside to hike. I pulled it together today though:

Good deals this week:

8 bags of Lays potato chips for $1.50/bag
3 Blistex for 50 cents/each
12 boxes of Granola bars $1.29/box
3 Super Poligrip (for Dad) All FREE + $3.98 rebate
14 packs of Gum 50 cents each
1 Bagel Crisps $1.50/bag
2 Gillette Proglide Razor sets 99 cents/each
3 boxes of Kleenex brand hand-towels 50 cents/box

Needless to say, I think we are well stocked in the snack category for a while. Keith snacks frequently, so this is good. There was plenty more, but these were the best deals.

Meal plan this week:

Ham slice with green beans almandine and fresh beets
Spaghetti with salad
Eggs, bacon, and toast
Chicken stir-fry
Cheeseburger w/ chips

SIX in ONE Day!

2011-04-02T18:58:00.001-04:00

I was pining to hit the trails today. With nobody jumping at the chance, my Sweetie finally succumbed to my desire. He is so precious. Just one hour is all I asked for. You know, when we make the move to go caching, it’s never just an hour. Usually we go for about four finds. Today, SIX!!! In the beginning it was snowing and raining at the same time. We got pretty wet on our 2nd find. I thought for sure that he would be done after that, but no… we kept on going. All in North Park. We have found the majority of the caches at North Park. There are only a few left to find. We walked a good long ways on the green dot trail today. It was a little bit muddy, but a great hike. Every time that I hike, my appreciation for trails and parks grows significantly. And… I so love my Sweetie.

These are at Poot’s Loot cache in North Park.

200 Mile Hiking Challenge: North Country Trail

2011-03-30T20:30:00.001-04:00

Tammi and I logged another 6.52 miles of our 200 Mile Challenge for 2011.

This was the scene on the North Country Trail north of Moniteau High School. There was some industrial type clearing for a large part of the trail. We dodged “Prickery” and mud and crawled over brush and through thicket. We were determined hikers.

The destination was Vulture-Bear Rock. We were certain that something lives IN the rock, or maybe it’s under the rock. There was a bench on it where we stopped to rest before heading back. There was a HUGE cliff off the rock. Maybe some day we’ll hike beyond it? We left figuring that the Sasquatch lives in the rock. Ha Ha Ha… or maybe the Grass Man? Too funny!

So there you have it… another few miles on our log. It felt good despite my cold. I can’t wait to go again. Thanks Tammi!

Five Finds Today

2011-03-27T18:20:00.001-04:00

It was a brisk 40 degree day with chilly winds, although not too bad under the cover of the woods. Keith and I set out for a little hike at Hartwood Acres, a lovely park near our home. I must confess that I have long taken for granted the parks and trails that are so close to home. Once we discovered our love of hiking and geocaching, that appreciation has grown so so much.

We found four caches, but the last one was a multi-cache, so it was actually FIVE finds. It was a little bit muddy, but that’s what hiking boots are made for… right!? There were lots of other people out and about hiking, running, and riding mountain bikes. Many had dogs. We even saw hoof-prints. Despite the hustle and bustle, at times when we’d find ourselves deep in the woods, we’d discover some wildlife in our midst. Five deer startled us at the top of one hill. A red-tailed hawk, so majestic, flew close by us stopping to perch upon several lower trees. It seemed odd that it was so low and so close instead of way up high, but I’ll take it. It was eye candy. Wish we would have had a better camera with us.

I’m always grateful for Keith wanting to hike with me. Geocaching gives us a good destination. I’m just happy being out in the wilderness pounding out the miles on the trails. It’s fantastic exercise. It also gives me a much greater appreciation for what my pony endures when I ride her. I can’t wait to do it again!!!

Frolicking Ponies

2011-03-26T19:26:00.001-04:00

I took these couple pictures on a brisk morning last week.

LOOK at my girlie GO!!!! (Click on the photo to make it bigger)

I love the sunshine in this one and the fact that Sir is dead last in the race. (He’s always first when we race on a ride.)

I can’t wait for the green grass and spring flowers! I saw some crocus poking out last week. It’s coming… slowly… Although I do not relish the mud that comes with April showers nor the idea of getting Penny’s Hannibal Lector mask out.

Saturday Savings & Meal Planning

2011-03-26T18:54:00.001-04:00

I got a little off my routine last week as I was not at home all week. I ended up shopping at the grocery mid-week catching last weeks sales, but haven’t been back around to get this weeks match-ups at Giant Eagle or Rite Aid. I worked the Farmer’s Market this morning and scored myself some meat and veggies. Yay!

Planning it out…

1) Pizza

2) Chicken w/ rice

3) Beef Stew in the crockpot

4) Grilled Cheese w/ tomato soup

5) Eggs, Bacon, & Toast

What do I still need to get? Nothing! I have everything I need to make all of those meals!!! So when I go it will be for the best deals they’ve got, which hopefully includes snacks for Keith’s lunches. YAY!!! I LOVE having a stocked pantry!

More Jewelry

2011-03-26T15:09:00.001-04:00

Just made these today. Time for a nap. Zzzzz…

Hiking With My Honey

2011-03-23T12:37:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we hiked several miles together. These pictures are from the Sunken Garden Trail at Moraine State Park. It was an easy walk and we found a geocache! Score! Enjoyed the scenery and the sunshine.

Score!

2011-03-23T12:34:00.001-04:00

Last week I picked up NINE tubes of Crest for a whopping $3.00. That’s really cheap! I gave them all to my coworker to share with her family. In return… she will bring me some coupons. Yay!

Yay For Warmer Weather

2011-03-13T07:04:00.001-04:00

Saturday was a whirlwind of a day. I left early for Butler and met up with my gal pals for Girls Group Bible Study. Yummy Panera Bread breakfast and chit-chat… Wonderful. Then I motored into work figuring that I’d do a few things there. Well… six hours later I had printed some fifty application packets that need to be mailed this coming week and completed a small pile of data entry. Ugh!

What better way to close out the day and the week but with a short hike with my Sweetie. I got home with just about an hour of daylight to spare. We tried to find a geocache that we failed to find in the snow a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, we did not find it last evening either. Grrrr! However… there is another one not far off. It’s one we have found before. So we trail-blazed for a short distance, walked the ridge overlooking the stream, scaled a portion of it and found ourselves back on the beaten path. The spring thaw is flowing heavily in the stream. It’s not just beautiful to look at, it sounds lovely too. I wish I could capture that sound and take it with me. The cache was tucked into a log just where we thought it was. There were no exciting contents we wished to have, so we just left a travel bug and a geocoin.

I’m looking forward to many hikes to come…

Every Season Has Its Beauty

2011-03-11T20:28:00.001-05:00

This was the scene as I climbed into my warm, garage kept, car. The snow was heavy with moisture. Each tree limb was perfectly defined. I enjoyed my commute this morning, drinking in the beauty of this season. It will soon be over. Spring is already on its way. I’m thankful to live in a place where I can witness the change of seasons and the unique beauty of each.

It Is Done!

2011-03-10T22:11:00.001-05:00

Today we paid off the remaining balance of my student loans! ELEVEN MONTHS EARLY!!!! I’m SO EXCITED!!!! We also paid off one additional bill that has been lingering for a while. It feels SO GOOD!!! I’m thankful for the Lord’s provision and Keith’s decision making. We have a plan to keep chipping away at our debt, follow a strict budget, and to save for our someday home and other aspirations. We still owe some on the truck, his student loans, and a little bit more to Asbury. We have ZERO credit card debt! It makes us feel so FREE! YAY!!!

In celebration thereof, we purchased tickets to the Pirates Opening Day at PNC Park…and I’m thinking maybe I might make us a nice steak dinner one night this week.

Better Than Expected…

2011-03-08T21:18:00.001-05:00

Today started about the same as any other, except Keith was home and he was awake before I left for work. I counted myself blessed to have a hug and a kiss from him before we departed ways. Once I got to work the day seemed to fall apart fast. One of the first tasks I started today was also one of the last. There were many interruptions. I feel as though tomorrow I will have to lock myself behind closed doors just to accomplish some things that are time sensitive. (As if pretty much everything isn’t time sensitive in my office.)

After work I got to the barn, just a little later than planned. I missed the vet-call. He was there for the ponies’ annual inoculations. I skipped the blood-test again this year as I’m not planning on taking her to any shows or official organized rides. I’ll just be riding around the farm and maybe a few local spots that we trailer out to on a whim. Nothing where anyone checks for the test, so we should be good. So Penny just got a few shots. I presume she was well behaved as usual. I’m glad that she should be safe from those particular ailments that target horses, especially since Janet does travel with her horse so there may be some exposure.

After the chores were done, Janet and I took the dogs for a walk in the woods. I SOOOOOO needed that!!! I need MORE walks in the woods! It was just about dark when we returned, so we timed it perfectly. I kind of wish I would have had the GPS with me so I could see how far the loop is. Maybe next time. I’m just so delighted to have been out for a hike, even a little one. The ground is soft on top but still hard underneath in most places. Some area still had snow cover, where obviously the sun doesn’t shine as direct. The ridge we walked along is beautiful in every season.

So as I motored home I remembered that tonight is Bible Study night at church. We are deep into Isaiah. So even though I was a half-hour late, I stopped anyway and got a good hour of biblical intellectual discussion and direction. SAWEET!!!! I’m always grateful for the reflections of those in attendance and also for the prayerful hearts whom I know I can count on for prayer in need. On my way out, I stopped and signed up for the Monday night women’s group again. Am I stretching myself too far? That’s THREE Bible Studies I’m in. Hmmm… I figure I’ll get the material and attend when I’m able. Sometimes Mondays are bad for me, but I’d rather be prepared to participate than to try to fit in after the fact. Besides… this is another group of lovely ladies whom I can count on to surround me with prayer.

I got home a short while ago. Since then I’ve put some pork chops on the stove to slow-cook and a pot of scalloped potatoes in the oven. I got the mail just to find that we are closer than ever to paying off my student loan and possibly one (or maybe two) additional bills that have been lingering. YAY!!!! I’m so excited!!!! We very much want to buy our own home in the near future and we have some other aspirations as well… so this feels really good to be a nice leap forward on such plans. Of course… it’s not like we will buy a house tomorrow, but at least we have some forward motion. YAY!!!

So even though I was annoyed because Keith’s phone wasn’t functioning well earlier today. Even though my work was stressful and boring. Even though Keith forgot his lunch and his wallet. (and was saved by someone other than me. Thank you very much.) This day has turned out a whole lot better than I had anticipated all along!

Blessings Monday

2011-03-07T19:37:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was pretty much so stranded on the snow-covered highway with no way to get home. I was blessed to have a friend nearby who could rescue me and give me a warm place to lay my head for the night. Looking back makes me grateful for the blessing of being able to get home tonight.

The entire month of February Keith was working nights. Last night he was home and able to sleep through the night with me. I’m grateful for the blessing of sharing a closeness with my Man, especially after so many lonely nights. I’m also grateful for the blessing of gainful employment for both Keith and myself.

We are nearing the point where my student loan will be satisfied. We have 11 more months to pay an exorbitant amount in order to bring a close it. It’s taken a couple of years longer than expected as we had to defer it when Keith was in Grad-school. It warms my heart to know that my Honey has developed a plan to pay it off early. He is a good man! I am so blessed!

Sometimes difficult times help to remind us of how blessed we truly are. I’m feeling very blessed right now. Thank you Jesus!

Saturday’s Savings & Meal Planning

2011-03-05T12:37:00.001-05:00

I have a plan for this week. Here it is:

Chili, cornbread, and salad
Chicken Stir fry
Pork roast or chop w/ scalloped potatoes & green beans
Spaghetti and salad
Fish Sandwich (for Keith) I’ll have leftovers

I’m pumped about my shopping trip today. I didn’t need to get much for my meal plan, but I grabbed a bunch of good deals. Check it out:

Kellogg’s cereal were 5 for $10. I had three coupons worth 3.40. So I spent a whopping 1.32/box. I already had 6 boxes of cereal from last week’s sales so now I have 11 boxes of cereal in the pantry. Well… Keith already ate about half a box. What’s for dinner when I’m too tired to cook a meal? CEREAL!!!!

How about this! Colgate and Colgate tooth brushes were on sale for $1. I had 14 coupons for 75 cents off (7 tooth paste & 7 tooth brushes), which double at the register. Double is more than the sale price, so they were all just simply FREE!!!! Actually, I was one tooth brush shy because I cleaned them out. They only had 6. Oh well, maybe I’ll be able to use that coupon another time. I don’t even use Colgate tooth paste! I got 6 free tubes last week. I gave away 3 of those. Now I have 10 tubes of toothpaste in the closet. Seriously… if you live close and want some toothpaste, let me know. I’ll donate most of it to the ministry at church for the food pantry and/or college and military care packages. It’s worth it to pick it up just to give it to someone else.

What’s this?! It’s motivation to do laundry. That’s what! This was what I got at Rite Aid. I picked up 8 bottles of Arm & Hammer 2x Laundry detergent. These usually run $6.99/bottle. It was on sale for $3.99 w/ a $1 Register Reward. $3.99x8=$31.92 minus $4 in coupons = $27.92. I got $8 back in Register Rewards, which means I actually spent $19.92 for 8 bottles or $2.49 each. I saved $4.50/bottle from the usual price. Not bad! Both bottles of Gain liquid fabric softener were FREE w/ coupons. I spent $3.25 on the 5 Dawn Hand Renewal dish soaps (with coupons) or a whopping 65 cents each. SAWEET!!!! That’s the kind I like because it keeps my hands soft. We don’t have a dishwasher.

These are just the bigger deals I found. I was actually several dollars UNDER my budget at the grocery this week. Imagine that! Many thanks to all who gave me coupons they didn’t want! This was fun.

Wednesday’s C.O.W. (Coupon of Wisdom)

2011-03-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

Besides last weeks answered prayers fresh in my memory, there has been a simple yet profound concept that continually orbits my mind day after day. Have you ever prayed continually on one topic or for one person… wishing, hoping, begging for a change that you know would be so huge? Keep praying, for answered prayers sometimes take time. BUT… always TRUST that the Lord’s plan is perfect. Let God write the testimony of the situation or person(s) you pine over.

Blessings Monday

2011-02-28T05:45:00.000-05:00

Last week was a particularly stressful. Work stress was the brunt of it. I’m so thankful to have a boss who’s got my back. It all ended up swell. I was all set to study for my certification exam this afternoon, but do you know what? I’m just TIRED. I’m all spent on regs at this point. I’m glad our survey has passed and that we were deemed to have done a good job. YAY! There were many answered prayers this week! I LOVE IT!!!

Keith’s schedule has been flip-flopped to overnights at a different store the last couple of weeks. He doesn’t mind helping out where there is a need, but it’s weighing on his life. His sleep schedule is all fussed up and he’s missing the routine of home-life spent with me. I admire him for being able to accommodate the need of his employer. I’ve reminded him that he’s making a good impression on some people by being the willing and available one. I appreciate his dutiful making of a living to support us in our endeavors as a family. I also appreciate the blessing of added shift-differential he’s getting while working nights.

Albeit odd, sometimes the ability to stretch out diagonally across the bed at night is a blessing. Not having to fight for a fair portion of blankets, pillows, and space can be a blessing. I’d much rather be cuddling and snuggling, but I’m one that can find the good in all situations.

Finally, we were blessed with the lovely company of the Zom’s for dinner tonight. As is our custom, we enjoyed dinner and interesting conversation at Olive Garden. YUM!

Thank you Lord for provisions, patience, peace, and good times. This has been a busy and interesting week. I’m blessed to know your presence every step of the way.

Saturday Savings & Meal Planning

2011-02-26T20:17:00.001-05:00

I worked the Farmer’s Market today. I got some meat as part of my pay and still walked away with some cash in my pocket. SAWEET!

I’m so proud of myself. I got about $100 worth of groceries today for $69. Our standard weekly grocery budget is $60; however, last week we did NOT use any of it, so I do not feel bad spending some of it this week. In that bundle I got SIX full-size tubes of Colgate toothpaste for FREE. Anybody need toothpaste? I don’t even use Colgate, but if they are giving it away for free… I’ll take it! I’ll share it with whomever wants or needs it and what’s left I will donate to the food pantry. Believe it or not, they do appreciate toiletries as well as food.

After leaving the grocery store, I hit Rite Aid for a few deals. I spent $12 and walked away with $7 in up-rewards for next week. So really I only spent $5 out of pocket. Not bad! I got the last two bottles of Dial Nutri-skin lotion on sale this week. I needed it SO BAD.

So, looking ahead, I need to plan some meals.

1) Chicken n’ Biscuits w/ Salad --- Saturday Night Dinner!

2) Olive Garden w/ Zom’s --- Sunday Night Dinner

3) BBQ Meatloaf w/ potatoes & green beans --- Monday

4) Gorton’s Fish Fillets & Salad (just salad for me) – Tuesday

5) Pork Roast w/ Sauerkraut in the Crockpot --- Wednesday

6) Eggs, Bacon, & Toast --- Thursday

7) Cheese Pizza

Random fact: I’m pretty much so addicted to Pomegranate Blueberry juice! LOVE IT!!!

Beautiful Sky

2011-02-19T15:49:00.001-05:00

I love how the sun shines down through the clouds. Awesome!

This is my favorite photo this week.