Physical Challenge 2014--Part 1

This summer my friend April#1 encouraged my to read a book titled "A Weekend To Change Your Life" by Joan Anderson.  My sister had given me some of her other books to read that I read before, titled "A Year By The Sea" and "A Walk On The Beach".  I also have her book "An Unfinished Marriage" that I need to read as well.

As I read "A Weekend To Change Your Life", I was inspired by the retreats Anderson held at her home that helped women connect with who they were.  One of the things she would challenge women to do was an "Endurance Challenge", or, as I have ended up calling it, a "Physical Challenge".

In the notes I wrote in my journal while reading this book, this is what I wrote:

I really want to plan and do an endurance challenge.  Through this "Weekend To Change Your Life" book, and Cheryl Strayed's book "Wild", and the book "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce, and reading about Joan Anderson walking the Inca Trail---I want to plan an edurance activity.

Idea?
--Kayaking the river from the Cataldo Mission to Harrison
--Find hiking trail and hike it--camp overnight and hike back
--Cross Country Ski
--Do a walking trail a day
--Do a 5K run once again
--Do a bike ride

I want to do SOMETHING!!  My half-marathons were pretty good endurance challenges, but it has been over 10 years.  I need to do an endurance!

So I told my friend April#1 that I wanted us to do a physical challenge together.  I suggested to kayaking, but she didn't quite go for that suggestion.  Then her husband suggested hiking to Stevens Lakes.  He had hiked up there with one of their sons, and said we could do it.  So we put our Physical Challenge on the calendar....August 30, 2014.  Today was the day....and we did it!!  And it was actually really fun.

Accompanying us on the challenge were April #1, her husband Eric and son Nicholas, my husband Paul, and our daughter Molly and her boyfriend Kai.

Here we are in the parking lot as we head out on the trail.  Well, everyone except Nicholas, because he took the photograph.

April #1, Me, Paul, Molly, Kai, Eric

Here is a description of our hike:

Stevens Lakes is a 5 mile out and back trail located near Mullan, Idaho that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for fly fishing & hiking and is accessible from June until October.

5 Miles**4 hours

Type:	Out and back
Elev. Gain:	1780 feet
Season:	June to October
Features:	Forest, Lake, Views, Waterfall, Wildlife

The trail began at 3,960 feet, and ends at 5,740 feet.

We began the hike around 12:15 p.m., and April #1 and I arrived at lower Stevens Lake at about 3:15 p.m.  We got back down to the parking lot around 6:45 p.m.

Another things I learned from Joan Anderson's book:

"Climbing mountains or backpacking in the wilderness inevitably changes you.  The person you were at the onset is not who you become when the journey is finished.  That is why I am always looking for the next adventure."

This challenge was to show myself I can do more than I think I can.  I can hike for 2 1/2 miles up fairly steep terrain and back down again.  I can fall on the trail, and pick myself back up and keep going.  I can teeter on a big rock and regain my balance, and make it down on solid ground.

Here we are at the Lower Stevens Lake.  This time Nicholas got in the photo.

 



There were so many parts of this hike I loved.

*  I love seeing the wild flowers and berries and trees and bushes along the way. 
*  I loved being along the shores of a beautiful alpine lake.  It was calm and peaceful sitting on the shore.
*  I loved the rock formations we encountered along the way, and speculating how they were formed, perhaps by some long ago earthquake in the region.
*  I loved being with my family members and friends, and sharing this experience with them.
*  The waterfall was beautiful, and the sound of the running water as you walked along was very calming.
*  If you were observant, you see that April and I are holding Barbie Dolls.  The two Barbies played a very significant part of the Physical Challenge 2014.  So much so, that I am going to devote an entire blog post tomorrow to our adventures with our Barbies.

Here is April and I at the end, in the parking lot:

Some of this challenge was about realizing what our bodies can do.  I love what Anderson says in this passage: "So many of us women fall prey to this dangerous syndrome, viewing our bodies as something to be used to please others, to help us fit in, and, perhaps, worst of all, as something to hide our authentic selves behind.  Angst about her body robs a woman of her creative styles and attention to other things.  Even though the body protects, supports, and fires the Spirit, even though it is a repository for memory and desire, most of us see it as the root of our undoing." A physical challenge let us catch a glimpse of what our body is capable of doing.  Unless we push ourselves, and go beyond our comfort zone, we won't know what we are able to do.  That is why I wanted to do this challenge.  To go beyond what I am capable of doing.  To stretch myself.  To realize I can do this......going beyond my limits.  Physical activity helps us get in touch with ourselves.  "We can only become something new by ceasing to be something old.  The goal is for your mid-life crisis to become a mid-life discovery." Frederick Buechner said...."listen to your life for its fathomless mystery." Adventure is fun.  Adventure helps us go beyond ourselves.  Adventure helps us discover things about ourselves we didn't know existed. What are you waiting for....time to start planning your next adventure!!! I know I am!!

Three Girls.....Three Colleges....Three Approaches

I am so proud to have all three daughters now in college.  I have watched them work hard to wear they are at this moment in their lives, but they have and are taking different approaches to their education.  There isn't a right or wrong way.  They each chose the path that works for them.

Molly is our oldest daughter.  She attends a local community college, North Idaho College.  This semester she is working full time as a Special Education Para-Professional and taking a full load of credits at NIC.  She will graduate in May with her Associate's Degree, then will enter Lewis Clark State College on the campus in Coeur d'Alene, into the PACE program, which will help her earn her K-8 teaching degree.  She has worked very hard in her studies and her job, and I couldn't be more proud of this girl.  She is following a wonderful tradition on both sides of her family by pursuing a degree in Education.

Middle daughter Zoe attends the College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho.  C of I is a small, private, liberal arts college.  Zoe is majoring in Anthropology and Sociology, and has minors in Journalism, Religion and Natural Science.  She is starting her junior year at the C of I next week, and is also very involved as a Student Intern in the Student Ministries program on campus which also keeps her very busy.  She works hard and studies hard, which has paid off. She has been on the Dean's List at the college almost every semester, and has made it through even her most challenging courses.  This summer she was an intern at our local newspaper, where I used to be a reporter, and it was amazing to see the similarities in our style of writing when I read her stories.  She also has a heart for service, and missions, and helping others.

 



Our youngest daughter, Cosette, began her first year of college at the University of Idaho just this week.  She moved into her dorm a week early so she could start U of I Marching Band Camp.  Coco is following in her parent's footsteps by attending the U of I, as we are both graduates of this university.  She is also following in my footsteps as a member of the marching band, and currently she is studying Broadcast and Digital Media, part of the Journalism and Mass Media (JAMM) department at the U of I.  I also graduated in this department, but when I graduated, it was called the School of Communications, and my degree was in Public Relations.  It exciting to have Coco attend the same college we did, and we plan on attending the football games this fall to watch the performances of the awesome U of I Marching Band.

 

 

Three daughters....three colleges.....three approaches.

 

 

They each are taking their own path.  Three unique young women who are completing a journey toward higher education.

 

 

As I work with students and talk to them about college and careers, I try and be one of the people who helps guide them into the path they choose, whether it is professional technical training, academic, military or hands-on apprenticeship, or some other path, students need to realize they are unique, and that each person chooses a unique path. 

 

This also means people may walk many different paths until they find the one that fits.  But I think the best way to find the right path is figuring out where your passion lies. 

 

These are questions I want my students to think about:

What do you like to do?  What excites you?  What would you love to do for the rest of your life?  Or even 5 or 10 years of your life?  Because chances are you won't have the same job or same career your whole life.  Chances are you will change jobs at least five times in your lifetime. 


From the time I graduated college until now, I have had over ten different jobs.  My current job holds the record for longevity.  I have had my current job coming on 8 years. 


Some of the frustrations I find in working with students is their inability to see their uniqueness in themselves.  They either think they have nothing, they aren't good enough, what they do is not special, or they think if they say they are good at something, they are bragging, and they don't want to brag.


This year as I work with the 9th and 10th graders in my program, I want to help them see their uniqueness.  I want to help them dream.  I want them to think big about themselves and their abilities.  It is a big undertaking, but it is worth it!

Maybe I will have them listen to this guy to get some inspiration...Ha! Ha!



This TIme Of Year Always Comes At The Wrong Time Of Year

When you have a garden, and yard, and it finally starts producing vegetables to harvest, it is time to change from summer routine to fall routine.

And it isn't an easy change.  I always feel like this time of year at the end of August always comes at the wrong time of the year, because I don't have as much time to tend to things in the yard as I did all summer.

My garden is a little behind this year, so things are just coming on.  But now I am back at work, and can't putter around in my garden like I have been.  The puttering is now reserved for late afternoon.

And the evenings have been very pleasant, but the sun is going down too soon.  I don't like that by 8 o'clock the sun has set, and things are getting dark. 

I have a really wonderful garden and yard with vegetables and flowers, and do quite well making them look nice throughout the summer.  And I bring my houseplants outside each summer and put them on the patio, and they thrive.  They get healthy, and some bloom with flowers, that I didn't even know they could do that, and they get lots of sun and water.  I love having my plants outside.  See how healthy they look!!

Then when the temperatures change I bring them back inside, and then I kind of neglect them.  They don't get watered as consistently as they should, and they don't get as much light, and often get too much heat.  I always feel sorry for my plants when they have to go back into the house.  I don't intentionally try to kill them off.  They just often get neglected.

Things have drastically changed lately.  The morning light shows up much later than before.  My morning walks now begin in the dark.  As the sun rises later and later, it is harder to get up in the morning. 

When the pleasant end of summer/beginning of fall weather comes, I want to have more time to enjoy it.  I want to linger outside, and have it light longer, and be able to garden.  But those things are now enjoyed more at the end of the day, after my workday ends.  And I will watch the days get progressively shorter as we head toward the official beginning of autumn, and then into winter.

But. this is the way it is.  And this had pretty much been my schedule ever since I began first grade.

Maybe as I get older, I spend more time appreciating things, and now need to focus on what is good about shorter days and longer nights.

Because it is going to be this way for quite a few more years.

Harvest Dinner

Tonight our dinner consisted of freshly picked vegetables picked right from the garden.

The only thing that didn't come from our own garden was the onion.

It was so nice to go out and harvest vegetables and eat them.  My garden has been a little slow this summer.  I think it was a combination of getting the garden planted later than usual, and the bad hail storm that hit in July that plants had to recover from.

Despite these two things, here is what we had from our bounty of garden goodness tonight for dinner.

 Here is my small little harvest of peas from our garden.

Here they are after Paul and I took them out of the pods.

Each summer one of my favorite dishes is creamed peas and potatoes. Yum!!

Here are sliced zucchini and yellow squash, sautéed with onions and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

And then some fresh greens mixed with a warm oil, vinegar and walnut sauce.

 

 

Very delicious.  I love eating food from the garden that I helped harvest and grow.

 

Les Mis....Up Close

Saturday evening I had the pleasure of attending a performance of the musical "Les Miserable" at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise, Idaho. 

This was the third time I had watched Les Mis on stage.  The first time was with Paul at the INB Performing Arts Center in Spokane, Washington.  The final song had me weeping.

The second time was also as the INB Performing Arts Center, and this time we brought Zoe and Cosette.  Cosette especially wanted to see this musical, since she was named after the character from Victor Hugo's book.

This is the third performance I have seen, and will actually see another performance in less than a month at Lake City Playhouse in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 

I have also read the book and thought it was one of the best books I have ever read.

And I have seen various film versions of this story as well.

It is an incredible story of love, redemption, forgiveness and loss.

Watching it in the venue in Boise was incredible, in part because it is outdoors, and you are close to the action being performed on stage.

They had a very minimal set design, and there were only about 20 people in the cast, and they all played multiple roles throughout the production.  But it was never distracting to see the same actor play multiple roles.

Paul and I attended the production with his sister Laurie.  This was our birthday present.

We had a treat before the show began by running into our dear friend Ryan Griffin and his friend Shane.  It had been a while since we had seen Ryan, and it felt good to give him a big hug, and to meet Shane, who we have heard a lot about.

Before we attended the theater, we went to downtown Boise and ate at "The Dish".  We were not disappointed by the delicious food.

We had a cheese platter for our appetizer, made up of local cheeses.

I had organic salmon in a curry sauce, with a cucumber salad on the top.

Paul ordered blueberry prawns with tarragon waffles.

Laurie had homemade beet fries that were really good, and the calamari, pictured above,
that was really good, but quite spicy.

 

I had a full day of socializing during all three meals.  My friend Anita and I went to "Groove Coffee" in Meridian for coffee and quiche, and caught up on lots of things, but, of course, had much more we wish we could have visited about, but time ran out.  Always a special time with my kindred spirit.

 

 

April #2 and I went to this new place in Meridian called, "The Village".  Here is what the website says about this place:

 

The perfect gathering place for friends and family, The Village at Meridian features upscale apparel and specialty retail, fine restaurants and cafes, Village Cinemas, and luxury office space. Designed with European style architecture, the buildings and tree lined village streets surround a park setting complete with a children's play area and world class show fountain with hourly shows choreographed to lights and music. Located in the heart of Idaho's Treasure Valley, The Village at Meridian is a unique and unexpected destination you have to experience for yourself.

It was a very beautiful area, and we had a wonderful lunch at "Twigs".  Their special dessert that day was Salted Caramel Gelato.  We just had to order one and split it.  So delicious!!  And a wonderful time spent with April as always.

Here are a few photos from "The Village".

A wonderful day filled with friends, family and food.  A great way to spend the day of a very quick trip to Meridian, Idaho.

There's Some Good In This World, Mr. Frodo

 

Frodo:  I can't do this Sam.

Sam:  I know.  It's all wrong.  By rights we shouldn't even be here.  But we are. It's like in the great stories Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end it's only a passing thing this shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand, I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.

At the University of Idaho Convocation on Friday, the guest speaker was Samwise Gamgee, otherwise known as actor/director/producer Sean Astin.  Sean's mother, Patty Duke lives in nearby Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

His parting words for the U of I Freshman class of 2018 was the above speech.  Astin played the role of Samwise Gamgee in all three films of the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies.  This speech was added to the second film, The Two Towers, after what occurred on September 11, 2001. 

Some of the things he challenged the freshmen students to do is:

 

Cultivate friendships and loyalty

Choose friendship

Challenge your belief system

Become a more profound thinker.

And then, after sharing this speech from above, he gave his final challenge to the students:

"There is some good in this world and it is worth fighting for.....go out and do some good in this world."

I hadn't been too emotional, but I admit, the next part of the convocation had me shedding some tears.

After Astin was done speaking, the University of Idaho Marching Band came out and there was Cosette right in front, playing the cymbals.  The band stops, gets into position, and you hear the low rumble of the first few notes of the Idaho Fight Song.  As the crowd stood, the tears started flowing,

It is very emotional having your daughter attend the same college you did.

It is also very emotional seeing her performing in the band, a band you performed in while a student at the University of Idaho.

The emotions really welled up inside of me, and started flowing down my cheeks.

It was a beautiful Convocation.  It was a beautiful day spending it with Coco.

 

I also got to spend some time with one of my college friends Janet whose son is also starting U of I this fall.

 

And I ran into Matt Frasier, one of the students I worked with at KHS, and fellow actor on both stage and film.

It was a wonderful day, and a great way to say "goodbye" to our youngest as she begins this next phase in her life.  I know she will do great, and God will guide her every step of the way!!

 

Bless you, Coco!!

I-D-A-H-O...............

IDAHO, IDAHO....GO! GO! GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

My Recent Pottery Creations

I brought home a few more of my creations I made in the Ceramics Class I took over the summer.

Here are a few more items I made.

I get to continue my new found love of pottery making throughout the school year.  I am very excited.

There are so many things you can make with clay.  I am amazed.  My Pinterest "Pottery Ideas" board continues to fill up as I find projects I would like to attempt in the future.

Here is what I brought home this week:

My purple fish pinch pot.

I may bring it to my office at KHS and use it as a candy dish.

This bowl was made in a slump mold.

I combined two different glazes to get this rich color.

This bowl was made with a hump mold. The texture was made by pressing a crocheted doily into the clay.

The inside was glazed with three coats of Firebrick Red.  I love the rich red color.

I used a stain on the outside to help give it a more rustic look, and to highlight the texture.
I was really happy with the way this bowl turned out.

Sam Cooke was Right........A Change Is Gonna Come

Today I helped with registration at Kellogg High School.

One of the students coming through the line made a comment that I can't seem to shake.

He said, "I don't like change."

Then I started thinking about this song, "A Change Is Gonna Come".  I heard it when James Taylor sang it on an episode of "The West Wing".

The song was written by Sam Cooke in 1964.  He wrote it about events that happened in his life, and it became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement.  Here is Cooke singing this song:

Change is inevitable.  And you need to figure out how you are going to respond to it.

My personal life is changing drastically this fall, with all three daughters in college.

My professional life is also changing.  I am now only at Kellogg High School.  And KHS has some changes.  The Kellogg School District as a whole has made some changes.

Change is good.  I don't mind things getting stirred up and mixed up a bit.  I can get in a rut very easily, so if things are changing, it keeps things interesting.

But sometimes we don't like the changes that are happening.  But we have to figure out how we are going to respond, and how our response will help us make it through the change.


"It's been a long time coming, But, I know a change is gonna come, Oh, yes it will....."

I've experienced a lot of changes in my life.  These were caused by jobs, babies, and moving from one town to another.

Reading a book can change me.

Watching a movie can change me.

Having a conversation can change me.

Praying to God and reading the Bible can change me.

Life is about change.  Nothing stays the same.  Our bodies are continually changing.  People around us are continually changing.  Some changes are more gradual than others, but things are still changing.

Technology has made things change at a very rapid rate.

How do you respond to change?  Do you grumble, complain, and let everyone know how miserable it makes you?  Or do you look at it as a new adventure to learn from?

We all have a choice.  I try to approach the changes in my life as a new adventure.

Now, often I do grumble and complain, but it only makes the change I am going through worse.

It is better to smile, take a deep breath and say, "Okay, Lord, what next?"

The Shift

It began today.

Things shifted, just a little bit.

Our lives will never be the same.  It is official.  All three girls are in college, and are now pursuing some lofty goals.

We took Coco and all of her things to the University of Idaho today and helped her move into her dorm room.  And we had Parent and Marching Band Orientation, too.

Things will be different from now on.

No more kids in school. 

Yes, there will be adjustments.  Yes, it will get lonely at times.  Yes, other times, we may enjoy our together time.

But even though there is a shift, I am so proud of my three girls.

Molly, who is working full time and attending North Idaho College as she pursues a degree in Education.

Zoe, who head back down to Caldwell this weekend, who wants to be an Anthropologist or Sociologist, with a little Journalism, Religion and Natural Science thrown in for good measure.

And Coco, who will begin her time at the University of Idaho pursuing a degree in Broadcast and Digital Media.

And is a member of the University of Idaho Marching Band, so we will get to follow her and her band performances this fall.

Here are some pics from dropping Coco off today:

 Coco standing in line to get all her dorm information.

Coco and Molly at lunch

 Coco and her best friend Sidnee who came up from Clarkston to help out.

Sidnee, Zoe, Coco and Molly

Four beautiful girls.

 Mom, Coco and Dad

 Family Photo

 Hugging Goodbye!

 More hugs from Dad

 

 Goodbye Molly

 Goodbye Zoe!

This wasn't the official goodbye.  That will come on Friday, when we return to U of I for Parent Orientation, and to do some more activities.  Then we head on down to Caldwell to take Zoe to her house to get ready for college.

It is all rather strange....not sure it has all sunken in yet.

But it will.

Things Are Rather Topsy Turvy

My baby is leaving tomorrow.

And because of this, we celebrated her birthday early, since she will not be here, but in Moscow, Idaho on her birthday.

Is she really turning 19?  Where did the time go?  Wasn't I just back living in Meridian, Idaho, and cracking jokes about going into labor on Labor Day?.....(which I did, by the way).

My baby is soon to enter the last year of her teenage years.

She is moving down to her dorm room tomorrow to embark on the wonderful adventure known as college.

She is following in her father and I's footsteps by attending the University of Idaho...our alma mater.

Our littlest bird is leaving the nest.

Our bird that kept us on the run since she was in grade school, attending basketball games, soccer matches, track meets, plays, band concerts, choir concerts, and any other activity she happened to be involved in.

Now that is all going away.  Now we will attend football games in the Kibbie Dome at the University of Idaho, and watch our little bird in the U of I Marching Band.

A new phase in her life.  A new phase in our life.

One I am really looking forward to!!

Here are some pictures of tonight's birthday celebration.....about 18 days too early.

 Coco and Chris

 Here comes the white chocolate/huckleberry cheesecake

 Make a Wish!!

 Yes, 19 Candles!!

 Here comes Dad with the cake!!

 After enjoying a meal of Subway sandwiches and chips, Coco, Chris, Molly, Grandma Mary and our wonderful family friend Gail Smith anticipate the birthday cake.

 The almost birthday girl

Let's Celebrate!!!

 

Coco's actual birthday is September 5th.  Paul and I plan to drive down to Moscow

that evening and have another celebration!!