Treasured Memories

It was so beautiful here today with the sunshine. Perfect day for a drive and so I ventured up toward Belfair and then Bremerton. I was trying to find a temp agency up in Bremerton but gave up after half an hour of driving in circles and then headed toward Silverdale/Poulsbo area since I don't think I've been up there in about 20 years. Spent a few hours window browsing in Poulsbo enjoying the holiday lights, blending in with the locals, thinking of all the places it would be nice to come back and visit, and found the yarn shop :-). All I can say is "wow"! What was great is that this was the first shop that I have come across since my trip to Portland last month, that carries Bariloche yarn. Oh I was happy to find that out.

Upon the many window shops I peered through I think I was the most intrigured by the artgallery and the beautiful glass figurines/paperweights displayed. The glass heart paperweight collection was so pretty. It reminded me of a lady I know who would love to have one sitting on her desk at work in her office in Redmond :-).

One of the reasons I drove up so far is because I hadn't been up that way in so long I was simply curious and the other was to honestly see how far it was/long it would take me to drive during rush hour time since I am looking for work that direction. It's not too bad but Poulsbo would be pushing it. Bremerton is certainly far enough and Belfair would be just right. Glad to be home though this evening.

Training Day 1

Today was training day 1 for my 5K for Spring 2011. I went to the store and got 95% of what my trainer recommended getting for food and after coming home, putting groceries away, walked up to the P.O. to get my mail. So I walked my first roundtrip 1 mile. I also walked another 3 1/2 miles this afternoon when I took all the dogs for a walk. So I definitely got my exercise in today:-)! The walking fetl sooo good!

Gym membership has to wait until after starting work again which will probably be next month. The nice thing though is that it is a 24 hr fitness like what I am used to and not too much more than what I was paying per month before. Plus C has a free membership through work so sometimes we could meet and workout together. Now that would be a definite first.

Tomorrow is the day of results with my new doctor. I'm so hoping this appointment goes well. The last two haven't and it has only added to the mixing pot of stress.

Everything Changes...for the Good!

So this weekend I went out and explored where Hwy 119 went and finally saw how big Lake Cushman is that all the locals kept talking about this last summer. Wow, it is huge! Very pretty but too much snow along the road for me haha;-). I'll wait closer to spring to go back and do some hiking. I did thoroughly enjoy my cup of cocoa from Hoodsport Coffee while admiring the sunshine through the trees. It was soooo pretty that day.

On the way home I took pictures of the Canal and the Olympics. Later I finally finished cleaning the big storage out and schlepping stuff into the smaller one. Still trying to find ways to downsize this winter so that we have less stuff to move to this coming year.

As of yesterday I now have a personal trainer for my new endeavors of running & being healthier. The short term goal is to be in shape to run my first 5K by spring and hopefully by the end of the summer run a 10K or Half-Marathon. I'm so excited!

I'm not feeling sick anymore either and really looking forward to going back to work in January hopefully.

Healthy Body, Healthy Soul

"To serve G-d you need a healthy body as well as a healthy soul. How can you meditate, pray or study properly when the body's wellness is neglected?
Taking care of your body so that the soul can flourish is a divine service."

I get a quote/saying a day and most seem to be right on for that day. This one in particular though seemed to really fit with my thoughts lately. I'm trying to find new ways to de-stress. Something I am getting ready to train for at the beginning of the year is my first half marathon/marathon. I've wanted to do that for awhile and this year seems to be that year. I'm going to be training for the Capital City Marathon.

Pieces of Gold

Some days are far more different than others. Most of the time I think we are grateful for this. Some days the people we interact with each day wherever we go seem to understand us better. Then there are those days that it just seems like no matter what you do those around you just don't understand you. Today seems to be one of those mixed days of some understanding and some not understanding.

Somehow I think I would have been better off not going to the ER the night of the 27th and just going home. I certainly wouldn't have all these accruing medical bills on top of normal bills. I guess at every given moment we try to make the best choice even though it may not be. Hopefully good will come out of all of this.

I'm just tired of going to medical appointments ;-).

Good news is that I finished everything for my BA to get posted soon! Yay no more homework for awhile! Woohoo!

Hurry Up & Wait

The joys of being sick lol...go to the doctor, and hurry up and wait to be seen. Go to the hospital and hurry up and wait to figure out what tests they want to run. Apply for medical help and hurry up and wait to find out how much they will help.

Yep got to love life :-p!

I tell ya, nothing like being sick out of the blue to make you appreciate LIFE and being well!

Sure hope the doctors can figure out what is wrong soon.

Best Girl

So this is Katie and I've known her since 2nd grade and she is quite good at doing hoodini acts of 'now you know where I am & now you don't' lol but the past few years thankfully it has been on the know where instead of the opposite. She's an amazing woman and I have been thinking of blogging about her for some time now but amidst so many other things it had dropped off my radar :-p.

She finally decided to go to college and get a degree in pre-Law to be a lawyer(she will totally kick butt at), is a mom to 4 kids (oh lord that is a lot of kids), and she still has time to call me and make me laugh like we were 7 again :-). You are the bestest girl!

Decorating for the Holidays

Time to put up the decorations for the holidays (and time to get well too!) except where I thought I had stashed my wreath hanger I evidently didn't.

Hanukhah is two days away and yeah wouldn't you know it I am home sick and will be tomorrow too since I couldn't get in to ANY doctor today in town. Not sick as in a cold thing but extreme unexplained dizziness...the weird stuff. Seems like I tend to gravitate toward that lol. Then about two weeks after Hanukhah it's Christmas:-)!

I did find out this weekend though that my neighbors to my right in the house next to mine the wife is the sister to the husband of the couple who owns the house I'm living in. Seem like nice people.

Red Cross called again today. I will say this much for this chapter they are much better at following through compared to the one in CA. In all fairness though the one in CA has had a lot of personnal changes though and I'm sure that the 'follow through' issues are probably related to that. I will get the chance to teach classes with the one up here in WA. That should be entertaining lol. I'm supposed to have my orientation next week after work. Be nice to get that out of the way.

First Snow

It has been really cold the past few days. I got 5-6" and most of it has melted and refrozen. After finally getting the power & heat back on today now I'm waiting for water to be turned back on. It certainly is different renting a house compared to an apartment or a room from people you know. The scenerary is amazing and after not driving in snow & ice for 5 years it certainly is a major adjustment. One of the newest luxurious finds that I have been enjoying is Netflix :-)!

I only have half of my holiday decorations up..still unpacking the rest lol and still need to get that tree. Moving sure has been an adventure as I have come across things that I had forgotten completely and others that I find and think 'what the heck did I keep that for?!' lol.

Snowing at Sea Level??!!

Wow it has been snowing since yesterday morning at my house on the Canal. First time I have seen snow since I flew up from CA last Christmas. First time I have driven in it in FIVE years!!! Still don't particularly like it ...but am doing my best to manage for now. Took pictures and will post up soon.

Time to get some work done at work especially since I got in early.

Walks By the Lake

First hike/walk of the fall was totally amazing! Chelle and I went hiking around Green Lake yesterday in the cold and on & off again sunshine. It was so nice to see the Seattlelites out and about whether they were rowing, kayaking, feeding the ducks, biking, walking, strolling, hiking, running (oh yeah we got passed by several of those..some even in shorts!! omg super cold just looking at those folks), lots of dogs, etc. Afterwards went to Starbucks for some peppermint mocha and a rice crispy square..yum! It was just an awesome day filled with laughter and fun :-). The way home last night I was listening to classical and looking at the stars above the trees through the mist and the pines. Such a pretty place to live.

I had planned on paying bills, running errands, and moving the rest of stuff from storage today but once again it is pouring rain. So 2 out of 3 isn't too bad I suppose. C is at a training day for Medic One today and not available to move the bed and other larger items of furniture anyways so I guess I will have to wait. No big deal as I want to go into Olympia and browse through some more shops I came across on Sunday. At least I am wearing my waders so my feet won't get wet and my warm hat to keep my head and ears from getting cold.

New Adventures

I got the little house around the corner from my favorite cafe to rent for the next several months. Tonight will be the first night I'm 'camping' out in the house as I need to do some cleaning/figuring out where things will go this weekend. Sleeping on the futon verses the bed (at least I know its comfy from having fallen asleep on it many times before). Tomorrow is my last day on my work assignment so I will be studying all weekend and part of next week getting ready to take my state exam so I can go work for Aflac. I think I might enjoy that besides I will be able to do some networking while continuing to look around for something geography related to make a living at.

Cafe in the Woods

Back at my fave cafe and I think I have found the cute little rental just around the corner for the rest of the fall & winter into spring. It even has a view of the water :-). So we shall see but keep those fingers crossed and those prayers comin. The temp job is going alright. This week definitely went better than last week with the exception that I am not sure how long the assignment will be but that's part of the adventure right? ;-).

Working on trying to find the time to do some knitting projects and work more on quilts. Traveling back and forth for work and then on the weekends makes it more challenging.

I did discover that my cousins Dave & Heather live just around the corner from the Debbie Macomber's yarn shop "On Blossom Street"!! I went in there on Tuesday and it is absolutely amazing! Good thing I don't have much room in my budget or that could definitely be a dangerous place indeed. I found a new book, a skein of some really pretty green yarm, and some new needles to make myself a new scarf for the winter with my birthday gift card from Mom Sherri & Michael. Looking forward to starting that soon as my left hand is not so soar from shutting it in the car door the other night.

Lights to Explore

Oh I absolutely love my new headlamp that my sis sent me for my birthday! I love my birthday box all of it but the headlamp was a special treat. I remember when we used to live on Queen Anne hill in Seattle and we would go for night hikes along the water looking at sealife in the tidepools. You had two headlamps and I had not worn one before and wow it was so much easier to see everything with. Now...I have my own and can peer over the edge of the dock when the People of Puget Sound do peer by the pier events, or use when I go hiking, or even setting up my tent at night when traveling if need be.
Thank you sis :-)!

The first 6 of 36

Today was the sixth day of me being thiry-six. The end of the first week and all the celebrating from all week long. It has been one of the better more memorable birthdays than some others. I started the week off waking up to a beautiful Autumn morning on the Olympic peninsula and spent the morning of my birthday playing with dogs, watching a movie on tv, doing laundry, and just relaxing in my pj's :-). The rest of the day was amazing which included a really nice surprise birthday dinner with C and he taught me how to play the slot machines lol which was a lot of fun followed by a trip for ice cream on the way home. Lots of well wishers through phone calls, texts, email, etc. Aww I feel so blessed :-). Thank you to all of you!

The weekend before Mom and Auntie and I went on a local quilt shop hop to ten different stores in five different counties! It was a lot of fun and we got lots of goodies. Thanks Mom! This past Saturday Mom went with me to go see the new movie "Legend of the Guardians: The Owl's of Ga'Hoole" at one of the local theaters and it was really good. Sunday Dad made me a special birthday heart cake and dinner. Totally awesome to see him and my dog.

Somewhere amidst all of those days of celebrating I had a job interview and got the job too. First time in a long time I went to an interview without a copy of my resume and they hired me!

So this year is off to a good start and hopefully the year is a good one most days to come.

Happy Autumn :-)

Argh..a Pirate's Life for me hehe

Aww another night on the boat lol ;-)! Still looking for that great place to work this fall/winter/spring and a place to park my shoes at night & call my own/our own.

C's trip went well and it's back to the normal grind today. Yay the weather is amazing today too here! Going to find the local Red Cross chapter and turn in my paperwork so I can get my stuff goin with this chapter. Have a quilt shop hop to look forward to this weekend. Too bad I will miss the oysterfest this weekend..that would be really great. Oysters are yummy.

Sending off the first QGN today and also printing off stuff for an internship I'm applying for. Wish me luck on that internship and on my interview next week with Aflac ;-). Hey it could be fun workin with other "cluckers" lol...besides good way to network. Also going to check out and see if PPC/Trader Joe's/Whole Foods are looking for anyone to hire. I think working for an organic food store would be amazing!!

Autumn is Here

Mom Nola loved the Sunflower Mystery Quilt..yay!!! C took it to her this past weekend in St.L. I am looking forward to picking him up tomorrow night and hearing about his visit.

Still looking for something geog related for work. Hopefully my interview with the "Duck" Co. goes well next week lol ;-). Insurance might be interesting. If nothing else it will make for another adventure and possibly some good networking with people in the local area. I'm hoping that I might also get chosen for an internship too.

Now if I could just find a place to rent ....hmmm. Somehow as soon as people find out I have a medium size black beast, aka my lab Magnolia, they loose interest lol. If only they knew that she is such a sweetheart!

In my travels this last weekend I stopped to take some pictures of the autumn foliage on the pass. What do you think? Isn't it pretty?!

Not the Right place

So I went to TBH in Olympia for Yom Kippur and well...I had a nice nap in the car to the sound of the rain lol. I did go into the temple for about 20 minutes before services were supposed to begin but I must say after being there that long and only 1 out of about 40 people said hi to me I decided to leave. The place just didn't feel "right" and away I went toward my mom's house. It rained and rained and rained the whole wayyyyy there :-)...nice but not necessarily to drive across the state in during the dark and over a mountain pass.

So next time when I'm wanting another adventure I'm going to check out the other temple in Olympia and hopefully it will be a better fit ;-).

Slosh slosh...jump...wading through the puddles

Well today was an adventure. I had hoped for rain so that C didn't have to mow the lawn and could go to dinner with me....well that idea was short lived when I found out this afternoon he had to go to an ems meeting tonight and couldn't meet me. Oh well.

It has been pouring rain all day over here and for me that basically means since I came over the summit in the Cascades around noon. I love the rain and I really like being here in Union (especially now after 5 drinking my cocoa watching the rain instead of driving in it) but not so much if I can't see C. Somehow it just isn't the same.

Well...time to head to my cousins and relax.

3 Weeks To My Double Chai

It's interesting how I used to go to a TBH in Cali and and am not thinking of going to another TBH...especially since the Rabbi's name is Seth lol. What are the chances of that happening? I'm hoping that I will get to spend this birthday with C as I haven't gotten to spend the last few with him.

I started a new blog for our adventures you can check it out.

L'Shanah Tova :-)

Sparkly Things

Today is the first day of packing. Packing and sorting and throwing out stuff that does not need to be packed again lol! Time to pack the sundries, haba, possibly the mezzuzah although getting a new one might be good too, the bare necessities and all the things that are sparkly...with the one that makes my eyes sparkle (as soon as he gets home from his EMT refresher class).

This picture I took on my way back from WA. I took it almost a week ago the morning I came across the line on a beach along the 101 near Crescent City. The rocks look all sparkly in the sand from the morning sunshine & ocean.

Summer Blossoms & Home

All pretty right along the Canal. Home is an interesting concept. I must say I felt very relaxed and at home while on the Canal this summer with C but I also felt at home at both of my parents too. As soon as I was back at home in SoCal though I definitely didn't feel at home. Well that only lasted until my Jewish parents got home from work lol. Everyone was pleased to see me after having been gone almost two months;-).

I think home isn't necessarily the 'place' as it is the people that adore you and that you adore back.

Tails of Love

Is it the lack of smog up here? How bout all the lush green vegetation every where you look and the constant view atop some hill or mountain? There's just something about being around green and water that makes you feel more alive. I know my dog, Magnolia, would definitely agree with her tail wagging haha :-p. She went on a long dogcation (that's dog vacation) at grandma's house and got new toys, slept in a tent, petted by lots of people coming for the QG and then various short visits by others stopping by the house. Needlesstosay she loved it! Here she is trying oh so hard to please me by striking a pose.

Little does she know that I'm moving closer to be able to visit her more often at grandpa's ranch and hopefully she'll be able to come visit sometimes at C's and my first place together soon.

**update**
So it's been 7 weeks on the road and lots of tales to share. Still waiting on the job with Expedia but putting in for lots of other work too. Looking forward to being back up here soon.

Olympic Sunsets

After a really good commute via the ferry yesterday morning, an interview that went amazingly well, a relaxing ferry ride back it was nice to be back on the Canal last night. Spent a really nice relaxing evening having dinner followed by visiting and dessert with C and his dad on the boat. We were watching this sunset while visiting. C and I put the panels back up on the boat last night after having washed them. It really is more of a two-person job snapping & zipping those plastic panels back into place for the top of the boat. Good thing we work very well as a team ;-).

*Post QG*
QG 2010 went well last weekend with everyone having traveling from all around the PNW once again. Ok with the exception of me having come up from the PSW lol ;-). Everyone had lots to share and hoping to post some pics soon from that. We made these really cute little wallets that will make great gifts for several women I know (including myself). I've already thought of some great ideas for how to keep us connected and looking forward to next year's get together.

Tomorrow is yard sale time and hopefully that will go well. Great day to travel and to play fetch with my dog this evening.

3x's a Charm

In a week's time I have been contacted by three different placement companies about an entry level Geography position in the Seattle metro area and now I have an interview tomorrow ;-). Looking forward to how things will turn out.

Spending time with my hunny this week on the Canal.

Hot Hazy Days and Cool Nights in EWA

You would think that by living in sunny SoCal I would be used to hot summers, however, that may be the case if you live in the Inland Empire but not so much for us folks out in Ventura county. We are used to more of the beach-like weather.

The hot hazy days up here in eastern WA (EWA) are not my preference. Temperatures over a hundred do not make for good "ball throwing" or "rope toy throwing" weather to play fetch with your dog ;-). So inside we stay busy freezing in the AC house of Mom's except to go outside long enough for Maggie to go sniff the breeze, sneek a few raspberries off the plants, or the most important part ...going to the bathroom. Instead we play fetch by moonlight when it cools down back to a normal temperature of oh about 75. Life is better when she is around to make me laugh by running with her rope toy over her nose like a lasso and then dropping to roll around with all four feet in the air lol..she is such a ham!

Enjoying the Sunshine in Shelton

Cold and overcast mornings that lead to warmer afternoons in Shelton are great when you have the Olympic Range to view across the water. Work opportunites are surprisingly more abundant when vacationing then sitting at home in CA. Finally found the local wifi in the coffee shop (best hot chocolate & fresh blueberry muffins too). I've applied for quite a few jobs so far and they seem promising which is good because I really like it here. Now if I can just find a place ;-) since the boat will get a lot chillier come this fall lol.

I can honestly say that for the first time in a long time I am very content and happy. My relationship with some of my family has gotten a lot better and I'm really enjoying that since being accustomed to fighting with them was truely getting old and discouraging.

Gotta go run errands and do more exploring!

Vacation Getaway Update

Definitely enjoying my vacation. Things I have enjoyed so far include:
-sleeping under the stars in my tent in the forest
-pictures of waterfalls & wildflowers while hiking with my friends in northern CA
-seeing friends I haven't seen in 4 years and it feeling like just yesterday when I did see them last
-sleeping on a boat at night under the stars with my boyfriend :-)
-finishing quilt projects
-seeing family
-meeting my boyfriend's Dad & step mom
-going for a boat ride with boyfriend and his Dad

Things I haven't enjoyed so far:
-being stung by a bee and having to use my epi pen then getting it replaced (not in the travel budget)
-getting a speeding ticket just because I have out of state plates (again not in the travel budget)
-having a wasp fly around the boat while I'm trying to get ready for the day (not in tnhe travel budget? LOL)


Looking forward to the quilt gathering and helping my sister with her house in PDX. Looking for work up here and trying to figure life out. More soon.

Two Is Better Than One

"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falls, for he has not another to help him up" (Ecclesiastes4:9-10).

This is very true:-).

No not trying to push 'religion' lol just writing.

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dad's out there!

Diving Diva...and Quilting

Well my thesis is finally done and in and just one paper to go sometime this summer and everything will be complete for my Bachelor of Arts in Geography & Urban Analysis. Here's hoping I passed everything once again a year after having walked through graduation ceremonies with my classmates and friends. Many of whom are encouraging me to go on to graduate school. I'd like to very much but I also need a summer off too. I'm actually looking forward to seeing my friend Mary and her family up in the Grass Valley area in a few weeks and going hiking/camping/bicycling..just relaxing:-). Finally know when the QG 2010 is going to be-last weekend in July.

Last night I got my graduation quilt I made for myself back and started putting the binding on it tonight. It's looking totally amazing! I have like 3 other quilts at least that I want to get in and done before traveling but we shall see how much 'diving in' of a quilting diva I am ;-).

Through the Whispering Pines

Lately I find myself listening to more and more to Christian music when there is nothing else good on the radio because it is soothing and freeing as I'm driving along. One of the songs I heard on the radio today is called "Healing Begins" by an amazing group called Tenth Avenue North. It seems fitting as I'm going through a healing journey of my own. I was thinking of this song this evening as I was quilting by hand a wall hanging that has pine cone fabric in it. Pine trees are important to me because of where I come from (trees in general but especially evergreens) and I've been wanting to finish that wall hanging so I can get it up on the wall in my room. Picture to post soon of the wall hanging.

Silver Strings mixed With Gold

Spider webs
Intricately woven
Crazy quilted silvery paths
Mysterious sustainable life droplets
Furrows full of golden grain
Wildflowers blossoming
Single/double Lane roads full
Lying beneath Magnolia

MJB ©June 11, 2010

There Shall Be Joyful Hearts in L.A.

So I called the main office in NYC and spoke with a really nice lady to find out if there was a Joyful Hearts office in the L.A. area. She said that they were in the process of opening one but that it wouldn't be ready until early fall. She said to give her a call back at the beginning of September to talk with her again and that she would tell me all about the classes they would be offering, the programs, retreats, etc. and the contact info for the person who will be heading up that office. Very pleasant lady to talk with and we look forward to speaking again this fall. The new office in L.A. is scheduled to open in early October. Yay, something to look forward to :-)!

Purrfectly Joyful Hearts

Oh I so do miss having cats and can't wait to be able to have a home again where I can have them...even if they have to be outside or in the 'garage with a kitty door' since Kilika is so allergic. Then again he's allergic to purrfume too lol ;-). I love how the photographer captured these delightful felines in a heartshape snuggle.

While in my ongoing search for ways to help me in my healing process as a survivor I came across Joyful Hearts today. It is a good resource for fellow survivors looking for ways to help them with their healing journey and how to get involved. The closest one to me is in Los Angeles but thankfully I live within driving distance ;-).

Peace, Purrfect, & Purple

Each and everyone of us out there is a survivor in some way or another but we all can choose to help end violence. Please go and check out a great way to do this and become a supporter of purple ribbons woven in your life.

Funnies

Magnolia's

So pretty and such a sweet & spicey smell.....magnolia's...I love them.

Makes me think of spring and my dog :-)

(Hmm...be pretty cool to have a cat named that too lol)

Quilting instead of writing on my thesis...yeah sounds great except that the paper doesn't write itself...okay I know I know...get to work missy<-!

Quaternary Climate ..what?

So I've decided that since I'm learning about these geography concepts that probably the best way for me to remember them would be to write about them...share with others...besides we both learn that way ;-).

Quarternary Climate

1. The duration lasted about 2 million years


2. Nature of the climate - repeated alternations of warm & cold climate


3. Glaciations - the concept of past glaciations was initially developed by the Swiss-American naturalist Louis Agassiz; glacial deposits were found in areas that are too warm to support glaciers today; four major glaciations occurred during the Quarternary - glacial ice cover extent - which included all of Scandinavia, most of the British Isles, Alps, almost all of Canada, and a portion of the Great Lakes region and the New England area

Empowerment

I came across this article online through Yoga Journal that was really good and I was talking with my girlfriend Audrey after work on the way home and before class about it. Ironically our conversation ended up being about a lot of the topic items in that article and she had never even seen it.

We were on the topic of empowerment. It's amazing what kinds of things you end up working on when you are trying to better yourself. How many of you have stopped to realize how often you 'explain yourself' for whatever reason for whatever you are doing/going/etc.? Yeah a lot of us do it. Technically you don't owe anyone an explanation for anything. Society though thinks otherwise though as we often need to provide explanations for things we do at our jobs or for education or even for safety reasons to people we care about. There's a fine line though between that and then going beyond that..

I've gotten used to explaining and am just now realizing that I don't need to. That it's okay to be quiet and have healthy down time. That being still and listening and working on me is a good thing. If I want to share important things like my dreams or goals or funny stuff ..whatever it is...I will with the people I love (especially if asked).

It was very empowering though to me today though to say outloud that I don't have to explain "why" and not just think it. Understanding your fears and overcoming them instead of letting them keep you from growing is a good thing;-).

Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words

Okay I don't know about a thousand but they definitely can make for some great memories and often times more than not are more than you can sum up in just a few words. Seems like lately I've been thinking about all my travels that I've done in the past back and wondering if I'll be able to do any this summer. Places I'd like to see this summer ? Well I'll save that for another post :-).

This picture reminds me of the times I've traveled through the midwest in the evenings either coming from WA or going to WA while on term breaks when I used to live in MS. There's just something so peaceful and beautiful about such wide open spaces like the one in this picture that make you feel so alive and carefree.

Biomes..Do you know what they are?

This is what I've been focusing on all week with biogeog..the world biomes.

What are they?

Biomes are groups of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.

Where are they?

Worldwide :-)

What lives there? What's the geographic distribution of Tropical Rainforest and Desertbiomes. Discuss the factors that limit the distribution of Tropical Rainforests.

I live in a Chaparral/Scrub biome but used to live in a Tundra/Semidesert. Pretty interesting really.

I'm Seeing Stars

The first 12" block of many that will make up a quilt for someone I know :-). I came home saturday night and cut and sewed and ta da here it is. First thing I've worked on quilting wise in 2.5 months. Turned out pretty nice too.

Grotto Grind

Finally went hiking after 2 months of not and the first choice of interest was the Grotto Trail in the Santa Monica's. It's about 3.5 miles over about a 700 elevation descent and the last half to 3/4 miles is over large boulders. Had an amazing time and it was well worth the steep climb the last 1/4 mile on the way out to the trailhead.

Simple Pleasures

It'll be almost 2 months this weekend since I've done any of my craft projects or hiked. Tonight I"m going to Seth's to go scrapbook and Sunday I"m going hiking again with my friend and classmate James. I'm looking forward to both especially since they both will help to continue put things in my life back to a sense of normal. It's been a rough couple months. Saturday is going to be cleaning, homework, laundry, errands, a spa party :-) ....and anything else I might be missing off that list.

Fruity Tooty

So I started a new assignment two weeks ago working at the world headquarters for one of the largest fresh fruit corporations ...Dole :-). I literally have never seen so many cookbooks in one place ever! I actually go in the library and peruse through them when I get opportunities..and I think it might ...wait wait...yep...entice me to want to try cooking again! Amazing I know.

It's a great place to work and I'm lovin it. It's the best cafeteria food I've ever had anywhere!

Took this Valentine's Day weekend up in Pismo when I was visiting some friends that had come down to go camping.

Been focused on finishing up this term with school & quilt projects....and yes finding work ;-). Yay it's friday...off to enjoy it & the weekend.

On bended knee

The past 24 hours have been a somewhat humbling experience in that in one instance I thought I had lost all opportunity of being considered for a job I've worked and done well at for a year only to find out that I hadn't. The other being a friend of mine that I haven't heard from much I somehow managed to piss off so much so that they were willing to throw in the towel and not want to be friends anymore. In both instances it was over miscommunication. Both instances had me philosophizing about what is important in life.

Sometimes you have to step back and be the bigger person and admit when you've messed up. Sometimes words are not enough to truely express how you feel and you just simply arent' able to articulate what it is that you want to share with someone...you have to live it..feel it...and hopefully enjoy it.

So here's to a new day..hopefully apologies accepted..and making amends. Hopefully the next several days will be blessed and happier ones.

Hike to the Top

I came across this trail while looking for another last Sunday. I went looking for the Grotto Trail and instead found Backbone Trail which took me up to the highest peak in the Santa Monica Moutains (3111 ft.). In the distance you can see part of the Channel Islands amongst the clouds there. It was such a beautiful day and well worth the 1.5 hours almost straight uphill on a really rocky & muddy trail and only 45 minutes downhill since I was hiking/running :-). It was a 3.5 mile loop.

Geo Tidbits

So I made it through 2 interviews and my 3rd one is next week. I got a new boss today and its been quiet the past two days here making work nice:-). Now I'm thinking..hmm what could I do with working for a non-profit and combine it with my education in geog do? Are there any non-profit geog organizations?...Well, it turns out there are! Way I look at it is if I can't get a job in my field right away then perhaps I can do 'other stuff' in geog and then combine it with the non-profit work experience to eventually do some work for a non-profit GEOGRAPHY organization or here :-)! Hey you have to keep makin it work for you or it's just not worth it.

The above was taken at the beach in Goleta, CA.

Lol...Where in the world is MJ??

So finally I am finishing up a class that was "required" but not necessarily one of my favorites. I honestly have to say I think I learned more in the last week from it through the extra time then I did the whole quarter it was offered when I first strarted it. It's all about how to use the tools to analyze, download, and give back to someone what you learned about those 'diamonds in the sky' that DMB sings about in his song.

Isn't it pretty? :-P (No I didn't make it)

Yay I will be done with Remote Sensing today (unless someone wants me to use it in a future job).

Monarchs Winter Vacation

I came across a great place to go for an easy hike in Goleta/Santa Barbara...this butterfly preserve. I didn't know they had such a thing. Too bad it was overcast and cool. Well I liked that it was but definitely not the day to go hunting for butterflies. It was overcast in Simi but I thought oh what the heck, the weather is almost always different along the coast. Wrong :-/. The website said 'best time to go was mid-day and when it's sunny out'..well ummmm ok I go the mid-day part right. I didn't see any butterflies though since it was overcast. I did see this sign though. Guess that just means I have to go back:-).

Dendrinization

Dendritic patterns have always held a special interest for me long before I probably really knew what it meant. You see it in lightening in the sky especially in the South where sheets of it light up the sky compared to the bolts that are more common in the North. You see it in river drainage structures, tree roots & branches, human lungs, and even here in this piece of wood(?) or dried plant that has washed up on shore.

Mags would have probably collected it to sneak into the car when I wasn't looking. Lol ...she's my great collector...always sneaking loot in for later. (Don't even get me started on the tennis ball collection she had before we moved 2 years ago..OMG:-).

Don't you think it looks very "zen" ? This is somewhere along the shoreline at ABB in SB.

Puddle Jumping for New Year's

Every year for the holidays is different (or it should be) and this year on New Year's Day I decided to go exploring in SB because I could lol and because I wanted out of the house away from the drama with my landlords.

I went to a great Jewish whole foods market and got the fixin's for a picnic lunch and then went in search of a place to eat. On the way I passed this beach turnoff and after lunch decided to go check it out. Wow, great place! Turned out to be great weather too and you can see the Channel Islands from here (Arroyo Burro).

Too bad I didn't have my Mags with me she would have loved it!