Will it work?

I can't believe it! The only shoes that I love of all of my shoes, my Birkenstocks, became stinky this week. They are beyond stinky! I can smell them from across the room. So, I googled what to do and the cheapest, easiest solution was to cover the footbeds in baking soda and freeze them. I made a quick run to the grocery store and now, 89 cents and 15 minutes later they are freezing away. Man I hope it works! I'm stuck in other shoes tomorrow since I'm freezing them overnight (it said 3-4 hours so I'm doing extra) and it said that they need to defrost and warm up when you are done. So cross your fingers and maybe, just maybe, my feet won't stink on Wednesday.

Me Places

I have always had me places. Places to go to shut out the universe and think. Places to calm down when I’m frustrated or angry. Places that I can be alone even when they are crowded. As a child I had closets, backyards, and playhouses. In college there were parts of the library, parks, and quiet corners around town. At camp there were always little spots tucked away in the woods. Once I had a car the woods and forest were almost always where I went, until I moved several hours from them. I have spent 3 years looking for places. There have been makeshift, almost, sort-of, but not quite right places here, there, and everywhere, but there have not been any me places and I have waited eternally long periods of time to go back to the me places of my past.

Yesterday I had some plans that fell through and not for the best reasons. Let’s just say I have been needing a me place for weeks and have had no where to go. Well all of that bottled up frustration is far less noticeable to me than it once was. I guess I am getting used to waiting. Anyways, I woke up earlier than planned and thought that getting breakfast from my favorite restaurant would be a good way to get started. I dawdled for a while, but eventually left my house. I got all of the way to the end of my street before I got a strong prompting that I needed to go somewhere else. The location was clear and so without thinking, I went.



As I got closer to the place that I had been sent to additional directions were also clear. I continued on. I passed a cute little place that I had not noticed before and thought I will stop there on the way back. Just after passing it I knew that this was actually my final destination. I turned around and went to see what on Earth I had been sent here for. And just a few steps from my car I knew that this was a me place. This fabulous spot less than an hour from my home was a place where I could think, a place where I could calm down, a place where I could pray, and a place where other people wouldn’t bother me. There is a path under pine trees, which I love. There is a hidden waterfall that I was excited to spot. There is peace and calm and I love it!



I love that my Heavenly Father knows me better than I know myself and that on a day when I am expecting the world to explode and be filled with frustration and annoyance He can send me to find peace. I love that in a place where I never would have expected a me place, in a county where I had given up on one existing, Heavenly Father guided one of His daughters to a place that He knew would meet her needs.

I am really grateful to have parents that taught me to listen. They taught me the value of the Holy Ghost and taught me to recognize His promptings. All of these years later, thanks to them, I knew to listen and found exactly what I needed.

The Duckies

I often eat lunch parked by the lake at a local park. It's a lot of fun these days as there are baby ducks learning to swim. There is one part of the lake edge that is 6 - 8 inches above the water. One day I got to watch their mama teach them to get out of the water there. It was pretty funny as they swam full speed ahead jumped either too soon or not high enough and plopped back into the water. I didn't realize that I had my camera until it was a little too late, but they are cute in this anyways.

Remember Alexander?

How many of you remember Alexander and his Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? It was once one of my favorite stories, and it still holds a very good spot on my bookshelf. Well today was one of those days, not just one where everything goes wrong, but where it feels like others are making it go wrong on purpose, just because they are mean. Well, for a few minutes I thought words that I shouldn't, then I thought about trying out Alexander's theory and running away, but then I remembered the important lesson that he was taught..."some days are like that, even in Australia." So thaks to Alexander and his author for teaching a six year old a very important lesson that still helps at 30. Also thanks to a Chicago friend who brightened my whole crummy day with a letter.

A Crowd of Hippies!

Today I went to the Sea Glass Festival in Cayucos. Not because I am a huge fan of sea glass, I just needed some for the lesson that I am teaching in Relief Society tomorrow and didn't want to try finding enough when cash could get me there so much faster.

So, after the drive to Cayucos I started to worry a little when the closest parking spot left me with a 1/2 mile walk. I worried more and more as I got close to where I was going and saw the line. The building is about the size of a small elementary school cafeteria. The line was about 1 block down the beach from the door. I walked past a bunch of scruffy baby boomers, long hair, flowing skirts, tacky save the universe t-shirts, I worried more.

While waiting the stories of the problems ahead began traveling down the line. Whoever was in-charge didn't think about the effects of overcrowding a small unventilated room. Several older people were faint and had to sit down. One lady allegedly passed out. They (the mysterious in-charge people)were told by either the city or the EMTs that the sign limiting the people inside needed to be followed, the windows and doors needed to be opened, and the room needed to be aired out some. The line slowed down and the $1.00 bumper stickers became a free handout to anyone who would continue to wait.

I listened to stupid stories about "the good old days" from the people behind me. Then Bob, the one who actually collected sea glass in the group started talking about his drunken adventures collecting sea glass along America's beaches. Since Bob and the other men had left the line to go to the bar across the street as their wives held their place in line Bob was now a little louder than he had been earlier and kept bumping into me. The last five minutes it took all of my self control to not take Bob down. He was within inches of a bruising when we finally got to the door and I made a conscious effort to go the opposite way of Bob and his tolerant friends.

I looked at tables full of ugly jewelry and art. I was stepped on, bumped into, pushed, bumped into, steped on, blocked, pushed, pushed, bumped into, stepped on, over and over. Not one of the hippies appologized. None seemed to care that they were annoying and possibly injuring a stranger. Finally at the last 2 tables there were jars of sea glass that had not been a craft project. I bought the cheapest one that was large enough to give everyone a piece tomorrow. I was ripped off! But I got what I came for and left quickly.

Stupid annoying hippies! They are rude and give their generation a bad reputation. They should go back to their communes and stay.

Mail

I love mail! I'm sort of like a 5 year old when it comes to mail. I like to send it, I like to read other peoples, but mostly I love to get it.

Back in the fall I decided that aside from a few bills (which I don't love) I was not getting the amount of mail that I needed. I pondered my predicament for a few days before figuring out the secret to getting mail. Are you ready, here it is...To get mail you have to send mail. Then I realized something, I hadn't been sending any mail, so the few friends and family members who occasionally dropped me a line were just being nice. I didn't really deserve to get anything but the bills.

I am starting to think that I have solved my problem. I send at least 10 letters a week unless I am on vacation. More for holidays or if people seem to need a letter. Sunday afternoons are like a regular letter factory. Don't even get me started on the amount of glue and paper flying around the living room when I decide to make cards.

Anyway, this blog entry is a thank you to all of the friends and family who have responded to my efforts. I got 7 valentines since Friday (1 was at work and not in the mail box.) I get letters at least a couple times a week. You make my day every time I get one, not to mention when I get 2 at once. Oh, and post cards, wahoo!!! I have filled multiple pages of a photo album with those. It's becoming quite the collection.

So, thanks again and I will keep up the work on my end.

The Waterfall

As a kid I went to Nojoqui falls on a trip with my parents. I remember it being a fun hike and have always wanted to go back. Well, Saturday I went with a friend. The "hike" was more of a nature walk, but it is in a pretty canyon and the waterfall was flowing which I guess it doesn't do in the summer.

It made for a fun day, and to my friend...Thanks for coming!!!

The Lighthouse

There was a time when I really, really, really wanted to go inside a lighthouse. I thought they were the greatest thing ever. There was just one problem, I was living in the desert. Then I moved to a landlocked state. I occasionally saw one from the outside if I went to the right beach and up at the great lakes. I finally got to go inside of one. It was a fun day.

Here is the view from my trolley car ride to get there.



Here is the front of the lighthouse.


Here is the light. It is no longer used and is not even inside of the lighthouse tower anymore. Good thing, because there were 7 of us in there and the light would have made that impossible.


They are still working on some restorations. The lighthouse was built in 1890 so most of the rooms were restored to that time.





The lightkeeper's daughter was still alive when renovations started so her room was made as she remembered it including electricity.


Anyway, it was a pretty fun day.

The Donut Brigade

Every morning, at donut stores across America, little groups of old men gather. They eat donuts; drink coffee or milk; and ramble about their past, present, and grandkid's future to anyone that will listen. I first found out about these guys as a kid when my Grandpa joined them. As an older kid I figured out that just about every donut store has a group. The one by my work is full of guys with antique cars.



I buy donuts about once a week. Enough that the lady behind the counter knows to get me chocolate milk while I decide between plain cake donuts and an apple fritter. While I wait in line I listen in as the local group talks about their past, their cars, their wives, and my favorite topic their grandkids. I can't help but smile as I am reminded of my Grandpa and the stories that he shared with his own group of donut buddies.