adventure and travel to discover the unknown and uncommon…with kids
On a warm spring day this past year we went on a short hike to explore another forgotten building. We hiked up an old rutted road that was slowly being reclaimed by the forest. The road climbed and twisted and soon we found ourselves staring up at a whitewashed tree with a huge white owl on a branch! Had we wandered into a magical wonderland? No, we had found Outlook Lodge! Continue reading “slow fade”
-Henry David Thoreau
I love this quote because writing comes from life. Life, with its ups and downs, challenges and sorrows, is what makes our writing interesting. It’s getting out there and experiencing life that makes us interesting!
One of my favorite commercials is of a woman who is commenting that it is sad that her parents only have a couple of friends on Facebook. The whole commercial shows her on Facebook looking at pictures of tiny puppies, etc. while her parents are off having fun with friends out in the “real world”.
It’s so easy in today to know everything yet experience nothing!
Fight the urge, even during these cold, dark winter months, to rest in a virtual world.
Get out there and live!
We had driven by the park many many times; flying by the exit on our way up north. The sign, beckoning visitors to stop, faded more and more as the years passed. Finally, one warm May day we decide to stop and look around. We turned in to the large parking lot, now covered with potholes and weeds, and drove down a rutted road; heading back in time. Continue reading “abandoned places: frontier town”
This is such an inspirational video of two brothers, Conner and Cayden, who won the 2012 Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year. They compete in triathlon’s together.
It is so moving! These brothers demonstrate what a real athlete is; unlike what we have seen in the news this week. If you have not seen this, I highly recommend that you watch it and share it with everyone you know!
Can you still remember that feeling? It was the main topic of conversation at school all day. You actually watched the evening news so you could see the weather report. Homework was more difficult than usual to focus on because you were sure that it wasn’t going to matter because, rumor had it, that the next day would be a snow day! Continue reading “snow day”
Today I began my triathlon training for the year. By that I mean I got my butt in the pool and swam. I haven’t swam since August because, well, I don’t like to swim! Lay on a beach, yes. Float on a raft in the middle of the pool, yes. Sit in a hot tub, of course. Actually swim, no! Unfortunately 1/3 of a triathlon is swimming so I have to start the training.
So I got my suit on, stuck my head under the shower, and walked out to the pool. Of course, since it’s January, every lane was filled with three people. I stood, freezing now, while the lifeguard filled me in on the abilities of the swimmers in each lane and which lane would be best for me to join. Finally I slipped into the water, adjusted my goggles, and dove under. “Wow, this feels great!”, I thought. Then I surfaced and began to swim the freestyle (which looks nothing like the real freestyle) and it became painfully clear to me just how long it has been! All I could think was that I am glad it is only January!
Part of my dislike of swimming is overcoming the boredom of back and forth laps in a pool. When I run (my favorite!) I have my playlist to keep me company if I am running alone. I love my running playlist. It’s named “Running Fast”! Continue reading “my running playlist”
A post of mine was published in the online magazine Bucket List Publications!
You can read it here: Deep into the Cave.
Bucket List Publications quotes Eleanor Roosevelt to help explain its goal. The quote is: “The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.”
As I’m sure you know, I completely agree with this quote which is why it is such an honor to be published in this magazine!
Going skiing seemed like a great idea at the time. There were two snowfalls within a week and all of the local resorts were finally open. It sounded great on December 30th anyway when we made plans with friends to go skiing on New Year’s Day. It was another story on January 1st.
After not getting to bed until 2am on New Year’s Eve, morning came all too quickly. We groaned as the winter sun began to filter into our bedroom and wondered if skiing really was such a good idea. But, we were meeting friends, so we were committed.
We headed 15 minutes down the road to Mountain Creek in Vernon, NJ. Yes, I said New Jersey. Please don’t laugh. There really are mountains in New Jersey…kind of.
7feetnorth 