Blog Block...

For the past couple of weeks, I have had several ideas for posts, but I have yet to put them on the blog.  Why?  I have no idea......

So, it's now the last day of February, a bonus day to boot, and I have not one post for the month.  oops.

The moment I open up a new post,  the ideas that have been forming in my mind leave.  I've got blog block.  It's frustrating...

Here's hoping March is better.

Melissa

Bring it on....

Ok, 2012....
Let's see what you've got!

I say this because in the 2 weeks of 2012,  I've been challenged in my New Year's Resolutions. 

Normally, I do not share my resolutions with everyone, but this year I am putting them, or most of them, out there.  There is one that is on a emotional level and it's how I deal with certain events in my life, and it does not need to be put out there, because it effects others.

So, here are my 2012 New Year's Resolutions....

1.  Run a 5k.  (if my knees are ok)
2.  Take singing lessons
3.  Take 10 minutes off my 1 mile swim time
4.  Get up earlier on my days off and on the weekends

Why did I choose these resolutions?  To stay the course on my healthy path I've set in the past year and for #2 to do something that scares me to death. 

So, how does the universe take to my Resolutions?  EARLY EARLY morning wakeup calls (5 times already this year); invitations to running magazines; emails about 5ks; and in cleaning out my closet, I found my favorite pair of swim goggles.  Bring it on, universe.  I'm ready.

The challenges, however, have not been bad.  Support has come in unexpected and welcome ways.  Facebook has provided accountability in achieving my running goal and then turns around and gives me cheers and support.

I do have a question or a plea for help...  Does anyone know of a vocal coach for the singing impaired?  In the Salt Lake area?  I've been looking and most of the ones I've found are for aspiring stars.

I promise to keep you updated and aware of my progress and yes, pitfalls of my resolutions.

Melissa

Christmas Spirit......

Tis' the Season....
Deck the Halls....
FaLaLaLa.....

I can't quite stay in the Christmas spirit this year.  I don't know if it's the weather, the massive cold I had that was followed by a flu that kept me in bed for 4 days, or the utter and complete lack of snow.

It started of well enough, my Christmas spirit, with the adoption of my Angel from the Salvation Army Angel Tree.  I went shopping for a 7 year boy who needed warm shoes for winter.  It puts things into perspective when you have multiple warm shoes for winter and this boy doesn't have any.

Then my cold came.  I sounded like a bullfrog and was not a happy clam.  I didn't want to go out and see the lights when the air was chewy and I couldn't breathe.  

Christmas spirit gone.  aargh.

I think I may have found it again, and strangely enough, it was a smell that did it.  I am 'real' tree fan.  Give me the dropping needles near the new year; I'll gladly slide under the tree to water it; I'll take it all.  Saturday, I finally got my tree and got it in the house and that's when it happened, the smell.  The evergreen, Christmas is just around the corner, smell.  :)  I started to sing, badly I'll admit, 'O Christmas Tree' to the point even my dogs looked like their ears hurt.  I felt excited.  I wanted to go out and see lights and feel the excitment.  Deck the Halls, indeed.....

So, this prompts a question....
What is your no fail, get you in the mood, Christmas Spirit moment?
Is it volunteering?  Decorating your house?  Your tree?  Or is it the calendar counting down?

Melissa
The Christmas elf

Gratitude brings Peace and Joy...

Ok, it's time for a step on my soapbox and talk about Thanksgiving...
You know the holiday that is being trampled on by the retailers promoting Christmas.

Gratitude and Thanks are the topics for today.  Being grateful and thankful are not cheesy, but are necessary for Peace and Joy.

Thanksgiving is not about the meal.  Shocking, I know.  It's about being grateful for the people and things in your life, not planning your shopping in the evening for the things you want.

Things are not completely lost, though, when on Facebook this month a lot of people are posting once a day for the things they are grateful for.  I have a radical idea... keep the gratitude going.   I keep a gratitude journal all year round.  Every day, I write down 5 things that I am grateful for.  Sometimes, it's a struggle and others I could come up with 20 with no problem.  The key is to stay with 5 every day so it's consistent.  What I have noticed from doing this is a great deal of peace and joy, because when you focus on what you have, you'll be happier.

Melissa.

Once Upon a Halloween.....

Every year around this time, I can feel my artistic side come to life, specifically my ability to draw.
Unlike most people, my drawing skills do not occur on paper or other normal mediums, I draw on pumpkins.  Like a Halloween zombie, ghost, or goblin, it does not stay around very long, but it does not matter to me, because for a brief moment, I am an artist.  For the other 364 days of the year, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler or draw with any sort of perspective, but for Halloween....I'm good.  :)

I bet now you are wondering, how did this all start?  I'll tell ya.  When I was in college, I worked at St Mark's Hospital and for Halloween they decided to have a pumpkin decorating contest between all of the different departments.  I was chosen for my department, mainly I think because I was not in the meeting, since I worked in the evenings.  For some insane reason, I chose to carve 'Beast' from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.  The big furry guy with a ton of detail, yeah that one.  What I was thinking I have no idea, but I do know that it turned out.  :)  I even carved part of it when I was out to dinner with my mom and aunt and cousin in Bountiful.

That started the tradition and my 2 to 3 hour block of carving the day before Halloween.  It can be frustrating, tiring, cramping fun and I don't think I will ever stop doing it.  My only regret, I do not have pictures of the early years.....  :(

But for 2011, I got them..
First up Yoda.  Yes, the Star Wars Yoda.  I'm a big fan of his....

Tip of the day, when viewing photos on my blog, click on them and they get bigger and you can see more details.  Yoda was one of the more frustrating ones to do, because of all of the squiggy lines that make up his face.

Number 2, Lightning McQueen from Pixar 'Cars'

He's not as detailed as Yoda, which is why I chose him for my second pumpkins,  Quite frankly, my hands are still recovering.

Anyway,
Have a Safe, Happy, Release your Inner Child Halloween!!!
Melissa

Favorite Photographs of the Road Trip

A herd of Buffalo grazing in the afternoon sun.  Yellowstone National Park

Tetons reflecting in the Snake River

Old Faithful going off.....  I know it's not the most original photograph ever, but I shot it in full manual mode.  :)

an Epic Road Trip....part two

Well, it's time to continue....
I left off after the experience of driving the Beartooth Pass that got us to Cooke City, Montana near the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park.  It's a small town that is completely geared in getting you to the outdoors and nature, and it lived up to it's billing when in the morning, we got up and got going and there was a wild buffalo in the parking lot of the hotel.  :)
Tip of the day, plan it so you don't have to buy gas there though, it was $4.52 a gallon..  the highest I saw all trip.

So off to Yellowstone, and they aren't kidding when they say there is wildlife on the road.  I turned the corner after the entrance gate and drove for maybe 100 yards and saw this...

Yep, that's wildlife on the road.  I backed up and let him have right of way.....  He was HUGE!!! and fortunately, not the last buffalo we saw in the park.

The plan for the last 2 days of the trip was to explore Yellowstone and Teton National Parks.  It was enough time to drive the roads and do a bit of hiking, but not enough to say I explored everthing I wanted to do.  Another trip is needed...  :)

The beauty of Yellowstone needs no introduction and the last week of September had the park in full splendor and free of crowds, so it was a beginning photographers dream!!!  So, without further ado, here's Yellowstone.

A coyote playing in a field.  He was stalking and toying with his lunch of field mice.  His tail was wagging and he would pounce and just run around like crazy. 

What I am calling Hot Springs Coral from Crystal Geyser near Mammoth Hot Springs.

A lone buffalo grazing near the Petrified Tree, Yellowstone National Park.

Lower Yellowstone Falls, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park

Visting the Mud Volcano, Dragon's Breath and other icky smelling sulphur stuff....

My first elk sighting.  They were very patient and let me get a ton a pictures of them, but the 1st needed to be posted.

That's my very brief photo summary of Yellowstone.  I could post hundreds more, it was just that great of a trip, but to save you from utter boredom, I won't.....

Now onto Grand Teton National Park....
I had never explored it or even really driven thru it, which is kind of hard to do if you go to Yellowstone from Jackson Hole (which is my normal route in).  Oh well, no time like the present.

Here are the highlights,

A massive elk who was playing in a field early one morning........

My first glimpse of the Tetons.....

Another great view, taken from the side of the road.... Grand Teton National Park

A bit of background on this photo of a Black Bear....
When I left on this trip, I wanted to see a Bear, an Elk, and a Moose....  By the photos, I've posted, obviously I saw an elk and a bear.  The moose remained elusive.  :(  The road where I took the picture of this bear (I'm a mere 4 feet away) is known for Moose!  It's even nicknamed the Moose Highway.  I drove it 3 different times at 3 different times of day and NEVER SAW A MOOSE, but I did see a bear.  Life is goofy.

The nitty gritty details of the 2 days exploring Yellowstone and Teton are a bit fuzzy, due to the wildlife and nature that dominates my mind, but here are a few that you may want to know...
In Jackson, we stayed at the Pony Express Hotel.  It's a great place to rest your head and easy to find after a long day on the road.  The other travel tip, if you are heading to Jackson from SLC, try taking WYO-89 instead of Utah 89 thru Bear Lake.  It takes almost an hour off of driving and it's an easier drive.

Well, I'm off to plan my next trip.
Melissa