Things that matter

I miss my blog. I miss writing for fun. I'm still "working to live," but sometimes, I admit, I get caught up in the excitement and passion of my career and find myself "living to work." No one does this to me. I do it to myself.

Well, it's not just work. It's also home. We recently undertook a major house remodel and addition. Things still haven't totally settled on that, so it feels like any spare time I find should be used to get things back in order. It can be challenging when I would just like to sit down with a good book, but I remember that there are still things to do to get the "new house" back in order.

So writing my blog has unfortunately taken a back seat to the rest of my life. But I do believe I'll get back to my writing. For now, though, I have the most important priorities straight.

I'm making the right decisions on things that matter. Even when I don't address all these equally, I always have a road map for what I want to work on and that's a good start in my book.

What matters to me right now?

Grandchildren. Three of them under two. They are just so sweet and will be young for only so long. Every chance I get I enjoy them. And I am happy for more time with them. It's true what is said. Being a grandparent is an awesome experience. Being their Grammy is very special to me. These kiddies matter.

Family. It's amazing to watch my children grow and become parents...to both babies and dogs. They have all grown to be such interesting adults, doing interesting things, making their own lovely homes with wonderful spouses, and living their lives. It's so rewarding to see them become who they were meant to be. They are all unique. They delight me and surprise me, and yet they are so familiar. We  have history. They are my children and they matter. It's still a miracle to me that they came from me and...

Hubby. We've been best friends forever. We've grown up together and co-created this wild and crazy life. It works for us. Sometimes we drive each other batty--especially when we had to live in very confined quarters all summer long during the remodel--but we are surviving this sweet adventure of life together. And that's what counts. One of my favorite things is to watch him care for and love our grandchildren. This reminds me what a good dad he was and is. Selfless and caring. He makes a great Pop Pop. And the kiddies love him. That matters to me.

Friends. We don't choose our families, but we do our friends. Friends we share our lives and families with and those memories bind our spirits. When we go way back, "Remember When" becomes one of the best party games I know. I love my friends and they mean the world to me. I hope we spend more and more time together. I look forward to growing old with them. Friends matter.

Book club. We're just starting this neighborhood club with a bunch of great women and I'm committed because it's something I've always wanted to do. Talking about good books with good people is a great way to spend time. Books offer a glimpse of experiences, points in time, and places we've never been. Books take us out of our comfort zone and make us think. Book club is where I want to be. I deserve to carve out this time for me to read and socialize. Reading and book club matter.

Food. Food is life. And I like good, real food. I'm so interested in the world's food system, how we digressed from eating whole foods, and what we can do to get back to our healthier roots. I'm a proponent of sustainable agriculture. I vote with my dollars for a better world and purchase organic foods to show that I don't believe it's acceptable to spray our crops, farmland, and those who grow food for us with poisons. We are what we eat. Healthy food matters.

Lake through the trees from the trail

Nature. I love a good walk in the woods. Even in the rain. There's something about the outdoors that sustains and energizes me. Even though it can at times be tiring or quite a challenge, I love to get out there every chance I can. I'm always thinking about the next opportunity. Until then, I look up at the sky and clouds frequently. I notice trees and how they adapt and bend to find the light. I breathe fresh air as I walk to my next meeting or appointment. And I take long moments here and there to look at flowers and animals in my path, stand quietly by water to reflect on what's important, and snap a picture that can help me remember later when I'm inside how much I love this beautiful Earth and how lucky I am to live here. I truly believe nature heals. It matters.

Walking. When I'm not on the trail, I'm jonesing for a walk in the neighborhood. Any chance I can get out, I'm there. I love a good walk when I'm all by myself and I can look up to the blues of the sky and hear the birds and crickets chirp, the wind whistling through the trees, and my inner voice talking to help me work through my thoughts and feelings. I enjoy a walk when all the neighbors come out of their homes one by one to enjoy a beautiful day and we exchange greetings. I love a nice walk with my hubby to share some time and chat about everything going on. I'll take a long walk in the rain, carrying my full backpack, thinking about my goals and training for my next adventure with my tried-and-true hiking pal. Hiking and walking sustain me. They matter.

Mindfulness. Now more than ever I aspire to a mindful life. I'm not that good at this yet, but that's why it's called a practice. I still many times let myself get in my own way. My mind is willing and thinking good thoughts, but I am human and still learning. Since I won't be done until I am done, mindfulness is something to work on every day. Meditation is one practice that centers me. Sitting still for twenty minutes sometimes is harder than it could seem. Again, I need to practice, since it's time well spent. Meditation settles my spirit. It helps me find who I am and contributes to who I want to be. Yoga is another practice that makes me feel happy, calm, strong, and nimble--all good things. I don't practice as much as I'd like, so I want to work on this because it matters.

Last, but not least,

Spiritual health. There's so much to learn and so many connections to make in this universe. I want to absorb like a sponge through my own personal journey. I appreciate the company of simpatico souls and pondering how we are all unique, yet in so many ways the same. I want to consider all that was, is, or can be, weaving my thoughts and beliefs together like a tapestry, but never finishing, so I can continue to explore all possible designs. I didn't know this as well before--when I didn't  know--but I am spiritual. Learning from and observing all our world's spiritual leaders matters to me. No one of us is any more important than the other, but when I keep my eyes and ears open, I am excited to learn from those who are clearly enlightened. They pave the way with their words of simple loving-kindness. They make me want to work really hard to be the best I can be. I am very aware and comfortable that my spiritual journey matters to me.

So, yes, I didn't know I had a list of ten things that matter to me right now until I sat down to write a bit. I always have lots to work on, to attend to these things that matter to me. I am more comfortable in my skin now than I ever have been and I believe that wisdom comes with age, when we just don't care as much if someone thinks we're different or strange. When I struggle, I look inside and think about what I know to be true to get myself back on the path I want to be.

I know I'll get there. Because these things matter.

What matters to you? I'd love to hear.

Until next time, yours in minding what matters...Therese

I like trees

Really, I do. I even own a Life is Good® t-shirt that proclaims "I like trees." So you know, I really mean it. Trees fascinate me and make me happy. I love looking at them, taking pictures of them, walking and snowshoeing through them, and staying cool under them.

Trees are glorious all through the year. They serve as perfect ambassadors of the changing seasons in my home state of Pennsylvania, the name which aptly means "Penn's woods" after Sir William Penn, father of the future founder of the Commonwealth.

I like a quote by naturalist John Muir (well, I like many of his). He said, "Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world." It feels that way when I'm hiking. I'm fortunate I have patient hiking buddies who don't mind when I stop to snap pics of the tree-lined trail in front of me. That trail seems to signal the promise of adventure and the potential of what can be.

Actually, it may not be a coincidence that my buddies don't mind since I haven't found a hiker yet who doesn't feel compelled to photograph all of nature's beauty in front of them, including trees.



French Creek State Park

So, yes, as I look through photos I've taken on the trail and on vacations, many include trees and trees against the sky, in all seasons.

Candy Polgar wrote: "Alone with myself. The trees bend to caress me. The shade hugs my heart."

Sounds like a tree hugger, huh? Maybe I am, too. Can't say I know the name or species of every one I see, but I know I enjoy looking at them and appreciating their grandeur. And the gnarlier and more unique the tree, the better. Hike with me and you'll see that I can't walk by a "weird" tree without stopping to capture its essence with the handy digital camera hanging around my neck.

 

 

That is the trail, right between those very straight trees

What is it about trees that I'm attracted to? Is it their quiet majesty? They witness so much standing still at attention. Trees grow despite adversity. They'll wrap their limbs around obstacles to find the light and reach the sky.

Trees adapt. Once we had a tree surgeon remove a large tree that a previous owner had planted way too close to our house. It was also crowding out another tree close to it. When we saw how bare, stunted, and lopsided the remaining tree was after the first was removed, we wondered what we had done.

The tree specialist told us not to worry, that the sad-looking tree would fill in and reach out now for all the open space we had provided. He was right! Today, you'd never believe what that tree looked like before it received the opportunity of its life. Not a bad trait, no, to face adversity and adapt to your surroundings! Trees are awesome like that.

Trees are colorful in all their fall glory

Trees are majestic, yes, but with any power and majesty there's potential for both good and bad. We've all seen on the news one time or another the destruction when a fallen tree crashes through the roof of a house or on a car during a storm or with high winds. 

And we've heard sadder stories when trees have fallen and injured or killed people.

Many years ago a coworker had a very sad story to share with us one day. His relative, a young father, lived on a heavily treed lot. He was already out doing yard work with his young son when winds kicked up. He sensed an impending storm and proceeded to gather tools and batten down the hatches.

The winds whipped unexpectedly and a large tree crashed down and killed his two-year-old son in front of his eyes. I remember hearing that the devastated and mourning father cut down every tree on his lot to ensure that no such accident could ever happen again. I don't know if ultimately the young family moved from that property, which would surely be a daily reminder of the tragedy, but I could certainly understand if they did.

I think about this family I didn't personally know every once in awhile. None of us have any promise that life will be fair, but sometimes it's just hard to understand and the burden is too much for any of us to bear. The father who lost his young son to the fallen tree most likely still does not hold any fondness for trees. And who would blame him.

Not too long ago on a day hike I was telling a friend how I hiked in the Poconos last fall and a group of us had lingered near a waterfall. Finally we moved on, but not too far up the trail we stopped quickly, startled by a very loud noise. We turned to watch a huge tree falling through the other trees and drop to the ground with the loudest thud I ever heard in a forest.

Roots from a fallen tree in the woods (not the one in the story above)

Does a fallen tree make a sound in the woods if no one is there to hear it?

The tree crashed and fell right where we had just been standing! All of us stared in disbelief with mouths gaping open. I will admit that I yelled very loudly, "Shit!" That was too close for comfort. Wow! We were very lucky hikers! We could have still been standing there had we lingered just a bit more! Wow! That would have not been good.

Well, soon after I told my friend about the experience the year before with the fallen tree, what do you think happened while we continued to hike? A tree fell! What are the chances? I was lucky again and we weren't in harm's way. But it just makes you think, doesn't it? It's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And can you ever truly know when or where is the wrong place to be? No. You know the saying that hindsight is 20-20. In advance, you can only use common sense and make smart, informed decisions. Certainly don't take unnecessary risks and be the senseless person I know of who took his daughter camping the night of Hurricane Irene, when all news told us to stay protected in our basements as the high winds whipped and felled trees, creating havoc all around  us.

Now, unbelievably and thankfully, no tree fell on that goofball and the daughter in his care that night. But yet, we know that even without hurricanes and major storms, trees, most probably bug-infested or with rotting roots, have fallen on unsuspecting campers in tents and killed them before they knew what hit them. What's fair about any of it? Nothing.

So, does any of this keep me from walking through the trees? No. When it's your time, it's your time. And there are way too many ways our lives can be claimed, so I don't want to hold myself in fear of any one possibility. I'll do my best to not take unnecessary risks, so I'm not willing to forgo my adventures in the forest as long as I am still in awe of its standing glory and the peace trees bring to my soul. 

This tree on the palace grounds in Honolulu
 looks like lace against the sky























This tree on the palace grounds is big



Under the shade of a banyan tree on Waikiki Beach



Banyan tree in Hawaii. These are amazing

Ice and snow highlight the beauty of trees in our yard

Tree out my back window on a spring night with the moon peeking through

For sure I know I have only touched the surface of adventure in the woods. I have so much more to see. There are so many sections of the Appalachian Trail that I haven't hiked yet. And I still have on my bucket list to see a giant sequoia and stand among enormous redwoods. Poet Alexander Smith wrote "Trees are your best antiques." I respect that statement. I want to try my best to hug one of those calm, yet woody, elders, that will still be there when we are all dead and gone.

I like how John Muir personified trees when he wrote, "A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."

Can you see his spirit? This tree's alive

I like to think of trees as nonhuman spirits, nonetheless alive, yet on a different plane from us. To me, standing by an amazing tree, I sense a soulful, calm existence and it makes me feel just the same. Yes, trees give and take life. Nothing is perfect and life's not fair. So I say I'll do the best with what I have and make the most of it all. When I need to de-stress, I can count on enjoying a simple walk in the woods or a moment to sit quietly with the trees in my yard and listen to the sound of silence. And if I hear or see a tree fall once again and can live to tell you all about it, I'll continue to respect the power and thank the universe for all my blessings.

What can I say? I like trees.

Until next time, yours in fun and tree-hugging...Therese

Don't you wish your girlfriend was a hiker like me Don't cha

On top of the world.

Why would you wish?

Hikers are never too embarrassed to geek it up. Can’t you just picture me in my hiking gear singing my own version of the Pussycat Dolls song? You know I would do it! Don’t even need to be dared. I have no shame. Wide-brimmed hat, hiking poles, vest holding all my gadgets, tube from my hydration bladder hanging over my shoulder, yellow snot rag tied to my backpack…the gear is part of the fun. Always a Girl Scout, I like to be prepared.  

My toe paraphernalia.
Only the toes knows.

Gnarly feet are hot. Hiker appeal isn’t just about the cool clothes. Long days and lots of miles, up- and downhill, will take its toll on your feet, which are already ugly to start. A shameless flat-footed biped, I don’t complain, since these canoes get me where I need to go.

Just call me Tootsie in the morning.



Bloody bruises and blisters from too-small boots (no longer an issue after 32 miles and a good fitting by an Appalachian Mountain Man) and treacherous climbs up and down while section-hiking the Appalachian Trail in Georgia earned me my trail name, Tootsie. You don’t want to know what’s under these toe bandages, jellies, and pads. Who needs toenails anyway?

Why else would you wish your girlfriend was a hiker chick like me?

We keep good company. There's great conversation on the trail. And when you need quiet, it's nice to know someone is walking beside you, in front of, or behind you, there if you need them. Hiker chicks are reliable, a damn good and strong bunch. In more than one way, too.



That's me in the privy. That's me in the spotlight.
Losing my religion, er, I mean, dignity.

We don’t care what we look or smell like. Sunscreen is all you need. There’s no high maintenance, no vanity on the trail. There's a quiet simplicity and earthiness to it all. Such a feeling of peace comes over when it hits you that very few things are really critical to meet our need to survive.

Our only want is to meet the demands of the trail. Our only needs are to eat, drink water, go to the bathroom, and get a good night’s sleep to start back on the trail again the next day…and there are no requirements or expectations about how or where we do any of those things. On the trail, hikers learn to let go of the real world. It’s a culture with its own sense of civility and etiquette.    

We're too sexy for our hats, too sexy for our hats, too sexxy for our hats.

Hikers are tough. On my 2009 Georgia trek on the AT, it was a solemn drive in the van one day on the way to the trail. We all knew what was ahead of us—a very rainy day with sixteen miles to cover. We all quietly emptied out our packs full of treasures—nice-to-have gear in our daypacks—and stripped down to just absolutely what we needed to conquer the trail that day.

 

We shielded our packs with rain covers and some donned rain gear. None of that mattered. We were soaked to the bone at the end of the day. Rain gear and pack covers could only do so much with sixteen miles in all-day rain. It was difficult to peel off our wet clothes in the van on the way home to the hiker hostel. But it was still a glorious day on the trail and a feeling to never forget. A pleasant recurring dream it is to hike in light rain.  

A special day in the rain.

So any other reasons you'd wish your girlfriend was a hiker chick like these women?

No complainers in the bunch. Up and down the mountains, through pain and tired muscles, and non-stop rain, not one hiker uttered a negative thought, that day or all week long. We were proud to be a part of it all.

Hikers are humorous. A highlight at the end of that rainy day, somewhere during mile sixteen, was when one hiker looked up at the sky with raised hands and quietly begged, “Can you stop raining for one moment?” Such comic relief we needed. The irony was that we were close to the finish line and it didn’t really matter if it stopped raining. We were already soaked. We all laughed, reveled in what already became our war story, and pondered how life was good.


No complainers here.

 

Hikers are there for each other. Each night at dinner after a long day on the trail, we talk about the experiences we'll never forget, and congratulate each other on a job well done. 

So at the end of the day, hiking may not be your thing, but for me and my hiker chicks, we will serve the trail.
 
 
  

In a good place. On the trail.

Don’t you wish your girlfriend was a hiker like me? Don’t cha?

Hey, you don’t have to wish! Give it a try! Start small. Take a spin around your neighborhood. Find a hiking buddy and join in. And I bet you’ll find some cool walkers or hikers at a nice park near you.

Happy trails!

Until next time, yours in fun and hiking...Therese

Let's get adventurous

I’ve told you a bit about the bucket list I started back in 2005. And I’ve told you some about my renewed love of hiking. So where did all these fancy ideas take me next? Adventures! Sounds so silly and childish to say I love adventures, but that’s probably why I like to say it.

I told you in an earlier post about my interest in Deerfield Spa and how I’d read about them in one of my fitness magazines. Well, another business that caught my eye was Adventures in Good Company, a travel company offering “trips for adventurous women who want an active vacation and love being outdoors.” I kept them in mind and here and there I’d check out their website, to see their offerings and read what others said about them. I liked what I saw and was pretty sure I wanted to try a trip with them, but I was comfortable with the always enjoyable Deerfield week. That was it. Comfortable? Time to mix it up! So 2009 was the year I decided to give it a go and try something new. An adventure!

So right after the new year I signed up for Slackpacking Georgia, a week-long October trip. Seemed like a good place to start. The trip offered hiking all day every day for a week through the fall foliage of Dahlonega, Georgia, carrying only a day pack. We’d start at Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and work our way through sections each day, with a van shuttling a small group of us back and forth. After a tough day on the trail, we’d arrive back to a new hostel reserved just for us, with warm showers, the promise of delicious food and plenty of it, and comfy beds at night. This was right up my alley. 

The group starting out at Springer Mountain on the Appalachian Trail.

The trip turned out to be a game changer, an excellent choice for me. It was so exhilarating and challenging to hike with the small group of like-minded women through the week. Our two guides were amazing and really made our trip memorable. The food was great like they said. And we could eat lots of it because we were burning mega-calories every day.

Sounds like a dream vacation, right? As long as you know what you’re in for. No, the reality was it was hard work, damn hard work. But I wouldn’t ever trade that experience. The sense of accomplishment I felt at the end of the trip was worth all the blood (my tootsies) and sweat (mine and the bears) on the trail.


On top of the world.

I know that all sounds heavenly, but I won’t romanticize adventures since it’s really important to be honest and accurately assess what you need to do to get yourself there. The company website with trip descriptions and ratings accurately reflects what you’ll experience, so if you’re thinking about an adventure for yourself, read carefully and call if you have any questions.

I see now two years later that the trip I took was upgraded (or is that downgraded?) from a level 4 (difficult) rating to a 5 (most difficult), which is a good call in my estimation. That trip was hard work. One woman in our group gave herself the adventure for her 50th birthday and had to sit out here and there since she hadn’t really trained as suggested. Seriously, I began training and hiking to be ready from the time I signed up in January, right up until I left on the plane in October. And thank goodness! I’m not sure I would have made it without that rigorous regimen.

I notice that the adventure company now offers a new service, Fit for Trips, "a fitness program designed to help you prepare for your next adventure.” Obviously, someone smart saw a need and jumped to fill it. Not a bad idea to give yourself some structure to ensure you have fun and make your goal!

So what am I doing lately? Am I deterred by hard work? No! I've started training again. And I’m dreaming about my next adventure! Yes, I’m scouring the Adventures in Good Company website, but I’m also perusing Travel with REI and interested in trips I see on Backroads.com. I’ve heard firsthand from friends who’ve tried each of these other companies that the trips delivered and they had an awesome time like I did on my adventure. It’s always nice to get a referral from someone you know who had a good experience.

Thinking about my next adventure.

For me, one of the most attractive benefits of going through a travel or adventure company is that you don’t have to do any of the planning, a boon for a busy working mom. Ah, so much to think about! So much to do and so many places to see! I want to visit every national park (lots still to go!) and continue to section-hike the Appalachian Trail. Where should I go next? What adventure awaits?

And where do you want to head next? Let me know if there’s a trip you’re contemplating or have scheduled. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time, yours in fun and adventure…Therese

And now for something completely different

No, this post isn’t about Monty Python’s Flying Circus, although I do have to say that I’ve always loved that zany British comedy troupe. This post is about my love of walking. And I’m not talking the “ministry of silly walks” or “walk this way” (two of the best Monty Python sketches and running gags that always crack me up). I’m talking here about how I started to make time for myself as a young mother and renewed my love in walking and the outdoors.

When the kiddies were very little I took up the sport of racewalking. I went out most days at 6:30 a.m., put in an hour swiftly walking through the neighborhoods, and then made my way back home to wake the little ones and send them off to school. I found renewed energy and couldn’t wait to wake up early for that time to myself. I also felt confident and accomplished as pounds and inches from mommy weight melted off me.

If that idea interests you, adhering to two rules qualifies you as a racewalker:

1. Your back toe can’t leave the ground until the heel of your front foot has touched.
2. Your supporting leg must straighten from the point of contact with the ground and remain straightened until the body passes directly over it.

I got pretty good at the sport in no time. Two reasons I think so:

1. I did a 10-minute mile walking (world-class racewalkers can average under seven and eight minutes per mile).
2. And people on the road made fun of me. Pretty much said I had damn good racewalking form.

I had visions of training to compete (after all, name buddy and role model Therese Iknoian was a nationally ranked racewalker), but my “career” was cut short by an injury. My right knee was smashed in a car accident. Two surgeries later, I was happy to be walking slowly, let alone racing. I did my best to keep the legs strong over the years since the “good” leg typically starts to also give you trouble as you depend on that one more. It wasn’t easy, but I worked through the pain and was thankful I could do what I could and that all wasn’t worse.

Skip ahead to the year 2005 when my youngest went off to college. I’ve hinted in an earlier post that I had been working on that virtual bucket list─all things I wanted to do myself and with hubby when we had more time. I had collected so many cool ideas over the years. I’ve already mentioned the Rick Steves’ Best of Europe tour that we took in September 2005.

Well, another item on the wish list was to experience a spa vacation in the Poconos. Scouring through Fitness and Shape magazines while nursing bambini over the years, I read about Deerfield Spa, one of the country’s most affordable destination spas. One year I even called to inquire about visiting and then thought practically that I shouldn’t spend that money on me. The kids needed this and that and all I wanted was for them. I did think about that place many years, though, and in April 2006 I made my dream come true and attended Deerfield for a week-long spa adventure. I was revitalized and rejuvenated. I made some lifelong friends. And I hiked.

I had been a Girl Scout, and later a leader of my own troops, many years of my life. I had loved the outdoors and camping. As an adult, I always had responsibilities for twenty-some children at a time. Had to make sure they were safe around the campfire and while running through the woods. Had to keep my first-aid skills current; warn the girls not to play in the creek, hoping they wouldn’t come back to the cabin with leeches on their little legs; and pray that my leadership would keep us safe and my first-aid skills would never seriously be tested. So it was all fun, but the focus was always on the girls.

Peaceful and serene on the trails.

Now here I was at the spa all by myself, a camp of sorts for grown-ups. On the first day I went on an intermediate group hike on the Appalachian Trail. Every day it was a different hike in the region. I was hooked. As I walked through the woods, whether pensively following the trail myself or joining in with the rest and chatting with new friends, I realized this was a new experience that I couldn’t let go when I rejoined the “real” world.

Always a feeling of accomplishment when you get to the top.

In short, I’ve visited the spa many times since that first encounter. It’s a great place to reunite with good friends, and I’ve now, to boot (pun intended), hiked many miles on many trails there. Those close know I look forward to and treasure those vacations on my own. There is always a lot to do at the spa, for sure, but it’s no contest that my favorite activities are the hikes. Well, I certainly do also appreciate the massages after, but mostly because they get me back on the trail the next day.

Reaching new heights.

So as you’re thick in the business of your everyday life, don’t forget to stop and seek out things that make you happy. Don’t fret if you can’t do them all right away. Keeping track of goals is motivating and can be quite satisfying as you’re finally able to realize them, one by one. So take time for yourself here and there to think about what you’d like to try next. And last, but not least, don’t forget to declare for yourself when it’s time for something completely different.

Until next time, yours in fun and hiking…Therese