A Road to Adventure

Anna and Niki a.k.a. my backseat buddies

The trip didn't start out like others. I was slightly nervous going on a road trip with three people I hadn't travelled with before. They are my friends, but I hadn't spent this kind of time with them yet. It didn't take long for my nerves to calm down. I realized how silly I was to be nervous. I had a blast.

Some people think western Kansas is boring. I disagree. There is something about the vast, open prairie that inspires awe. Just as I feel small next to a mountain, I am reminded how tiny I am compared to the miles and miles of open landscape. Never mind the seeming barrenness of the land. The land is beautiful. The blue sky, golden fields, green pastures speckled with black, brown, and white spots, the Flint Hills that are a luscious green, rolling on for miles. And the clouds, oh the clouds...


One of the things I enjoy the most while travelling west through our great state are the sunsets, and since we left at 4 in the afternoon I was able to enjoy one that night.








John and Chris

















Though they are not part of the natural landscape I cannot leave out the wind turbines. Talk about enormous. My first experience with the mammoth machines was in California when I was 9. They went on for miles and miles and miles and miles. It was fun travelling past them this time as there was an architectural engineer in the car with us. He volunteered all kinds of info about them. I encouraged him to go on even though, at times, he thought it nerdy. (If you want nerd just listen to me talk for a while. You will get your fill of nerd ; ) )
As amazing and beautiful as all of the scenery was the people are what made the trip. Four incredible, confident, adventurous people. (five total, of course) Each of them ooze these qualities. They are not above other people, in fact they freely share their faith, and offer their help and friendliness. Over the past 5 1/2 years I have hung out with Niki, Chris, and Anna over and over again developing sweet friendships. They have this friend John who recently became my friend as well. He was an acquaintance from a few years ago that I met at The Barn. Since March I have hung out with him and the girls a couple of times, but still hardly knew him. He was the lone guy on our trip. I wonder what was going through his head as we drove out to Colorado to hike, camp, etc. I think he was pleasantly surprised. In fact, as we climbed up boulders on our last day hike he told us that a good number of his guy friends wouldn't even do that with him. It was settled early on that we were the best girls to road trip to Colorado with.

Last night at group Tom asked Maeret, yet all of us, if she had ever met anyone who had the presence of the L-rd all over them. I immediately said yes. Initially I was thinking about Cindi Lombardo, but close behind her were these four.



Left: The crew at the Arkansas River

Below: The crew on the Shavano summit

Much to our enjoyment the annual FibArk Festival was going on in Salida. Well, I enjoyed some of it, the drunkenness not being that which I enjoyed. There was a pro trick kayak tournament, karaoke, bands, a parade, and hooligan, uh, 'races'. The hooligans being rafts of sorts.

The teams were given 6 weeks to build their hooligan. A good majority didn't last a full minute. It was amusing. I'm still not entirely sure the point of the 'race'. It was hilarious-some more than others.

Stay tuned...

http://www.gummesonscamp.com/

Alone

Alone: adjective, adverb. 1.On one's own; by oneself.2.isolated and lonely.3.only; exclusively.

sometimes i start to forget how much my community means to me. i feel this way every few months or so. i will call them 'episodes'. the pull to travel and experience new sights and sounds hits me hard. i get bored with where i am at. let me specify. where i am working and the fact that this job doesn't even come close to touching the desires of my heart, my passions, my longing for adventure, and for life. i thought i was done here. i believe i am close, but every day that passes brings me closer. there isn't much consolation in knowing that. i want to be able to see it. to hold it in my hands. to know it and embrace it with my heart. my spirit longs to stand up and flow in my giftings. to be heard, to be seen, to be creative, to learn, to experiment, to grow, to experience life, to be loved, to love, to be bold. i am tired. i am overwhelmed. i feel stuck. something's gotta give. is it my turn yet? am i even ready? apparently not is what i deduce since i am still here. i have been asking the L-rd to keep my in this season, of being single and here at work, as long as necessary. that's not always a fun or easy prayer. to feel these emotions reminds me that i am alive, and that my decisions and actions, my prayers,petitions, and my community change things. community, huh? what would i do without them? i would be consumed by these emotions, lethargy, and ambivalence. what about G-d? i would still know Him and desire a relationship with Him, but my growth in Him would me minuscule. i JUST realized Kingdom Living is a miracle intervention placed in my life by Hashem. wow...i didn't know this before. whew...bless the L-rd.

while i feel mostly negative i have seen this 'episode' differently than usual. i know the L-rd works through these low times. He works at all times! it's not necessarily "bad" that i feel this way. i have been honest about how i am feeling and know that it isn't without purpose. i wonder how long it would have taken me to realize the miracle that is KL. maybe these 'episodes' are put in place to help force me to be introspective. to look at the deeper matters of my heart. they are hard times to be sure. they are necessary opportunities to grow. and to depend on community, just a few minutes ago one of my friends gave me some great advice to do something. i couldn't see that on my own this time. i am not alone; i am surrounded with no chance of escape ; ). i'm right where i want/need/desire to be.

surround: verb.1.be all around; encircle.2.be associated with.
noun.1.a border or edging.2.surroundings

definititions from askoxford.com

Monday or Tuesday of this week I decided that a change is necessary. I have become slightly obsessed with the lemon blueberry muffins at 515 Coffee, and with certain iced coffee drinks. I notice that when I start my day with said muffin, even if I eat it mid-morning, I crave more refined carbohydrates and sweets than I do if I haven't consumed a muffin. Oddly enough I don't start feeling bloated until I am no longer eating. I have noticed this over the course of the last year. I will eat something, crave more, eat more, crave more, eat more...you get the idea. (This isn't limited to just muffins, bagels, teddy grahams, donuts, etc. these do the same thing.) I decided to eliminate refined carbs from my diet as much as possible for the next 2 weeks. That's right. I will allow myself to eat sweets on Sabbath, though, even then I am not going to stuff my face.

I'm letting you all know because if I keep it to myself I am not accountable to anyone and I fail.

For me it's a matter of self-control. A matter of being disciplined and reaping the benefits. Last night a friend texted a quote to me from the book Assumptions by Dr Christian Overman, "self control is not just a matter of restraining evil impulses, but of initiating good without being manipulated to do so." Oh my how that spoke to me. When I eat like that it does not allow for my body to heal. In fact, I take about 10 steps back. I was incredibly bloated and uncomfortable yesterday and the day before. Before that I had been doing loads better. My body was finally starting to feel 'normal' again after over a year of being bloated. To say that I am learning lesson upon lesson would be an understatement. It's a bummer I had to learn this lesson this way, so hopefully I will finally learn my lesson!

The two weeks starts today. I have mixed emotions. I know it will be good. I know it will be hard. I was watching Veggie Tales with Noah last night and one of the lessons Minnesota Cuke had to learn was the right thing to do isn't always the easy thing. I thought about my struggle. The "right" thing to do is definitely not the easiest choice.

What: Interview at Black Dog Coffeehouse

When: May 11, 2010

Time: 6:00 pm

Aspirations (for the moment): To become a part time barista, learn, and grow.

April 22, 2010-Earth Day/Inspiration Day

I came across an article covering an Earth Day runway show. The clothing was made out of recycled materials such as newspaper, old trench coats, old denim, etc. I thought this was a great idea. Make new articles of clothing from stuff I don't wear anymore.

I decided to try this out and make a skirt out of old t-shirts. I told my friend Peg about my idea and asked if she would help me by doing the sewing part. (and teach me as we go) She thought it was a great idea. For one we would get to hang out, two it sounded like fun.

I took my t-shirts to her place today and told her what I was thinking. We matched up t-shirts to go together and started cutting.

She hasn't ever done a project like this. She said it is a bit of a challenge and that excites her. She likes figuring out how to make it work. I'm glad. I'm sure I could have figured it out, but it would have looked way different. A project like this needed more thought put into it than I imagined.

She is the sewing brains behind the operation and planner/corrector/amazing/co-designer. I am the cutter/photographer/iced coffee drinker/co-designer.

The skirt isn't finished just yet. We are both excited to see how it turns out!

i am bored and half asleep. i was trying to read a running article, but that wasn't able to hold my interest. i can only read a few running articles before i get annoyed that i can't get up and run. i would much rather be running than reading a running article. i have already been on facebook, checked both of my e-mail accounts, scouted my blog list for updates, and picked my nose. (is she joking?)

what to do when bored at work? get a new job. when that isn't yet an option try a crossword puzzle, read about the massive oil spill in the gulf coast, check out jpost.com, or update your blog. all of this after you have finished your work responsibilities, of course, and have eaten too much sugar. honestly, i haven't had that much, yet i feel as though i have overdosed. not a fun feeling.

my after work plan for today was to go on a run. i don't feel motivated at the moment to go on this run. i know i will go. it's hard to think about going when i could fall asleep in my chair. i haven't run since last tuesday. let me tell you, that was a mighty fine run. i think something is wrong with my stopwatch, though. i think it speeds up causing me to think i run much faster than i do. seriously though, i don't feel like i am running that 'fast'. anyone have a stop watch i can borrow for a run to test this out? my plan is to time myself with 2 s-watches.

since you brought up my run last tuesday i might as well tell you about the part that made me smile the most. i had the route planned out in my head. I ran a little over 3 miles out therefore, i had a little over 3 miles back. the second 3 miles i decided to see how fast i could run it. the trail i ran on has half mile markers, love those markers, and for my last three miles i had to double back in order to have a full 3 miles and then walk or jog home. there was a little girl on the trail with her grandmother. she was riding her bike and being a cute little girl. when i turned around at the marker i heard her ask, "Grandma, why is she running in cirlces?" big smile on my face and a chuckle. about 5 or 6 minutes later i ran past them again and the little girl said, "Grandma, there she is again!" i waved at them and was impressed with the little girl being observant and not absorbed in her own little world. ahh...the little things that make me smile.