Temple Square

July 2015
Temple Square, Salt Lake City Utah

For our anniversary we decided to stay close to home and celebrate by exploring the city we live in. There was a chance Chris would have to go away over our anniversary, so we started to celebrate early. I was feeling AMAZING that week and wanted to go go go...but Chris, being to wise man he his, made me pace myself and we explored our city safely and smartly.

The Month of June

The month was June was very full. Chris was away training and I was back in PA with family and friends. June came and went, full of a WWII event, a carnival, a baseball game, a wedding, a funeral, and a much needed day at the beach. But, June also came with a few health set backs, separation from each other by several states, and half a load of clothing being stolen from a hotel dryer (who does that?!)

Here are a few pictures from our June....

Flexibility

Sometimes life throws you a few curve-balls. Some times you can see them coming, most of the times you don't. You take a deep breath, close your eyes (or don't), and swing with all your might. Some times you miss and sometimes you hit a grand slam.

Other times...seats fill up on airplanes and you have to turn to plan B or C or D or Q.

When people hear I am married to a pilot, one of the first things people say is "I bet you guys can fly anywhere you want for free". Yes and no. Sometimes you hit that gram slam and sometimes you strike out. Sometimes it would just be easier to purchase a ticket. But each time we fly standby...we walk away with a story.

Nourishment

May 27th, 2015

There are times in most peoples lives when they have to make a change and adjust to a new normal. Jobs, living situations, children, a new pet, heath, food, and so on. It is just part of life. 

When people face a heath issue and are told they need to make some dietary changes, many feel a sense of panic. Let's face it...we humans do not like change and heaven forbid you mess with our daily food rituals! As Americans, it's rather embarrassing to see what the "norm" is in the area of food these days. But, we are working on it and things seem to be changing for the good (I hope so anyway.) 

That first feeling of panic seems to be a common reaction when told to make some diet changes. Most of the time it's met with opposition...depending on the persons disposition and on how stubborn they are. But, for the people that faithfully follow the needed changes, they see results or feel so much better. Sometime those faithful followers discover that their body can indeed communicate with them on what needs it has (and no, a call for refined sugar and sugar laden breads is not a positive call.) Sometimes those communications indicate deeper issues, damage, intolerance, allergies, and imbalances you never ever knew you had. You slowly go layer by layer, uncovering secrets that your body was too weak or suppressed to communicate...until you started to unload burdens. 

At The Zoo

In April, Chris and I went on a little adventure at Utah's Hogle Zoo. The zoo is literately minutes away and in a fun location. We originally planned to meet up with friends from Oregon that were driving through, see the zoo, and come back to our place for lunch. We were half way through the zoo when our friends called and said they had some unexpected car trouble right within the city limits. So we finished up as we walked back through and left to rescue our stranded friends. We ended up seeing everything expect the reptile house (which is perfectly fine with me.)

Gilgal Sculpture Garden

We have been laying pretty low these days. Enjoying Spring and Chris's extra surprise days off. We are also still avoiding "mold hits" and working hard at making progress with my illness. 

A few weeks ago we made a quick trip to Oregon for a friend's wedding. But, lately we have been sticking close to home and exploring the local sites when able. 

Enter Gigal Sculpture Garden. I first read about this place in a fun book called Utah Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff . It sounded a little odd...but interesting. Months later I realized that we live very close to this hidden park and drive by it on the way to pretty much wherever we go. The garden/park is hidden between two houses on a relatively quiet street...just before Trolley Square. This garden/park definitely is a bit quirky (and you will see why), but when you learn the history behind it...its rather impressive. The man who owned the land and created the garden was visionary, passionate, devout, and impressively creative. I am sure he raised a few eyebrows in his day, but he kept working on his sculptures. 

Here is a little tour of the garden from our point of view. You can read all about it and what each sculpture means here - Gilgal Sculpture Garden.

Pop-Pop

Man of few words, but a fountain of knowledge. 

My Grandfather was a quiet man, you had to work a little to get him going. But, once you did....he was a jolly conversationalist. He was very knowledgeable in so many areas and was always reading and learning more. I always looked up to him and we had a very special bond. My Grandmother too.