A weekend with the Mouse

My little sister Marcy visited me this past weekend. I miss her already and it's only Monday.

I learned a lot from her visit - about her, myself and how wonderful life, sisters and my brother are.












I love you Marcy.

Books I love and use

The Girl Scout Handbook. New York: by The Girls Scouts of America, 1947
I love this old, little book. I was lucky enough to find it in the bottom of a box of books at a yard sale. It's one of my favorites.

Adams, Kevin. Hiking: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon - The Globe Pequot Press, 2003

Means, Evan. Hiking Tennessee Trails: Hikes along the Appalachian Trail, Natchez Trail, Cumberland Trail, John Muir Trail and many others. Old Saybrook, Connecticut: The Golbe Pequot Press, 1999

Ross, John. Trout Unlimiteds Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams. Helena, Montana: Falcon, 1999

Rutter, Ian. Tennessee Trout Waters: Blue Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide. Portland, Oregon: Frank Amato Publications, Inc. 2003
This is my most favorite book of them all and I've used it more than all of them put together. If you like to fish for trout or just like to hike rivers and streams this is the best book I have in my collection so far. LOVE IT.

The Walnut Street Bridge

This is one of my favorite walks and it is very kid friendly and bikes are welcome. The kids and I pack up their little trikes and bikes and we head to the bridge usually in the early morning. We love the early morning light and cool breezes that come off the water in the summer.

This is a historic 100+ year old bridge that spans the TN River (Lake Nickajack). It was once a two lane highway but it's now a walking bridge. You can get to it from Walnut Street on the South Shore or from Frazier Avenue on the North Shore. I highly recommend parking on the North Shore side of the river. There are lots of local shops and places to grab a bite to eat or a drink. Coolidge Park is also there and is another family favorite. If you have a buck you can ride the old carousel - AFFORDABLE FUN!!! You can also play in the fountain outside in the summer. The kids never go for walks across the bridge or to Coolidge Park without towels and swimsuits.

This is an easy area to walk, especially the bridge. My Kids can make it across and back with no problems or whining for rides. We enjoy it because it's a nice switch from the crowded downtown streets on the weekends and the views are beautiful - morning is best in my opinion. Night time walks are fun too when I'm alone or it's just me and the old man. So, all you family and friends next time you visit put this one on your to do list.

p.s. didn't take my camera for this one

Insight of the Day

I do not expect anything
from others,
So their actions
cannot be in opposition
to wishes of mine.

Swami Sri Yukteswar
Autobiography of a Yogi


The only way that I can feel insulted by something someone says is if I expect to be insulted.
I wake up every morning not expecting anyone to insult me or damn me as the case is today. Still, I can't help but feel a bit sad about how some people may view what I believe in and what I am teaching my children. I, first of all, will never debate religion, spirituality or politics with anyone. These are deeply personal subjects and everyone is entitled to their own view point - especially spiritual matters.
I will not debate heaven and hell but I won't be damned to hell without taking a stand. My house is a house of Love and a house of Light. There is no room in Love for fear and I am not afraid of hell. I will not raise my children to be afraid of burning in hell. This isn't up for discussion.
We believe there are many Paths to Spirit. We believe Love and the Spirit never die.
My family has overcome HUGE obstacles and my husband and I continue to come together in Love and we are teaching our children that Love is universal and EVERYONE is entitled to and inherently Spirit - Period. No one can take your birth right from you and no one has the right to judge ANYONE for what they believe.
This is where I stand - in simplified form. I have given this much thought over the past 25 years. I am well informed on all the religions of the world including the one I was raised in. This is where I am happy and this is where my family has come together.
Please note, I will not comment, discuss or debate with anyone wishing to convert me. I am what I am and it has come over many years of living.

Bathroom Debauchery

Brandy and I have been renovating our bathroom. The bathroom was pretty awful and needed a good face lift.

This project started several weeks ago and it began with Brandy tearing everything out of the room - drywall included and the insulation under it as well. So, we were left with nothing but the wood bones of the room and a bathtub (cast iron - this thing ain't movin) and it was lovely. I must say it looked better than what we were working and living with. We found hard wood sub floor underneath the vinyl that if in any other room I would have LOVED to refinish and use but too much water in a bathroom. We also found a newspaper clipping from the year Brandy was born.

Rod showed up the next day after the demolition and finished up some of the deconstruction for us. He was such a help and has been helping us with this house from the beginning. He helped us with the kitchen remodel - which in true Whisler style is still under construction.
The bathroom is a different kind of beast altogether. We decided on floor to ceiling tile and this is no small feat. Thank God for Rod once again - he layed most of the wall tile and Brandy pretty much did all the cutting and leg work. Brandy installed a glass block window and it looks awesome! I've always wanted one of those in my bathroom.

We thought that we could knock this project out in a weekend with Rods help but we were wrong. Monday came and it was time for Rod to leave and the tile laying wasn't complete. If I had a million dollars I probably would have offered him all of it to get him to stay. We did manage to get him to go to the lake with us for the day to sit back and relax and have a few beers. It was the LEAST we could do for him.
Well, next day was back to the daily grind. The bathroom isn't finished and we can't drop our other responsibilities to finish it. Brandy's next weekend will have to be our pickup point. Thank goodness for the spare bathroom! It's actually been quite an adventure. I gave the kids their bath outside in the kiddie pool a few times, just for the fun of it. Yeah, we have an extra tub downstairs but it was fun and it's hot outside.

The weekend has arrived it's time to finish. We are hyped - we will finish laying tile one day and grout the next. Then when he gets home from work seal grout, the vanity and toilet can go back in and viola - bathroom. Well, it sounded good anyway. The last bit of tile that went up on the wall had to be cut. Just about every bit of tile that went on the last wall HAD to be custom fit. This old house (as I shake my head) nothing in it is square, flush, plum, straight etc. etc. but we love it and all it's imperfections. that last wall got finished by god and it looks damn good but that's all we got done in Brandy's weekend.

Now, I am done and I don't care how long this project takes anymore. We are resolved in the fact that it will get done and completely but who cares how long it takes now. The plan was to knock out the floor in a night. We've layed tile on floor and this was gonna be a short and sweet tile job. We had a square to lay it on and it is level and ready. No problem - we've done this part before and we weren't gonna have to cut much tile at all. The night we get ready to jump on this project and get it rolling to finished I decide I want to get creative and do a mosaic pattern on the floor. Yeah, that's right - I have put the project on hold.

So, that's where we are at right now. I am sketching and dreaming of the next step in this remodel. It was obvious from early on in the remodel that it was gonna take longer than anticipated so why not? Lets see where we can go with this. . .

Insight of the day

It is good to have an end
to journey towards,
but it is the journey that matters,
in the end.
~Ursula Le Guin

Or in the words of Hannah Montana (Myley Cyrus) - yeah, you heard me, I've got a 4 year old who adores her.

It ain't about how fast I get there,
It ain't about what's waitin on the other side,
It's the climb.

nuff said.

Cranky McNasty

I am a firm believer in discipline. I just hate dishing it out. I wish I had a nanny to tell me what to do. I would never in a million years hire one, well, the day I win the jackpot is the day I hand my kids over. That day hasn't come yet so, I'm left with the task of raising my own children and that means handing out the punishments. I learned a valuable lesson today though. I've always used this tactic but the light bulb went off today. Humor is very effective when trying to get a kids attention and get them to straighten up and behave.

Willow is a charming little girl and she is for the most part very well behaved. Now, she does have a little mean streak and she can get very cranky. Her dad and I have a nick-name for her when she starts to get cranky and we've used it since the day she was born. We call her Cranky McNasty. I'm not sure if the parent magazines or the doctors would agree with it but it's her little clue to cut it out before someone gets upset with her. Sometimes, I even get a chuckle and a complete attitude change.

Cranky McNasty responds very well to funny faces and the I'm gonna whoop your butt when we get home look equally. I am beginning to prefer the funny face followed by hey, I'm gonna whoop some butt look. She gives me a little giggle but it's understood what will be going on if she doesn't straighten up immediately. Now, this technique doesn't work all the time but it works enough.

I have learned well to pick my battles and when is an appropriate time to dish out the heavy discipline. Humor is just one of the many tools in my artillery. Cranky McNasty may drive me up a wall at times but underneath it all I love her very much. I wouldn't be bothered too much though if we could change her name to Rosy Sunshine permanently but that wouldn't be very challenging or fun - would it.!?

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A Stroll Up Broad Street

The kids and I frequently venture downtown. Brandy works on Broad St. and we like to go and have lunch with him when we can. He is a manager at Buffalo Wild Wings and it is nice to hang out with him for bit before he gets busy and then walk around. Today the kids and I decided to eat and then walk up the street to the aquarium.

It's an easy walk from BWW to the aquarium and flip flops are all I need to make it there in comfort. I like to push Hayden (the 2 year old) in a stroller still and Willow (the 4 year old) is navigating the streets now like a pro.

We enjoy our little walks in the city - it's a nice way to get out of the house and get a little exercise. Sometimes we even stop at the little ice cream shops along the way. Pino Gelato is really good if you like gelato - mmmmmm. Just before you get to the aquarium is Ben and Jerry's, also a favorite. Not today though, we are on a mission to the aquarium!

The kids and I make it to the aquarium in no time. I wrestle them away from the wading stream outside and we make our way to the members reception to get our tickets. We love the aquarium so much that to save money we buy or get from family a membership. It is worth every penny and it pays for itself in the first month we have it. The aquarium in Chattanooga is our favorite place to go as a family and we go so often that we are now being recognized by the volunteers or employees there. I highly recommend a visit if you haven't already.

We say hi to the sting rays and the jellyfish. The butterfly garden is Willow's personal favorite. Hayden loves the penguins. I love the underwater cavern. The kids, as usual practically run through the exhibits, and we make it out of the Ocean Journey building in less than a half hour. If it was just Brandy and I it would take us all day. Ah well, it was for them anyway. I enjoyed myself despite the rush.

The little wading stream outside is calling our name. There is no way we are leaving without dipping our toes in the water. I always hope that just their feet get wet but it is all in vain someone always falls in or decides to just have a sit.
They did pretty well today. Willow stayed dry and Hayden only got wet from the waist down. Happiness for mom all around.

We make our way back to the car after a good toe dipping. To the left and across the street from Ben and Jerry's is Big River Brewery, a good spot for good brew and good food when the husband and I venture out alone. To my right now is Mellow Mushroom, a nice place for pizza and beer. Just between you and me Lupi's has the best pizza in Chattanooga but we'll save that one for another journey downtown.

We've made it back to the car and just in time for nap time! Just enough walking and fun to wear the kids out. I will also get the opportunity to get a little free time at home! The nap time has continued into the house and is lasting long enough to really make my day. I love days like today.

Chimney Rock

I couldn't help but relive Brandy and my hike to Chimney Rock back in the summer of 2002. Some of the details are sketchy, like where exactly it is, but I can look it up for anyone venturing out to North Idaho who wants to tackle this mountain.

Brandy and I were avid hikers of the north Idaho terrain, we were on year two of living and working in the mountains there and had become more than just the beginner in hiking. We were by no means expert but we knew more than the average tourist. Well, we woke up one fine morning and decided to head out on our most adventurous hike yet. It was a difficult 5 mile hike straight up to an outcropping of rocks that - you guessed it - looked like a chimney, of sorts. We were excited and loaded up our two dogs and packs.

The road at the base of the mountain was very well maintained. These are rural back roads in the outback of the Rocky Mountains I'm talking about so to the city dweller standards it was a rocky hell but Brandy and I were very pleased. We have to consider such things because we were driving a Honda Accord not a four wheeling mud thrower. Higher and higher we climbed bouncing all the way up until finally we reached a point where we could not go any further. Brandy was keeping track of the mileage and said with confidence that the trail head was less than a mile ahead. I trust my husband with my life so I agreed to park and hike to the trail head.
The beautiful outback of north Idaho, even in my thoughts, takes my breath away. I have never in my life been so in love and felt so in touch with nature and it's beauty. The energy is so alive, everything feels so new, even standing among one hundred or more year old forest growth that shines and vibrates. Hours could melt into days and I wouldn't have cared.

We walked on over the washed out road that fell before us and looked up the road. One little road block wasn't gonna stop us from our destination. We walked and walked and walked. We walked some more.

Well, the trail head wasn't just a mile or less up the road but we had made it and we weren't at all tired and there was plenty of day light left. We began our climb with energy and excitement. I couldn't wait to get there and see the sights from the top. So much to see along the way it was a visual paradise. Streams, waterfalls and pools of water all along the trail. It was wonderful. I'll never forget and honestly it's the only hike Brandy and I did in Idaho that I can recall fully the scenery without having to look at pictures. I was in heaven. The dogs were in heaven too. We were all pretty darn happy. We hiked and we hiked and we hiked. We hiked some more.

We never made it to the summit. We came close I know because we could see it. Turning around was our only option. We just weren't prepared to hike in the dark and we had already hiked 10 miles and we had to turn around and hike 10 back. We stopped and ate and let the dogs play in a pool of water all the while starring at good ol chimney rock.

It was mocking us now. Laughing at our tired bodies that had come so far and didn't make it. The trail was laughing at us too and for a moment I considered trekking further up the mountain. Brandy was the voice of reason and stated there was no way we could go any further. He was right. We had no idea how much trail was left and we had to turn back now if were going to make it to the car in daylight. With heavy hearts we turned around and headed back to the car.

The hike back down was easy. Downhill hiking is always the easy part and takes less time too. You've already oohed and awed over every detail of the forest and it's accessories so less stopping and more moving happens. Yea, there is always that detail you missed but it's all downhill. My body starts to wake back up and adjust to the new position of looking down instead of up. It's nice and relaxing like the rub down after a workout - that's how I see it anyway.

Half way down the mountain we lose one of the dogs. It's Wally, poor guy has given up and just plopped himself down on the trail. He is letting us know that it is nap time and he's taking it now. We know he is not needing water, there is water all along the trail. Brandy urges him onward. We keep on moving.

Finally, we make it to the trail head, only a couple more miles to the car! Oh, we lose Wally again. He's found a camper and his dog who has set up camp while we've been on the mountain. Wally decides it's playtime but the campers dog isn't about playing with Wally and puts up a fight. Brandy has to wrestle Wally from the angry dog and we keep moving, relieved we will be home bound shortly.

Before it is all said and done Wally lays down on the road and this time will not budge. We can see the car just ahead - come on Wally it's less than a half mile, come on man. He won't budge. We all sit down. There is no way we can drive the car to Wally. We sit some more, maybe he's rested enough to walk to the car. Nope. Brandy picks up Wally. Let me just tell you about Wally for a moment. He is bigger than me and weighs as much as I do. He is HUGE and he looked like complete dead weight in Brandy's arms. No boos or hisses - the dog was fine. He is a stubborn beast you guys and he got his way. He was carried the last half mile to the car.


Needless to say we survived and we loved every minute of it. We still want to go back and conquer that mountain and we will someday. We even saw a huge papa moose on the road back home - just a little farewell I'm sure. We learned not to trust books or maps on trail length, calling the ranger station in our case would have paid off. The trail had been washed out (like the road) and it's course had changed and as a result made the hike longer. We could have been more prepared and planned on an overnight hike. All is well, however, we had an awesome adventure.

Moment of Madness

I have reached my boiling point. The kids are screaming and my mind is in overdrive. I can't seem to concentrate on anything and the vibe in the room is chaos. I sit back and reach into my mind for something to ground me in reality. Last weeks hike to Burgess Falls and Piney Falls slowly unfolds in my mind .

I am suddenly pulled away from the chaos and in a world of green light and calm. I am somewhere else and I am peaceful. I am home and I feel the weight of the world fall off of me.

This little moment of madness and the cure happened last night right before bedtime.
I have realized that I am most happy and most like myself in these places. I find myself on a regular basis doing this - running off onto the trails in the woods, hiding out in them. I look forward everyday to our next hike. On any given day that you casually meet me out I am probably thinking about my families next hike - it's a pretty serious addiction.

So, I will journal my hikes and let everyone else in on my secret. It's the best way to cure an overactive, chaos cluttered mind in my opinion. If it works for you - OH, Happy Day!
I thought about pulling past hikes out of my memory so I had some material, our next hike isn't for another week. No, I'll start from here. This will be my starting point.

Insight for the day

The fates lead
him who will -

him who won't
they drag.

Seneca

This is so true in my life today. I am so stubborn sometimes and If I could just let things be. Just be bored or just be busy and just go with it instead of fighting it. Life would simplify itself.

I need to learn to let people be who and what they are too. I can't make the liar tell the truth and I can't make a friend out of an enemy; though, I will continue to bang my head against the wall on that one. I know life isn't about changing the people around you it's about learning to love them for who they are (even if they don't give you the same consideration). Just let them be.

Life isn't always about having a plan either. The best lesson I ever learned from my husband is to let things just happen. Sitting back and letting the universe set your course and then having the courage to follow where it leads.

Today very well could have turned into a day of boredom but I dared to follow a thought an idea and look where it lead me. To Insight and a greater understanding of my family and the people around me. They are who they are. I am what I am - what you see is what you get - I can't change them and I now realize I don't wanna change me. I will follow, you don't have to drag me anymore.

One boring day

So, I'm sitting here bored out of my mind. Wondering what I could do that would be somewhat useful. One of my kids is napping and the other is spending time with their dad. I am on the computer and pecking around lost.

I've always wanted to start an online journal of sorts to keep my family informed and up to date on all the fun in my life. It's funny - ain't nothing to say really. I could use it for other stuff I suppose but as of now I am clueless. It's just one of those days I guess.

Oh, here we go Hayden, (my son and youngest) has just got up from his nap and his diaper is loaded (I can here my husband proclaim) life is grand and ya know maybe it's not gonna be so boring afterall.