Yosemite National Park, in all its splendor, is 83 miles from my front door, and yet I just experienced it for the first time. 

 

I’ve been to Yosemite on one other occasion, to eat lunch. It’s 90 minutes from home, a mere 83 miles, and I’ve not experienced Yosemite until now. I’ve already berated myself for letting this happen. I’ve forgiven myself, and now, moving on.

A week ago, an unlikely group of hikers, in the range of 11 years old to the very young at heart, joined Jerel, our personal tour guide, for an expertly guided hike through this majestic place. Born in Wisconsin, and inspired by a National Geographic article he read as a lad, Jerel volunteers here for a month at a time.  The idea of this trip was born during a run where we were passing the long training mileage with a myriad of topics. Jerel shared his Yosemite experiences with us, and soon a trip was planned.

 

I need to go through the “tour” again to remember all the details Jerel shared! This year, the welcomed wet season allows the falls to create a spectacular show!

While hiking, I had several reoccurring thoughts.

1. How come I have not experienced this before?
2. The many falls are so powerful.
3. Pictures? No way will they show the grandeur.
4. The word awesome is overused. We use awesome to describe meals, days, books, cars, shoes, and the like. So, what word do we use when something is truly awesome, awe-inspiring, like powerful waterfalls and sunshine that creates multiple rainbows on the water?

I’m guilty of not making time to visit “awesome” places right here in California, all within a day’s drive. Working on this…

Visit Yosemite now! The falls are magnificent. Peak run-off is May and June, and the National Parks are celebrating their 100th birthday.  See more about Yosemite and the National Parks birthday here.

Have an awesome(!) day.

Slainte! Susan

Once in a while I watch those shows where houses are completely transformed. Everything old is new again. Every room is redecorated in the most creative ways. Each picture is part of the grand theme. Every nook is filled with something beautiful and perfect, and freshly baked scones are on an antique pedestal for the home unveiling, where the lucky teary-eyed owners will ohhhh and ahhhh as they slowly float from kitchen to bedroom to the en suite. I’ve dreamed about what it would be like to have my home completely transformed like this, right down to the perfectly placed vase on a night table.

I look around my home. It wouldn’t meet HGTVs standards.  There’s the obstinate red wine stain on the carpet from a family gathering, and the scratch on the wall from moving the dresser down the hallway, the very one I was bought at a yard sale and painted (not-so-perfectly) myself.

A home is made by its occupants and their stories (for better or worse). Every home has those cherished items and each a story to tell. They weren’t placed expertly at this angle or on this shelf by an interior decorator (though I have had one, on two separate occasions), but they are well-loved, sometimes well-worn,  perhaps transported home from a vacation, or if fortunate enough, handmade by a skilled friend or two.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a craftsman, Jerel. He creates furniture (as a hobby). I wanted a table with specific measurements. I’d had no success finding what I wanted (of course!). After several conversations and emails, I have an expertly crafted table, signed by Jerel in my living room!

Transporting the table involved a trip to the craftsman’s home where we enjoyed “2:30 break time” with Jerel and his lovely wife, Jane along with beer and popcorn. The conversations were interesting ,and the time we spent there went entirely too quickly. We left with the history of IPA, freshly picked snap peas (Jerel insisted I pick them myself), the promise of a Yosemite tour, and a handcrafted piece of furniture. My living room isn’t perfect. The table is! It’s far more valuable to me than any item I could have purchased, even from a place that makes my heart skip a beat, Pottery Barn.

Summer vacation is coming. This is the time of year I consider home projects that won’t get done any other time of the year. Since I’m developing my book, my recent attention has been on my home office. While on the topic of pieces that make a house a home, I must mention another artist I’m fortunate to know. I proudly own several of his unique pieces. I call my office “my nest.” And I’m looking toward making it a cozier space that inspires me to dream and create (and hopefully be productive).  It’s already filled with two  handmade items from this local artist who creates items under the name Lola Bell, his dear mother’s name. Many people know him as Bill. My creations from his collection are the foundation for my nest and hold warm memories as they were created just for me!  The sun and peace symbol are forever pieces filled with so many details that I can get lost looking and always find something I didn’t see before. The creativity of Lola Bell inspires me each time I walk into my nest.

 

Not every item in a home can have a special story, and darn. Most of us can’t come home to a fully decorated home courtesy of HGTV and your bank account. I’m not sure I’d want to anyway. We can look around and find creative ways to have pieces that are inspiring and make our houses, warm and inviting homes.

Slainte!

Susan