Happy Mother's Day: Spending It Outdoors & Modeling Environmentalism

My son recently went on a Middle School field trip where half of it was environmental stewardship in nature, and the other half was spent on the water doing stand up paddle boarding (aka "SUP"). He loved it. We're making plans to go sometime this summer, and if money were no object, he'd be buying a paddle board right this very minute!

The company he SUP'ed with is brilliant...they just sent forth a mother's day deal, where moms paddle board for free this Mother's Day. We'd be totally on board (pun intended) if it weren't an already-filled calendar with a mid-day lacrosse game and plans with the extended family, some of whom wouldn't be so into the paddle boarding.

Truth be told, I'd blow off the LAX game in a heartbeat, given kid sports on Mother's Day is not my personal favorite. We've fallen victim to that time and time again over the last dozen years, irking me from a sports scheduling standpoint, but I certainly digress. The spirit of a family bike ride, a water adventure, a hike in the woods, a visit to the park is far superior to that of an organized sport for both outdoor family fun and together on a holiday. It kind of reminds me of how wonderful our Father's Day camping trip was a few years ago.  (This year, it looks like we'll be at a Father's Day soccer tournament! Insert growl & more digression here.)

This year, whatever you do to celebrate Mother's Day, perhaps it will include some outdoor adventure.

These articles & websites may also help with the inspiration... and may they include a little education along the way:

• Find a great checklist at the Montana Outdoor Science School Facebook page entitled "30 Things to Do With Your Kids Outside" or visit their website.

• Read EcoWatch's April 2018 article "How to Raise and Environmentalist."

• Check out Hike It Baby, where their mission is to raise "a generation to love the outdoors" and change the world "one little hike at a time"

• A throwback, but outdoors are timeless:  Mother's Day --Give the Gift of the Great Outdoors. A bundle of outdoor activities that you and your family can do together.

• For some eye-opening stats, check out this 2016 Treehugger article "Children Spend less time Outside Than Prison Inmates."  If the title alone doesn't get you yearning to go outside, the "Free the Kids: Dirt is Good" video on the site will make you want to head outdoors (and make you count your blessings)!  You can also check out the Dirt Is Good website for other resources (including their Wild Explorers app) to help influence you and your kids of all ages to get outside.

Mother's Day outdoors photo from http://www.austinkayak.com/blog/2012/05/mothers-day-2012-give-the-gift-of-the-great-outdoors/; paddleboarding image https://goo.gl/images/rWWxmD, Mother's Day quote image from http://happymothersdayimagess.org/mothers-day-sayings.html/happy-mother-day-sayings-2017-2

See-Through Camping

Today I just finished reading "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman. There were a lot of references to being outside and being one with nature. While reading it, I found myself craving the outdoors. Add in the fall festival photos on Facebook, and plethora of seasonal and open apple orchards/pumpkin patches/corn mazes that are out there, I think that intensified my desire to be one with nature.

Then I ran across this video.  This could completely be my ideal form of camping. Security against the threat of looming bears, inclemate weather, or critters in my sleeping bag. Then there's the awe and wonderment of the vast vista that surrounds. The best of all worlds (with a comfy mattress to boot). Yes, a weekend here, unplugged, could be just what the doctor ordered!!

 

Video from https://www.facebook.com/attnlife/videos/1926745277587812/.

Empathy Makes the World Go Round

In the last few weeks before school started, I was reading the book UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba, Ed.D. It certainly is an eye-opening book: as a parent, a teacher, and as a citizen in 2017. Especially when it seems a lot of the news these days politically seems to scream of a lack of empathy on one side or the other.

As I was reading this book (which I finished in approximately two days given how engaging and readable it was), I thought often of my own two, personal driving forces, the foundation of Green Team Gazette: environmentalism and technology.

I also thought a lot about my own children... as well as my own parenting style.

In multiple places in the book, the "selfie" side brought about by social media (and the narcissistic tendencies that have been on the rise over the past several decades), the solution points to unplugging. Getting outside. Getting dirty. Building emotional intelligence through actual interaction with others (not texting). Connecting.

My daughter showed me a spoofy YouTube not long ago comparing life in 2017 versus either 1997 or 1987. It really doesn't matter much for the parts that stuck in my head: the cell phones, the texting versus the hours I spent talking on the phone as a kid, the time running around outdoors not tied to a computer, meeting people in the world versus online dating. Yes, as they say: the times, they have changed.

Building our empathy skills--that is the key. The secret to flipping our selfie society.

The 9 factors that help build empathy are here:



Between our "plugged in" culture (kids spend approximately 7 hours and 38 minutes plugged in these days!?! Yikes!) and the "hurry, scurry, aren't we over-busy" mentality--not to mention the social media selfies, we are indeed in need of un-selfie-ing! The opposite: building empathy. Borba's UnSelfie does a great job of giving you both a lot of strategies both for yourself and your kids. It also gives you a lot of food for thought. It's leaving me pondering all of the above for days...thinking of the ways I can unplug myself, my kids, and help build all of our empathy skills!

"The Thoughts in My Head: Empathy" picture was created by me at Buncee.com; https://app.edu.buncee.com/buncee/81d0ad91d78b43229258424e43cccdba; "7 Ways to Cultivate Children's Empathy" poster created by me at Buncee.com https://app.edu.buncee.com/buncee/a09d80e8202d47dbb8eb1372037e987a; "UnSelfie" book image from https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010MH9V64/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1; Brene Brown quote photo from https://inspiraelevation.com/2015/10/24/the-key-to-empathy-is-connection/

Visual Reminders to Breathe in Nature

I've previously raved about New Age Creators and their videos they post in connection with SoulPancake.  They are ideal to watch when you need to rearrange your brain space and really refocus on what's important in life.

"All We Need is Nature" is a perfect "case & point!" The visuals in this video are a perfect blend of the great outdoors with unbelievable tech talent.  It is such a rich masterpiece of creativity, "maker education," light, texture, and nature.  It makes you want to get outside and go play, or maybe collect little odds and ends to create from there. It might inspire you to take a hike, to let the grass tickle your toes, or to play in a stream.  It's a video showcase of the power of Vitamin N: Nature!

Watch, be filled, then get yourself out there.



Image from http://naturehacks.com/nature-the-original-playstation/; 
Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-egZKkCznJ0

The Hallmarks of a Good Father's Day

Step into the Hallmark Store at this time of the year and you will find the Father's Day cards sandwiched between graduation and all the other special occasion cards.

The cards fall in a variety of emotions, but often feature dad as the handyman, the grill master, the rugged outdoors man, the sports enthusiast.

With our li'l family of 4, we welcomed our Father's Day weekend in the woods. A-camping we did go. True tent camping, for the first time in years. For 4 days & 3 nights we were riverside in the woods of Harper's Ferry, WV.  3/4 of our long weekend, the weather couldn't be more ideal. Even better, we survived the torrential downpour of the first night, staying dry and with a good sense of adventure all hunkered down inside our tent.

Falling right after my teacher meetings ended, this weekend was a symbolic kickoff to summer--not to mention, a great way to decompress. A way to be sure to slow down, appreciate all that surrounded us. A way to breathe a little easier, take time more in stride and on its own time table. A way to gasp in the sunrises and embrace the sunsets over the camp-side Potomac river. We got lost in the flames of the campfire (& a good book or two), got absorbed in the fun of the conversation, while basking in the beauty and green all around.

I got a great dose of Vitamin N.  Nature!

I also got to see the my husband, my kid's dad, in his Hallmark Card element:

• He was the handyman who took the lead in prepping our campground with protective tarps both above and below our tent to keep us dry from the rain we knew was coming.  He patiently showed the kids how to hammer the stakes, creating quite the trio of tent builders.

• He was the grill master at work, baking bacon first thing in the morning to start our day with the tasty yumminess and sustenance that only bacon (or steak) can bring.  Watching him guide my daughter in flipping burgers to perfection made me smile, and thankful that he was tackling all the cooking.

• He was the rugged outdoors man who built our fires, trekked the trails, and 4-wheel-drove us down the rocky hillside to our campsite.  He romped in the river with the kids to splashing about with them.  Their giggles crossed over to where I was sitting, and I found my heart filling with love for my family.

• He was the sports enthusiast who spurred us on to try new and different things, encouraging family fun and bravery while zip-lining and white water rafting. He helped us all step outside of ourselves to try something new, but was also playfully pushing me out of the raft in flat water, but also grabbing hold of my son when he almost flipped out as we hit a wave hard.

In addition to seeing my husband in these "Hallmark" moments, I also had many memories this weekend of my own father, who passed away 5 years ago. We never went camping together when I was a kid, but my family always went on adventures and annual vacations. Some exotic, some rustic, and many of them were ones where the mini grill often came out of the trunk for a hotel side cookouts. There were playful times together including outdoor outings with a bit of hiking and some stream investigations where Dad and I would skip stone after stone. Where love, laughter, good times, and togetherness are all a part of the memories in the making.

These are all the hallmarks of a good father... 
and the hallmarks of making good memories.  

May you make some wonderful memories with your father today and children today, 
or celebrate the memories made in the past 
with your dad in days gone by.  

Happy Father's Day.   

Images from http://plusquotes.com/images/quotes-img/fathers-day-quotes-.jpg, http://www.crookedwillow.net/vintagestyleblog/fathers-day-thoughts/, and my camera.

Memorial Day Weekend Ahead: Red, White, Blue & Green

Memorial Day:  A solemn day of celebration & remembrance of the many men and women who fought for our freedoms, rights, and American privileges.  We are lucky to have had those people who dedicated their lives to us.

Memorial Day Weekend:  In addition to this day of honoring our soldiers and freedom fighters, it also somewhat serves as the universal start to summer.  Just ask Phineas & Ferb (& then sing it with me):

There's 104 days of summer vacation

And school comes along just to end it

So the annual problem for our generation

Is finding a good way to spend it

(Don't get me started on how we are only a mere matter of weeks away from the June 12th, series finale of possibly the greatest cartoon out there for old and young alike! I'm not sure the world is ready for a world without Phineas & Ferb, but I digress).

So you might not be building a roller coaster in your backyard, and your inner-Doufenshmirtz might not be planning the next -inator....but you might be more knee-deep in graduation season, grabbing a bathing suit for the first weekend of the pool opening, heading out camping, or planning a tasty BBQ.

Believe it or not, you can do it all in a "green" sort of way, without going the way of a mega Phineas & Ferb style creation.  With a little inspiration from TreeHugger's "9 Tips for Zero Waste Entertaining This Summer," here are some thing you can do:

• Invest in some stainless steel straws (check out our Mai Tai welcome to the weekend.  I got mine from Amazon.com).

• Go real & reusable versus paper or plastic (for plates, cups, cutlery, table cloths & more).

• Ditch the single serve sodas & waters.  Especially if you are on your back patio, a pitcher of ice cold water, juice, or sun tea can be quite yummy.

• Make your kabobs with metal skewers, or invest in reusable mini ones to replace your wooden toothpicks.  

• Use evites versus printed invitations.

• Do a beach or campsite clean-up while out and about on your ventures.

• Don't forget to set up your recycling center for anything you may need.  Definitely keep it trash-free if you must branch outside of glass & stainless steel/real!

• Compost your leftovers and food scraps.

• Think outside the box, be creative, and come up with your own eco-friendly ways to go about having a zero-waste celebration.

Images from 
Memorial Day:  http://dfwcore.org/when-is-memorial-day-weekend-2015-date-calendar.html 
Phineas & Ferb: http://phineasandferb.wikia.com/wiki/File:104_Days.jpg
Mai Tai pic taken from my back yard, and put in the Motivational Poster app--complete with reusable stainless steel straw.

Book Clubs in the Great Outdoors

Stephen King may have said it perfectly.  Just check out the "photo quote-o!"  Books can transport you like nothing else can. In the busy world of back to school, I don't read nearly enough!

Hence, probably why I fell in love with this idea from Stephanie Burn's August 13th, 2014 Forbes article, "A New Twist on Book Clubs."

In the article, Stephanie interviews Jill Hinton regarding her Outdoor Book Club.  The concept:  travel, women, adventure, and books.  It's camping and characters, rolled into one.  It's outdoor exploits meets literary essays and bestsellers.  Ecotourism meets living room book clubs.

Pretty darn cool.  Makes you want to curl up in your sleeping bag and tent with a good book.

To learn more and "discover your inner heroine," check out Stephanie Burn's article (see link above), or go straight to Jill Hinton's source:  Outdoor Book Club.

I love her page:  Is this for you:

Her schedule for workshops for the next six months or so looks pretty darn cool!

Be sure to check it out over at Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter as well.

And, if you can't make any of her upcoming adventures...at least go outside....or read a book...or do both!!!


Stephen King quote from http://www.imagesbuddy.com/images/157/books-are-a-uniquely-portable-magic.jpg ;  screenshot of "Is this for you?" from http://www.outdoorbookclub.org/is-this-you.html
Outdoor Book Club pic from https://plus.google.com/+OutdoorbookclubOrg

Doing the Math in the Aftermath: What 16 Days of Shutdown Cost the National Park System

GTG over here is not a political forum, per se (other than the "go take care of your planet, & stop using evil Styrofoam for goodness sake" mission). However, with the 16-day government shutdown, and it ending in the literal 11th hour before the US loans were destined to default, a lot of life is political these days. (How can it not when tactics are used that are akin to negotiating with two-year-olds and terrorists...but I digress.)

The infographic below is telling. It tells the tale of what 16 days did for the National Park Service. I had heard radio stories about people who had weddings long-scheduled at some of these National Parks, only to be hijacked by the Congressional powers-that-be. Park Rangers, who are far removed from the Metropolitan DC area, were furloughed because they are "governmental employees." Hard hit too were local businesses that rely on their nearby parks to bring in their profits.

Striking and startling stats: 20,000 Park Service employees were out of work as the 401 U.S. National Parks closed down. Ouch! Check out more facts below, or see the full-sized version over at Huffington Post. At school, I just wrapped up a Place Value unit with my 3rd graders, and because of that I am especially struck: I know just how strongly these harsh numbers would have hit my 8 & 9 year olds!! So many comments are bubbling up with me, but I'm going to leave the rant behind, and let these numbers speak for themselves. They speak loudly--yes, they do; especially, when you do the math.

Infographic from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/16/national-parks-shutdown-_n_4108887.html

Shutdown signage pic from http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/10/01/study-1996-government-shutdown-would-cost-more-than-2-billion-today/

GTG Summer Quest 2013

Anyone who has been following along for a few years knows that I am a big fan of Maryland Park Quest. I have written about it several times in the past.

(In fact, to do any tripping down the GTG memory lane, click here for past Park Quest posts.)

With the annual motto being "Where a family becomes a team," Park Quest promotes fun-filled outdoor adventure--a concept that is great in our over-teched world. It is a great way to keep "No Child Left Inside." Richard Louv would love it!!


This year is our family's 4th year of taking part in Maryland Park Quests. Of the 24 annual quests of the 24 participating Maryland State Parks, every year prior to this, we have met the 10 park minimum to take part in the "Park Quest Rendezvous," typically at the end of September. This year stands out in a notable way that has been quite different than previous years: this year, in a way, we failed miserably. This year, we completed only 2 of the minimum 10.

But even while I say that we failed, I've gotta say, I don't truly believe it. Yes, we only participated in/ completed 2 quests this year. Rain got in the way of a few, canceling out plans. But I think the real reason we fell short was BECAUSE of all our "a family becomes a team" adventures that fell outside of our Park Quest passport:

• Our daughter graduated from 5th grade which brought about festivities, fêtes, and out-of-town family.

• We replaced our defunct and rusted backyard pool with a bright shiny new one, and we spent time near-daily out there, splashing about.

• We bought bikes this summer and went romping about a number of places.

• We read boatloads of "Magic Treehouse" books with our 2nd grader, and even more books by ourselves, yet together.

• We camped with friends at the start of the summer and had a number of backyard bonfires at home.

• We had multiple day trips with old friends we haven't seen since last summer, and even more good old-fashioned chatty phone calls with other long time pals.

• My 6th grader and I spent a week working through Jeff Kinney's online writing camp over at Boomwriter.com.

• My kids and I drove 13 hours to IL to visit my original homeland and far-away family.

• We had our own family vacation which landed us on the beach in Atlantic City...then later found us on hiking trails, biking routes, swimming holes, and the back yard of a team of 18 sled dogs in Massachusetts. Essentially, during that week, we created our own virtual "Massachusetts Park Quest."

• We wrapped up the summer in St. Mary's City, at water's edge--romping through the 4th oldest English settlement (seeing archaeology at work) and kayaking in the Patuxent River.

These were just the biggies.  (Not to mention, the puppy!)

So although we may not have triumphed in the Maryland Park Quest arena, I think we had a pretty full and adventurous summer. In looking at the overall end goal (= to turn our family into a team), I think we accomplished our mission. Yes, sometimes we hit some bumps along the way (sometimes multiple bumps in the same day)... but that's all part of the adventure too.

So while we may wind up missing the fun, culminating extravaganza at the wrap up PQ Rendezvous (which I whole-heartedly support and love), this year, I have to say that we are going forward richer based on our summer experiences. We may not have completed Maryland's Park Quest, but I do believe we successfully completed our own "Dabrowka 2013 Summer Quest" after all.

Pictures from our summer family adventures.

Getting into the Great Outdoors

Ahhh....the Great Outdoors!  A great place to find yourself and reconnect--whether you go near or far.  In the article posted below, Heather Burton Boughey does a great job of channeling one of my favorite modern day environmentalists, Richard Louv (author of Last Child In the Woods:  Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder).

A bit of a modern-day environmentalist herself (as you'll soon see), Heather is an avid camper and a lover of outdoor adventures such as Maryland Park Quest.  I've done both with her, as we're about as good of buddies as our two daughters are. Here you'll find Heather's article (that is hot off the presses just today) from the Annapolis/Chesapeake Bay area's independent newspaper, The Bay Weekly.  Join in as Heather cheer-leads everyone, encouraging all to get outside this weekend to take advantage of "The Great American Backyard Camp-out," an environmental "holiday" held annually the 4th Saturday every June. What are you doing this Saturday night?

"Getting into the Great Outdoors" by Heather Burton Boughey
Copied with the Author's permission from the 6/20/2013 issue of The Bay Weekly

Whether you’re roughing it at a primitive camp site or pitching a tent in your own back yard, any time spent outdoors with family is the best.

Writer Heather Boughey, about 5 years old and second from right, and brother Joel Burton, second from left, making s'mores with friends, circa 1976.

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.–John Muir

The father of our National Parks was definitely on to something. A century before the age of instant connectivity, John Muir
already knew we’d be ready to get back to nature and relax. 

Adults spend 89.3 percent of their time inside buildings or cars. Kids spend almost seven hours a day on electronic media. Only one-quarter of kids play outside every day.
You don’t need to travel far to find an outdoors escape. You can start in your own backyard with the kids for The Great American Backyard Camp-out June 22. 

In anticipation of the big day, husband Jon, daughter Mackenzie and I tried backyard camping. We live off Nabbs Creek, and our densely wooded backyard resembled many of the campgrounds we’ve stayed at over the years. Mackenzie picked out the spot for our tent, and we cleared away rocks and sticks that would make sleeping on the ground uncomfortable. Then we set up camp.

We don’t have a fire-pit, so we made our s’mores in the kitchen microwave and sat outside enjoying them, as no camp-out is complete without the chocolate-marshmallow treat. Once darkness fell, we climbed into our tent to sleep. The neighborhood outdoor cat, Bubbles, wandered by to check on our sleeping arrangements but declined to come inside.

There’s something about sleeping in your backyard that gives an entirely new perspective. I never paid full attention to all of the nature sounds right at my back door. We listened to the different animals outside and tried to figure out if they were raccoons, squirrels or cats wandering by. In the darkness, I reminisced with Mackenzie about camping adventures of my childhood.

The Wilder the Better 

My father, Bill Burton, was always up for any adventure in the outdoors, so we went on many camping trips. In the late 1970s, our family and friends would head down to Wachapreague, Virginia, and take a boat ride to Cedar Island, a small and empty barrier island, where we would be dropped off for a week. There was nothing on the island. Everything we needed for our week-long adventure had to be brought by boat to the island. A small two-way radio was our only communication with the mainland. 

This was primitive camping. We had to bring fresh water and all of our rations with us. The privy consisted of finding the right sand-dune to dig a hole behind. Baths consisted of taking soap into the ocean. It was us and nature, with little distraction.

We were seven-, eight-, and nine-year-olds, roaming free. We explored the island. We swam in the ocean. We enjoyed great bonfires. We stayed up late in the tents, giggling and telling stories. We didn’t know we were roughing it.

When I started dating the man I married, I was delighted to learn that he also enjoyed the outdoors and camping. One of our first getaways was a week at Pocomoke State Park on the Eastern Shore. We loaded our tent and supplies in my little two-door car and headed out. We brought a pup tent, a hammock, two chairs and our food. No electronics and no cell-phones. We spent our time kayaking on the river and hiking the park. At night, we sat around the campfire, talking and playing cards.

Civilization Creeps In

Once Mackenzie was born, we upgraded to a five-person tent, in which we could stand up, and we had room for an air-mattress. We now had cell phones with us as we went camping. Civilization was slowing creeping in.

With age, my father couldn’t easily get in and out of a tent on our family camping trips. Many Maryland state parks rent camper-cabins, upgraded wooden tents of one room with a bunk bed and a double bed and an electrical outlet. These were our solution. But we still cooked our meals over the fire ring and used the communal bathhouses.

Modern-day conveniences continued their advance. Instead of waiting for the fire to heat up to make our morning coffee, we brought a coffeemaker to plug in in the cabin. Laptops, with air-cards, started to make appearances on these camping trips. We watched movies on the laptop. To help keep the cabin cool at night, we brought an electric fan.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we visited Herrington Manor State Park in Western Maryland. This time we upgraded our camping accommodations to a full-service cabin with a wood-burning stove. We had not only two bedrooms but also a complete kitchen with refrigerator, stove and microwave. We had our own bathroom with a shower. We could eat our meals at the picnic table outside or at the large table inside the cabin. 

Even in the great outdoors, everybody had brought their electronics on the trip. My daughter had her iPad to read or play on at night. Others brought Kindles. Every single adult, and a few of the children, had cell-phones. One adult in our group was doing a work project on his laptop, while another was studying for an on-line course. Civilization has fully injected itself into our camping.
As I told Mackenzie these stories, she asked me about my favorite type of camping. Did I prefer the primitive roughing it or the amenities-filled cabins?

Cedar Island was a child’s paradise. We didn’t consider that emergency help would be a radio call and a boat ride away. Cabins are good options, especially in colder weather when the wood-burning stove comes in handy. It was in the upper 20s in Garrett County
over Memorial Day. Still, you lose some of what camping’s about.

I thought about it and gave Mackenzie the best answer I could: Any time spent outdoors with family is the best. It doesn’t need to be survivalist camping, and it doesn’t need to be full-service cabins. You can use modern communications as much or as little as you want.

You can even pitch a tent in your backyard and spend an evening together under the stars. In our busy world, that’s an easy way to get away, and a great way to introduce your child to camping and nature.

Join the National Wildlife Federation and thousands of families across the U.S. on June 22 for the Great American Backyard Campout.

No experience needed. Just pitch a tent in your back yard and enjoy the nature that is right around you It’s a free event, but the Federation also takes donations to help fund programs to get more children involved in nature: www.nwf.org/Great-American-Backyard-Campout.aspx.

Article and pictures from Heather Burton Boughey's Bay Weekly Article: http://bayweekly.com/articles/good-living/article/getting-great-outdoors

Great American Backyard Campout logo pic from http://www.nwf.org/great-american-backyard-campout/event-details/connect-and-share/post-a-badge.aspx

Balancing a Life, a Blog, and a 3 Day Weekend

Yes, I still DO write an environmental education blog (with a twist of edtech on the side).  It's been awhile, so I know some of you have been wondering about that!

No,I'm not on a hiatus or sabbatical... just in a current chasm: I have fallen, and I can't get up!  That's what you get at the end of a school year. (Less than 2 wks away, but who's counting?)

This past week, my earliest bedtime was the wrong side of midnight, and some nights well past that.  Time and responsibilities and soccer practice and cooking dinner and doing the laundry and paying the bills and being Single Mom while Dad was in Canada for work....no wonder I've been up late!  Then after the kids go to bed, there's still the grading of papers, the planning of lessons, and the attempt (even at the end of the year) to be a teacher who still creates things which will actively engage her school kids.

The bigger problem is that I haven't figured out a way to turn off that side of me that wants to be the "human sponge"... That part that wants to be soaking in information from everywhere about everything!  So in the still of the night when all are snuggled in bed, I find myself strolling in Cyberspace for all sorts if things to satisfy my perpetual mental quests.

It's been said before: there are not enough hours in the day!!!

Yet, at some point there's a breaking point of exhaustion. A point where the best solution is to sleep--to sleep in the same way we eat popcorn at the movies:  voraciously! Or you find yourself deep in the need to go off and wonder the woods for a getaway!

There's more to this brain space, but I have a 3 day weekend ahead, so it'll have to wait. No doubt, it'll crop up here in my blogosphere in the next few weeks. 

So here during this Memorial Day weekend, in addition to taking some time to think about the real reasons we should be celebrating this weekend, check yourself.  That's my plan. At the crossroads of "Work" and "Relax," which way will you find yourself not only pointing, but going?  

Maybe I'll see you there!!

Image from http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/academicskillscoaching/scrap-time/work-relax/

Romp in the Swamp with "Chomp"

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

When in Florida, read Carl Hiaasen!

"Chomp" is Carl Hiassen's 4th "eco-adventure" for kids...and perhaps my favorite, though I must admit, you can't go wrong with any of them ("Hoot," "Flush," or "Scat.")  For a entertaining video book trailer, check it out!  Then go take a romp in the swamp with "Chomp!"  Don't forget to check out Hiassen's book website for more videos, games, and about the author info!


Video from http://youtu.be/uA12cS0Us_4 

Camping & Contemplating

Camping on Memorial Day weekend, an annual tradition, greets the summer nicely.

Especially as it dovetails and overlaps the end of the school year.

With camping you get the opposite of "The Perfect Storm;" you get a collision which ultimately results in calm.  Exhaustion meets with a slower pace, and the removal of the home energy-zappers of laundry, yard work, home tidying, dishes, and couch potato-ing mindlessly in front of the TV or some other mindless piece of electronics.

Instead, you can "couch potato" on a foldable chair, breathing fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun through dappled vivid green leaves, do nothing, and call it "camping." You get to sit back and watch a li'l wildlife--some romping chipmunks, newby baby scampering squirrels, nectar-sipping butterflies as they glide from flower to flower, and birds you might just be able to match up in that bird watching book.

Opportunities for fireside chats with the group are married with opportunities to escape in solitude.  Time for hiking, canoeing, and Maryland Park Questing segue nicely in between nap times as the energy ebbs and flows. Loving how my kids always get an opportunity to try something new...and to feel safe in the cabin [even if we're a cabin or two (or a community fire) down the way].  Time.  Ahh.  Time to laugh with friends.  Time to sleep when tired.
Time for growth in the stillness and in the remoteness of the woods. 

“Change is often rejuvenating, invigoration, fun... and necessary.”

~ Lynn Povich

Looking back on my camping weekend, it was most certainly needed. I personally was coming off a week of extreme activity paired with an odd tummy bug, so I was not up to par.  Yet interestingly, that actually served as a double blessing of relaxation.  Sleep and "just being" called louder than homework. There are still report cards to write, final tests to score, but they'll still be there on the flip side. The time away in the wilderness (even if it is only "cabin camping," with our group camp cooks, and "partial unplugging" from the world all still count for the "weekend wilderness") might just be what this girl needed.

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.”  ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

33+ Stats, Facts, & Observations of My 3 Days Walking 60 Miles



Opening Ceremonies @ National Stadium ~ Powerful!

This past weekend, I participated in this year's Washington, DC's Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure for Breast Cancer on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th.  Here, 24 hours after being home (and  spending a lot of time relaxing & recouping & definitely napping), I'm still so filled with so many emotions from taking part in this event.  Perhaps the best way to start would be with some of my personal statistics of the experience: 



♥ 3 days

♥ 60 miles 

♥ 20 pitstops

♥ 5 of us "Green Chicks 4 Pink" teammates

Day 1 "Green Chicks 4 Pink"

♥ $11,692 our 5 "Green Chicks" raised for breast cancer

♥ 1 de facto "Green Chick" we met along the way and adopted as one of us

♥ Countless other walkers we met, shared smiles, stories, and encouragement with along the route.
♥ 100s of people along the way who cheered for us, honked to salute us, had baskets of candy for us, & sprayed cooling misty water at us  

♥ 1 pink tent in a sea of tents in a pink tent city

♥ 2 nights

♥ 1 mudfest
♥ 2 amazing dinners that were devoured lickety split quick
♥ Countless water bottles full of Gatorade and water

Tent City and our camp:  Green Tree Frogs 4 Pink.

♥ 2 pair of shoes

♥ 9 pairs of socks

♥ 4 resulting blisters

♥ Copious amounts of bandaids, "2nd skin" gel cushions, & pieces of moleskin

♥ My Day 1 steps Friday:  41,014
♥ My Day 2 steps Saturday:  51,616
♥ Day 3 steps Sunday:  40,893
♥ 3-day total pedometer count:  133,523 mind-blowing steps

♥ Numerous slap happy silly moments
♥ More than a handful of emotional teary moments

Walking the Walk!  Day 1, downtown DC.

♥ Billions of raindrops that fell on us Friday

♥ Millions of prayers gratitude that the weather was dry yet cool on Saturday and Sunday.

♥ 2500 walkers covering a lot of real estate in DC, Bethesda, Potomac, & Chevy Chase, Maryland

♥ 425 crew members encouraging us on
♥ In total, over $7 million DC walkers raised for breast cancer because "everyone deserves a lifetime."
♥ Every 69 seconds, a woman dies globally of breast cancer 

Day 2:  Downtown Bethesda, MD about 1/2 way to 60.

After taking part of this experience, this 3 Day Walk, I am changed. I am achy, blistered, and tired; yet, I am awed, inspired, proud, and changed.  Seeing women who have battled cancer and are survivors and those who are still battling cancer walking, I am humbled.

Walking alongside me, there were women much younger and much older. Women of all shapes and sizes. Women with jitters and uncertainties...yet with hearts, compassion, courage, and triumphs. Now I am one of them.  I feel honored to be in their company.

Remembrance Tents for those who passed.

I feel doubly proud of our team, "Green Chicks 4 Pink."  I feel blessed to be part of my amazing team with our roadside addition of a 6th very special member we met along the way. I am proud of the money our team has earned for this cause. I am thankful to all of our friends and family members who helped with their both their monetary and emotional support.  Without them, none of us could have had the courage and ability to go forward and do this sizable accomplishment.



Day 3: What "We Made It" Looks Like!
Green Chicks 4 Pink!

While our team walked, we found inside of us strength we may or may not know we had.  Alongside that, we discovered an inner-current of perseverance to know how hard to push forward...and river of self knowledge to know when we had to step aside and rest.  While our blisters grew, so did our capacity to love and care for each other, and humankind.

Will I do it next year?  Um, let's not go crazy with that yet!  But this cause will always be important to  me.  A question asked often: "Why do you walk?"  Among my many reasons, a major one: "I walk for my daughter...so she won't have to."



My credentials

As an environmental educator, I feel strongly about the fact that little actions we each can take can make a monumental difference. Feeling the energy of these 3 days, despite Friday's downpours and the mud squishing through my toes in our pink "Tent City" that night, I feel the re-conviction of that sentiment. Yes, individual actions make a difference.  All of our little steps led to 60 miles. Every donation dollar led to an amount over $7,000,000.  My credential badge serves as a reminder of the power of one...as do the picture and memories I will always have.

  

Day 3: Closing Ceremonies ~ We Made It!
Raising the Shoe to tribute survivors!

To learn more about breast cancer, click here to discover more stats and facts, like: 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime.

Click here to find out more about the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure or to donate to a wonderful, important cause.

Pictures from my camera!