Sunday, January 1, 2017

Finding a Purpose in Life

Standing on top of the fallen hickory tree

It's a wonderful feeling 
to have 
a purpose in life.

How many years ago 
did I find my purpose?




It wasn’t like one day 
I was struck with lightning 
or had a chat 
with a burning bush.











Maybe the day Harri, the landscaper 
told me to plant trees.
Two thousand-plus trees later 
I’m often called 
The Tree Lady.



Or the day I read the challenge 
to go one day a month without using a car.
I thought it was impossible.
But I tuned up my bike, traded in my purse for a backpack and now my car sits idly in her garage most days. 

The Bike Lady


And, yes, some people 
call me 
The Bike Lady.

But I think the beginning of this cascade of events started at the 

I always loved being in nature.
My Grandmother and I planted flowers together.
One of my first dates with Tom was to Eagle Creek Park to take pictures of deer (mostly their butts running away from us).

I got married, had 4 kids, wanted a vacation.



So from National Wildlife Federation 
I got the idea to take the whole family 
ages 2 years old to 48 
to the Adirondacks to our first 
Family Nature Summit.

My life did change that week.


I learned to walk in the wilderness like a native American with all my sense alert.
I met marvelous teachers of nature like Betty Trummel and Steve Houser and Craig Tufts.
I hiked over boulders to the top of Roger's Peak. 
We ate strawberry vanilla drops as our hike leader told us the story of Roger’s escape.

But most of all I encountered people with purpose.

People who saved forests and protected clean water.
People who cared in the depths of their souls for God’s green earth and all its creatures.
People who lived a life of incredible passion.

Wow!
This was what I wanted.

My life has changed since that first Summit.
With the help of my beloved husband and sometimes reluctant kids, 
I have begun to restore a 33-acre farm to become a nature sanctuary.
We’ve planted those thousands of trees.
We’ve done hand-to-hand combat with garlic mustard and invasive honeysuckle.
I’ve raised bluebird families and monarch butterflies.

And yes, we’ve returned to the Family Nature Summits year after year.
The Rockies and the Smokies
The crashing coast of Maine and the beautiful beaches of California.
From St Andrews Canada to the Ghost Ranch of New Mexico,
We have traveled with The Summit across America –
Seeing the best of America –
Both the landscapes and the people who protect those landscapes.

And they have inspired me to protect my little corner of the world in rural Indiana.

Thanks to the Family Nature Summits…
….I found my purpose.

Tall grass prairie in Indiana

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I'm Back!!!









I'm
back!



















Well...

kinda.






You may remember...




July 28
I tripped over
a Rottweiler
and bonked
my
head...







I was
out
for
2 hours

lost to
the
world...







When
they found me
unconscious
they
"accidentally"
sent me to
The Heart Hospital.

For
one
day.







Dismissed -
I discovered
I'd had
a
concussion.

A
bad
one.







I tried
to
ignore
it...








That
didn't
work.












I
took off
work
for a
month.









Took
TJ
to
Mississippi.















Then...

I tried to bike.

I tried to work.

I struggled
to be normal
that fall.









Finally
November 12

I had to admit -

I needed help.

It took 9 doctors
before I
found
the right one.







Dr
Wonderful
Horner!


But what
he told me
hurt!



- You,
Dr Steussy,
don't know the meaning
of the word -
rest!


And
your brain
needs
Total
Cognitive
and
Physical
Rest.



That means -



No exercise
No computer
No tv
No work
No driving
No reading.





What kind of
life
is this?

What
could
I
do?











I
was
desperate...








Until
my wise sister,
Cally,
came
to visit.

Helen,
she said,
you have to take
all those
things
you loved....







and pack them
away
in a
backpack
and lock it
in
a closet...











And
you need a
new backpack
filled with new things
that can bring you
joy.



And
so
I
did...










I filled
my
days
with
baking....







art....




















and,
of course,
cats.








Daily

I tracked
my
symptoms.





Weekly
my wonderful brother,
Nic,
and his wife,
Marti,
stopped by
for a
chat.

(and to knit a hat)








Months
blurred
by.

s
l
o
w
l
y.













Finally,
as
spring
began
to
stir...














My
head
began
to
clear...















I
returned
to
my
microscope...








I
found
my
camera...














Now,
9 months
post-concussion
I still
can't
bike...





Just the tepid
turns
of
an
exercycle.

Limited to
12
minutes
a
day.


I only get to
increase
2 minutes
each
week.






Baby steps,
says
Dr. Horner.




It's ok.

I'll
eventually
get
there...





Surely
by
the
summer....













I'll
be
climbing
mountains...





and
biking
multi-
centuries!


and
maybe...


just
maybe....





before
the
end
of
2013....


I'll
find
a
way









to
forgive...



















that
danged
Rottweiler.





Monday, October 8, 2012

Good-bye TJ...








My
last day
with
TJ...






These last
3 days
have
gone
fast!







well,
actually....







the last
18
years ...









have
spun
by....














like
a
top.







Weren't
you born
just
yesterday...









youngest
of
the
four...







and
the
only
boy?





Wasn't it
just
this morning
I could carry
you
in a
backpack?








and
you
were
riding
through
the rain?






Only a little while ago
your
first
Family
Nature
Summit?














And now
you
need
to shave...
















and I'm leaving
you
in
Mississippi....






Our
last
day...







last
Sub-
way.







It's
good-bye
to
Beluga,
too.





We
drive
out....













to
check
out

his
temporary
housing...







Not
bad,
TJ.







C'mon,
Mom.

Let's
go.


But, TJ...






the
roads
are
flooded!









We'll
find
a
way,
he says!


To
the
Gulf
of
Mexico!








We
go
exploring...









and
then
settle
down...







for a
rousing
game
of
chess.







TJ
won.


:(







Then
we're
off...








drivin'
down
Highway
Ninety!








This
road
was
underwater
two
days
ago....








They plowed
off the sand
like
we
plow
off snow!






And
with
global
warming
lapping
at the
beach....





No wonder
every
gulfside
house
is
For Sale!






We
take
a
break
back
at our hotel...








a few hours
with
our
computers...









and
thinking
about
the
future...






Then
back
to
the
oceanside...








for
a
Bonefish
dinner!












Here's
to
Habitat!







After
dinner
we browse
the
beach....






sketch
in
the
sand...








and
play
one
last
game....








We
watch
the west sky
get
dark...









and east
the
Mississippi
moon
rise....








It's
time
to
say
Good-bye...








Good-bye
to
TJ....













Good-bye
to
TJ....















and
Hello...







to
the
Empty
Nest....










The
Empty
Nest...







The
Empty
Nest!







Three
cheers!