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So I pride my on really knowing my beloved Rocky River Reservation but today I discovered a place I NEVER knew existed!  So I grew up on the south west side of the park and recently I moved to the north east portion.  So this weekend I have basically spent in bed because I overworked myself these past six weeks to the point of getting sick…I would make the WORST patient!  So, after spending all day indoors and drinking copious amount of water I decided to go for a drive though RRR.  (I am convinced you can flush anything out of your system by drinking TONS of good H2O!)

As I was meandering my way through the park I decided to drive up a road I have never been on.  Hogsback Lane.   I always just figured that it just spit you out onto to some road.  So for poops and giggles today I took a left turn up Hogsback Lane.  To my awesome surprise I discovered a whole new part of the park I have NEVER been to!  First I went up this lane and on my slow drive up the hill I stopped and spotted 12 deer on the hillside!  I have never seen that many deer at one time!  I don’t care what people say… I think they are amazing beautiful creatures 🙂

So I drove up the hill and discovered Stinchcomb-Groth Memorial Scenic Overlook!  I drove up and saw that there is the huge piece of land I never experienced.  I can’t wait to go explore it in the days ahead!  I didn’t today because I have felt like poop.  I only had it in me to drive… no hiking.  😦   I can’t wait to enjoy a sunrise one of these mornings or a sunset one evening up there….aaaahhhhh, nature!

Discovering this little gem inspired me to take a few pictures in park today.

These were taken on my much outdated iPhone so I apologize for the quality as they do not capture the beauty of RRR like I would like it to.

Anyways I have found inspiration today and this past week.  A week ago a high school friend passed away and our little town was really taken by his passing.  I went to high school with him and his wife and to say that they were an example of faith, love and family would not do them justice.  He left a legacy that has already inspired everyone I know that knew him to live life with open arms.  Open arms to life, family, faith (whatever yours may or may not be) and to always be there when someone is in need.   I’d like to think that I live this way already but it is nice to see that T.J.’s life was complete in every way.  God took him home because he no longer had work to do here on earth.  His work will continue long after his passing.  Here is a little excerpt from his blog dadfirst.net.  It is titled 39 Things I have Learned to Keep on Keeping On…  They are some pretty great words to live by.

Another inspirational person I came across was Alex Sheen of because i said i would.   I first saw Alex speak at a work fundraiser I attended with my brother.  Alex is a man of such integrity and promise.  He started this social movement because of his late father.  His father was a man of his word.  He kept his promise.  The premise of this site are the promise cards.  They are the size of a business card and you write a promise on them.  For example here is one I wrote to myself the other day.

This card can be made out to yourself or to someone else.  The stories on the website because i said i would are so raw and amazing and inspirational.  Here is one that moved me to tears.  It is about Colonel Parker Schenecker and how he is dealing with the loss of his two beautiful children.  Totally worth viewing.  Alex inspired me so much that I have started volunteering at their headquarters.  I really encourage everyone to check out the website and see the amazing things Alex Sheen has done for others.

My niece Molly is also an inspiration to me!  The other morning I drove over to my sister’s house thinking they would all be getting ready for school.  (I am an early bird!)  To my surprise the house was quiet… I didn’t realize they were on spring break!  Oops!  Anyways I woke my almost 14 year old niece Molly (wow!  I still can’t believe she is going to be 14 in two months!) by dancing to an awesome song that popped into my head on the way over to their house.  The song was, I’m Walking On Sunshine.  It is just a fun, upbeat and catchy song and I freakin’ love it!  So Molly and I drove down to the beach to catch the sunrise and every time I talk with her, her spirit just amazes me!  She is in many ways your typical teenager but what I love and find so inspiring about her is that she is her own person.  She is not really a conformist.  She loves what she loves (horses) and she is who she is.  She is intelligent, funny and beautiful.  She inspires me every time we talk and hang out.  I love you Mowgli!!!

Inspiration can be found anywhere at anytime.  You just have to open your eyes to the beauty around you.  Let the light shine upon you so it can shine through you.

Peace, love and lots of warm sunshine,

~Lori

“Give what you have.  To someone it may be better than you dare to think.”

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow