Wildflowers Lori

Good Morning Everyone!  I hope everyone is doing awesome on this gorgeous summer day!!!

I have been on the go go go and have finally found some time to catch up on my travels this summer!

I wanted to spend the summer running and climbing, ya know… chillin’ on the rocks with friends, meeting new climbers and runners.  Unfortunately I kept sustaining minor injuries that kept me from doing these awesome things!  Sprained ankles, shin splints etc…(I never get rid of a pair of crutches…lol  I keep them just in case! Hahaha)  So I went back to my other love, backpacking!  You get to use hiking poles for stability and hiking boots with great ankle support.  By no means is backpacking considered easy but it is less stressful on the body then trail running and climbing.  So backpacking it is!

I was able to visit some very cool places this summer!  First up The Red River Gorge in Kentucky!  I made this a two part post because I couldn’t possibly fit all the greatness that this trip was into a single post!

Sunrise over the Red River Gorge 🙂

I have been wanting to visit The Red River Gorge for so long and I am soooo happy that my good friend Darwin from the backpacking group decided to put this trip together.  I have driven through Kentucky before but I have never really spent time exploring this great state.  It was a trip that was absolutely breathtaking!

We started out on Thursday morning and roadtripped 7 hours to the gorge.  We had 5 people in the car I was in.  Two I already knew and the other 2 people quickly became friends!  I think whenever you throw a bunch of people in a car for several hours CRAZY things will be talked about and discussed.  Icelandic museums?!  We had a great time and quickly got to know one another!  There was another car that we caravanned with and they were equally awesome too!

When we finally arrived at the gorge we packed and repacked our packs and went on our way.  The great thing about this particular trip was that we backpacked out, set up camp and then day hiked.  I am soooo happy we did that!  Using a day pack instead of a mulit-day backpack made exploring the arches so much easier and we could cover more ground.  This trip wasn’t really about mileage.  It was about really getting to explore the area we were staying at and we loved it.

So when we finished neatly and efficiently packing our packs we started on our merry way.

“Umm dudes..there is a trail around here somewhere..maybe…well…maybe not..”

Our other fearless leader Matthew… Trails.. somewhere

The other leader stopped to fix is clothes or shoes or something so Matthew, Eliese and I took the lead down the trail that Darwin pointed us in.  We were lead right into an in-ground yellow jacket hive!!!  Matthew didn’t get  stung but I was right behind him and stepped directly onto it!  I was stung 6 times, Eliese 2 times!!!  While I was screaming like a banshee I didn’t notice that I ran right into a pricker bush.  So this is me post wrong trail/yellow jacket nest courtesy of our fearless leasder…lol..

It has healed up pretty nicely but he owes me a beer for sure!  Eliese too because she turned out to be somewhat allergic and her hand swelled up to 1.5 times it normal size and her eye looked like she was in a nasty bar fight!  (I won’t post her battle wounds…lol)

So… after getting back on track we found a campsite and set up camp.  It wasn’t the best campsite because not too far from it was what we could only guess was a used car part graveyard.  We think that one of the main trails used to be a service road way back in the day and that they would just leave used parts in the woods.  Not really nice to look at but we were far enough past it that it was out of eye sight.  We did find an old chair in the camp and Dingo (not his real name) was trying to pry it apart and stumbled upon a black widow and her baby spider sac!!!!!  We didn’t really fear momma black widow as she was NOT going to leave her babies to come visit us so all was cool and calm.  🙂

Later that night a few people went off in search of the sunset.  They found a spectacular one but I opted to lick my wounds and stay behind to build the fire along with Eliese as I believe she had had enough for the day too!  BUT the next morning I went to greet the sun and this is what I found..

You really have to click on the picture to make it bigger to get the full effect of the spectacular morning…it was AWEsome!!!  Those are my two friends Kathy and Melissa who cowgirl camped out on the the ridge.  Love those ladies!  That night we ALL joined them for a group cowgirl/boy camp.

But back to that day!  After breakfast we loaded out daypacks with snacks and water and set off to find Star Gap Arch.

Star Gap Arch 🙂  Photo not mine

We spent a good amount of time exploring the arch and just basking in it’s beauty.  Now, the locals won’t tell you too much about the area as they want to keep what isn’t on the official trails sacred.  I don’t blame them…but if you do explore the unofficial trails you’ll find even more raw beauty!  The Gorge has so much to offer that it is impossible to see it all in just a few days!

We then went on to Auxier Ridge, Haystack Rock, Wizards Backbone, Courthouse Rock, Auxier Branch (valley), up to Double Arch and then finally back to camp.

Photo: Dingo

Photo: Dingo

RRG Crew Photo: Melissa

The views 🙂 Photo: Melissa

Cristy and Kathy yoga pose. Photo: Melissa

At one point the heat was just getting to be a bit much.  When we stopped to filter water from a small river I took the opportunity to submerse my head and let the cool water flow over my hair and neck!  (after everyone was done filtering of coure!)   I convinced a couple of the other women to do it too and we all hiked back to camp feeling totally refreshed!  It was just what we needed!!!

Dunking Kathy! Lol… Photo: Linda

Waking up to sunrises, falling asleep to sunsets.  Seeing the majestic valley of the Red River Gorge from the top of a massive rock reminds me of why I put up with spiders, yellow jacket stings, and rattles snakes.  Beauty has a price and Mother Nature makes you pay your dues.   She is relentless in her ways but she gives what you need to survive and refresh your mind.

Stay tuned for Part 2!!  Cloud Splitter and Indian Staircase are going to be awesome!!  Not to mention jumping off a huge rock and swimming in the river!!! It’s going to be AWESOME!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a great weekend 😀  This will be a quick little sweet post!

In my head I am still 24 years old!  However, my body is 38 FO real.    I would like to think that if I had to be evaluated, a sports med doctor would say my body is truly about 28 years old.  (slip the doc $50 and call it a day ;))

Annnnnnyways…. I have been sustaining minor injuries from over use and improper warm up.  I know better but hey when you feel good you feel good and you push your body a little harder.  Enter in shin splints in my right shin, a slightly pulled muscle in my right quad and a still sensitive sprained left ankle.  What the HECK dude?!?!  I am a competitive person.  Especially with myself.  So I was chillaxing at home and wondering what the heck I was going to do for cardio and strength training while giving my lower body a rest from high impact cardio.  Ugh…I can’t tell you the last time I have been to the rock gym!  Totally depressed about that one…with my ankle still being sore and sensitive I cannot jump down from bouldering problems.

So I decided to pull out my yoga mat and do more than just the normal routine of awesome stretches.

It has been a while since I have attended an actual yoga class on a regular basis.  I used to go all the time when I lived in Southern California.  In L.A. you could go to a yoga class pretty much anytime of day, even midnight.  I loved it!  Now that I am back in Ohio it is a little harder as the studios are more spread out, the schedules aren’t really that conducive and the variety of yoga just isn’t there.  Well not as much as SoCal.  So I decided to take matters into my own hands and YouTube the crap out of online yoga!  Benefits?  Free and I can do it in my own home.  Sounds pretty good to me.  Except I get bored at home and generally dislike working out at home.  And since I am problem solver..hahaha…I took my mat outdoors.  I would say 4 out of 7 mornings you can find me at a local beach or grassy park running through various yoga poses.

I feel so much stronger than I did a week ago!  Especially in my shoulders which are a tough spot for me to train.  Before I head out the door I look up new poses and/or poses for what body parts I am struggling with.  It is so easy to do and the benefits are amazing.  I know I am walking taller and straighter too!  Now I just need another yoga mat.  One for indoors and one for outdoors.

As I was driving home from work this evening (Sunday as I am writing this) I was flipping through the stations on the radio and Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ came on.  I was totally dancing, singing and rocking out on the highway home.  After it was over I found it playing on ANOTHER station.  I mean the universe wanted an encore of my first performance right?!?!?!!!  I gladly obliged  and rocked out aaagain! I didn’t care who watching me as the passed me by.  I was having too much fun!  I almost forgot to mention how AWESOME SAUCE I sounded!!!  Move over Steve Perry!!!

Peace out til next time and namaste dudes!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Here is the deal.  No one and I mean no one is happy 100% of the time and no one has it totally and completely all together.  If they say they do they are probably fooling themselves in one or more aspect of their lives.  IF we have it all together then that means that we have stopped growing, searching and learning.  That we have become content and complacent in who we are and what we do.  I write this blog because it is a creative outlet for me as well as  journal, therapy session and reflection pool.  It is true that I am a naturally happy person but I have my struggles just like the person sitting next to me.  Someone recently said to me, “You seem like you have it all together.”  I immediately told them I do not.  However, I do try to focus on what I do have together.  I always try to focus on what I am grateful for, what I work hard for and what I can do to help people.   There are certain areas in my life that could use some help and some guidance.  Those areas have always been a struggle for me.  BUT the great thing is, is that we can lean on each other.  We don’t have to go through life’s tough questions, moments or feelings alone.   Chances are someone you know very well or very little may be going through the same thing and asking themselves the same questions you are asking yourself.

An old friend (from a billion years ago) and I started talking recently.  Out of the blue we struck up a conversation via Facebook and he reached out to me in part because of my writings in this blog.  We have had a few brief but really cool in-depth conversations about spirituality and happiness.  I am really looking forward to conversing again with him soon.  I am so glad that this blog has started a dialog between us!  The same questions that I ask myself are the same questions people are asking themselves and it is a really awesome thing that we can chat about all of it.  The most important thing is that no one is diagnosing, judging or has any ulterior motive.

I have found that sometimes it is easier to talk to someone other than our significant others or family members about what it is we are going through.   Sometimes it gives you a different perspective on your situation or gives you insight on how to approach your significant other about the thoughts and feelings you are having.  Conversing with a member of the opposite sex outside your relationship doesn’t always mean that you are looking for something that you are lacking in your relationship.  Sometimes it means that you are looking for someone to connect with (male or female… who cares?!) that may help you reconnect with your significant other.  It helps you see the light.

What I am saying is that there are so many outlets in this world that we can reach out to.  Nature is a HUGE one for me.  My dad always said to me growing up, “Lori, don’t ever forget that we are a part of nature too.”  Reaching out to other human beings, even though you may not have talked to them in quite some time, could be just the thing you need.

A while ago when I was going through a tough time I reached out to a person from high school via Facebook.  I asked her questions (about questions that I was trying to figure out) based on her Facebook posts about God and divinity.  She was so very nice and helpful!  Yeah, it was a little strange to be reaching out to someone that I haven’t spoken with in 20 years but that is a great thing about social media, you can put yourself and thoughts out there and you may just very well be of help to someone else.  (I will not get into the negatives about social media right now…hahaha.)

This whole post takes me back to the previous one about sharing stories.  The art of conversation.  Intimacy in conversation, romantic or platonic,  has the capability of being salutiferous.

Peace, love and lots of reaching out,
~Lori

“Give what you have.  To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”  (Maybe he was talking about having a conversation!)

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Good Morning!

It has been a while!  I finally have internet connected in my new ”new” apartment!  (I moved from one unit to a new unit with a balcony!)  Also I have been putting in a lot of hours at work so I haven’t really had the time to hit the cafes and take advantage of free internet.  Cox Communications had to come out and completely run a new wire across my building and into my new “new” apartment because my particular apartment was never wired in the first place.  So it is all done and I am a happy camper!

I love love love my new “new” apartment!  Most mornings you can find me out on my balcony meditating before work while waiting for my coffee to cool down as it sits on the upon the window ledge.    There is this very strong and beautiful oak tree just in front of my balcony that stands tall and proud.  I watch the birds and squirrels scurry through and around it all the time.  I love the balance that is the area where I live.  I get to listen to birds, watch bunnies hop through the lawns first thing in the morning and listen to the sounds of my new city.   I LOVE THIS BALANCE!

So much fun has happened this past month!  I threw a surprise 40th birthday dinner for my sister Lisa at Burntwood Tavern in Rocky River.  This place is one of my favorite places to eat in my neighborhood.  The atmosphere is upscale rustic, with great fixtures and a GIANT fireplace out on the patio where you can sit in a big leather couch all year long!  The great thing about this place is that the food and atmosphere are amazing and yet TOTALLY affordable.  You will not break your bank dining here.  Plus their happy hour is restaurant wide, not just at the bar!  Also when making reservations the staff was so nice and accommodating as they let me store my sister’s huge birthday cake in their fridge!  If you are in town or live in the area, check this place out!  (Um..it is also next to my favorite coffee shop Erie Island Coffee!  Win! Win!)

My sister’s surprise dinner was awesome for a couple of reasons

1. She was getting upset during the weeks leading up to it as she thought no one was planning a 40th anything for her.  Hahaha!
2. She had NO CLUE and was completely surprised!
3. Her closest friends, co-workers and family were all in attendance to totally suprise her.
4. And the look on her face as we took the blind fold off was AWESOME SAUCE!  (my sister is the most Italian looking of all of us [our mother is full blooded Italian via her grandparents from Napoli] complete with beautiful olive skin so when she turns red it isn’t really red is more a maroon!)

It was a beautiful, fun and delicious evening and I am so glad she loved it!  I forgot to ask permission from the guests if it was okay to post their pics, so that is why I am not sharing pics from the dinner 😦

I will catch up more later… I am off to work!

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

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Good morning everyone 🙂  Today is the perfect day to be sick…if there is such a thing?!  It is foggy, rainy and gray outside and I am trying to get over a nasty cold that I have had for the past week!  I am never this sick for this long but this sucker is lingering and interfering with my plans for my day off.  Those plans included a shopping trip to T.J. Max Home Goods because I have some gift cards to use that I received for my birthday!  I love shopping there for bits and bobs for my apartment.  I nabbed a great canvas print a few weeks ago for dirt cheap and I love it 🙂  I love shopping there because 1.  It is totally affordable and 2. they are always getting in new and different items!  I need a few bathroom and bedroom pieces.

I did muster up enough energy to get semi-dressed and walk to the corner of my street (about 20 steps I say) to The Breadsmith and snap up a blueberry lemon muffin and a ginger cookie!  Do you feed a cold and starve a fever or starve a cold and feed a fever?  Oh well,  I’ll try feeding a cold with pastries 😉

So with all this time on my hands and being confined to my apartment I have endless thoughts going through my head this cozy and drizzly morning.

First up, a VACATION!  I need a great vacation.  I am suppose to be planning a backpacking trip to Colorado in late September early October.  I so really want to do that but in the back of my head I have been dreaming about white sand, clear water, tiki huts and drinks with umbrellas in them.  I only get a limited amount of PTO so I have to use it wisely.  I have spent quite a bit of it in the past on backpacking trips and as much as I love backpacking I feel the need to go relax somewhere warm.  BUT WAIT!  What if I could combine a trip with both white sand, clear waters, tiki huts and drinks with umbrellas in them with a few days of backpacking as well in the same locale?  Another thing to research while being cooped up on the couch today 🙂  If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Second up, 1/2 marathon training.  I talked about keeping a promise to myself to start training for the Towpath 1/2 marathon in a previous post.  A few years ago I trained with my friend Anna for the same 1/2 marathon but when I went to register for it about a week before I came to find out that the darn thing was sold out!  I couldn’t believe it.  I was soooo bummed out.  After all that hard work and dedication I would not be able to run.  So I went and cheered on my friend and stood proudly at the finish line with her boyfriend and congratulated her on a job well done.  This year however, I am determined to run it.  I will not be in competition with anyone but myself and I am doing solely for the purpose of self improvement.  To those of you that know me I have always been a runner.  However, over the years my running has not been consistent due to injuries, personal circumstances or whatever else.  I don’t feel the need to have a 13.1 nor a 26.2 sticker on my car.  I just want to run.  But more importantly I want to train properly for it.  Yoga, strength training and conditioning along with the running.  The right side of my body tenses up like no other and I really struggle with my  tensor fascia latae.  I really need to work on that as it can really compromise my range of motion.  Ugh…I have until Sunday October 11th!

The third thing on my mind this morning is blog development.  I have to say that devoting time to blogging and working an insane amount of hours don’t really coincide.  Since my body is forcing me to stay at home and recuperate and I don’t sit still well, I will devote this time to learning and developing my blogging skills and my blog site.  I would love to join a group to meet other bloggers.  Pick their brains and get some ideas.

I love reading other people’s journeys and life experiences.  You can share and discover inspiration!

I hope you all have an amazing warm spring day today!  It is time for me to take a nap… sick = sleepy.

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