Wildflowers Lori

Walla Walla, Thanksgiving and Buffalo, NY!

Published on November 25, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers LoriLeave a comment

Hello Everyone!!!

I am SOOOOO excited for this ENTIRE week and weekend full of F.U.N.!!!!

Lets head back to Sunday morning… I awoke at my brother and sister-in-law’s house, after a night of playing darts and Five Crowns, to my crazy nieces and nephew and some serious little kid morning breath as they gave me hugs and kisses in the morning. Hahaha…I still love the little dudes. I was scheduled to lead a cardio session on Sunday morning with another group of backpackers! I LOVE The Hopeless Wanderers! Rant: Being around like minded people that totally get why you’d want to winter camp in freezing temperatures is quite awesome. 😀

I was getting ready to head out the door when my big brother Donnie said he was joining me on my Walla Walla Wing Ding Workout (yes, that is the silly fun name for it.) So with no coffee to be made we piled in my car…first stop: COFFEE…Mmmmm. Next we headed to the park so I could map out exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it. I know this park like the back of my hand but always like to be extra prepared when I am actually in charge of something. Lol.. I was trying to convince him to drink some water and do a little stretching before hand but he was all, “No no no… I don’t drink water when I work out.” He has so much to learn from his little sister!

When everyone arrived we headed to the infamous set of stairs behind the nature center to do 5 climbs (134 stairs up, 134 stairs down) as a warm up. We then headed over to the outdoor amphitheater. Here the park as several backless benches that were perfect to do planks, push ups and tri dips. Performing planks on a partially ice covered bench was a bit tricky but also took it up a notch for the ol’ core!

The guys doing lunges and Shelly being camera shy!

Next up were lunges…oh how I love lunges. LOL! But I really do love lunges! We did 4 sets of 12 walking lunges and 4 sets of squat kicks. Let’s just say that that was on Sunday, today is Tuesday, and I am still having trouble sitting down unassisted! BUT in my defense I did just of come off of the injured list after being on it for two weeks! A couple of people messaged me on Monday saying that they couldn’t walk. I said, “That’s the point!” There was a reason it was called Walla Walla Wing Ding Workout Part 2: Feel the Burn! Next those of us who could, jogged to the trail head of super short but steep hill. I waited for those who didn’t jog and we all hiked up the hill and went for a short hike on the rim of the cliff overlooking the valley. It was a beautiful day and my phone camera didn’t do the view justice! 😦

View of ice covered Rocky River :) Kind of...haha — View of ice covered Rocky River 🙂 Kind of…haha

After the mini hike we all headed over to one of my favorite cafes.

Post hike fire-side coffee chat :D — Post hike fire-side coffee chat 😀

I love coming here post hike because 1. it’s local and 2. a fireplace!

I almost refuse to go to a cafe that doesn’t have a fireplace. Being that close to Lake Erie and getting smacked in the face with the wind that whips off the lake?! Ya need a cafe with a FIREPLACE!!!

Speaking of being all warm and cozy! I am heading to my folks house the morning of Thanksgiving.

I have to work at 3pm that day so I am going to get my vegetarian Thanksgiving coma on early! After that, black Friday (which I do not participate in because I have a will to live!) and then comes Saturday!!!! Me and five friends are heading to Buffalo, NY, yes the same Buffalo, NY that was buried under 7 feet of snow, to go to the Browns vs. Bills game! I figured we could either sled to the stadium or kayak if the all the melting snow caused flooding. Either way I’m cool! I am so totally excited as I have not been to a NFL game since the 1980’s when the Cleveland Browns were on strike. But I never will forget the wonderful time I had with my dad watching the replacement players in the old Municipal Stadium. That was back in the day when the football and baseball games were held in the same stadium. I can still remember seeing the outlines of the baseball diamond on the football field. I love you Dad!!!!

I am excited for this little mini get away with friends. Hopefully the game will still be on. They had to reschedule last weeks game and it ended up being held in Detroit. Any way it plays out, it will be an ADVENTURE and adventure is my middle name!

So in conclusion…oh wait! My brother DONNIE kept saying how he hasn’t been mentioned in my blog yet. So I thought I would take this time to mention my brother DONNIE. DONNIE is a great big brother to me and my two sisters! He is also an amazing son, husband and father (and a bit of a dork sometimes 😉 So without further adieu… Heeeeerrrrrre’sssss Donnie!

My big brother Donnie...lol. — My big brother Donnie…lol.

Ta Daaaaa!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Questions: What are your run plans for this Thanksgiving? and How do you combat the holiday 5-10lbs?

Loving Life!

Published on November 18, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

I am loving life right now! I am all warm and cozy at my sister Lisa’s house! There is Christmas music on, I baked apple struesel muffins, and I am chillin’ with my niece Kelly. There is snow on the ground and family love in the air! The holiday season is in full effect! Next, I am on my way to my sister Lana’s house to chill with her babies! YUM!

I woke up this morning feeling well rested 🙂 I started out doing some yoga moves to combat all the overtime I have been picking up at work lately. It can really take a toll on my body and I need to pay extra attention to my stiff bones and muscles in a kind way through yoga. My ankle is not anywhere near ready to do high impact cardio so I had to modify my workout again this morning. I am going to drive to the gym on Thursday and get in the pool and do some laps freestyle with a pull buoy. This way I am getting my cardio in but not putting any pressure on my ankle. Plus it is a GREAT WAY to get your upper body workout in!

I have always admired swimmers. (This paragraph is in blue for swimming! LOL) Unfortunately I cannot seem to get my breathing down! It is completely and totally opposite from how I breathe when I run. When I run, I usually breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. Swimming ALWAYS screws me up because now I have to breathe in through my mouth in a split second and blow bubbles out through my nose. It generally takes me a 1/2 hour to get some sort of sub-par rhythm…lol! I took an advance swim class in San Francisco and I loved it! It pushed my so hard and by the end of the class I was doing the butterfly and breast stroke decently! I’d love to take another class here but that will have to wait a bit. Plus my climbing improved dramatically as well!

This Sunday I am leading another training session with The Hopeless Wanderers and I am really excited to show and explain some great exercises that will really help with enhancing the muscles one uses while backpacking! It is suppose to be 54 degrees and a little rainy on Sunday. 54 degrees! Right now it is 18 degrees and feels like -2! Ya gotta love Cleveland! The first training session was a total success and people requested another one so I am excited to have motivated some people! Yay!!!

Well I am signing off for now! I hope you all have an amazing day!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Going off the radar for the day…

Published on November 13, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

Good Day, शुभ प्रभातम् (Sanskrit) Aaaahhhhh…..

This morning I feel as if I have a million topics running through my mind! First, lets start off with the atmosphere of the local coffee shop here in town. Love the decor and the vibe, the coffee is nothing special but I didn’t feel like writing from home and the other coffee place in town (McDonald’s) is way too cold on the inside. The great thing about The Slow Train Cafe is that is has a BIG COMFY COUCH. I decided to be the first one in today so I could call dibs on it! 😉 I woke up this morning feeling a little too preoccupied and a little too uncertain. About what? Everyday things I guess. So when that happens I know it is time to put my phone on Do Not Disturb and hone in on my needs and not really worry about anyone else today.

I have been juggling too many people, places and things lately. This combined with a set back due to a wretched sprained ankle has put me in a “what the heck is going on” place. So I am going for ZEN today.

I took this pic at Joshua Tree in California. This is what transpired when I developed the film. (Yes...film..lol) — I took this pic at Joshua Tree National Park in California. This is what transpired when I had the film developed. (Yes…film..lol)

The above picture always brings me back to center. I close my eyes and remember hiking that day with friends. We camped there a couple of nights and it was breathtaking! Joshua Tree is a really magical and mysterious place to me. Actually, I feel that way about most of the desert places I visited here in the U.S. The Painted Desert in Arizona is by far my favorite desert. That place is …. I can’t even think of how to explain it. GO VISIT!!!

This morning my friend Patty is coming over and after that I am going to get some things in order and then dedicate the rest of my day to myself. Meditation, yoga and quiet. (Until I go to work at 3..maybe…) Even if you have a million things going on today, make room for 10 minutes just for you. Lock the door and give yourself 10 minutes of quiet. When I am at work I often have lunch in my car (not now because it is so darn cold) just so I can get away from work and have peace and quiet. When it cold outside, like it is now, I go down to the meditation room/chapel because I KNOW it will be quiet in there! Pandora has a great station called Calm Meditation Radio. Love it… sometimes I just want music without words…

This post is short and sweet…

Be good to yourself, take time for yourself and love yourself…Go get “lost” somewhere that brings you peace…

Go get "lost" in the woods... — Go get “lost” in the woods…

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sweet and funny old guys and my small home gym part DUE (that’s 2 in italian)

Published on November 6, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers LoriLeave a comment

So I am sitting here in my local McDonald’s…(they have great coffee, I don’t eat the food…sorry) and there are a bunch of old timers here drinking coffee, reading the newspaper and shooting the breeze. They are talking about going hunting this weekend and one man says to another, “What are you hunting this weekend?” The other man replies, “Women!” I laughed so hard that they looked over at me and apologized. I said to them,” This is what I love about people. The candid and funny conversations you overhear!” Then a different guy asked what “spooning” was. He thought it was some kind of new drug people were doing. A guy in the little gang looked up and said, “Are you serious? It’s when you lay on your side in a ‘c-shape’ and spoon your partner.” Hahahahaha!!!! They are the sweetest guys… and they were kind and sweet enough to let me take their picture 😀

Fun, sweet old timers :) — Fun, sweet old timers 🙂

Back to the home gym part due (pronounced “dew-eh”.) I am one of those people who LOVE the benefits of yoga. I love feeling peaceful, strong and quite frankly my darn spine feels aligned! BUT….. it’s getting me to yoga that is the problem. When I lived in Venice, CA I would hop on my beach cruiser with my yoga mat in my basket and peddle down to YogaWorks on Main St. It was easier for me then for a few reasons.

Yoga studios are EVERYWHERE in L.A.
Since there are so many studios, the prices are competitive which means cheap!
You could go to a class any time of day! Even at midnight! So the accessibility was amazing!

(I once did yoga on a rooftop in Venice on the beach at night and it was my favorite experience with yoga!)

I have always been a “sweaty workout” kind of person. Holding positions and trying to breathe at the same time doesn’t come naturally to me. I can run for an hour straight at a good pace just breathing in and out through my nose! Not so much doing yoga 😦 So, I decided to take what I learned from the various yogis in L.A. and do some yoga at home. I love it!! And with YouTube, you have a yoga class at your beck and call! I even do yoga at work. I am on my feet 12 hours a day and about 8 hours into my shift I go find a place where I can lay down a blanket, close the door and do a few quick yoga poses. OH MY STARS I can’t tell you how much that rejuvenated not only my muscles but my mind as well! It is a “little reset” button that gets me through the rest of my shift. I haven’t been able to convince my co-workers to join me yet but I’m wearing them down!

My "yoga studio" at work! Lol.... — My “yoga studio” at work! Lol….

Once in a blue moon I will go to a yoga class to make sure my positioning is correct and to see what is new and then go home and incorporate what I have learned. The equipment I have…

Yoga mat (the sticky kind)
Yoga block (for positions that I am not quite flexible enough for yet)
Yoga strap. Dude… you can totally use a belt or a scarf.

It is that simple and totally cheap! And when you are at home you don’t have to worry about a possible wardrobe malfunction. You’re in the privacy of your own home. Normally I am in my lounge wear. I don’t buy into fancy yoga clothing or fancy workout clothing. I do have a few pieces of performance athletic wear, but I just wear what I have and save a TON of $$$$$ as a result! K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid.

So you don’t have to spend a bunch of money… sure some exercise equipment is an investment but over time it all pays itself off.

Hope you have an amazing Thursday! My good friend Shannon is in town from Oregon and I am so excited to spend time with her!!!

Part tre to come….

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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My small home gym part UNO :D

Published on November 4, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

Good morning….LOL… I laugh because I am running on about 3.5 hours of sleep! (Right now I’m listening to the Jay-Z Pandora radio station to keep me awake! HA!)

So I want to share a few FUN ways I exercise when I tire of my usual routine. Have an arsenal at my disposal.

It is a small home gym but there is a TON packed into that small space! From left to right, my bouldering pad, backpack, yoga mat and block, hand weights, climbing shoes and harness, skateboard (Sector 9 longboard) and last but not least the most versatile piece of equipment on the planet…my treadmill!

You don’t need a ton of fancy equipment to be active. Oh wait I forgot my FAVORITE exercise piece….

Running is my first love. More than anything or anyone, when I am having a good day, bad day or whatever kind of day, my running shoes are there for me. They are without a doubt my go to stress reliever, happy place and my gap! I have been running since my parents put me, my brother and older sister in cross country in elementary school. I don’t run for time really any more and I don’t have a desire to run a marathon. I don’t need a 26.2 sticker on my car. I run because that is who I am. Running is where I go to recenter myself and clear out my thoughts. I get high.. every single time!

Ok ok ok….back to the rest of the small home gym equipment. My bouldering pad, a.k.a. crash pad. I climb big rocks or boulders outside. Bouldering is when you climb short but good size boulders without being harnessed in. Without a rope. There is a great park on the westside of Cleveland and I like to get there early in the morning before the neighborhood wakes up. 😀

I’m sure most of you have climbed trees as a kid! Well now I climb rocks and trees! Hahaha! But seriously bouldering is great because you can do it solo. I would always recommend going with a friend because if something happens there is someone to call for help! Buddy system…(most of the time I go alone but I ALWAYS let someone know where I am!) All you need to get started is a chalk bag, for when you hands get sweaty, and a crash pad for when you can quite make that next hold… 😉 The other great thing about bouldering is that you don’t have to be a “climber.” Anyone can do it! You may not do it well at first and your hands and most likely your legs WILL get scraped up! But you just climb as far as you can until you build up the strength and confidence to climb a little higher each time. Also if you have a fear of heights then this is perfect if you don’t want to be on the big walls because you will really never be that high up to the point where you couldn’t jump down!

Holy guacamole look at the time! I have to jet for now but I will be back to chat about the rest of my small home gym!

I hope you guys all have an amazing morning….AND DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!!!!

Until a little bit later…

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Squats, dead lifts and lots o’core!

Published on October 29, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers LoriLeave a comment

What an sweet morning so far! I spent the night at my older sister’s home so I could sleep over with her 3 amazing children! I woke them up at 6:00am this morning so I could scoot them on the bus and off to school. (yes…I fed them…lol) I love hanging with them! I call them my little crazies 😉 I also get a little teary eyed when they get on the bus…I think it’s because I was out in California for 6 years and missed them like crazy. I am soooo happy to be back home in Cleveland 😀 I know I talk a lot about loving Cleveland, its just that it has so much to offer. A lot of the time when I was out west people would say to me, “Oh…Cleveland.” I would tell them that unless you’ve been there with someone who is from there, then you don’t know what you are missing. Between the parks, museums, theatre district, pretty much all major sports teams (sorry soccer fans), lake front, different unique neighborhoods and the westside market, etc. there is NO shortage of fun and great things to do!

Okay, enough about my love of my town 🙂

About 2 minutes after I woke up I felt it…. the crazy good hurt that could only come from squats and lunges. DUDE…!!! I took my younger sister’s older daughter on a walk yesterday afternoon and as I was pushing her along in her Little Tykes car, I decided to make this sloooow moving opportunity into a fitness one! So I did a bunch of lunges! I am SURE I looked like a total weirdo but who cares?! I got my leg workout on! Later in the evening I did about 20 squats as I was waiting for some pictures to download from my phone to my computer. Like this one I took yesterday. I was driving “along in my automobile…bum bum bum di bum…” lol and I came across this field! So beautiful!

Field of sunflowers :D — Field of sunflowers 😀

The rest of my day looks will consist of the gym, studying and maybe a little bit of relocation hunting! I am also going to devise a training session for my friend who is coming over tomorrow morning for her (and my) first personal training “in-training” session. Today at the gym I am going to focus on my core and upper body. I’m going to try some new moves that I hope will target muscle groups that tend to get left behind. Not really muscle groups… The other day my friend Jeff and I were at CRG (Cleveland Rock Gym) climbing for the first time in months. We were sore for the next 3-4 days. My gym doesn’t have a climbing wall so I am going to try and simulate some climbing moves at the regular gym.

Climbing uses the every single muscle in your body! And I mean in ways you never thought possible and in ways you’ll most likely never obtain at the gym. Just ask my friend Jeff who is a gym rat and he’ll tell just how totally sore he was for several days post climbing!

Well I am off for now! Catch ya later!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Waking up on the last warm day of autumn..

Published on October 28, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori2 Comments

What’s going on everyone?! Today was nothing short of AWESOME! I woke up this morning to a warm breeze flowing through my windows…how awesome is that for late October?! I also had an easy breezy morning that started off with a great cup of coffee. Have any of you tried Starbucks Via? I love those little packets! I ran out of ground coffee and haven’t been to the market in a couple of weeks so I resorted to the little packets I had in my cupboard. I usually take them backpacking with me, as regular instant coffee is just plain gross!

Image from www.graphics.com — Image from http://www.graphics.com

They also offer instant lattes but I am not a fan of those. While I was enjoying my cafe I was catching up with one of my very best friends, Allison. We’ve been friends for quite sometime now but it seems the older we get the busier we are and the harder it is to get together in person and catch up! So this morning we caught up over her morning drive to work and me having coffee on my back porch 😀 I hopped on the treadmill post awesome coffee conversation and started running. I know a lot of people get bored on the treadmill. For me, I get that runners’ high anywhere, anytime I’m running. I just zone out and keep going until my body says, “Um dude, we’re done.” I started out at a 8:57/mile pace. Not too bad after working 6 days straight. I never put the emergency clip on me but for some reason I did today. Big mistake! Right in the middle of my run it pulled off from the consul and my treadmill came to a sudden STOP! I hate when that happens! I guess it is a good thing it did because when I looked at the clock I saw that I was going to be late for a meeting at work if I didn’t get my butt in gear! So I “freshened” up (tried to be less smelly) and drove to the hospital for meeting. Then it was more coffee with one of my other very best friends Patty!

I am in the middle of studying for my NASM personal training certification. As I was studying I thought to myself, “I need to practice these things with a real person and not just online.” Guess what?!!! I have my first client! Of course she isn’t a real client because I am not certified yet. Also, she is one of my very best friends! It is like massage therapy students. They can’t charge you full price because they aren’t certified but they need the practice and the hours! So instead of charging my friend money, I get to practice on her and she is paying me with what???? COFFEE!!!! On the days we train she offered to buy my soy lattes! And it is PSL (pumpkin spice latte) season!!!! YUM!

Image from www.coachsara.com — Image from http://www.coachsara.com

Continue reading “Waking up on the last warm day of autumn..” →

Backpacking Spruce Knob, new faces and the funniest and longest conversation I’ve had in a long time!

Published on October 23, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

Good morning on this crisp autumn day!

I hope you had an amazing week. 🙂 I tried to post from the road via my iphone but I just couldn’t make it work. I am new to the blogging world so I KNOW it will take me a bit to figure it all out!!!

So let’s talk backpacking! I had the most AMAZING weekend! I left Friday morning and drove to a meetup spot to carpool with a few people and let me tell you…hahaha…it was nice being a passenger! I usually drive every trip but this time at the last minute I hopped on the El Cap train to West Virginia. El Cap (his trail name) is the founder of our group. Being able to sit back and enjoy the scenery and take a mini cat nap or two was GREAT! So thanks El Cap for doing ALL the driving!

For those of you who don’t know what a trail name is, it is a name that you earn from other backpackers after being on the trail for a bit. Sometimes you earn a name right away and sometimes it takes a good while. I do not have one yet…when I do one I hope it fits me perfectly. Like…Awesome Sauce?! J/K

Moving on…I met a ton of new people this weekend! I loved seeing all the new faces out there in the wilderness experiencing Momma Nature in a way they never have before.

Everyone did extremely well considering the almost 35 degree temperature change we experienced Friday- Sunday!

It started out about 65 degrees on Friday when we arrived at the Spruce Knob trail head and by the time we climbed back up the side of the mountain on Sunday to where our cars were, it was 29 degrees and WINDY! My fingers were frozen while I was trying to unzip my pack to get dry clean clothes out. Brrrrr….

The drive on the way down was so beautiful with all the autumn colors on display. What I didn’t realize is that as we were traveling south, the trees became far less colorful. When we were hiking, a lot of the trees were already bare. None the less it was a site to be seen with all the elevation changes.

Friday we hiked about 6 miles until we arrived at our campsite and hunkered down for the night. On our way to camp we passed Seneca Falls. I didn’t get an actual picture of the main falls be here are some little ones.

My pack is waaaay old! I like to purchase 2 big pieces of gear each season and a new pack will be one of those pieces! But this pack has been all over the country with me and it has held up like a charm. It is a Mountainsmith and I bought it at a discount about 10-12 years ago and at sporting goods store called Dunhams. The other large ticket item will be a new sleeping bag. I have an old Moonstone that a friend gave me about a 1,000 years ago. They don’t make Moonstone anymore…LOL. Funny story… we were trekking part of the AT (Appalachian Trail) back in July and I decided to by a warmer weather sleeping bag once I got down there. I was SO excited to find one for $45.00! It was a junior size(hence the low price), meaning it SHOULD be long enough for a person 5’3″ and under. Well… I am 5’1.5″ and it is about 1.5 inches too short!!! So now I own and oldie but warm heavy sleeping bag and one that is just a tad to short. Oy!

I went to bed SUPER early on Friday and didn’t stay up to chat. I was uuuber tired. On Saturday we had breakfast and packed up camp so we could soak up more scenery. 🙂 Saturday’s weather was not as nice as Friday’s and the temp dropped about 10-15 degrees. We encountered a little bit of rain. Not enough to soak you, but a constant mist if you will. A friend and I became separated from the main group because we stayed back to help two “newbies” (I say that with love!), who had a hard time making it up the hill. It took us about 2 hours to get up the giant hill! I was joking around and said, “Donner, party of four your table is ready.” LOL…Then we caught up with three more people from the group and it became Donner party of seven! Hahaha.. Just kidding! We had a fearless leader for our little group and we decided to take a little shortcut to camp because a few newbies weren’t holding up too well in the chilly rain. After what seems like a long time, the other half of the group made it to camp and we all settled into another night of good food, good conversation and a great campfire! A friend and I ended up staying up until about 4:30am talking and laughing our butts off! Again, I apologize to people who tented around us for my friends loud laughing and snorting. 🙂 And I am talking about the kind of laughing where you almost pee your pants and (not me :)), start snorting you are laughing so hard. We covered everything from A-Z…literally..hahaha! We played the alphabet game, “I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing an apple. I’m going on a trip and I’m bring an apple, a big balloon…etc.” It was seriously one of the best nights of conversation I have had in quite some time. I will admit though it made the hike up the side of the mountain the following morning a bit rough but I hauled my tushy up that sucker so I could get warm and dry!

We always stop at a local joint on our way back to Cleveland and this time we stopped at Harper’s. Harper’s has a fantastic view of Seneca Rocks. They also serve a great local IPA!

Here are some stats courtesy of my friend Rob from the group, “Here are some bragging rights… Spruce Knob is the highest point in the state of West Virginia at 4863 feet in elevation. The elevation at our Saturday evening campsite at Seneca Creek was 3390 feet. The elevation change (excluding the ups and downs) amounts to 1473 feet which exceeds the height of the Empire State Building (including the antenna spire) which is 1454 feet tall.” Thanks Rob for calculating all of that!

Alas we took one last picture and said our goodbyes until the next time we see each other on the trail 😀

Post hike pic :D — Post hike pic 😀 (Rob’s photo)

Thanks everyone for a great weekend!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Balance and my dharma

Published on October 14, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

Hello!

What a week it has been! I put in way too many hours at work this past week. I basically woke up, went to work, came home, slept and then repeated it all again for 7 days. Which totally explains my state of pure exhaustion today. For the most part work was really good, I love my co-workers and my work keeps me consistently busy but it was an emotional work week. I work in healthcare and I am normally very good at detaching once I leave for the day but this week was a little different for some reason. I came home a couple of nights last week and cried and cried. It is so hard to know and accept that no matter what you do and how hard you try that you can’t help/save everyone. Sometimes you feel as though you don’t even make a small dent in the situation. Sometimes I lose my emotional balance…

Highliner Guy Ruyssevelt. Image from www.dailymail.co.uk — Highliner Guy Ruyssevelt. Image from http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Here is where the honest part of this blog comes in…. like I said it will not always be sunshine and butterflies. I struggle with where I am at right now in my healthcare career. What direction I want to take it in. I feel that if I am not able to impact everyone, then maybe it is not the role I am supposed to be in. The “all or nothing” trap! I know I want to take a different path then the one I am currently on. I am very good in the role I am in and there is an endless road for advancement. However, I have been in this role for so long now that I am pretty sure I want to see the other side. The prevention not invention side of things. I was having a conversation with someone the other day and they said to me, “Why can’t they just invent something for it?” I responded, “It’s not about invention, it’s about prevention.” That is when I had kind of an “Aha” moment. I am always preaching to my family these words of wisdom.

My amazing older sister said to me once, “What the hell are you doing? Start doing what you are passionate about!” But how?????? (The last time I did that I ended up in the E.R. with a CT, spinal tap and concussion! Whitewater rafting guide school anyone?! I don’t regret it for a minute!!) Deepak Chopra says we should concentrate on finding our dharma. Well I started this blog for one, and two, I am studying for my NASM test to be a personal trainer. So those are two things right?!

Roads are not often paved smoothly and they are often long, winding and have TONS of detours. I have road tripped across this country several times mostly without a destination. The best places I have EVER been are because of detours, side roads of curiosity and the occasional bossy state trooper…LOL. (I could do a whole post related to that one!..haha!) My other amazing sister, my little sister, bought me a beautiful necklace years ago that is engraved on back with a quote from Beverly Sills, “There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.” The front of the necklace is a compass. So appropriate for me 😉

Everyday that goes by I am become a happier and happier human. I am constantly learning and growing and I also develop more and more confidence in my abilities. This blog is my road tripping buddy 🙂

With that it is currently 73 degrees in Cleveland so I am off to the park!

~Lori

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

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Question: What is your passion? Your dharma?

Backpacking, coffee and conversations!

Published on October 7, 2014December 21, 2014 by Wildflowers Lori1 Comment

What’s up everyone?! I am writing today from one of my favorite cafes on the westside of Cleveland, Erie Island Coffee Company.

There aren’t too many independent coffee shops (or cafes as I mostly call them) on the westside anymore. It really bummed out my friends and I when a cafe called Caribou Coffee closed down about a year and a half ago. Caribou Coffee was a great coffee shop that was only found in the midwest and northeast. (not exactly local but regional?) They had the coziest cabin like feel complete with fireplaces! I miss Caribou tremendously and their Ho Ho White Mint Mocha that I’d always get at Christmas time!!! So now when I am out and about in Rocky River I always stop at Erie Island for some great black coffee. I rarely order a foo foo coffee and don’t like cream or sugar in my cup of joe! I seriously have a deep affinity for the coffee beans 😀 I swear I should roast my own beans but hey… I want to take a roasting class just to learn about the different types of beans and the whole process of making a great cup of coffee. When I lived in San Francisco there were great coffee shops everywhere! One of my favorites was Blue Bottle. I’m salivating right now just thinking of their coffee. 😛 Philz Coffee is another great one out there. At Philz you can choose from a couple of dozen different types of coffee and they single cup brew it for you right on the spot! It is heavenly. I would kill for a coffee shop like Philz here in the Cleveland area. (Westside please!?..haha)

Anyways I want to change the subject for a minute! I NEVER thought that I could have so much to say on a blog. I’m sitting here thinking, “Where do I start?” There are so many things that I want to talk about and get information back on. My brain is running wild with all sorts of topics. I get inspired daily when I am at work. I meet all sorts of people and have great conversations with them. I also belong to an amazing backpacking group filled with all sorts of characters with crazy stories..The Hopeless Wanderers!

Speaking of those characters I am heading out on a fall backing backing trip to Monongahela National Forest in wild and wonderful West Virginia! I can’t wait to get lost in the woods, cook my meals over a campfire and wake up to a beautiful view outside my tent! I love being outside, as I have said before, and I jump at the chance to go backpacking whenever I can! The autumn colors are going to be radiant!

My view atop Mt. Rogers in Virginia...bliss — My view atop Mt. Rogers in Virginia…bliss

I desperately need new hiking shoes, however I am going to try to get one more hike out of my current pair of Moab Mid Waterproof Merrells. They are a great day hiking shoe but not the best for a multi-day trip. I also need a new pack. I bought mine years ago before they made them gender specific. I am shorty McShortesen and my current pack takes up half my body! It is a great Mountainsmith pack that has totally stood the test of time. I have used this pack for over 10 years and it has been all across the country with me. I will absolutely keep it as a keepsake! Maybe build a shrine to it…LOL! Just kidding 😉 I’m not a total gear head as it is exspensive! My dream is to be a field tester for outdoor gear companies. I not a pro, but hey Jane Goodall wasn’t a pro when she ventured to Africa!

On that note I have to go “get lost” in my favorite park before I head over to my sister’s house for some twin time and of course some “E” time!!! (“E” is my 22 month niece) My sister and her family are home now and busy nesting with their now family of 5! Oh my stars…how life grows in love everyday!

~Lori

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

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Questions for you…

Do you camp or backpack?

If so what are your favorite spots?

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