Journey & Adventure

I’m not a fan of costumed characters - never have been.     Mascots of any type could easily warrant a kick from me if they stray to close and want a hug.     Photos are not an option.   As much as I like Walt Disney World, the costumed characters roam a little too freely for my liking (sorry Krystyn ) and I want no part of them.   I don’t like clowns either.   Yes, apparently I have issues. So imagine my dismay, when Kraft changed the bears on their label.   This is the one I know and love.   Non-threatening right? I eat a lot of peanut butter with toast, but now I’m not sure I can stick with Kraft peanut butter any longer.   These bears freak me out… I’m not sure if they truly intended to go for the “stalker vibe”, but honestly that’s what I’m feeling.   Guess it’s time to find another less threatening breakfast treat.

Over the course of the past month, I’ve taken the following series of photos of the wildlife here surrounding my work building. We actually are located in the middle of the city, but on a large landscaped property with beautiful courtyards and a manmade pond out front - a perfect haven for some wildlife. Can you spot the kildeer?  She made her nest amongst the tiny pebbles/gravel.  I would walk by her every morning and would have a hard time finding her. The large planters typically make great nests for the Canada Geese; however this year our custodian decided to kybosh the idea and strategically placed sticks in the majority of the planters. If you look closely you can see a planter in the background with the sticks. This goose however was one step ahead. Then, last week...I came to work to see this little surprise.  She had 6 babies (goslings). Then by the next day...they were moving out of the planter, into the world beyond. Dad decided to s

By the end of this week, we will be pretty darn close to checking two major items off of our “house to-do” list.     The major work on the spare room is almost complete.   We still have to paint, install closet doors, light fixtures and new carpet, but in my opinion those are minor items compared to gutting, wiring, dry-walling, mudding and sanding.   The other major item almost accomplished this week has been the removal of 4 very old pine trees from our side yard.   The trees have been there a long time and were quite large; however because of their age, they had started to die from the bottom up and had become a very large eyesore.     Knowing I would be losing my privacy once those trees were removed has caused me a great deal of anxiety this week because our back yard is now visible from the road that runs alongside our house. *sigh*     Here are some before and after pictures.   There’s still a lot of clean-up work to do once the tree guys come back to

While creeping the internet and investigating potential places to call home once our early retirement kicks in, I have stumbled upon some blogs, featuring amazing people, doing amazing things in places I hope to one day visit, or perhaps settle down in the future. Somewhere I can also make a difference. One particular blog, I would like to share with you owned by a young, fearless couple currently making a difference in the lives of many children in Nicaragua. Jonathon and Quinn operate LOOTB ( Life Out of the Box ). What is LOOTB? Well, according to their site: “Life Out of the Box is about pursuing your dreams and doing what you love by stepping out of the typical box and making it happen no matter what. It’s one thing to be able to think differently, but it’s another to actually act on those thoughts. We want to inspire people to be a doer, not just a dreamer. It’s also about giving back to the world while making your dreams come true. Life Out of the Box wants to