The Month Is Not Over Yet and What To Do About Next Month?

The Great Outdoors Month is not over yet. This Friday I will be going horseback riding for the first time. I am very excited. I have set it all up with Wandering Trails (www.wanderingtrails.com) a local horse barn in my area. I am going for a one hour trail ride!

 Next month I am hoping to focus on cycling. I have already chosen the bike I would like to purchase. (see above) It is a Schwinn and it is called the Clear Creek Comfort Bike. I won't know until Friday if January will be biking month because I am still waiting to see if the tutoring hours I turned in today will be added to my end of the month paycheck. It is so difficult not knowing but I have big plans. Bike's happen to be pricey if quality is important. Honestly, the bike I truly want is $450.00 but this one for half of that will have to do.

I want to ride my bike for pleasure and cardiovascular health. The local library is just 2 miles away and a trip to the library is always fun. It would be quite refreshing to ride there and back rather than drive the small distance. Also, the local park is the same distance and riding to the park for an afternoon of reading sounds really pleasurable. I will definitely need a basket!

When I was younger I was riding 25-40 miles a week depending on what was going on in my schedule. You see, my family did not have a car and I was biking everywhere (stores, friend's homes, to run errands, etc.) I do not know if I will get to that level again especially with my busy schedule but a few miles after work around the neighborhood sounds ideal.

Wish me luck.

More Out Of Doors

 

I went to the Environmental Learning Center (http://www.discoverelc.org/) in Vero Beach, Florida this week. I have always wanted to visit and despite living in the same county as the ELC, I never did make it until now. I have always been intrigued with the idea of Sea Camp which now as in Yester-years costs almost $500.00 for a week during the summer. That opportunity is long gone but I did get to experience the rest of the center.

I called the ELC  after talking to a friend and discovering that she was watching 5-6 kids that day and as it turn out, we got a great deal as the ELC is free until January 1st. I was able to walk the nature trails and boardwalk looking for the white ibis though the 5 children certainly scared away any and all wildlife in a 5 miles radius. It was still beautiful.

After the ELC, I decided to give my friend a great birthday present and took all five of the kids to the park down the street from my parent's house. I only had the kiddos for forty-five minutes but we went on the swings, played on the slides, and climbed a tree. I had a blast! Play should be something I do more of.

Camping in the Cold and Wet Outdoors

I just arrived home after camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness in Orlando, Florida. I am not sure how much "camping" went on because the place is so clean it is practically impossible to get dirty. The bathrooms are heated and have multiple showers, stalls, and sinks. Truth be told, the bathrooms were a LOT nicer than mine at home. That is Disney for you.

I arrived at the campsite just before dark and quickly pulled out my tent and set it up lickity-split just as the sun was setting. I spent a bit of time organizing my bedding and clothing. I then went out to meet the other campers.

The weather as cold and wet but so it goes when Mother Nature is involved. A few people packed up and left early due to the rain. The low in Orlando was 44 degrees overnight. I was so cold I couldn't stop shaking and the teeth chattering was keeping everyone awake. One of the other campers loaned me a sleeping bag good for 40 degree weather and it really helped. I was also able to use a smaller felt blanket for my pillows which kept them much warmer. I enjoyed my outing despite the weather.

Soaking Up The Sun

  
I am trying to enjoy the outdoors this month and today was one of the first days I was able to relax. Work has been incredibly busy with exams coming up and the football state championship game looming. Now that reviews are over and the season for football has ended I can breathe.

I slept in this morning and then took my current book selection to the park for a day of sunshine.
How strange is it that Florida' weather is so temperamental? Two days ago the weather was 31 degrees overnight and in the low 60s during the day. Today is full of sun and the temperature is a lovely 77 degrees. I laid out my blanket and began reading and ended up so absorbed in my book that I didn't notice that two young boys (a neighbor's children) with water guns were sneaking up on me. After a minor water battle and foot chase, the water guns were mine and the boys were in a fountain. I wish the park had been busier but it was pretty quiet. Head outdoors people and see what you can do this month.

Enjoying The Great Outdoors

I started my month of outdoor adventures with a Chanukah weenie roast celebration. My guests (15 or so of my nearest and dearest) enjoyed the hickory fire and the skewers full of kosher hotdogs and kosher marshmallows. What a yummy way to enjoy the outdoors.

I managed to start the fire with no trouble and it was blazing gloriously when my first guests arrived.  I was proud of my party planning abilities and had chips, drinks, and buns out in metal tubs that went with the outdoor vibe. One of my guests called to ask if I needed anything else and I asked him to grab a second bag of firewood. Good thing I did. I had a fire burning for a full seven hours.

I was particularly pleased at how many people were as excited to be out of doors as I. My friends came over to my house bundled in jackets and sweatshirts to protect against the 45 degree chill in the air.  We sat as close to the fire as possible in a random collection of camp chairs and lawn furniture.

I am so happy the my friends came to join me and help me to celebrate Chanukah. We ended the night with hot chocolate with a splash of peppermint schnapps which was truly the perfect end to a wonderful evening outside.

End of November Wrap Up and December's Project

 November Observations: I thought that alternative giving month would give me so many opportunities to give and in some ways it has. I have given food, money, donations that were known and unknown, large and small donations at each turn but I have also learned that I am already a giver.
What one earth do I mean? Only 5 or 6 times this month did I give specifically because it was alternative giving month. The other 20-25 times I gave were the same as I normally would. I am still happy that I did it. I am also excited for December.

December's theme is "The Great Outdoors" 

I happened to have grown up in a beautiful town (see above). It is well-known for fishing, surfing, and the outdoors and I did not take much advantage as a child outside of normal play. If it were not for Girl Scouts, I would not have gone camping as much,  nor would I be so comfortable out of doors. 

For the month of December I have decided to go outdoors more. Generally, Florida is very hot but at this time of year the outdoors can be enjoyed in relative comfort. I have planned a bonfire and weenie roast for the weekend to jump stat my great outdoors month. I also have a camping trip set for mid-month followed by horse back riding at the end of the month. Though these activities are set and I am very excited. I will try to find opportunities to be outdoors more often. 

There is nothing like the sun shining on your face.

I Am Thankful

 

 All over the United States of America millions of families are sitting down to a meal. The meal will be delicious, it will be filling, and  it will produce enough leftovers to feed a small third world country. My family is no different. There are just three of us this year making a Thanksgiving meal. While the food is often the highlight of the holiday, my favorite part is pulling out the turkey platter. 

The platter is not attractive, it is not new, and it is not well-made. It is, however, a family tradition. My mother purchased this plastic platter twenty-four years ago at the only grocery store in town (at the time anyway.) It was purchased out of necessity for our first Thanksgiving after moving to Florida in October of that year. 

That first year my job responsibilities included finding the turkey platter and washing it, taking down the china, and clearing the table. As I grew older my job list grew as well. I would be be now responsible for peeling apples, rolling pie crusts, and keeping the dog away from the turkey. Now, my job duties include everything. Making the turkey, preparing desserts, peeling, cutting, and roasting vegetables, clearing the table, and pulling down the china. The last thing I will do this year (before the heavy cleanup) is pull out the turkey platter, wash it off, and get it ready to hold the countless years of memories that belong on its wide back.