GIFTING

Anniversary Theme Gift

It's that time of year where you've either created a list and checked it twice, or you haven't given it any thought at all. Giving gifts is not necessarily simple. Gift giving can sometimes feel like a chore that makes it stressful. If you haven't started I suggest you start with a list, figure out your budget and start listening for hints that your gift recipients may already be giving you. Following are a few inspirational ideas to get you started. Am I on your list?

 

Gift Cards:

This may seem like in impersonal route to take, but many families are cutting down on their entertainment budgets and would love an excuse to go to a movie or out to eat. They are far more likely to use a gift card than to spend their hard earned money.

Gift Receipt

A gift should be something that makes the receiver happy-- something that conveys your feelings for them and not your feelings for yourself. The gift receipt is a way to say "I tried. But if I didn't get it quite right, here is a handy little do-over slip that will keep us on speaking terms."

Theme Gift

Giving a gift that carries a theme is fun. No matter whom you are shopping for, surprise them with a gift that celebrates their passion. Honor whatever they fancy, whether they're a biker or ballerina. The diva in your life may appreciate a gift celebrating her chic style whereas the sports fan would prefer an item personalized specifically for his man cave. (A beer drinker will appreciate a gift as illustrated in my picture above. This was an anniversary gift from my girlfriend Laura. Did you catch the message? HaHa Pictured: O'so; Buck In Rut, Doe In Heat, New Glarus; Totally Naked, BBQ Sauce; KC Butt Sauce)

Subscription Gift

This is like a gift that keeps on giving. Every month when the recipient goes to the mail and see's their favorite magazine, they'll think of you. Better yet, how about a subscription to Bacon of The Month Club.  Who doesn't want bacon sent to them each month? Wait... Don't answer that. That's a silly question.

Regifting

What? If you do it, does it mean you're a cheapskate? I say regifting is okay ... as long as it is new/unused and desirable to your recipient. I have never regifted ... or have I .. you'll never know.

LIKE ... A TRAVELING CIRCUS

 

Leah, Andy, Prairie, Jon, Lori, Bruce and Julie: Taking a break while 4 wheeling to enjoy the scenery.



Getting to my families favorite place to vacation this year resembled a traveling circus. The last time we were in this location together was in 2005 when the kids were still in school. If you saw us traveling down the road (RAILROAD) this is what it looked like: 2 Ford trucks, (TRAIN ENGINES), 2 trailers, (TRAIN CARS), 2 horses, (PRANCING PONIES), 2 dogs, (CLOWNS BEST FRIENDS), 2 UTV's, 1 ATV, (CLOWN CARS), 2 wall tents, (BIG TOPS), 2 woodstoves, (FLAME THROWERS) and 6 passengers, (CIRCUS PERFORMERS). If you looked to the sky, you'd find 1 plane traveling from Milwaukee to Denver to Sheridan to deliver the last of the family (GIRL ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE). One traveling show left on Monday, one on Thursday and the last arrived on Monday ... "Ladies and Gentlemen, Children of all Ages, Welcome to The Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming." The following pictures are just a taste of what we call a vacation. To some it means hunting, to others it's just enjoying the scenery and campfire camaraderie.

Wyoming Luggage

Leah and I delivered the RZR. It hasn't left the trailer and it's already muddy.

The 11" of snow that had fallen 2 days prior to our arrival had begun to melt. It was pretty, but it sure made for a mess to get into camp. The hunters and horseback riders got socked in during the snow. Thanks goodness for the woodstoves in the tents.

 

Honing their archery skills: Bruce and Andy

Roasting a few hotdogs for a bedtime snack. Looks like Cedar might be a "hot" dog too.

My view from my favorite morning post. From here I watch the sunrise and watch wildlife wake for the day.

A different view of the scenery.

 

Leah and I went down the mountain to pick Prairie up from the airport. On our way back up, we ran across this guy, Jim, setting up to go hang gliding. We enjoyed watching the process and his conversation.

Jim checking the wind before he takes off.

Prairie and Leah hanging by the right wing.



The girls are heading out to do some exploring.

I'll never admit that the main reason we go on this vacation is for the hunting, but I will admit it's an important part. Andy was successful on his 7th day of hunting with this nice 3x3 ...

3x3 Mule Deer

.... and the next day, Bruce was successful shooting this fork horn in velvet. It was great having both tags filled for the purpose of taking one trip off the mountain to the meat processing plant and to have the remainder of the vacation to spent together.

Fork Horn Mule Deer

Cowboy shaking the dust off his back.

The kids relaxing along the Tongue River.

Watching the aspen turn yellow.

Bridge over a creek leading to an outdoor john.





Mt. Dew break in the mountains.

 

Andy and Leah taking Cedar bird hunting.

 

SCENES FROM CAMP



 

I'm not typically an early riser but when I'm in the mountains and the alarm goes off at 5:00am I don't have a problem getting up to see this sunrise.



 

WYOMING WILDLIFE

    

BEER MEMES

• It's not drinking on the job if you weren't planning to do any work.
• My only source of exercise is bar crawls.
• I'm worried we're not saving enough for our retirement alcohol.
• I enjoy a pint of beer each night for its health benefits. The other pints are for my witty comebacks and flawless dance moves.
• Spilling a full beer you paid for is the adult equivalent of letting go of a balloon.
• Beer Pong - Proof that sports and alcohol do mix.
• Drinking ... may cause memory loss ... or worse, memory loss.

CLOUD GAZING

 

cloud-gaze verb \ˈklau̇d\ \ˈgāz\  : to gaze at clouds : a visionary action of the imagination : to fix the eyes in a steady intent look often with eagerness or studious attention 

I've done a lot of cloud-gazing this summer. Within these clouds I've seen a squirrel, a fish, a cat, a guitar and more but mostly big fluffy cotton balls. You know, cumulus clouds. I challenge you to go lay on your back and look up. You don't need any fancy equipment, just an imagination and a pillow if you plan on laying there for awhile.

 

 

POWER TOOLS AND BEER

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a "college" drinking game. (Yes, I said "college". You may think I'm to old for college games, but at least I'm drinking age.) After a few rounds of playing I knew I had to have this game. The name of the game is Beersbee and it consists of a beer bottle on a post that you try to knock off with a frisbee. The most important rule of the game is that you must have a beer in one hand at all times. After several sleepless nights dreaming about how I was going to design/create the game, my husband and I took on the challenge of carving them to replicate beer bottles. We busted out the chainsaw, chisel and hammer, grinder, sander and a few Band-Aids to achieve our vision. I paid homage to a couple of my favorite beers that also happen to sport my favorite football team colors. This weekend I will get a chance to play Beersbee with my faithful teammate Laura. We are wicked competitors even though we have never won a game. (We can catch the hell out of the Frisbee, but we can't hit the bottle.) We really don't care, we just have a lot of fun letting the other team win.

Disclaimer: No beer was ingested while operating the power tools.

 

THE MAKING OF BEERSBEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I HAVE ADWD



I've self-diagnosed myself with ADWD. The first sign that I knew I had it was my procrastination to start the task at hand and then being distracted by everything. After an afternoon of trying to focus I only got half the task accomplished. I was like a dog running a squirrel up a tree or chasing it's tail. I was always busy but really not getting anything done. Are you asking yourself, "What the heck is ADWD?" ADWD is Attention Deficit Weeding Disorder. I believe I may have ADCD too ... Attention Deficit Cleaning Disorder. During my inattentiveness to do my weeding, I wandered around and took some pictures of things that were distracting me.

 

 

 





GRIN



Last Wednesday a passenger in  a taxi heading for Times Square leaned over to ask the driver a question and gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb and stopped just inches from a large plate window.

For a few moments everything was silent in the cab. Then, the shaking driver said "Are you OK? I'm so sorry, but you scared the daylights out of me."

The badly shaken passenger apologized to the driver and said, "I didn't realize that a mere tap on the shoulder would startle someone so badly"

The driver replied, "No, no, I'm the one who is sorry, it's entirely my fault. Today is my very first day driving a cab.

I've been driving a hearse for the past 25 years."





TIMES SQUARE JUNE 2008
 

ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

 

Above scenery and selfies are from our 2012 trip.

 

Hunting in the Big Horns in Wyoming is one of my favorite activities and places. (When I say hunting that means I'm shooting things with my camera.) This September we'll be making our 10th trip in a span of 23 years. My first trip there was when I was pregnant with Prairie. (She says she doesn't remember it.) The sunrises and sunsets and everything in between leave me in awe and breathless ... maybe it's hiking at an altitude of 9,000 feet that contributes to being breathless. In preparation you'll find me logging mileage on my bike around Lake Wazeecha. At some point you may see me running up and down White Sands a few times. If you see me doing this, stick around in case I need CPR.