Amazing Weekend

Saturday was October Fest at our old church.  We came home with so many goodies!  Come to find out, most of the stuff we brought home belonged to an old friend!  His wife's grandmother had an old room heater made by Fireside.  It's an old tin thing with a gas valve.  It's totally covered in rust, but I'm gonna fix it up and who knows, maybe turn it into art.

Then, Saturday night, I got to meet Christy Tomlinson!  She's awesome.  She and her husband are so laid back, and everyone is a friend.  I wish I could look at people that way.  Hey, I'm trying! Christy is one of those people you would want to have as a friend.  I love people who have that type of personality.

Church was awesome.  People were getting touched by God.  My husband asked for ministry from the pastor and God just touched him there.  Then we got in touch with a long lost friend.  My husband asked him if he had seen the movie "Courageous", he said 'no'.  So both guys went to go see the movie.  They talked for hours afterward.  It was good.  Male bonding time is always good.  It's good to see my husband hang out with other guys.

If you have not seen this movie yet, I highly encourage you to go see it.  It's about the calling of men to be husbands, fathers, leaders of their home and active participants in their church.  It's all done in a non-condemning way.

Sequoias Part 3

I really wanted to send this video out, but for some reason, my video player won't play the sound.  My husband found out it doesn't transfer online, so I'm gonna go ahead and post this.  I want you to see my fear of heights in action, verbally.  Don't worry, it's not bad or scary.  Looking back on it, it's a hoot!  I just laughed and laughed.  Sorry for all the rear end shots.  My hubby was taking the shots and he was in the back.

So, there WAS more!  We were only 1/2 way there.  Oh, the agony!  (^o^)  So "I was feeling it in my scaredness." I was even crawling and making vows of not doing this again.  But in the end, I had fun.  You can see how far down it is, based on the view going down.  But take what you saw there and add the same amount going up!  Then add the elevation level (7000 ft.)/lower oxygen levels and you got yourself a workout on a 400 step staircase.

Sequoia Pics part 2

There's a rock up in the Sequoias called Moro Rock.  Now days they have large rocks and a metal railing on the path to keep you safe, but it didn't used to be that way.  There was a guy in the late 1800's who, with the help of his step-sons, built a wooden staircase STRAIGHT UP the face of the rock!

This is the side view of the rock, from a road nearby.

This is another view from a road much closer to the rock.

The sun and the mountains in the distance were so....This view is from the bottom of the rock.

We had to climb 300-400ft in elevation.  At the top it's somewhere in the 7000 ft.  When you are that high already, you get short of breath very easily and have to take breaks.

 You can see at the top of this rock the white metal railing. Can you see any trees?  That's how high we are.  A forest video said something like, "Trees can't live above 7000ft"

These are to show you how steep the rock sides are.  We were constantly climbing the stairs.  

 View from the top!

 ...and my girls leaning over the railing!

This takes you all the way to the very point of the rock.

See the trees?  And these guys are tall!  

Here's the crazy part.  I have a fear of heights.  Shhhhh!  Actually, my family knows.  They witnessed my attitude and of course my husband video taped it.  It's hilarious, actually.  But here's what went through my head:  "I don't want to do this."  "This is a family thing."  "I have to conquer this."  "Other people have been up here and they are safe."  So, when I got to the top, I scooped up some dirt and said, "I did this!"  Now I gotta find a glass bottle to put it in.

The closer you get to the top, the narrower the walk-way.  At one point, I'm crawling on my hands and knees up the steps because #1 it was really steep and #2 we're REALLY HIGH!  It was torture for me, but as  5 year old Olivia from the Cosby Show says, "I'm still alive."

Sequoia Pics-part 1

We spent a week and a half at the Sequoias.  The weather was perfect and NOBODY'S there!  The skies were clear and BLUE and clean smelling.  The water was cold and drinkable (snow!) And the trees....  The trees are awe-some.  This one isn't event the largest.  It's just one you can climb in.  It had little 'caves' you can climb in and even sleep in!  Swiss-family-Robinson style.

Sequoias prequel

The Sequoias are so beautiful!  I will post later about our experience.

Cafe Music

Julie Nutting said she loves to create art when she listens to French music.  I have a Pandora account and I typed in French Cafe.  OH WOW!  It definitely opens up another avenue of art!  It reminds me of sitting at Starbucks with a friend and chatting.  I wish I knew how to make some of that yummy goodness so I can listen, smell, taste, touch and experience it ALL!!!

Brave Girls Club

I sent one of my pieces of art to www.bravegirlsclub.com and they posted it on their daily truths page today.  Wanna see?  Click here  It says "She chose to live outside others' opinions of her"