The Joy Is In The Journey

Happy Birthday to the BEST sister ever!

2011-08-13T08:05:00.007-06:00

So, it's my birthday today and I've never wanted to be back home more than I do this weekend. However, with Michelle's wedding in four weeks, it was just not logical to go home now and then.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from when we were little.

Still here...

2011-08-07T11:34:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to the few that check this page out. I'm still here, just super busy. I've been out taking photos, just haven't had time to edit them and share with you. I've also been working on recovering about 2,000 photos from three months of activity that I lost 10 days ago, so once that is done I'll be posting a pretty large amount of photos to make up for the lost weeks.

Hope you'll check back soon.

Photo Friday

2011-07-08T07:48:00.004-06:00

Not too much time spent in nature this week, but I did get out with a couple of friends last night for Bozeman's art walk. If I'd found a hat shop we would have tried those on too.

Some pretty interesting clouds on the Fourth of July, taken from my backyard.

Photo Friday

2011-07-01T08:17:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was a busy one, and I was outdoors for much of it. On Saturday Alex and I went golfing for his birthday, and then headed out to his mom's house for cake and games. Sunday I worked on my garden and planted some flowers before going on an easy six mile hike with Twist and Al. Monday was an easier day with just a few errands and some sunbathing on my deck.

The rules of the game.

The first throw.

Yep, I'm still a bit excited about my hole in one!

Hole In One

2011-06-26T14:14:00.005-06:00

Yep, I got a hole in one on Saturday at Bridger Creek golf course in Bozeman, Montana. To be honest, I'm still a bit shocked about it. I hit a Callaway 3 ball that I'd found at another course a few weeks earlier with my 8 iron. It was Alex's birthday so at least I had a witness, and I'm glad that it was him. Now he just needs to get one and we'll be even. :)

Photo Friday

2011-06-24T07:47:00.013-06:00

This week saw the Summer Solstice come and go, and I'm happy to say that with it came the summer weather that I have been so looking forward to. And also the occasional summer rainbow. This picture was taken last night with my cell phone. Not bad, eh? Those are the Bridger Mountains.

This past weekend I went to the first wedding in over three years, and I've still got two more to attend this summer.

The following photos are from June 12. I'm not sure why I didn't post last Friday; I guess I thought that I hadn't taken any pictures. They are from my little Sunday drive that turned into a 6 hour excursion to Yellowstone National Park. How many people can say that? I love Montana!

Photo Friday

2011-06-10T08:03:00.007-06:00

This past weekend found me having three days off again. It was a productive time off, with me finally getting my garden completed, dog bathed, and car cleaned. I also had a bachelorette party on Saturday; my first in nearly four years. It seems that I haven't been to a wedding since the fall of 2007, and all of a sudden this summer I have three to attend. I guess it goes in waves.

Sunday and Monday found me outdoors for most of the day, golfing and hiking. The first photo is up in Hyalite Canyon. I'm not sure of the name of this lake but I'm sure I'll be back soon.

This little guy was along the path to the M. He's really not as large as he looks, but he did have an attitude!

Photo Friday

2011-06-03T18:34:00.008-06:00

For most of the holiday weekend I was in Missoula catching up with an old Iowa friend. She now lives in Germany and brought back some authentic German beer (in a word, awesome) and some chocolate! We did some easy hikes around Missoula and met up with several of my friends for drinks and food. It was a nice visit back for me this time as I have recently been able to fully release myself from the sad memories that Missoula brings to mind.

On our last evening together, we happened upon David Boone playing at a brewery in Hamilton. I had the pleasure of hearing him at the Peace Festival in Arlee in 2009.

The next time I will see my old friend will probably be when I travel to Germany for a visit next spring. I already can't wait!

Photo Friday

2011-05-13T16:42:00.007-06:00

This week there has been a lot of beautiful weather, and I found myself out enjoying it quite a bit. These photos are all from Snowfill park just north of Bozeman. It is 35 acres and is all fenced in, so it makes for a great off-leash park for dogs. Twist really enjoys it and gets to run and play with other dogs. It helps with his excess energy as I am still not running. Hopefully that will be remedied in the next few days.

This was the funniest dog at the park. She had just gotten groomed the day before but apparently she didn't mind getting her hair wet again.

Photo Friday

2011-05-06T07:40:00.004-06:00

I started this post yesterday, but with my limited Internet connection I am just now getting the second photo uploaded. Connectivity should no longer be an issue, as this afternoon, my neighbor John hooked me up with Internet. We spent a couple of hours visiting about our animals, gardening, and just loving Montana in the spring.

Twice this week I have been reminded never to leave home without my camera. The below pictures are from the second occurrence. If I had had my camera on the evening these were taken, they would have been even more beautiful than what I managed to capture. My tripod is now always in my car, and my camera always in my bag.

Photo Friday

2011-04-29T16:17:00.004-06:00

Last weekend was the last weekend up on the mountain for skiing. I went to Big Sky both days, and that has converted me from Moonlight. I actually just paid for my 2011-2012 season pass. I already can't wait to head up again, but I'll have to wait at least seven more months. What will I ever do with myself? I guess I'll have to settle for camping, hiking, biking, fishing and exploring Yellowstone in the meantime.

Top photo: This is from the top of Lone Mountain. I'm not sure what direction it is, but I am about to start down Liberty Bowl.

Bottom photo: This gives you an idea of how steep the terrain I was on is. And, this is where it has mellowed out a bit. The snow was chunky and heavy so not as fun as my first trip down this run at the beginning of March. I'm sure I'll be tearing down it by the end of next season.

Photo Friday

2011-04-22T08:05:00.006-06:00

Well, I'm returning for two consecutive weeks. I've got to admit that I'm a bit impressed with myself. Hopefully I will get some scenery in next weeks installment, but for now you'll just have to settle with my two good friends Twist and Justin, and what happens when my kids don't get along, and a bit of what it looks like through my living room window during the start of a Spring snow storm.

Photo Friday

2011-04-15T12:06:00.003-06:00

Such a busy couple of weeks I've had! Not much photography going on lately, but I'm always hoping for that to change. This is my baby, Twist, playing in the fresh spring snow.

We've been going to Obedience classes for two weeks now and he is responding nicely to the regimented training. Now it is my job to practice his homework with him every day!

Photo Friday

2011-04-01T07:47:00.003-06:00

This week has been a busy one for me. I've only had one day off in eleven days, so there hasn't been much time for photography. That being said, I'm hoping to get some shots this weekend.

I broke one of my golden rules last night and didn't bring my camera along. I missed a great opportunity and won't be making that mistake any time soon.

The first picture was taken while I was messing around with manual focus. I can't remember which lens I was using but it was the perfect shot for this week's RWPE Y2 - UNFOCUSED.

The shot of my favorite coffee cup is kind of a copy cat shot. A good friend was visiting and showed me a book with little projects in it. The project that I was going for was to capture a moment just as it is...everything about this photo is so accurate, it could be a steaming cup right in front of me. Or maybe I just really like my coffee mug.

Photo Friday

2011-03-25T08:37:00.007-06:00

This week I headed out to play pool with a friend that was visiting for the night. I have to say that it is kind of embarrassing that I didn't win a single game, as I grew up with a pool table in my house and played quite a bit. At least some of the games were kinda close. I still had a blast and took some fun photos.

Last night, I headed down to Plonk for some jazz, wine, and cheese with a girlfriend. The music was great, as was the cheese, bread, and wine.

The bar at Plonk

Photo Friday

2011-03-18T08:23:00.005-06:00

I've finally made it to Yellowstone National Park. It will now be the park that I visit most often due to it's proximity. These photos ares from Mammoth Hot Springs.

Photo Friday

2011-03-11T08:03:00.005-07:00

I'm returning with photos this week and hopefully can keep it up in the future. As I said in my last post, I went skiing alone on Saturday...just as I was getting bored and preparing for my last run, I met five great guys from Michigan that twisted my arm to join them for the rest of the day. I ended up skiing with them for three hours, doing Black runs and some tree skiing. The snow was so great and I was having so much fun that I decided to join them at Big Sky on Sunday, which is where this week's photos are from.

Lone Mountain, elevation 11,166'

Just below the tram line.

Craig and I getting ready to ski down Liberty Bowl.

All of us getting pumped up!

No Photos this Friday

2011-03-04T23:25:00.002-07:00

Wow! Where have the last few weeks gone? I guess with having a job that I have to be present and accounted for, and having some time to figure things out really makes the time fly. Before long it is the weekend and I am busy for those as well. This weekend, I am making a point to go on a few dates...with myself and my camera. Hopefully next Friday I will be back with a bunch of photos again.

The plan is to take my BIG camera skiing with me tomorrow, however, I won't be in any pictures because I am going alone; part of the date myself program I'm on right now. On Sunday I'd like to go snowshoeing with Twist and check out an area that is new to me south of Bozeman.

Should be a great weekend...

Photo Friday

2011-02-18T07:35:00.006-07:00

This week has gone by without much time for photography, as usual. I really must get out with my camera more, but I've been saying that for the last couple of months. Perhaps it is time to meet some new photography friends here in Bozeman.

I'm not really that into Valentine's day, but I still like flowers, so I just had to photograph the bouquet of flowers that I received. The bottom two photos are for last weeks' photography project over at Photography 139. The theme was one that I suggested: GO! Check out the other contributions and future ones on Monday afternoons under the RWPE Y2 header.

Valentine flower

Stop!

GO!

Photo Friday

2011-02-11T09:20:00.004-07:00

Another busy week with interviewing for a new job and all, and last weekend was too cold to take my gloves off to take photos while skiing. Oliver is my only subject this week so it's a good thing that he likes being photographed. The top photo I was playing with zoom blur, and the bottom photo he is just being himself.

Luck

2011-02-09T07:29:00.004-07:00

When I first decided to quit my job as a bench jeweler last September, I was excited about entering a different part of the industry. It might even have been great; to work in the gem sector would go right in line with my studies, and I would have someone to learn from. Well, that didn't quite work out as well as I had hoped. However, whenever a door closes, a window opens, right?

Many of my friends told me I was doing the right thing to change sectors. But some of them thought I was doing the wrong thing. Why give up on a talent and an eye for design that many people just don't have? For many reasons I agreed with both sides. I was bored with my job, sick of the drama, and sick of bad things happening to good people that I worked with. I was no longer inspired to design unless someone needed something specific. I needed to get back to that place where I could just sit and design because I wanted to.

After being a goldsmith for 8 1/2 years, I realized that doing something different was difficult. I had no idea what I was doing anymore; a far cry from what I was used to. I had known that I would miss being a goldsmith eventually. It just didn't take as long as I'd thought it would.

In December I decided that I would start designing on my own. I even came up with a name for my little company: Dilettanti Designs. The problem with making my own designs was not the lack of the ideas, rather the lack of money, equipment, etc. I had no way to move forward, something that I hated. I had decided that maybe it was time to go back to work, doing what I am naturally good at, and to be honest, what I love to do. But where? I didn't really want to move again but maybe I wouldn't have a choice.

This is where luck or perhaps fate intervened. I decided to do a search for a job in my town, and low and behold there just happened to be one. And the manager is best friends with someone that used to work for the same company I had, and he advised him to hire me, all before my first interview, which I had yesterday.

Now I just have to take a few tests and see what their offer is. I'm not one to hide my emotions very well, and this is no exception. I'm actually excited!

Photo Friday

2011-02-04T13:56:00.004-07:00

Again, not much going on this week on the photography front. Hopefully that changes this weekend! Have a good one...

Old International truck

Dieffenbachia in sunlight

Photo Friday

2011-01-28T11:19:00.010-07:00

I missed last week due to being in Missoula, and just plain didn't want to take the time to upload the pictures while I was spending time with my friends. Speaking of which, we had a blast! After appetizers at Finn & Porter on Friday evening, we went out to Al's & Vicks where we played pool with complete strangers. On Saturday we went to lunch at Bridge Pizza, and then I went on to meet a friend's newborn son. After a couple of beers at Kettlehouse, it was all about relaxing and watching a movie. Sunday was a great day for a bunch of us girls to get together with Amy before she moves to Thailand in February. We went snowshoeing/cross country skiing, then went to Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, and then on to the Lumber Jack. All in all, it was a busy, memorable day.

Bridge Pizza

Above 2 photographs are from along the Lolo Pass snowshoeing trail.

Sequence of Kimber falling (gracefully) while snowshoeing.

All of us soaking at Jerry Johnson.

Sarah and Kristen helping me out with the weekly photo challenge: Panning Camera Blur.

Women Who Wine

2011-01-22T10:56:00.006-07:00

I'm a bit behind this week, due to a busy schedule and traveling to Missoula, which is where I am currently. On Thursday evening, I attended my first Women Who Wine party. WWW is a non-profit that generates funds for other non-profit organizations in the area (Bozeman). So basically it is a bunch of great women drinking wine, getting to know one another, with a guest from that month's organization. I'll have to be invited to go at least two more times, and then be invited to become a regular "winer". Sounds like a good thing to be :)

For circle (where we all get to know one another) we were to introduce ourselves and where we worked, as well as an epiphany we'd had in the last couple of month, and let the other know what we needed. Well, I work for North American Gemological Laboratory in Bozeman, MT, my epiphanies were that after six years of moving and never really being settled, I am now, at 31 years of age, ready to set some roots and watch them grow. And...I am finally starting my own business, as discussed in an earlier post. What I need was a therapist...for my dog Twist, as well as a playmate for him, and a snowshoeing buddy for myself.

What a great night...

Photo Friday

2011-01-14T11:43:00.008-07:00

Photo opportunities were few and far between this week due to a busy schedule and not feeling well. Hopefully I will be able to get out tonight and take some photos after dark.

This week's pictures were taken with my new "pocket" camera, a little point and shoot that I bought for skiing and other adventures where taking my Nikon D90 is just not practical. So far it is working out quite well, but it is surprising how much more frustrating it is to use than my "big" camera. I'm used to pushing a button and having a quick shutter action. I'm sure I will adjust quickly enough.

Lori and I on the ski lift at Moonlight Basin.

Aspen

Another fire is lit

2011-01-11T16:01:00.004-07:00

I'm ashamed to say that I have not worked on my GIA class since, gasp, late August. Oh my, how the time has slipped away. However, with the new year already well under way, I have a new sense of motivation. Now that I am working for a gem lab in Bozeman, it sure would be nice if I could grade diamonds and gemstones, don't ya think? While we are busy, by boss is able to do all of the grading and identification, for now. As we get busier, we will both need to do it, so that means that I need to get on the ball and finish up my diamond course so that I can start the Colored Gemstones portion of the certification.

Last year, I noticed that my dedication to the classwork started to wane in the summer months, mostly because I am an active person who likes the outdoors. Naturally, I thought that I would get back into the class and be more focused once the days grew darker and the weather more frigid. That is where I am right now. I have decided that I just need to do it and get it over with, otherwise I never will. After all, what I really want to get to is the colored stone course and can't do both at the same time.

So as I hunker down with my diamonds again, I vow to be finished by, lets say, the end of February. That means a lot of reading, reviewing, and studying are coming my way. That's okay, I've got a fireplace I can work in front of.

Photo Friday

2011-01-08T17:22:00.009-07:00

Oops! I really was planning on posting yesterday, but after skiing all day on only four hours of sleep, I was out like a light pretty early...for me.

I rang the New Year in with Mike and his brother (my colleague) and his wife and kids, as well as a couple of other friends. We played Black Jack and Indian Poker, but since none of us had any coins, we played with dry pasta...it is true what they say in Vegas; the house always wins!

On New Year's Day we went for a drive towards Ennis, Montana, where the scenery photographs are from. It was nice to see that part of the state for the first time.

Happy New Year!

Spanish Peaks

Susann, Tom, Makenna, and Logan

Sunset

Photo Friday

2010-12-31T09:25:00.004-07:00

As promised, here are photos from the past week...

Photo Friday...on Wednesday

2010-12-29T15:19:00.006-07:00

With Christmas having come and gone, I realized that I forgot to post my pictures on Friday, Christmas Eve. While I still haven't been taking very many photos lately, I did capture last week's Lunar Eclipse, and Milo. It's looking like I will have photos for this week, and hopefully ON TIME!

Photo Friday

2010-12-17T11:29:00.005-07:00

Last weekend we went tree hunting, however, those pictures are nowhere to be found. Not sure what happened to them, but I still have my tree. That I'll showcase in next week's photos. Lately it seems that I've been photographing kids more than landscapes, but I hope that that will change in the coming weeks, as I head up the snow covered mountains around Bozeman.

Photo Friday

2010-12-10T22:22:00.005-07:00

So, here we are again. This week has been a busy week for me, with deciding to start a business and all, but I still managed to take some time and head to Chico, Montana for a night of relaxing and soaking. I still like Symes Hot Springs more, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is because it is the first place I went and soaked, or perhaps I like the mineral rich water more than anything else. Wherever I get to soak I am happy though. Not everyone has a natural hot spring within driving distance!

Starting...my own business

2010-12-07T12:06:00.003-07:00

I've decided to do it, after years of encouragement from family and friends. After hearing from several people that I should be creating jewelry because that's what I do best, I'm going to follow the path that I was starting to think was the wrong one. It is true that I was burned out at my old job; having to deal with a middle-aged woman's craziness, sizing ring after ring, with an occasional custom design thrown in the mix, and then not having enough work to keep me satisfied all contributed. Also knowing that I was sooo important to the higher ups, but they wouldn't fix the problems that kept making others, and myself leave. Let's just say that it didn't make me feel very necessary.

So I left, and the last couple of months have made me realize that no matter what I do, jewelry is my calling. I'm good at it, and what's more, I love doing it. So why shouldn't I try to make a go of it on my own? If I really want to do what I love, I should do it on my terms, that way, the only person responsible for my work related happiness is me.

I've been talking and thinking about it seriously for almost two months now and haven't done anything about it. I think I'm hung up on not knowing what to name my business. Maybe that's not the most important, but rather what kind of jewelry I'm going to make. To start out I'd like to work mostly in silver, copper, and brass, with some gold accents. With the metal prices the way they are, I think I'll be forced to go that route for a while, unless someone wants to commission me for something specific. My goal is to set up an Etsy account and sell at art festivals in the area.

Speaking of which, I have one this weekend that I am working for my other jobs with NA-GL and Rocky Mountain Sapphire Co., so I am going to make up some wine charms and see it they move or not.

Any words of encouragement or ideas for a name would be much appreciated!

Photo Friday

2010-12-03T18:05:00.005-07:00

After taking a week off, again, from taking photos, I am back again this week. I only had the opportunity to shoot last weekend when Mike and I went to Big Sky for the weekend. We lounged around most of the day on Friday, and then went snowshoeing on Saturday. It was Twist's first long walk in the snow so I was kind of worried about going to far in but he absolutely loved it! In fact, he loves snow so much that when I throw snowballs for him, he goes and tries to find them. Although, he is still afraid of my camera, which I can't really figure out but I'll get him over that fear quickly enough.

Photo Friday

2010-11-19T10:57:00.007-07:00

Last weekend Mike took me to Big Sky, MT. Beings as it was my first time there, we went on a short hike to Ousel Falls. Even though it was frozen on the surface, we could hear it from about a fifth of a mile away. It was a beautiful winter wonderland! If I could have walked on the water that wasn't frozen, I could have gotten even better pictures.

It wouldn't be Photo Friday without a shot of Twist, who has suddenly decided that since I get to sit on the couch, so does he. He's been doing very well adjusting, and has finally found his bark. He lets me know when someone is coming up my stairs by barking viciously and growling, only to cower behind me when I answer the door. What a great watchdog! Ha!

Hunkering down for Winter

2010-11-17T12:56:00.003-07:00

It's that time of year again when one does not venture outside as frequently, and as excitedly as in the warmer months. With the exception of snowshoeing, and hopefully skiing this winter, that describes me to a T. I find myself already tired of the short days and long nights, and they've only just begun. With the sun setting before 5 o'clock, and rising around 7:30, that's just over 9 hours of daylight. I'm always tired, and feeling sluggish.

So, to remedy that, I joined a gym this morning. I used to be a gym junkie back in Missoula, for spurts at a time, and find that I need to get back into that habit. Tonight will be my first time in well over two months, and I'm so excited! I've found a nice little gym about 2 miles from my apartment, and it just so happens that my boyfriend goes there as well, so I'll have a workout buddy some of the time. Besides going to the gym, I should also be taking Twist for daily walks, but sometimes he just doesn't want to go, especially if it is dark outside, so that leaves morning and lunchtime walks, which will get more difficult as we get busier here at work.

I need to take advantage of the long nights, besides going to bed at 9; what I need to do is resume my work on the Diamond course, and take the test. Perhaps that will be my goal for the next couple of days. As well as starting to design again. My associates and new friends here in Bozeman all adore my wine charms that I made and think I should make more for the influx of people that will come to town in the coming months. So much to do, and really, so much time to do it in!

Photo Friday

2010-11-12T15:52:00.004-07:00

Yet another busy week here in Montana. I packed up all of my stuff and hauled it to Bozeman, and unloaded it all in 52 hours. Nothing broke, only a few little scratches on my bookshelf, and I'm working on getting settled. Moving day was a perfect day. The sun was out, it was quite warm and I had help from a couple of friends in Helena, and the guy that I'm dating helped load and unload.

On Monday, Bozeman got 5 inches of snow. I was kind of worried that Twist wouldn't like it and would fight going outside, but it turns out that he loves the snow. It's going to be a fun winter!

Photo Friday, catch up style

2010-11-05T07:54:00.010-06:00

Last week was the first week since I started Photo Friday that I didn't get to post any pictures, so this week, I am doubling up a bit. The first couple are from a fly fishing trip south of Livingston, MT. A guy that I recently started dating took me and it was a blast! I caught three white fish, and let them all go. I had never caught a fish while fly fishing, so this was an extra special trip. I can't wait to go again!

Up next was my trip home to Iowa. Since I didn't have any pressing matters back here in Montana (no job) I decided to drive, and I took both Oliver and Twist with. I stopped in Denver to see a friend for a few days and then headed on home. It was not a surprise visit this time and I was able to see almost everyone that I wanted to.

While I was hanging out with my "old crew" I knew that this wasn't home any longer. It is where I grew up, and only that. I missed my friends, and will try harder to keep in touch, but home is truly Montana now. I couldn't wait to get back to the crisp air, mountain views, and winding rivers. What I once thought that I wanted in Iowa, I now want even more in Montana; a family. Many of my friends have children now, and it makes me want them even more. I was asked by several of them when I planned on starting a family. My response was, "when I'm ready." Well, I am. And perhaps I've met the person I'm supposed to have that family with, perhaps not. Either way, in the next couple of years, married or not, I plan on starting that family of mine. For now, I am happy with Oliver and Twist.

Photo Friday

2010-10-22T08:37:00.004-06:00

Here it is again. These are the only photos worth sharing this week, and they are both from Missoula. Twist walked right into the river for a drink of water, and a few seconds later was scared by the sound of Brennan's Wave. I am slowly making headway with him and his fears. He will always be a bit timid, but he is getting better as the weeks go on and the love keeps coming his way.

I'm off to Bozeman today to talk PR with a potential new employer and to go on a fly-fishing trip tomorrow. On Sunday I will head to Denver, CO to see Eve for a few days. Then I'll be heading to Iowa to see family and friends. I'm so ready for this trip, but not at the same time. Packing up Oliver and Twist has proven to be more challenging, but what is worse is that I have no clue how they will take this long of a trip. In total, we will be in the car for right around 22 hours. At least it will be broken up.

For now, I'm off!

Awareness

2010-10-20T10:08:00.002-06:00

This last weekend found me in Missoula for my first visit since moving to Helena a month ago. I was excited to get out of town and into the one that had been home for so long. I brought Twist with and he was a champ, considering how timid he can be. He warmed up to our hosts, Joe and Amy relatively fast and didn't cause any problems with the resident cat, Charlie.

What I soon realized was that I was not happy in Helena. Don't get me wrong, it's a great town, but...when you're miserable at work, it's hard to see the good in anything. My high hopes for my career move were slightly tainted at the end of the first week, only to get progressively worse the second, third, and fourth week. Verbal abuse and being made to feel like my bosses personal slave was enough to make me strongly question why I was working for him. Upon meeting up with my best girlfriends in Missoula, they were able to get it out of me very quickly that I was not happy. They were worried about me. I hadn't been my usual perky self even on the phone with them. They told me they were behind me no matter what I chose to do, but that no one should have to feel the way I was about a job.

Monday was the breaking point for me. I was so stressed out and nervous within 10 minutes of my boss arriving at work, that I felt ill. A couple of friends that are familiar with my situation, one having seen the abuse, convinced me that we could work something out, and that it just wasn't worth it.

So, Tuesday morning, I went in and quit. And then came home and took a three hour nap. Today, I feel GREAT! I know I've made the right decision and a better opportunity is on the horizon.

Photo Friday

2010-10-15T07:08:00.004-06:00

Another week of not so many photographs. Hopefully I'll get a bunch while I'm in Missoula this weekend.

Family

2010-10-14T22:07:00.004-06:00

There are many different definitions of family. Of course, the biological family is first and foremost the most important. My parents, as difficult as they can be at times, are irreplaceable. I love them, and am sure that I don't tell them as much as I should. My eldest sister I don't talk to enough, but I can tell that when I do, she loves me. It warms the heart, and makes me ever more eager to see her in a few weeks. However, I chose the weekend of my visit for my other sister. The weekend that she is not working. Did I consider that Jill might be working? No. Hmm, I should be thinking about her as well. Bad sister, Julie...

On the few occasions per year that I am blessed with seeing my biological family, it is great. Nothing is better, and I feel loved.

In the interim, I have family here in Montana as well. For the past two years, they were my co-workers at my last job. I am still very attached to many of them, and not to others.

Here in Helena, I have family too, however, I sometimes think that I should let them go, as they are not mine anymore. That does not make me love them any less.

Hug your family tonight...and say I love you.

On ice

2010-10-10T09:57:00.003-06:00

After moving to Helena, I was in a bit of pain again from lifting boxes up and down and in and out of trucks. This pain I speak of is in my lower back again. It had subsided again, and then late this week, I tweaked it again. Today, I am in so much pain that it brings tears to my eyes, and I am sitting on an ice pack. If that doesn't help, I will be resolved to taking pain killers again. Next on my list after this post is to find a doctor here in Helena.

My fear is that this is going to be a recurring problem for the rest of my life. It started over two years ago and comes and goes. I wonder if the stress of a new job helped exacerbate it, or if not working out regularly for the past two months has contributed as well. A year and a half ago, I was very close to needing back surgery, and I was not nearly in as much pain. I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified that this time I may need surgery.

I need to take care of myself a little bit better. Anyone have any tips on how to resolve lower back pain?

Photo Friday

2010-10-08T13:38:00.007-06:00

What a busy three weeks it has been! I've hardly had time to go out and take photos, but last weekend finally changed that. Eve and I took our dogs on a short hike and Twist loved it! He did get a little carsick on the way to the trail head, but I think that most of that was due to going up and down streets and how warm it was.

He doesn't really like the Gentle Leader that I put on him, but it does help me control him. I've noticed that it is chaffing his nose so I'm easing off it a bit. Otherwise, life with a dog is great! He is still quite attached to me, which is just fine if you ask me. Oliver still is very uninterested in him, while occasionally getting frisky with him. Oliver doesn't seem to be mad at me for bringing in another attention stealer, as he still gets perks that Twist doesn't, like sleeping on the bed.

This weekend, I chose not to go back to Missoula. I miss it very much but didn't want the hassle after a stressful week. And the thought of it being First Friday was too depressing. Hopefully next weekend will find me in my beloved Missoula again.

Photo Friday...a day late, again

2010-10-02T11:39:00.005-06:00

The plan was to make it home early last night and get this post in on time, but my early night turned into quite a late one of playing cards and reminiscing about our childhoods. It's also been a pretty busy week for me; I've been hanging out with a friend that is leaving tomorrow for Denver, trying to get completely settled and unpacked at home, and doing a bit of research for work at night. To make myself even busier, I am adopting an eight month old Shepherd cross from the local shelter. I've named him Twist and he is going to be a great companion.

The weather is beautiful here in Montana, and the leaves are turning. Best get outside on a hike with my new pup!

New home, new job

2010-09-29T22:48:00.003-06:00

It really is amazing how fast time goes when you are adjusting to new things. I've been in Helena now for two weeks exactly, and I can't believe it.

My first week of work flew by and I really learned a lot. There were stressful moments only because I felt like I was being pulled in 20 different directions, which I literally was. And they were directions that I didn't know. For the past 8 1/2 years I've done the same job, and I'm sure at first I was overwhelmed, but I can't remember that. What I do remember is that for the past six years, I've know exactly what was expected of me, and I just did it. No one questioned me, no one had to show me what to do. Now, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm very unsure of myself. However, each day is better than the previous day, and I am very happy that I've taken this huge step in my career.

My new apartment is great. I had most of my stuff unpacked within a few days, and have only to assemble my shelf so that I can unpack the last box onto it and hang pictures accordingly. That will probably happen this weekend...or maybe not. If it's going to be nice I'm going to do some hiking. With my new dog.

Photo Friday

2010-09-24T20:37:00.005-06:00

Yet again, the pictures are late this week. They are all from last week, my first full week in Helena. The first is a detail shot of an item in my new office, the second is the house that I live in, of which the whole first floor is mine, the third is near where I work, and the final is a shot of the backside of the Helena Cathedral.

Photo Friday

2010-09-17T19:07:00.004-06:00

First of all, I apologize for not getting these photos up until Sunday evening. I was able to start the post from my phone but could not upload the pictures until I had an internet connection. This week has been a busy one, yet again. Tuesday was my last day as a bench jeweler, and I begin my new job on Monday.

The move to Helena was uneventful, which as far as moves go, is a good thing. With the help of a couple of friends, we loaded AND unloaded the same day. I've got pretty much everything unpacked that I want out and everything else is put in my storage area. I'll get pictures up of my new abode next week.

The following photos are from a little gathering that my friends had for me before I left Missoula.

Last day

2010-09-14T07:46:00.003-06:00

Today is my last day as a bench jeweler. Kinda sad, kinda happy. I really do love my current job and will miss many things about it. However, there are many things about it that I won't miss; the drama of my co-workers, working weekends, the many injuries I've received working as a bench jeweler, rouge stained fingers, working in a mall...

I will miss the designing that I got to do there, even though it was just a little bit of what I did. Even when I was getting to work on custom pieces, it was a struggle; I am burned out. 8 1/2 years on the bench, where 96% of what I do is sizing, setting stones, and other menial repairs just got old. When I told my co-workers and superiors that I was leaving, they all said the same thing: "but you're so good at what you do." Yeah, I know that, but I don't want to be know for being a great repair jeweler. I want to be know as a great designer, which I am, but I just don't get to do enough, nor do I really want to, right now. What I'm hoping will happen is after I've settled into my new job, I'll actually want to start designing again. I can carve wax in my apartment without making too big of a mess, and eventually get them cast into gold. I've already noticed that I want to doodle more, which is promising. I want to get back to where I was when I first started on the bench; I would rush home and sketch and work out designs for several hours several days a week. I'll get there, and with an abundance of stones to select from at my new job, I'm sure I'll have plenty of inspiration.

As I prepare to shut the door on the first stage of my career, I am excitedly running toward the next door. The possibilities are endless, and I am eager to see where my life is headed.

Photo Friday

2010-09-10T08:14:00.012-06:00

It's time again, and unfortunately, with finding a new place to live in Helena, and then packing this week, I haven't had much time for photography. Hopefully that will change tonight after work when I head to Weir hot springs with Amy. For now though, all I can offer up is real life: my apartment in disarray.

And somewhere in none of my free time, I found the time to make a cheesecake for a dear friend's birthday; Raspberry Chocolate.

And, just as I thought, the trip to the natural hot springs did prove to be photographic, as did the LumberJack on the way home.

Downsizing

2010-09-09T07:39:00.002-06:00

Let's face it; I hate moving, but the last two and a half years, it seems to be what I do. The plus side of it is that I am getting really good at packing. The first time I moved, I just threw all of my pots and pans and mixing bowls in a box, as I was actually packing the truck. Surprisingly, nothing broke. The majority of what I own is kitchen stuff; and as luck would have it, that is usually the hardest room to pack.

Every time I move, I vow to get rid of the things I haven't used since my last move, and this time, I'm actually doing it. Why keep moving two crock pots, when I haven't used either in almost two years? I'll keep the smaller one just because you never know when it might come in handy. And six pancake flippers? Really? Who needs all this excess stuff?

I've also come across a box from my past. Pictures of my ex-fiance from when we were together. I can't bring myself to throw the photos away, but what do I do with them? I'm not hanging on to that relationship, but we are still friends and I really think it would be wrong to discard them.

As far as moving goes, I really do hope that this is a place that I can stay put, in the same residence for at least a year, if not longer. I'm sick of uprooting myself every year, 5 months, or 10 months. It makes me feel unstable and unsettled, which I am neither of. I hope that whatever it is I'm searching for will find me, because as of right now, I am focusing on work, and letting life lead me in the direction it so chooses. I'm letting go of fantasies, and where I thought I would be at this point in my life, because really, I am where I am supposed to be.

That leads me to a realization that I had the other night over a glass of wine with a good friend; I wouldn't be here if I had gotten married almost four years ago. If my ex had not had second thoughts, we would be married, with children, and I would feel trapped. The pain that that breakup caused me made me stronger. It also made me realize that he didn't want to get married and have children so I left for Montana, where I was blessed to meet Justin, and through him, my new boss. It's funny how life has a way of working itself out, don't you think?

Photo Friday

2010-09-03T07:44:00.012-06:00

I shouldn't be surprised that it is Friday already. It seems like the weeks fly by as of late, and I am always scrambling to keep up! As promised, this week I did get out with my camera, mostly due to taking my parents to Glacier, and also because I wanted to play with my new lens, a 50mm/f 1.8 Nikon lens.

This first picture is one of the sushi rolls I made last night with Amy. Fish is the only meat that I do consume, and I am careful to choose wisely in my purchases of it. I tried to give it up completely last fall but got very weak and had to start including it in my diet, albeit sparingly.

While my parents were here, I took them to the antique mall; four floors of amazing and not so amazing stuff. I saw the coffee grinder and thought that it was amazing.

Of course, another picture of Oliver posing was necessary as well.

And to finish off the week where it all started: in Glacier National Park.

Iowans in Montana

2010-09-02T08:09:00.007-06:00

Amongst all the other excitement in my life, my parents came for a visit last week. It had been almost a year and a half since I had seen them and to be honest, I was nervous. Yeah, silly, huh? I was worried they wouldn't like it here, or that they wouldn't like me anymore. That's even sillier, but somehow I felt they were judging me right away. I know that they just want the best for me and want me to be happy, but who ever said that I wasn't?

The biggest thing they wanted to know about was why I don't go to church. OK, I haven't gone to church on a regular basis since forever ago, so this isn't really what their concern was. What they really wanted to know was why I turn more to Buddhism than anything. Okay, that's easy; when you've dated a Buddhist philosopher who is really into it, it's kind of hard not to also get interested in it as well. It just seems to fit now more than anything and I can relate more to it. I'm not a Buddhist though. I don't want to call myself anything because, quite frankly, it doesn't matter. All that really matters is that I know that meditating every day has helped me, and that is something I can for sure say I've gained from learning about Buddhism. It's just a different kind of praying than what my parents are used to, not that they pray every day.

Another inquiry they had was about me not eating meat (except for fish occasionally). Yeah, that is from my ex as well. It was just easier for me not to not eat meat since we cooked so many meals together from the beginning. What kept me at it was that I noticed I felt better, looked better, and all around was eating more healthy. Bad thing? Nope, not in my book.

Other than those few sticky points, their visit was a good one. I took them to Glacier National Park with my friend Amy and we took a lot of photos (of course). Mom was quite impressed with how beautiful everything was. We were lucky and saw six bears our first night, as well as a moose. A little bit of tension developed over a stupid thing, and kind of put a damper on our evening, but eventually it faded away, and all was back to normal.

My dad floated the river with me and a couple of friends while my mom went shopping, we grilled out in my backyard, checked out the River City Roots Festival, enjoyed the best pizza in town; Biga, and even got a couple games of Euchre in. All in all, it was a good visit. I'm glad they got to see where and what I've been up to for the past two years. They ended up leaving on Monday after lunch, a day early, but I was ok with that. Sometimes it is just downright exhausting entertaining people all of the time. I was ready to have my space back and I know that I will see them soon enough.

Fate

2010-09-01T08:02:00.004-06:00

I'm a big believer in fate. The things that are going to happen in your life will find a way whether you want it to happen or not. This includes heartache, happiness, whether or not you will have a family, etc. I believe my career fate started to change on New Year's Eve last year. While in Helena for the holidays I met a gentleman in the jewelry industry. I was like a kid in a candy store and enjoyed very much being able to talk to someone who had a passion for stones. He had mentioned then that he was looking for an assistant but I didn't think much about it other than to think how neat it would be to work for him.

It was shortly after this meeting that I seriously started thinking about going back to school through GIA. I was enrolled just over a month after our first meeting , and within a few weeks, I was already starting to think that working on the gem side of the industry might be very fascinating for me. All I had to do was finish my classes and I'd be able to seek out a position.

I had been keeping in contact with my new industry friend sporadically just because of Ronnie's ring. Through the summer he had told me to let him know when I would be in Helena so that we might get lunch. It just happened that I was in town for Justin's send off to India a week and a half ago and it worked out to meet. As it turns out, it was really an interview of sorts. What he was looking for was someone to help him get organized and keep track of his inventory. I would also be filling orders and typing up invoices, among other things; that is, if I was interested. Was I? YES! We parted ways with the idea that we would both think about it, and he would be back to me in a week.

That week was up more quickly than I realized and he was calling. I knew what it would take me to leave my current position but really didn't think he would offer enough. To my delight he did, and I am very excited to be moving on to a new opportunity where I will learn a lot and broaden my knowledge of the jewelry industry.

Photo Friday

2010-08-27T08:17:00.010-06:00

Yet another very busy week, with lots to do and not much interest in taking photos. However, that will change today, as I head to Glacier National Park with my parents and my friend Amy.

Last week was a bit difficult for me, as my ex-boyfriend returned from Taiwan to Montana for just about a week. It did to me just what I thought it would; put me in a tailspin so to speak. I never thought that I was over him for the month that he was away but I did feel that I was doing great. I'm doing fine now again, and hopefully I can let go of our relationship for good this time. No one said moving on was easy, but perhaps I can learn something from it.

It was a fun weekend in Helena with his family, as always. His sister is in town for a while and I have enjoyed her company since I met her last Christmas. Such a great family, and so many great memories. I feel blessed to have met this family, and will miss seeing them as frequently as I have in the past. Must learn to let go...

Just yesterday I received my new 50mm lens for my camera. Oliver has always been a great subject, and I'm sure I will have many more subjects to experiment with this weekend.

Too busy...

2010-08-24T08:02:00.004-06:00

I've been so busy as of late, I am now overwhelmed with many things to do. Good thing I can multi-task or I'd be sunk! Tomorrow, my parents arrive from Iowa for their first visit to Montana together. I'm not really sure what we are going to do, but a trip to Glacier is definitely in the plans.

I've been hanging out with friends and getting out in the sun. Every weekend since the middle of June has pretty much been filled with either backpacking, road trips, or visitors.

While I enjoy being busy, and seem to make my life that way, I am starting to feel stretched thin. The last evening that I had completely to myself was August 10...I think. With my mom and dad in town through the 30th, it's looking like September 1st will be my day. Just work, no phone, no email, no facebook...just me.

When it seems that my life is starting to settle down, something comes up, and everything is up in the air. I don't want to say such is life, but it is what it is. I'm just busy...busy being me, finding my happiness, and getting resettled into this life that is starting to seem all too short. So many different directions that it could lead me, and I have only to choose which path to take. Making decisions has never been easy for me. Ask me what I want for supper and it could take an hour to decide. Ask me where I want my life to lead me? Hmm; best be making that decision so that I have time to enjoy it.

Photo Friday

2010-08-20T08:11:00.009-06:00

This past weekend I celebrated my 31st birthday with Kristen at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass festival just outside of Driggs, ID. Yet again, this week has been super busy with visitors and friends so I have not gotten out with my camera, so all I have to share are weekend photos.

We headed out in a light rain from Missoula on Friday morning and arrived around 4pm to cloudy skies and cool temperatures. We set up our tent and headed into the venue for the evening. Unfortunately, it started raining around 8pm and we were completely soaked and cold for the rest of the night. However, we still managed to hav

e a great time, meeting several new and interesting friends.

On Saturday and Sunday, the weather was perfect, with no clouds in sight all day. The music was wonderful, as was the food and microbrews!

Monday morning we took the ski lift up and were greeted with a fantastic view of the Grand Tetons. It was a great weekend and I am looking forward to going to another festival sometime.

These last two photos were taken with my phone so I thought I'd share them as well. The monstrous zucchinis were grown in my backyard garden, as were the carrots. Last night I started shredding one of the zucchs and made a batch of zucchini raisin cookies. So delicious! The rather large beaver is one that has been visiting my backyard sporadically to munch on the apples. As long as he stays out of my garden he is a welcome visitor!

Photo Friday

2010-08-13T08:09:00.006-06:00

This week has been so busy with preparations for this weekends Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival, that the only photos I have to share are from last week's backpacking trip to Stuart Peak. It was a great trip and the pictures hardly do it justice.

I'm still on the fence about bringing my camera on this trip, as I'm not really wanting to have it with me 24/7, but also don't want to miss out of the beauty of the area...should probably get a move on if I want to leave within the hour.

Here's a shout out to my twin sister: Happy Birthday to us!! With every year, it seems that life keeps getting easier. May we both enjoy many more years on this earth, and hopefully be able to celebrate together again.

Stuart Peak

2010-08-10T22:05:00.002-06:00

I feel blessed to live in Missoula Montana, where just a short car ride away is an awesome trail head. On Saturday morning Amy, Kim, and I left the Rattlesnake trail head for Stuart peak at 10 am. A bit late for a backpacking trip if you ask me, but it was nice to get some extra sleep and have a leisurely breakfast. I was carrying 4 liters of water and my pack weight was a total of 37 pounds. I'd guess that at the height of our hike in, the temp was around 82 degrees with a slight breeze that felt oh so good. We had all done a little searching for the length of the trip, and had found that is was around 10.5 miles to the peak. The sign at the trail head said that it was only 8 miles. I'm pretty sure our research is correct but who knows.

We set up camp at the first spot we found; about 3+ miles from the summit, right in the middle of a huckleberry patch and just a short walk away from a little trickle of a creek. The weather was perfect for just hanging out and picking berries. We laughed and told stories, and talked about our hopes for the future and the adventures we all want to go on. As the sun set and the stars came out, we gazed out into the distance at the lights of Missoula. The calm and quiet of the wilderness at night was rejuvenating and something that I must get out into more frequently.

Sunday morning we awoke to a light rain that lasted for about an hour. We attempted to make huckleberry pancakes in a nonstick pan (not recommended) and settled for eating trail mix and carrots. We left camp just after 11 am for the summit, and arrived 2 hours later, just after 1 pm. We enjoyed lunch an just hung out for an hour. We could see for miles, all the way south to Lolo, and the Mission Mountains to the north.

We took our time making it down the mountain, all of us sore and tired. By the time we reached the car at 6:30pm, we were anxious for Bridge pizza and cold beer. My feet couldn't take me any farther.

Two days later, my quads and especially my calves are extremely tight. My knee, however, is doing just fine.

Which peak around Western Montana should I conquer next?

Photo Friday

2010-08-06T08:18:00.008-06:00

Here it is already the first Friday in August. How time does fly when the weather is wonderful and there is so much fun to be had! Missoula's farmers market has been great for fresh spinach, carrots, a various other goodies. Of course, the people watching is just as good. Montana's big sky is especially beautiful after a quick evening thunderstorm, and with willing participants, pictures are even more fun.

Enjoy your weekend. I'm off to summit Stewart Peak, just north of Missoula this weekend.

Time alone

2010-08-04T21:56:00.006-06:00

Getting used to being single is...strange. Strange in that it is different than what I thought it would be. I've spent plenty of time with friends, and have had a blast of course, but I've also spent time alone. In fact the last two nights I have chosen to stay home alone and regroup.

After a busy weekend with Eve, Jackie, Blake and Joe, it seemed that the only thing I should want to do was to spend time alone. Monday I turned down a walk along the river with a friend and instead spent the night nesting and hanging out with myself. Tuesday was much the same; I made dinner and read for most of the evening. I also did something I haven't done in ages; went to bed shortly after 10pm.

I'm still getting used to living alone, only because I have yet to finish settling my things where I want them. What I do miss is that when I come home from work, there isn't anyone to ask how my day was. It's the little things I guess. I'm not really lonely, or depressed at all. Just reminiscent over the past two years that I've been here, most of which has been in a relationship. I'm getting to know myself all over again, and working on making being happy from the inside, which is all that really matters.

Ironically, I am reading "Happiness" by Matthieu Ricard. I haven't gotten that far into it because it seems as though I am scrutinizing it too much. Already it is making a lot of sense and I think it will help. My favorite quote so far is "To love oneself is to love life." Considering that I'll be 31 a week from Friday, it seems as though I should have quite a bit of life left, so I should start to love it...and myself, faults and all.

31 days of meditation

2010-07-31T09:21:00.002-06:00

I've done what I set out to do 31 days ago; meditate every day in July. There was never a day that I didn't want to meditate, and I soon found that it was best for me to sit before I left the house for the day. My attention span improved, I was often in a better mood than I would have been had I not meditated, and I was able to come to terms with a lot of stuff over the past month that otherwise might have been more difficult.

I'm happy to say that this will continue on. I can't justify not keeping it up when it has been so beneficial to me, and it is so easy to find 15-25 minutes to quiet the mind. And, having come to terms with the fact that I probably have ADHD, I would rather try to control it with meditation, exercise and diet.

Anyway, it's a beautiful Saturday morning here in Missoula, so I'm off to enjoy it.

Photo Friday

2010-07-30T13:19:00.007-06:00

The beginning of the week had much better sunsets, probably due to the small fire west of Missoula, but of course, I didn't have my camera for those. Wednesday found me hiking up the side of Mt. Sentinel, not quite to the M but I was ready for a sunset...that didn't quite do much; but it was still pretty in it's own way.

The last picture is from my garden, a green bell pepper plant that for some reason escaped a visiting deer's path. At least I'll have peppers and zucchini!

Hangin' in there...

2010-07-28T07:58:00.002-06:00

Yesterday found me meeting up with a meditation buddy that I had met last fall, Nick. He is currently between his overseas experiences, having just returned from a two month retreat in Thailand, and is leaving for South Korea to teach English in just over two weeks.

It's kind of ironic that we were able to connect, as I didn't have any way to contact him. While meditating yesterday morning, he popped into my head, and I was a bit disappointed that I would not be able to meet up with him before he left, as he was spending the summer with his family in another town. I put that thought aside and continued with my 25 minute sit. Afterwards, I opened the front door to grab Oliver's chain so I could put him out for a bit before work, and there was a note between the doors...from Nick. He had a book of Justin's that he needed to return and left me his number. We had a nice chat and decided to meet up for a quick lunch before he headed home. Our quick lunch turned into just over an hour of catching up, and to be honest, it was just what I needed. Both of us are dealing with relationships ending, and talking about how we were feeling and how to cope with those emotions was helpful. His insight and hope for the future invigorated me as well. I came back to work sad to see him go, but in very high spirits.

Considering how sad I was at the beginning of last week, I've been pretty good, accepting that everything is as it should be...

Photo Friday

2010-07-23T08:01:00.005-06:00

Time certainly does go by quickly...it's already Friday! It seems like this summer is flying by (as it usually does), and I've just made it to Glacier for the second time this year. I was blessed with friends from Iowa stopping by for the weekend, and GNP is a must see. Nate and Jenny brought their two month old baby girl Emma with them, so I was even more blessed to see them as a new family. Their visit was a quick one, arriving late Saturday afternoon and leaving after I had gone to work on Monday.

Glacier was as beautiful as ever, however, the next time I go, I want to go into the backcountry.

21 days and counting...

2010-07-21T08:18:00.003-06:00

It's been 21 days since I started my meditation challenge and I have meditated every single day. They (whoever they are) say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Well, I'd say it's pretty much a habit now, and a good one at that. On Sunday, I wasn't able to meditate until about 11:15 at night, and I had to. I wasn't about to skip a day just because friends were in town.

Some days are more difficult and scattered than others, but thus far, I have to say that last Friday was my best sit during this challenge. That's not all surprising considering that Justin was able to sit with me. I have to say that most of the time, I meditate better when I'm sitting with other people. On Monday, Susie joined me, and overall, it was also a great sit, except that my mind felt like it was spinning clockwise, and everything else was spinning counterclockwise...such a strange feeling.

I look forward to what has now become my time.

Discovery

2010-07-20T19:01:00.004-06:00

Last Friday, I took Justin to the airport for his trip to L.A. and then Taiwan, thus ending what has been a good romantic relationship. When he returns in August, he will be here for a day and a half, and then on to visit family, and then off to England/India. We've known that this was coming since mid-May but still, there really is no way to prepare for it...

In the beginning, I really wanted to go to India. In fact, before he even got the job, I had been kind of planning on it; to quit my job, ship Oliver back to Iowa, and put everything into storage. What would I do while away and jobless? I had thought of going to Bangkok and working on my GIA classes, being only a short trip away to visit occasionally, or seeing about a job where Justin would be. However, almost immediately that prospect was decided against. I am a people person, thriving with human interaction and relationships. What would I do in a monastery in North central India for three plus months, where everyone is spending all of their time studying, prepping for classes and other such things, or in a foreign country where I know absolutely no one or any of their customs. I would go stir crazy, and we decided it would be best if he went alone.. Even now, I still want to go.

So, as I type, Justin is on a fourteen hour flight to Taiwan, and I am aching inside. I was fine dropping him off at the Missoula airport, with only a few sad tears. And when one is busy, as I was over the weekend, I was also just fine. However, as I told him before he left, it would sink in this week, after he'd been gone for a couple of days. I made it until about noon on Monday before I realized what was causing my foul mood and depressed state of mind.

Of course, it doesn't help that his office is empty, save the desk and chair that I am now using. I need to make it mine now, because that is what this apartment is; mine. I'm not sure I like that. It reminds me of something else that I had with someone else. Something that I have long recovered from and moved on from, but now it seems as though I must move on and recover, again.

I posted this quote a few weeks ago, but somehow it fits here as well. It is from "Eat, Pray, Love"

"The karmic philosophy appeals to me on a metaphorical level because even in one lifetime it's obvious how often we must repeat our same mistakes, banging our heads against the same old addictions and compulsions, generating the same old miserable and often catastrophic consequences, until we can finally stop and fix it."

What I must find out is what are my mistakes, addictions, and compulsions. What is it that I am doing to make myself have to go through this over and over again? It must be stated here that I have no regrets, and if given the option to relive the last ten years of my life, I wouldn't change a thing, because I wouldn't be who I am today, or where I am today, without having lived my life the way I did.

I wonder what will happen next...

Photo Friday

2010-07-16T17:11:00.012-06:00

This past weekend I was blessed with a four day weekend in Missoula. With no plans taking me away from the city I now call home, I took in the farmers market for the first time this season, choosing only to get fresh carrots and morel mushrooms. After quickly running through two of the three markets, Kimber and I headed up the Blackfoot to float, also for the first time this season.

The view I intend to have next year...as a runner.

The icing on the cake this week is Ronnie's ring. I hate to say it, but we designed it back in early January, and I just completed it on Tuesday. What can I say, sometimes I get lazy. I do have to admit, that even though I love doing custom work, by the time I am finished with a piece, I am usually so sick of it I can't wait to never see it again! This is one of my favorites though, and I hope to enter it into a few design contests. It is a 1.85ct Torus cut Montana Sapphire, a .47ct VS1 L round brilliant diamond, and set within the Sapphire is a .06ct diamond.

Photo Friday

2010-07-09T10:11:00.007-06:00

Now that Mother Nature has allowed summer to finally arrive here in Western Montana, I've been out and about with my camera much more. The sun was setting during a little sprinkle shower and we couldn't help but head down to the river to capture the orange glow. We weren't the only ones with the same idea, as one of our neighbors was also down capturing the amazing light.

I played with zoom blur again and got great results at the Northside Kettlehouse before heading to the park to watch Beetljuice with a group of friends. Oh how I love summer in Missoula!

Of course, as an amateur photographer, I was all about the fireworks. Being my first time ever shooting a display, I messed around a lot with ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds. I didn't want to overload this post with fireworks only so I just chose my favorite one.

Enjoy!

One week down three to go...

2010-07-07T08:04:00.004-06:00

Maybe there shouldn't be a countdown for something that I don't want to end. I'm happy to report that I haven't missed a single day of meditation. The first sit went very quickly (as 10 minutes should) but the following six did slow down a bit. It was hard for me to get comfortable and find my position until about day four, and then it was just there.

Today's sit was a bit difficult, as I had a lot on my mind. I've never had to sit with emotions like I did today, but only hope that it will make me stronger and perhaps help someone else as well.

Tomorrow starts my week of 15 minute meditations.

Photo Friday

2010-07-02T12:40:00.009-06:00

Last weekend, Justin and I headed over to Helena for what will probably be the last time before he starts all of his world travels. And while I know that I will probably visit while he is away, it will not be the same, or as frequent. Already in July, I know that I have a lot going on for the rest of the summer and even part of the fall. Time seems to go all too quickly; sometimes that is good, and sometimes that is bad. For now though, I am enjoying all of the wonderful experiences that life has to offer, and summer in Missoula!

While in Helena, Justin's cousin who shows and trains dogs was stopping through, so we took some photos of her dogs. The first is a Malamute, and the second is a goofy picture of Lucy, an Irish Setter.

While out last night for First Friday, I was experimenting with zoom blur. The first is a funky sculpture at the Dana Gallery and the second is one of our favorite bottles of wine at Liquid Planet.

30 day challenge...

2010-06-30T23:36:00.002-06:00

Well, perhaps it will be a 31 day challenge, as that is how many days are in July. My intention is to meditate every.single.day. I'm pretty sure that I will be able to accomplish this, even if I have to meditate by a lake late in the month (which I am actually looking forward to) while camping with friends, or on my lunch break at work (which I'm not looking forward to), or after a run in the morning, or before bed at night. Ideally though, I will meditate every morning, before my day really gets going and my mind is overloaded with the mundane concerns of everyday life.

And after the 31 days? I hope that it turns into 60 days, 90 days, and beyond. I am a creature of habit, and of all habits that I have, shouldn't this be one of them? And shouldn't others fall away as I become more aware of them?

It will go something like this: for the first seven days, I will meditate for 10 minutes, adding five minutes every week thereafter until I am meditating for 30 minutes every day. In the past I have really enjoyed the Metta Bhavana meditation, but I think mixing it up will be helpful, so I will also be doing Mindfulness of Breathing, Vipassana, and any others that research will lead me to.

I'm not really sure what to expect. I just hope to learn a bit more about who I am, and what I need. And what I need now is to get to bed so I can get up and run...oh yeah, and meditate.

Photo Friday

2010-06-25T07:44:00.003-06:00

This week has found me not very interested in photography. That's a bad thing, and a good thing, since what I've been interested in and busy doing is working on my diamond class instead. After almost a month of no progress, I've caught up with the videos online and have completed two more chapters. I've also been having some fun though, so don't worry too much.

On Tuesday evening, I worked on my listening skills while a friend vented her frustrations with her work. This made me grateful for the fact that I no longer have too much drama at work, partly because I've been actively working on not getting involved with situations that don't involve me and I am much more content.

Realization

2010-06-23T07:55:00.009-06:00

I'm not a big fan of self help books, so I generally don't read them. However, I just finished "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Now, I realize that this really wasn't intended as a self help book, but that's exactly what it was for me, without me realizing it the entire time I was reading it. If you haven't read it, do, and take notes.

EAT...

What I took away from this part of the book wasn't as profound as the rest of the book. Perhaps this is due to being able to slightly relate, and having moved on from that part of my life. She went through heartbreak, not knowing what to do with her marriage, whether to stay or to go. Ironically, just over two years ago, I was wondering the same thing about my relationship and life that I had cobbled together with my ex. Fortunately, he and I are still friends, speaking frequently, and happy for one another. I couldn't imagine it any other way. These first 36 stories were about how she sought to find pleasure, and she chose to do it with food...in Italy. Even going so far as Italy, and getting away from her usual routine and her comfort zone of home, her demons still crept in. It just goes to show that you can run away from your problems, but sooner or later you will have to face them.

"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection."

PRAY...

When I went on a 5 day retreat a couple of months ago, I had to take that many days of vacation. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would spend vacation that way. Upon leaving, I was seriously wanting to go on a two week retreat. Now...I want to go stay in an Ashram for a few weeks. To be able to devote myself to a practice for that long, without the distractions of life would be so empowering.

On retreat, it was so nice to not check the news 20 times a day, or facebook, or email, or my phone. Everything was scheduled and planned for me. The only person that could distract me was me.

LOVE...

I think she saved the best for last with this one. And why not finish a year of self discovery with love? Her time in Indonesia came when she was starting to settle into herself and be at peace. Many times during this segment, I found myself thinking that it could have been my thoughts that were written, except of course, I've never been to Indonesia...yet.

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort."

"Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism."

I need to stop trying to make other people happy, because I won't be able to until I realize what makes me truly happy. While I try not to change people, I think deep down that is what I've wanted in certain instances. Also, I need to be less impulsive with my decisions, acting on what I really want to do, rather than just going with the flow to keep everyone else happy before myself. I need time for me. Don't get me wrong, I still want to hang out with my friends, and I still will help them when I can, but I also need to realize when enough is enough, to just say no to the seemingly endless flow of distractions. My eyes are open and I can't wait to see.

It's a great book, and what I took away from it is just what I needed to. Any other time in my life, it would have been something completely different.

Photo Friday

2010-06-18T08:14:00.009-06:00

I'm happy to report that Justin and I made it out of the wilderness safely, with only a few aches and pains, slight sunburns, and only one blister while breaking in new hiking boots for me. We haven't figured out exactly how far in we hiked, but I'm guessing 7-8 miles. It took us 5 hours to get to Upper Holland Lake, as we both were in need of little breathers, and needed to remove our packs several times. Mine only weighed about 30 pounds, while Justin's weighed around 45 pounds. On the way out, we only stopped to take photos of key points, and took our packs off once. Upon returning to the lodge, we had a couple of beers and then headed home to a hot shower and a soft bed.

I anxiously await my next backpacking adventure!

Photo Friday

2010-06-11T09:37:00.010-06:00

It's been another busy week for me, with a remount show at work last weekend keeping me busy throughout the week, playing tennis on both of the nice days we've had, finishing my garden on Sunday, and catching up with a friend I hadn't seen in several weeks. And then of course, the World Cup started this morning. With banana and almond pancakes, fruit salad, coffee and mimosas Amy, Blake, Joe, Kim, and I were ready for the opening ceremonies and the first game by 7:30am. Tomorrow, Justin and I head into the wilderness for hiking and real backpacking for two nights, sure to be a great time.

And, it being Friday, again, here are some photos.

Just sit

2010-06-08T20:43:00.003-06:00

Actually getting into a daily meditation routine has been harder, much harder, than I thought it would be. After my retreat in April I really wanted to sit everyday, or at least every other day. That desire resurfaced recently while I was reading "Eat, Pray, Love". The author's stories from her time in India made me realize that the feelings I have during meditation are okay, and most likely are having a positive affect on my everyday life.

So why haven't I been sitting? I know that it is great for me; I'm calmer, more at peace, less likely to over-react, I sleep better...I'm happier. What it really boils down to is that I'm also lazy. Other things seem more worthwhile, like hanging out with friends, playing tennis, eating, drinking, watching a movie, reading a book...anything but sitting.

Last night, I made it back to Miriam's house for a sit. I went alone. I could very easily have just not gone, as I did have other things that needed to get done. But I went, and I am very glad that I did. It was not a calm experience. My mind was everywhere but there, from one story to the next, and although my mind was in overdrive, after it was all done and I was home again, I felt a calmness that I hadn't felt in weeks.

Hopefully this will inspire me to meditate on a more regular basis.

Photo Friday

2010-06-04T07:15:00.014-06:00

This week has been a busy one; Marga's birthday party last Friday night, and then a trip to Helena for the holiday weekend, and upon our return to Missoula, I was busy baking, cooking and finishing little projects. And then of course, there was work as usual, an attempted run (no marathon for me in Missoula this year, but I'm not scratching the possibility of the half) and hanging out with my girlfriends last night.

Now, to the point of this post: PHOTOS!

A freshly opened poppy in Helena

Mari's going away chocolate cheesecake with fresh strawberries

Wine charms that I made for Justin's birthday last year

Just what I'm looking for...

2010-05-30T09:00:00.006-06:00

It seems that whenever I get interested in something, it starts turning up in articles that I read or headlines that I come across. A couple of months ago, I began looking in to working with sterling silver again, mostly because it is inexpensive compared to gold, and also thinking that I may want to start selling it in a friend's boutique. So I started thinking about using reticulation as a texture on some of the silver. Low and behold, in that month's issue of Jewelry Artist there were two articles on the subject. I started playing around with it and have gotten some fun results that I will have to photograph and show here.

My latest interest stems from my diamond grading class through GIA. I'm wanting to use different gems in my designs, and thought that getting a hold of some rough diamonds might be the ticket. Yet again, Jewelry Artist Magazine has an article in this month's issue just about that! I was delighted to read that I can get decent amounts of rough in various sizes for just a little bit of money. Now mind you, they won't be perfect octahedrons, and they won't be crystal clear, but I think that perfect stones wouldn't fit my designs anyway. Part of what will make them more interesting is that they aren't ideal, but beautiful in their own right.

Something else that I've been meaning to put together is a stage to photograph my jewelry. In last month's issue of Photography Journal there was an article on how to light and shoot jewelry. Perfect, right? Now I just need to make a setup for all of the jewelry that I am about to finish.

So now I'm off to the drawing board to make these ideas a reality. Below is a pendant that I just completed for one of my clients.

Photo Friday

2010-05-27T08:27:00.011-06:00

Starting today, I am going to start posting photographs every Friday, otherwise I will never edit them, and no one will ever see what I think is worthy of photographing. And since I've been told by many people that I take excellent shots, I might as well let the world see them.

Wildflower on Mt. Sentinel

Sunset from Mt. Sentinel

Sunset over the Clark Fork River

Pictures of the Pacific while I was recently in L.A.

Climbing out

2010-05-25T17:42:00.005-06:00

Hello again...I'm still here, just wondering what to say...

I've just returned from a weekend in Los Angeles with Eve, Justin's sister. It was a great break from my usual routine, and although I was a tad bit apprehensive about spending the entire weekend with someone I had met only for a few days at Christmastime, in the comfort of familiarity, I was at ease almost instantly. If only that connection existed in more of my relationships. I had no agendas while I was away, aside from just enjoying myself. I didn't want to or plan to go out to any hot spots. All I wanted was to hang out, in a new city, with a new friend, and relax. And that I did. After a late arrival on Friday evening, I was welcomed with wine, cheese, and olives, all three of which are some of my favorite indulgences. Saturday brought us to a very windy beach, where I walked in seaweed, got my toes tickled by the cool Pacific Ocean waters, lost my sunglasses, and devoured fried seafood.

Great days like this make me forget that just a few weeks ago I was in a rut so deep that I didn't know if I would ever be able to climb out. Around that time, I was just fresh out of a retreat, and then reality set back in. I'm the type of person who needs to be around people, but at that time, they were sucking me dry, wilting my happiness with every conversation. I was so confused...it was starting to be nice out, with a lot of sunshine so why was I suddenly so sad? I suppose that it doesn't help that I have only been able to run once since May 2nd due to a knee injury, or perhaps it is one of my favorite friends that is frustrating me lately. Or maybe it's just me. Last year I read a great book that made me realize that I am the only one responsible for everything being the way it is in my life. Perhaps it is time to revisit that lesson.

I was asked recently if I was out of my rut. Without hesitation, I said yes, and that sadly, is not the full truth. While it is not as intense as it was, it still lingers, cropping up and reminding me that it is still there. I don't want to be a burden to my friends, so it is easier to say that I am "okay" or "fine". With most people I can convince them that such things are true, however, there are a few that see right through me. There are days where I am so happy that I forget the darkness of the previous day, or the torment of the restless nights that seem to be occurring more frequently. I still can find sunshine on a cloudy day, just not everyday. I'm not as optimistic as I used to be, which may in fact be a good thing, for I can not turn water into wine anymore than I can control the weather around me.

It seems that when I am on a creative streak that my level of happiness improves. It just so happens that I am starting several new one of a kind pieces this week, and am developing a line of sterling silver jewelry to be installed in one of my friend's boutiques here in Missoula. With luck, I will be back to my old self in no time!

Rebirth

2010-05-10T16:43:00.007-06:00

Spring is a time of rebirth, allergies, and yes, Spring cleaning. As the trees are putting out more leaves every day, the flowers are also starting to bloom after a long rest here in Montana. I find myself still looking forward to even warmer days, and mornings where I can lazily sip my coffee in the backyard. Perhaps I should slow down and enjoy the crisp morning air, that is, if I can stop sneezing long enough to stay out in it!

Ah...choo! I've been battling allergies pretty badly since December. I'm not really sure what I'm allergic to, but whatever it is, it seems to be worse in the morning and afternoon. On my run tonight, nothing in the air bothered me, and I'm still not sneezing. Although, it could be that I remembered to take an allergy pill this morning.

As for Spring cleaning, I have yet to really start. I try to keep up on the dust bunnies but the basement still needs work, as do other areas. I don't just think that cleaning is "cleaning". In the last couple of weeks I have tried to alleviate the drama in my life, and if I can't change/manage it, I've tried to either ignore it or realize that it really doesn't matter. Still, I think that this Spring has been a cleansing one, preparing me for what lies ahead in my life.

Almost made it

2010-05-02T16:52:00.002-06:00

Today, I almost completed my goal of actually running all of my training miles for the week. This is something that I have yet to accomplish, and I am just completing my eighth week of marathon training. Early on, it was running on a treadmill that kept me from getting my distances in due to boredom. Also, for the first two weeks of training I was suffering from a pretty rough chest cold. After that it was lung endurance and me just quitting when I got tired and sore. Being away from home for the retreat also stopped me from running normally. So when I got home last weekend, I was going to get the entire long run for that week in. And I did. I was sore and tired and slow the last three miles, but I did it!

What happened today is actually making me mad. I had a dull ache in my right knee around two miles. Around 5.5 miles, it turned into a sharp pain, and every forward movement of my right leg hurt like hell. Landing hurt even worse. I decided that as I passed my apartment, I would stop and ice it and see if it got any better before I finished the last 5.5 miles to complete the prescribed 13. Alas, that was not to happen. Justin did some searching for what my injury might be and it looks like my knee is just inflamed from overuse. Perhaps running the six mile run on Friday instead of Thursday is to blame. Whatever it is, I will be icing and taking it easy for a few days.

It just goes to show that nothing is a certainty. Just because I had a great six mile run on Friday, doesn't mean that I will run well the next time. I am very glad that I put aside my stubborn side and listened to my body. Had I run even a mile further, I can't imagine how much pain I would be in, as already, I feel worse than I did when I first stopped running today.

I still have a love/hate relationship with running. I hate that I'm hurting, but I love the way I feel during and after a run (except today, or course).

Retreat

2010-04-27T09:23:00.004-06:00

Last Wednesday concluded my first five day silent retreat. I went in knowing that it would be silent and that I wouldn't be "hanging out" with Justin. I also knew that it was going to be a time to hang out with myself, by myself, and figure out what was going on in my head, and to let things happen there, and hopefully slow it down a bit.

The eight hour drive down was a practice in silence. Already, Justin and I were hardly speaking, and I was thinking the whole time that we should be just because we won't be speaking for the next five days. For the record, I don't feel that way anymore. If there's nothing to talk about, why fill peaceful silence with mindless chatter? It did help me prepare for silence at the retreat.

To be honest, once we arrived and got settled in our separate rooms, I didn't want to be there at all. I was full of anxiety, realizing that I was leaving behind all the comforts of home and friends completely for five whole days. What if I hated it? What if I couldn't handle what came up in my mind? What if it drove me crazy? Well, I was there, and I'll be damned if I quit something before I even start.

By Saturday afternoon, I was finding that I can sit still, and I can go without speaking. The days would start at 6am and formally end at 9:30pm, with sitting and walking meditation alternating throughout the day. In the afternoons, I helped in the kitchen chopping veggies for dinner, which was also a kind of meditation. It seemed to set me up for my best sit of day for the duration of the retreat. However, I was already feeling as if I were all alone in this room of so many people. I wondered if they felt the same...

Monday...was difficult, to say the least. The five day group was divided into two smaller groups that would be meeting with the teacher, John Travis. My group met in the morning and we all got a chance to ask a question or two, and he/group would comment and advise. I left feeling like my life was peachy, and that the torment that some of the others carry with them everyday would be unbearable to me. I also left with a newfound way at which to look at my meditation practice. While sitting, stories and daydreams come up. Instead of trying to refocus on the breath, I would focus on the emotions that they conjured up and where they took me. This is where the difficulty came into play. Every chance I got to sneak away from view of the others, mostly during walking periods, or the lunch and dinner breaks, I caught myself tearing up. I hadn't spoken to anyone (except my group), or had any physical contact with anyone. I was starting to feel like I was disappearing. And then, I did it. As Justin and I were passing each other, I reached out and embraced him, just for a moment, and then continued on. That bit of contact with him was what I needed, a bit of reassurance to get me through.

Tuesday was the exact opposite of Monday. By mid-morning, I had found, and followed my bliss. I had been told that around day four or five this happens, but I did not expect the depth of it. I would walk around in the woods just smiling, and thinking I'd never been this happy, and content before in my life. I realized sometime that day that my creative mind was making me paranoid for no reason, that things are just the way they are. PERIOD. There is no underlying story, no one is out to get me and make me unhappy. I am the person that makes me happy, or unhappy. I was starting to dread the end of our retreat. Although we hadn't hardly spoken, I was feeling like I knew these people, and that they were my friends.

At our closing circle I cried. No big surprise there. They were tears of joy, sadness and gratefulness. I think I laughed too, or at least I made everyone else laugh, not at me, but with me. And then I was even more sad to be leaving.

What did I take away from all of this? I talk, way to much, about nothing. I'm aware of it, and am mindfully working on changing that. I also don't need to be as busy of a bee as I have been. Yes, I need to keep up on my school work, and hang out with friends, but I also need time for me, without the distraction of others. Also, that I can deal with problems without dragging anyone else in. Although, having a girls night to vent will still find it's way into my schedule!

Upon returning to work and friends, I realized that I missed them both, but also found that they are still overstimulating to me right now. It was nice to stay in last night while Justin went to one of our meditation groups so that I could spend a couple hours alone.

Busy bee

2010-04-15T11:28:00.002-06:00

I've kind of fallen out of my blog habit. With work, running, hanging out with friends, and working on my class, it just isn't a priority.

I'm pluggin' away on my class, hoping to finish in the next month or so. It is going a bit slower than I would like, as I am just under halfway through with it and I've been working on it for six weeks. Part of this is due to too many distractions. The weather has turned nice again, and I just have to be out in it at night! Also, running 4 days a week takes a bit of my class time away, and when I am able to sit down and work, I am so tried that I start to nod off. Also, this material is familiar to me, but is no longer review. I am learning about how diamonds form, their crystal structure, and how that relates to how they are fashioned into the beautiful gems you see in the jewelry stores. It really is mind blowing what a diamond goes through in it's long life. Just the other day, I had an "aha" moment, when something finally clicked. This moment has triggered a study frenzy in me. I have a newfound drive to learn more, and as quickly as I can!

Our studies will have to be put on hold for about a week, as tomorrow, Justin and I head to Jackson, WY for a five day retreat. It will be my first and I am looking forward to what I will take away from it. My mind is so overloaded right now, that it is driving me crazy. To be able to slow it down for a few days at least will be a welcome treat. The Grand Tetons are a favorite place of mine so it will be a splendid week, with camping for two nights after the retreat to spend time in nature with my camera and Justin.

Change is good...

2010-04-08T13:21:00.002-06:00

...and a bit unsettling. As I wrote in a previous post, my assistant manager just left 12 days ago. Now, it is my manager who is leaving. While I can't say that I am surprised, the timing is a little bit of a shock. Loosing two co-workers just over two weeks apart is enough to rattle anyone. Now the task of finding a new manager for my store has started and I can only hope that he/she is a good fit.

Whoever becomes my new boss, I wish them luck. We are a very diverse staff, and look forward to meeting and working with a new member of our family.

With that in mind, I am also a bit reluctant to let anyone new in. We are kind of set in our ways, each knowing what the other needs to do to keep the ship afloat. However, sometimes just keeping afloat isn't enough. We need wind in our sails as well.

The winds of change are on the horizon.

Holy Hills!

2010-04-02T09:48:00.005-06:00

Last night I did my first run with the sole intention of hitting the hills. The only hills that I had run were on the Whitefish Two Bear Half Marathon last September, and I know that I need to run them more because it will make me a better runner, and a change of scenery is always a good idea.

I have to admit that I am kind of a pace junkie. I like to keep my pace under 8:15/mile, however, I have been having trouble with that from time to time, and it infuriates me! Last night's 4.5 miles was kind of fun, because I didn't think about my pace at all. Running hills is harder, and I knew my pace would be slower so I just enjoyed the wind at my back, embraced the challenge and did what I could. With a mist falling on the mountains to the South, I was wishing that I had had my camera, but a camera like mine is not a suitable running accessory. The uphills were steady on the way towards East Missoula, and then it leveled off, starting a gradual descent down, that we all knew we would have to ascend on the way back. When we first started I was thinking the uphills were horrible. Well, on the way back, they were worse! We made it though, and I am so glad that I chose to do a new, more challenging route.

Our plan is to run the Prickly Pear in Helena in May, and running around and up Mt. Jumbo will be a great training course for it. When that race comes around, I hope to be thinking "hills, shmills" while I kicks it's butt.

PC to MAC

2010-03-29T22:31:00.002-06:00

Today, my MacBook Pro arrived. I opted for the 13" instead of a larger one, against the advice from several friends. I am not disappointed at all. Had I gone with the larger display, I think that it would have been too cumbersome for this little gal, and it would have not been as easy to stuff in my shoulder bag.

The whole point of upgrading to a Mac was to make my photography easier to organize and manipulate. Also, the old Dell was just getting too slow. With only a few gigs left on it's 40 gig hard drive (and overflow on an external drive), and only one gig of RAM, it just couldn't keep up. The Mac has a 250 gig hard drive, a 4 gigs of RAM (I think that's how it's said), Aperture 3, and so many other little tricks up it's sleeve, it will be keeping me on my toes for several days. I'm not sure about their weight differences, but the Mac is definitely smaller, with a 1" smaller screen, that was to be expected, but also, it is almost half as thick as the Dell. Another bonus is that the new machine has a built-in camera, so no more cord to hook up my Logitech camera.

The uploading begins...

Goodbyes are sweeter with cheesecake

2010-03-22T11:58:00.006-06:00

My cheesecakes have become a famous treat. Former co-workers back in Iowa still comment about them, and say that when I visit, I should also plan on making a cake just for them. While I have no plans to go home anytime soon, I think that I can arrange that when the time comes. Currently I have an Apple Pie Cheesecake in the oven for Jim, my assistant manager. His last day at work is either Friday or Saturday, as he has just accepted a job in Maryland, which is where he is from. While I am very happy for his new opportunity, I will miss him dearly, as he has become one of my greatest friends here. When he first told me of his plans to move last fall, all I could think was "NO!" not you! He assured me that of all the people here in Missoula, the person he was sure he would stay in touch with was me. I agreed wholeheartedly, and now know that I will have a place to stay on the East coast.

Back home it was kind of my tradition to make the cheesecake of choice for the birthday boy/girl, which I have kind of kept up with here as well. I have also tended to do it when I moved away/to a new place, and for when a friend moves away. Jim's two favorite deserts are Apple Pie, and of course, Cheesecake. How wonderful it is that I have a delicious recipe just for him!

Best of luck Jim!

Freezeout Lake

2010-03-22T09:59:00.009-06:00

After sleeping in a bit on Saturday, Justin and I headed up to Freezeout Lake to see the Snow Geese on their migration. During the day they hang out at the lake in the thousands, taking off to make a circle of the lake only to land again in the water. The sound of several thousand geese honking at each other sounds like a large cocktail party, and when they took off, even from a quarter to half mile away, we could feel it. Somehow, I found it very relaxing, and my only wish for the afternoon would have been to have warmer, calmer weather.

By sunset they had all left the lake to eat in the barley fields and bed down for the night, but the sun peaked out between the clouds and lit up the icy lake beautifully.

Training...again

2010-03-17T09:45:00.004-06:00

Training for the Missoula Marathon officially began last Monday for me. At the same time, a nasty cold also set in, affecting my breathing in a serious way. Not to mention that my endurance is down a bit, and running outside again is completely different from running on a treadmill. I keep reminding myself that as long as I can get my distances in every week, my speed will come back in time. It's all about taking it easy and having fun.

18 weeks is a long training program, but it should be fun. This year, we've decided to create a team that will include Justin, Blake, Joe, Nora, Amy, and myself. We haven't come up with a team name yet, but the plan is to start our long runs on Sundays together, and then meet up for coffee/beer/food afterwards. This past Sunday, as luck would have it, I ran into Nora, Joe and Blake and joined them for most of a 5 mile run. Now, I'm not much of a chatter while I run, but it seems like everyone else is. When I'm running, I use it as my "quiet" time. Time to work out what's going on in my head, and to just be. I don't mind if someone is with me, in fact, I've started to need someone to at least run part of it with me, which is a big change from when I first started to run, not wanting anyone with me. Justin has been a great running partner, as we live together and can just hop right onto the River Trail. He's a bit faster than me already, and I feel bad for slowing him down, but when he needs to speed up, he just runs ahead and then runs back to me, which is motivating for me to work on my speed. In time, I will be in tip top shape, and it will be smooth sailing again.

Having a ball in Montana

2010-03-10T09:24:00.009-07:00

It seems like my posts here are few and far between, but I assure you, I'm still around. Between working on my classes at night and hanging out with friends, I have found it hard to find time to get on here and fill everyone in on what's been happening. Here goes:

First of all, I've completed my first three classes, thus acquiring my Accredited Jewelry Professional certificate. What the course says this means is that customers will be more comfortable buying from me because they will see me as a more knowledgeable salesperson. Whatever they want to think about it is fine with me.

On Saturday, I headed to the Black and White Ball with several of my friends. It was an excuse to buy a new dress, and of course, new shoes too! Kimber offered to do my hair and makeup and I gladly accepted. We all looked fabulous and had a great time and even did a bit of dancing.

Sunday morning, Justin and I got up at 5:30 to head up to Glacier National Park. It was our first visit this year and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect, with hardly any clouds and just a slight breeze. We were able to have a picnic along the river just outside the east side of the park which was as far as we could get :( The plan had been to set up our tent and take a nap in the afternoon, but I felt fine by then after a short snooze on the way up, and convinced Justin that it wouldn't be worth the effort. McDonald Lake was as flat as glass and the reflections were great. I have been going to GNP so much since I've moved to Montana, that I want to start going to other places more frequently as well, but as always, Glacier did not disappoint and I was happy to be there.

My next short trip for photography and time with Justin, I would like to head towards Yellowstone. A change in scenery would be nice and a different subject to capture would stimulate my creative tendencies in a different way, as I seem to get my jewelry ideas from my surroundings and it's time to change things up a bit.

Already Spring?

2010-03-01T21:26:00.011-07:00

It may only be March 1st, but the weather as of late has had me thinking that it is March 20th. The sun has been shining more often than not here in Missoula, and my "weekend" did not disappoint. I started both of my days off by sleeping in, and by sleeping in, I mean not rolling out of bed until 8:15am. After mustering up the energy to do that, I somehow managed to make coffee and take a walk along the river with Justin on both days. I find it so rejuvenating to walk with the crisp morning air cooling my skin one moment, only to turn around and bathe in the warmth of the sun the next.

This "weekend" was a weekend of firsts for me this year. Along with my morning walks (with coffee, and Justin) I also rode my bike for the first time this year (both days), hiked up to the top of the M on Mt. Sentinel via the North trail, walked to Kettlehouse brewery with growlers in hand, and enjoyed dinner at Taco Sano. I also got to play with my camera and have decided that I need to carry it with me always. After all, you never know what might be around the next corner.

Higgins Street bridge

Orange Street bridge

A lone tree on the hike up Mount Sentinel.

Work, school, and a short trip

2010-02-21T11:16:00.003-07:00

I've been plugging along at work, having just completed my busiest week in over a month. While I am happy to be busy doing bench work, the whole time all I wanted to do was to get back to my current class. Who would have thought that I couldn't wait to get back to school work?

While this class is also basically a review for me, I have learned a bit more about the inclusions that diamonds contain and how to identify some of them with symbols while plotting a stone (basically a map of the inclusions). I'm on the last assignment, which is teaching me how to sell diamonds. All right, I'll admit, I am learning a few new techniques, but who knows when I will be able to use them, as I am not a sales person, and if I do happen to get caught by a customer in my brief moments everyday on the sales floor, the real sales people get bent out of shape and want to take over, which I am totally fine with. My next class will be Jewelry Essentials, which will also be a very short class, probably only taking me a week to complete. After that I will have achieved my GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional (A.J.P) certificate. Which basically means that I am knowledgeable about the 4C's of diamonds, can explain treated, synthetic, and imitation stones with full disclosure, and apply proven steps of the sales process. Getting this certificate wasn't on my immediate agenda, however, it was just one more short class to tack on so what the heck. After that I will be back into the thick of it with the Diamonds & Diamond grading course, which will be much more in depth and will for sure take me longer that a week and I will learn many new things.

This weekend is my long one for the month. I left work Friday at 5 o'clock and don't return until 9am Tuesday. A couple of girlfriends and I headed to Lochsa Lodge in Northern Idaho on Friday night to hang out and have fun. After enjoying some nice wine, bread, and cheese, over great conversation, we turned in for the night. The next morning, the sun was shining while we enjoyed a long, leisurely breakfast at the lodge. Emily and I discussed photography, and I listened intently while she told me even more new things about my camera. Kristen learned some new techniques to use with her point and shoot so it was informative for everyone. We packed up our car and headed out for some snowshoeing along/on the river. The gurgling water was very peaceful, while the crunching of our snowshoes was not! The conditions were far from perfect for snowshoeing, as there was no fresh snow, and what was there was hard (and sharp). From there we headed further into Idaho to indulge in hot springs at Jerry Johnson. We had been told that the 1.5 mile hike in was icy and to take caution. In the parking area, there were a lot of cars, indicating to us that it would be busy, and that maybe it wasn't as icy as we had been told. Icy was an understatement. Along that flat parts it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good either. Then we came to an uphill portion. Kristen was forced down to her hands and knees, and I was off the trail trying to make it in the rough snow, only to realized that I would have to climb up a steep, slippery embankment. Back on the trail, I was down on my butt in no time, sliding back down the trail. We questioned whether we should continue on. All of us were up for the challenge, knowing that in less than 30 feet, we would be on flat ground again. On we went, and it was worth it. The first, and hottest pool was crowded so we went to the second pool, which had only four people in, two of whom I knew. It's a small world after all, even out in the woods of Northern Idaho! After about two hours of soaking, we were on our way back down, giggling and sliding on our bums. On our way back, we made the obligatory stop at The Lumberjack for a couple of beers. Located just outside of Lolo, MT, we made it home at just after 7pm.

Justin and his parents were waiting for me and we headed out to dinner. After Justin and I won a couple of games of Euchre we all turned in for the night. Today, I am catching up on my 'To do' list, of which I decided to skip running, even though the weather is perfect for it (my legs are beat after hiking 3 miles on ice).

Busy Bee

2010-02-10T19:34:00.003-07:00

It's hard to imagine that we are nearly to the middle of February already...time certainly has ticked by.

I've already finished, and aced my first class, and am waiting, albeit, a bit impatiently for my next class to become accessible online, which I found out could be another five days. The reason for the delay is that I am now enrolling through my company. They are helping out financially, which is nice, however, I'm a bit annoyed that the processing takes longer. I can't help but think that I would be over halfway through my next course had I just enrolled as I had before. I guess if they are helping though, I shouldn't complain. Another change in furthering my education is that I have to switch gears and complete the diamond courses first, as 70% of our business is diamond product. That's all fine and dandy as a salesperson, but as a bench jeweler, I think that it is far more important for me to be able to identify the many colored stones that come across my bench. Ah well...

Nearly two weeks ago, Justin and I headed up to Lolo Pass to do some snowshoeing. It was great to be outdoors and play in the snow. We shuffled along in the snow for at least two hours, all the while it was snowing quite heavily. I wore my hiking shoes for the first time in the snow and was happy to have dry feet at the end of our excursion. My fingers had started to get cold from taking my gloves off to take photos. I have decided that I need to get some glomitts, gloves with the fingers cut off and a mitten that flips over them when you don't need exposed fingers. I do believe that I will be heading to REI before my next outdoor adventure.

I've also started taking part in a photo journal for lack of a better description. My friend Chris back in Iowa started it on his blog Photography 139. Every week he picks a word from a list and our project is to go capture that word in a picture. This week's word is Adventure, and Chris stated that this should be an easy topic for someone as active as I am. Hmm, perhaps I should go skydiving this weekend. HA! Just kidding.

This past Sunday, Justin and I headed to Jackson, MT to enjoy the super hot Hot Springs there. A few friends joined us and we had a great time. I really enjoyed the lodge, and the drive was very beautiful. Talk about getting out of the city! In the middle of nowhere, the next closest town was 18 miles away, and it was only slightly larger than Jackson (pop. 34). The sky truly is BIG out there.

Tonight is kind of a chill night. Justin has left for a few days to be with his extended family in Kansas, leaving me to my own devices until Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, I will tie up some loose ends here and finish my own projects in my spare time (if that even exists).

Back to school

2010-01-29T10:05:00.003-07:00

After graduating from college almost eight years ago, and thinking that I would never actually bite the bullet and go back to school, I've done it. It has in fact been something that I've looked into on three other occasions. The school I'm referring to is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), where, through their distance education program, I hope to obtain my Graduate Gemologist certificate this year. I had thought about actually studying on their campus in Carlsbad, CA, but after much consideration, decided to get the education online for a couple of reasons. First, I am able to keep my job. Second, it's about $12,000 less if I do it online. Third, one of my coworkers has gone through the program and will be an excellent resource to me. Fourth, when I decide to do something, I want to start NOW.

So I have. On Wednesday, I applied and enrolled in the first of five classes, Colored Stone Essentials, and have already completed the first lesson! As I near completion of this class, I will enroll in the next, and continue in that manner until I have completed all five. Near the end of the coursework, I will go to the nearest campus to complete the lab portion of the degree. That will take me away from work, and Missoula for three weeks.

I am looking forward to learning much more about the diamonds and gems that I work with everyday, meeting new people, and opening more doors.

Baby Boom

2010-01-25T09:15:00.002-07:00

No, I'm not pregnant. It just seems like everyone else is, or has recently given birth. My cousin just had twins this past week. In November and December, there were two babies born to very good friends as well.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I found out that a dear friend was pregnant and expecting in May. While speaking with my best friend Lisa, it came out that she too, was expecting, again, in July. Add to that, my cousin's wife is also pregnant and expecting in April, as well as my bosses' wife due in late August.

I knew another friend was trying as well, and I've been meaning to call her. This morning's phone call from her brought great news. She too, is expecting in August, and right around my birthday!

Such great news from so many friends. And it does seem to go in waves. In 2008, it seemed as though everyone was expecting later that year, or early 2009. Well, wave two has hit, and as long as it doesn't hit this busy individual, I'll be just fine and dandy.

Not a full, but a faster time isn't so bad

2010-01-19T19:24:00.005-07:00

On Sunday I ran another half marathon, this time in Phoenix, Arizona. The original plan was of course, to run the full marathon, but as I mentioned in my previous post, my training did not go as planned. I actually felt under trained even for the half marathon. With great encouragement from Justin, my co-workers, and friends, I was going in with the hope of beating my first half's time of 1:58:22, but in the back of my head I was wondering if that was possible.

Mindy, Michelle, and I met up on Saturday night with my Aunt and Uncle for dinner. We had the traditional pasta dinner the night before the race, and skipped the wine. After returning to the resort, the three of us headed down to the hot tub to relax our muscles and help us wind down early. Mindy and I had been drinking so much water during the day that I was certain we would be up all night. On the contrary, I have never slept so well. We were in bed by 9:30 only to be up at 5:30 the next morning. Michelle dropped us off about two blocks away from the central meeting point at 6:40am. Many thousands of runners were milling about in the dark, drinking coffee and trying to stay warm. It was in the upper 40's (Fahrenheit) with just the slightest breeze, and mostly clear skies overhead. At 7:30 Mindy went to join the other Marathoners (7,372 registered) and I was left on my own until my race started at 8:30. I chatted with a few people, one being a young woman about my age who was running her fifth or sixth half marathon. I asked her whether or not she planned on running a full someday. Her response: "I don't think so. Every time I finish a half, I think, 'turn around and do that again? No thanks!'" Ha! Well, that sure is one way to look at it.

When I had registered, my goal was to finish in 1 hour and 55 minutes, right around three minutes faster than my previous half. I found my area, which had about 800 other runners (21,458 finished the half). We would be the fifth group taking off after the official start of the race, at about 8:35.

It wasn't hard for me to set my pace. I kept telling myself not to take off like a rocket (as I had done in Whitefish) so as not to wear myself out. I reached the one mile mark just after eight and a half minutes, and was feeling great. Around three miles or so, I noticed that both of my knees hurt a little bit, which wasn't too surprising, considering the small amount of running I had been doing the past several weeks. Around mile seven, my knees were in the same condition, and I also noticed some stiffness in my lower back and left hip. Overall, I was still feeling pretty good. I wasn't out of breath at all, and I was still keeping an average of just over an eight and a half minute mile pace. I was on track to finish on time.

Around ten miles, I thought, Wow, this is going fast! That's when I hit a wall. I wasn't overly fatigued, but my legs were tired and a bit sore. This is also when I started to think that I wasn't going to beat my first race time. I starting giving myself a pep talk, that 3.1 miles is nothing...that it's only 26 more minutes of hard work, then I would be done. I looked at my watch one last time at the 12 mile marker...13 minutes until my goal would be lost. Piece of cake. I could do it.

And I did. I crossed the finish line at 1 hour, 55 minutes, and 32 seconds. Exactly 2 minutes and 50 seconds faster than my first half marathon, and right in sync with what my registration goal was.

After the race, I stretched my sore muscles, and drank plenty of water. The stiffness in my legs only got worse as the day went on. Instead of celebrating with wine (as I had done the first time) I had a couple of beers in the evening, but only after several ounces of water. Monday morning found me still sore and stiff, but not nearly as bad as I remembered from last September. Today, My quads are still sore, but I'm already thinking that a run tomorrow evening will be great.

Now the only thing that I have to decide is which race is next?

What not to do...

2010-01-12T18:53:00.002-07:00

I've been kinda sorta training for my first Marathon that is this weekend. My trip to Italy and the two weeks off from that training was the start to my downfall. Upon my return, I threw myself back into running three to four times a week, with at least one "longer" run. The lack of sunshine and warmth here in Montana in November/December zapped what energy I did have, making the longer runs in the middle of the week impossible. Add to that, the super cold weather we have for a week at the beginning of December, and then the following week being icy, I was unable to run outside, which is where I prefer.

I struggled with running at the gym on a treadmill, often times quitting early because of an ache in my knee, or being just plain bored. To keep up my leg strength, I started taking a spinning class two to three times per week, and it turns out I love it!

With the holidays over and the Marathon under three weeks out, I made the sensible decision that I would run the 1/2 Marathon, rather than risk injury during the race, and not finishing anyway. I decided I should start running more than spinning, and found that inside, I am much better on the treadmill when I listen to music, which is something that I had abandoned in late October while running outside with Justin. So my last several runs inside have been helpful, however, I still feel under-trained even for a 1/2 Marathon. My legs are strong, but my endurance is lower than it was before.

What I learned this past Sunday was, that you shouldn't thrown something new into your routine when you are a week out from a race. I ran on the treadmill at the gym, then did some leg circuit training with Kimber, during which I notice a pain in my right knee. Then, we did and hour of yoga with a class. This being my first experience with yoga (I liked it), I probably was into it a bit more than I should have been. My knee pain gradually got worse after class and into the evening. I wrapped it in heat and that seemed to help. Monday was a very painful day, and today, I seem to be almost back to normal. I will run Wednesday and Thursday, and then rest for the remaining days leading up to the race.

Sunday, it's on. My goal will be too finish in 1:55, about 3 1/2 minutes faster than my first 1/2 Marathon. My twin sister and Aunt and Uncle will be in Phoenix cheering Mindy and I on.

So this is what it's like...

2010-01-07T21:49:00.003-07:00

Last night, I was on a mission. I needed to find my stone template and in the process I also found my old sketchbooks. To say the least, I was motivated. I dreaded going to work today only because what I really wanted to do was sketch out new designs for Justin's mom, and for posterity. Tonight I've gotten sidetracked with wine tasting and browsing pictures, however I have come up with a very nice design for Veronica (Ronnie), but I must continue and have more than what I have to give her options...and it's FUN! Yes, that word is back, and I am very glad about that.

It is still frustrating, mostly because I can't make every good design that I create exactly the way that I envision them. However, I can carve them in wax (to have them ready for when I can), or fabricate them in silver in the meantime.

So while Oliver jumps on my lap to help me, I shall shut my computer off and turn to more important things...

Wonderful day

2010-01-03T16:39:00.002-07:00

I woke up a bit later than I wanted to, but hey, it's my day off and I can do that from time to time. :) I had been looking forward to this day off since the middle of the week because I knew that it was going to be warm enough and the weather was to be clear enough that I would finally be able to run outside again. It had been exactly one month since I had been able to run outside, mostly due to cold weather, icy sidewalks, and dark evenings.

My run was a bit on the slow side, as it was my first run in two weeks, and it was slightly icy in some areas. I managed to get in just under four miles, and would have gone farther if it weren't for the thin coat of ice on the trail.

Upon my return, I enjoyed a couple cups of coffee while reading the Sunday Missoulian, soaking up the sun in our living room. I made lunch/breakfast for Justin and I, and was just thinking about heading down to the river with my camera when Kimber called and asked if I would like to join her and Ilsa (dog) for a walk along the river. How perfect! We wandered for an hour, stopping and throwing a stick for the dog, taking in the many other people who were out enjoying the day. I was still on my running high and actually wanted to go for another run!

After our walk, we headed to The Good Food Store for tea and sat outside people watching for another hour. I think between running this morning, and my time outside with Kimber in the sun, I have been kissed by the sun more today than the entire month of December...and I love it!

Just now, as the sun sets behind the Montana mountains, I hope that it will be out tomorrow, but for now, the sun can rest for the night. It had a long day.