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adventure
November 2009 
My Birthday Adventure
Posted on Sep 29th, 2009
by 
Laurie
Laurie
September 28, 2009
The day started with beautiful birthday greetings from my friends in the Gaia Community. Sandi White managed to send me a birthday cake that made itself right in front of my very eyes (you'll have to ask her how she managed to pull that off).
Then we attended a birthday brunch hosted by my local friends. The food was delicious and fortified us for the ensuing birthday adventure ...
John Muir Trails in Wisconsin
From meadows
Birthday magic - we happen upon an appaloosa
We come home through Lake Geneva
Stopping at our favorite candy store
Cheek packed with a malted milk ball
It was a grand birthday adventure, and I can just tell that my 52nd year is going to be the best one yet!
Access: Public
Looks like I was a lovely day… I am thrilled that you have shared it with us…
It is seems that John Muir is showing up all over the place lately…
Laurie, really, you're 52 too? Me too! And it's been great, at least since July. :) As for your birthday adventures, how fun! Everything looks fun from the appaloosa to the malted milk ball. Hey, I suddenly realized you're from Wisconsin! We're pretty much neighbors then, aren't we?
Jeff - Hey, how's your back treating you? Yessiree, I saw John Muir in Jeannie's blog yesterday.
Centria - I'm actually in Northern Illinois. We simply drove across the border, up into Wisconsin (the border's about a half-hour north of us). John Muir Woods (as we call it) is a great deal farther north, in the general viscinity (give or take) of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
You're in Michigan - our states share the tip of Lake Michigan. Yes, I think that qualifies as neighbors. Howdy neighbor!
Thanks so much for these photos of your birthday adventure. I really enjoyed seeing them first thing this morning. I especially love the meadow photo. They are hard to find nowadays, where there are building booms, and vacant land is considerable “useless” until man builds something on it, like a hideous strip plaza ;>) At this time of year, I am loving meadows filled with purple wild asters, goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace. I see them as someone drives me by one on my way to Walmart. I want to stop and walk in a meadow, like a always did when I was a kid. I rememberthe wonderous frangrant aroma , even the sound of a meadow - bees buzzing, insects doing their thing - grasshoppers, beetles, flies, crickets, spiders. I wonder if I could, or would I be trespassing? Yikes what an awful thought……
Mimi, you can always go out and walk amongst the wilds of the fields, you are invited by nature who wishes to share her beauty and peace and healing with each and everyone of us…
Have your friend drive you to a park or the woods sometime rather than just Walmart…
My Back is some what better but not completely… still not sure what is going? Thanks of asking. John Muir is coming up because he is one of the featured members of the reasons we have National Parks, he was the John the Baptist of open wild nature… The National Park Ken Burns documentary is wild and beautiful, a full of wondrous beings that allowed us to have open wild land still…
I'd say that you've had a fine time for your self, that wind sounds a little wicked though. A walk in the woods is such a fine way to get back to your center and to behold your place in the world. At one with all. The Appaloosa is not quite as rare as a Unicorn but works well in a pinch, beautiful markings!
Mimi - I wholeheartedly echo what Jeff said, “Have your friend drive you to a park or the woods sometime, rather than just Walmart.”
Jeff - Keep on with the elixir (sunshine or not - still put it outside unless it's freezing, then in a window sill).
I'm assuming the National Parks documentary you mentioned is something that's on television. I haven't had one for 30 years, but it sounds very interesting! I'll have to Google it and see if I can find some snippets on YouTube or something like that.
Sandi - We couldn't believe it! When I even thought about getting closer, ears twitched, twitched and front right hoof paw'd – gently, but paw'd the ground nonetheless. I never got a straight-on-in-my-eye look from that beauty, but it was sooooo aware of our presence. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was just as surprised to see this appaloosa as I would have been of a unicorn!
And then of course there was the candy store. I always get 6 (not 5, not 7, but 6) malted milk balls - peanut butter flavored. We're not talking normal, human size, here. We're talking 1.5-inch diameter! As you can see in the photo, a single one is big enough to completely fill a cheek! Len got 6 dark chocolate. He pops his in his mouth and starts chewing. Not me … I stick one in my cheek and see just how long it takes to dissolve, savoring every moment …
It is not that simple. Being a disabled Senior sucks at times. It's not just go to a meadow INSTEAD OF going to Walmart. Getting around anywhere can be a huge problem, just getting stuff you need - like groceries, new underwear, money from the bank, a quart of milk, stamps, a birthday gift. When someone offers to take me out, I jump at the chance. I have enough real meadows in my heart and mind that I can conjure them up even as I type …mmmmmm delicious! ;>) I am going now to put on my “Meadow” cd WhoooHooo!
Did I see a birthday chipmonk wander happily into that vehical of yours, try as they might filliing up their cheeks Laurie.
Thank you ever so much.
J.M.
Yes, I have seen chipmunks with that same look of contentment on their faces, distorted but contented. When I see someone around here looking like that, ( most often male ) I skip aside in a hurry. That chaw in his cheek is fixin' to blow!
By the way, Jeff talking about pbs..Ken Burns Documentary, I watched a part of it last night. First rate. Try it on Hulu, they should have the whole thing intact.
Quite an adventure, Laurie. You know how we get random thoughts? Mine today was - Laurie has a sweet tooth. Ah, now I see you have a sweet cheek too!!! Me- my fav 'dessert' is a salted snack!!!
Who'd have thought an appaloosa would just appear! So is it a wild one, or does he own some humans?
Seeing your Muir woods remind me of the ones I love, just outside San Francisco
awesome!
Mimi - ” I have enough real meadows in my heart and mind that I can conjure them up even as I type …mmmmmm delicious!” I just love you!
Just Me - Yes, that's quite a serious case of chipmunk cheeks!
Sandi - Eeeeuuuuuwwwww! What is “Hulu?”
Meenakshi - You must have been picking up my “radio signal” – Laurie's packin' candy! And I don't think there's any way that appaloosa was associated with any human beings. This was in the middle of a meadow, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of a national park. Pretty darned amazing!
Nicole - Yes indeed. And the rose in your icon photograph is lovely.
Hulu is a website that has everything on television, you just look up what you want to see and click, there it is. It's free so don't fall for the ad that says send $25. You can Google it or I think on your address bar just www.hulu. I haven't checked it in a while but I'm pretty sure you'll find it there.
Hi, Laurie - what a great birthday expedition :-). The picture of the Appaloosa conjured good childhood memories of riding lessons on an Appaloosa named Smoky who lived in the horse pasture across the street when we first moved to Ohio. And the meadow pictures made me think especially appreciatively of the Metro Parks in the central Ohio area - that are funded by levies so successfully they keep expanding their holdings.
And that chipmunk cheek picture [grrrrrrin] I relish that you as a holistic practitioner so whole-heartedly enjoy treats like malted-milk balls and share that enjoyment freely :-).
I also cherish hearing that you haven't owned a TV for 30 years - I haven't turned mine on in more than 18 months - and only watched it occasionally before that.
Though I am still a Star Trek Next Generation fan ;-)
peace and blessings -
Sylvia
Sandi - Thank you for that information. I will give it a go during lunch this afternoon.
Sylvia - Thank you for stopping by. I am delighted that the photos of my birthday adventure brought back fond memories for you!
Hi Laurie! I can't imagine a better birthday than celebrating at a place created by the founder of all national parks in the US. It just made me want to go see the forest here ASAP… like tomorrow. I will bring malted milk balls & think of you.
Whoohoo! Kathy - You go, girl!