Teddy Roosevelt and Yellowstone

picture is blurry--it was basically dark when I took it

I was corrected in yesterday's post about Roosevelt and Yellowstone. Yellowstone National Park was created by an Act of Congress in 1872. Roosevelt dedicated the North entrance in 1903 (now knows as the "Roosevelt Arch"); he also laid the cornerstone of the Arch. Here's a link for you: LINK. This tells a little bit more about President Roosevelt's involvement with the park.

So there you go.

Yellowstone Travertine

One of my favorite things about Yellowstone Park was the section in the north of the park, near Mammoth Hot Springs where these wonderful stair-steppy travertines formed. Kind of like the stalagmites in caves, but on the outside of things. The water and the minerals just kind of trickle out and down. I loved that no human controls the making of these; nature just does what she wants, where she wants.

I was often struck by the forethought of President Teddy Roosevelt and grateful for his actions in making this our first National Park. I was also grateful for all of the men and women who worked in the past to save it--like when the Army National Guard lived on the park to protect the herd animals from poaching, or the work of naturalists and ecologists to bring back the gray wolves, or the heroic efforts of all of those involved in fighting the big fires twenty years ago. You can help but feel small when surrounded by all of that wonderful wildness. I mean feel small in a good way.

Let's just say that if Nature is your religion, there's not many better places to worship than Yellowstone Park.

Enjoy!

Stay Tuned...

Random picture of my family at Yellowstone, specifically the Fountain Geyser area. Because everyone knows blog posts are more interesting when there are pictures in them.

I'm doing a lot of thinking and catching up right now. One of my mother figures lost her batter with cancer this week, so she's been on my mind a lot. I want to write up something about her, as well as some other thoughts.

I interviewed for a job this week, and they wanted some writing samples. So naturally, I went back through my old blog to find some. I realized that I used to write a whole lot more; it was one of my main purposes for blogging in the first place.

So stay tuned...who knows what will turn up?

My Momma's Gone

(picture taken at H's pinewood derby. One regret I have is that I didn't get my parents to sit for a better picture.)

Today, early this morning (at "o-dark thirty" as my Dad would say) my parents embarked on their move BACK to the Kansas City Missouri area. They were here by me for just over a year. I'm kinda sad to let them go. At the same time, I know that they loved living in that area when they lived there before (they are moving back to the same suburb even) and I'm really proud of my Dad. He works for Comcast selling commercial internet services and such. He's pretty good at it. So good that Comcast wanted him to come to the KC area to start up the same kind of sales there. It'll be a good thing overall, but today, I'm kinda sad that my Mom is gone, and that we didn't have enough time to do all the things we talked about doing when they moved here last May. I don't really have regrets about much--we did a lot while we could. We just ran out of time.

Maybe we'll go to Missouri for Christmas.

One thing for sale...

In my Etsy Shop! (I've only had the shop for well over a year now...). It's not much, but it's a start! I hope to add more things over the next few weeks.

That's all for now!

A new Go-See for you!

I was following some blog links and ended up on Poppytalk this morning. Scrolled through the site until I found the "something special" article tag for the artist Cathy Nichols. I really fell in love with her work---and loved it even more when I recognized my favorite paper line in her work--Basic Grey! Cathy has a blog, and an etsy shop, as well as her main website. You should look at everything!

Really such lovely work. Go See and be inspired!

Spiderman, Spiderman, Does Whatever a Spider Can

Overheard from C's booster seat as he played with a black costume Spidey toy:

"Where is Mary Jane Watson! Where is she!" (said in a mean, gruff, low-pitched voice)

"I don't know Man!" (in a small quavering voice)

"Where is Mary Jane Watson. Where is Mary Jane Watson!"

"I don't know!"

"Where is Mary Jane Watson! Is she in the other movie with Doc Ock?"

File this under Surprising Animal Pictures

Or maybe, file under "Inappropriate Animal Pictures." We caught this picture on our first trip through Yellowstone. This big guy was blocking traffic. I was thrilled that he stopped when we passed by him, (he was on the left/driver's side of our car and I was in the passenger side). Then we smelled why he was stopped. Um, Yeah, that was part of the nitty gritty real Yellowstone experience.

Sort of reminds me of some slides my Dad took of the Ostriches during one of my childhood visits to the Wilhelma Zoo in Germany. (I didn't get it until later). Let's just say that the Ostriches were getting very friendly with each other. I'm just carrying on the proud (?) Reese tradition of Inappropriate Animal Pictures. Just doin' my part to keep it real, people.

And for what it's worth, I LOVED the Wilhelma Zoo. I was 5 when we first started going there. To me, it was a magical place. I'd love to go there again.

We pause to bring you this special announcement...

Kathy Mack, at Pink Chalk Studio does the most AMAZING art with fabric! You really should go-see this RIGHT NOW!

I'm talking about this: Joy Ride Album.

Oh man! She does good work!

some promised pictures!

Me and SOY Elizabeth Kartchner. I actually recognized her husband first (he said it was a first). She was very gracious. It was very early (we woke up at 6am) so I'm not wearing any makeup. That's all my real skin. I think it looks pretty good for it's age!

Sunrise through a valley in the Wasatch Mountains. This is where the balloon lift for the Provo Freedom Festival took place.

I have more pictures of the balloons in my flickr account. You can see more there, as well as a whole lot of Yellowstone pictures.

My house is a jumble of stuff--my parents are moving and have given us a TON of things to sort through--so my blogging time will be short (but hopefully sweet!). I have more to share about Yellowstone (truly a wonderful, almost life-changing {yes I know that's corny} experience), more papercrafting projects to share, and more thoughts on life!

Enjoy these small tidbits for now.