Damas y Caballeros,
Feliz Navidad! Well, almost. I know this Christmas in Wyoming will be spectacular! The other evening we received about 6 inches of the fluffy white stuff that glistened in the night. Downtown Casper has really morphed into this Winter Wonderland. From the traditional garland around the lamp posts to adorning every tree and bush with lights, and blaring Christmas music to even displaying a life-size version of the nativity scene, downtown is the place to be this time of year. I can't help but to be merry walking around downtown in 4 degree weather with a smile on my face; IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME!
Christmas caroling at assisted living facilities with church folks made me overwhelmed with joy. The residents just lit up when we were singing (even though we were off a few times ;-)). I couldn't believe 37 of us went caroling; which is a good thing considering I'm not a singer by any means of the imagination.
Playing Santa's Helper during the Elf Shop event was a neat experience, too. Kids who came from little means were able to go shopping for Christmas gifts for everyone in their household. I was able to see the kids face light up when they saw Santa and tell them what they wanted for Christmas. My favorite request was from this little boy who told Santa that all he wanted was a piece of CAKE! After visiting with Santa I took kids around the "shop" and helped them pick gifts for their-loved ones. Each child was able to choose from a variety of brand new items for free, thanks to the generosity of the community.
Ice-skating with Santa Claus just topped it all off. Nikki, Stephanie, Erin, Raj, Justin and I were like little kids grinning from ear to ear skating, scooting and trying not to fall across the the very choppy ice. End the end, we all decided that we will have to become regulars of the ice rink.
If Thomas Kinkade's artwork could come alive, I imagine it would be just like Casper. It's cold, snowy, glistening and the perfect backdrop to spend Christmas.
Merry Christmas/ Feliz Navidad/ Frohliche Weihnachten!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sitting In The Airport Feeling A Bit Uninspired
Damas y caballeros,
I'm sitting in the Mobile International Airport and I'm feeling a bit lethargic and a tad bit bored. I'm not sure what this work week has for me, but the tasks waiting for me when I return to the office tomorrow keeps racing through my head. I have a feeling it's going to be a--hmmm how shall I put this?--super 'active' week. I guess only time will tell on this one.
On a brighter note, I had a super FANTASTIC time in Mobile. Over the past few days, I've been getting a crash course to the HandsOn Network and what many of the nations affiliates are experiencing in their local chapters. On my last two days in Mobile, I learned about being prepared when a disaster strikes and how to run a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). I would encourage all my loved ones to come up with a plan in the event of a disaster and get to know your where your local VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disasters) chapter is located. Disasters happen everywhere, so please remove the notion that disasters can't or won't happen to your community. This is not a 'sermon' on living your life in fear, but rather a way to emphasize the realities that, yes, disasters (big & small) happen, but there are ways to prepare yourself and your loved ones before, during, and after the storm. I rather you have the important numbers and not have to use them, than needing the right contacts and not have them.
Okay, now that I'm off my soap box, let me end with two completely random conversations that I overheard at the airport that I thought were funny at the time (but maybe now not so much):
I'm sitting in the Mobile International Airport and I'm feeling a bit lethargic and a tad bit bored. I'm not sure what this work week has for me, but the tasks waiting for me when I return to the office tomorrow keeps racing through my head. I have a feeling it's going to be a--hmmm how shall I put this?--super 'active' week. I guess only time will tell on this one.
On a brighter note, I had a super FANTASTIC time in Mobile. Over the past few days, I've been getting a crash course to the HandsOn Network and what many of the nations affiliates are experiencing in their local chapters. On my last two days in Mobile, I learned about being prepared when a disaster strikes and how to run a Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). I would encourage all my loved ones to come up with a plan in the event of a disaster and get to know your where your local VOAD (Voluntary Organization Active in Disasters) chapter is located. Disasters happen everywhere, so please remove the notion that disasters can't or won't happen to your community. This is not a 'sermon' on living your life in fear, but rather a way to emphasize the realities that, yes, disasters (big & small) happen, but there are ways to prepare yourself and your loved ones before, during, and after the storm. I rather you have the important numbers and not have to use them, than needing the right contacts and not have them.
Okay, now that I'm off my soap box, let me end with two completely random conversations that I overheard at the airport that I thought were funny at the time (but maybe now not so much):
"I ate at the original oyster house in Mobile. Gene, can you spell cheese-grits?"--An airport patron. O, the things you hear in public places.
"Run!!! FASTER you're going to miss it!"--Volleyball player to an Airport attendant
Originally written Halloween Weekend.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Long Time No See
Hola mis amigos!
Lo siento!!! (Sorry) For not writing in a while. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I can't believe that it is already December!
Mom was able to fly to Casper and spend the holiday with me. We had a great time despite the fact that the snow kept her in Salt Lake City for an extra day which took away from our time together.
VISTA life has kept me SUPER DUPER BUSY!! Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) in Salem, OR was AMAZING!!! I was given some valuable tools and met some fantastic people from all over the United States. It was in Salem that I finally got to meet the newest VISTAs for ServeWyoming. Anna and Stephanie are amazing women! We all clicked immediately it was pretty wild.
At PSO, I was fired up and ready to return to work in Wyoming with a deeper understanding of why I became a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), to serve my country by building capacity in a community.
This has been a great journey and I have no regrets...well maybe just one, I wish YOU were here with me experiencing the SNOW, WIND, NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES ;-)
Lo siento!!! (Sorry) For not writing in a while. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I can't believe that it is already December!
Mom was able to fly to Casper and spend the holiday with me. We had a great time despite the fact that the snow kept her in Salt Lake City for an extra day which took away from our time together.
VISTA life has kept me SUPER DUPER BUSY!! Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) in Salem, OR was AMAZING!!! I was given some valuable tools and met some fantastic people from all over the United States. It was in Salem that I finally got to meet the newest VISTAs for ServeWyoming. Anna and Stephanie are amazing women! We all clicked immediately it was pretty wild.
At PSO, I was fired up and ready to return to work in Wyoming with a deeper understanding of why I became a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), to serve my country by building capacity in a community.
This has been a great journey and I have no regrets...well maybe just one, I wish YOU were here with me experiencing the SNOW, WIND, NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES ;-)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Traveling is My Middle Name
Buenas Noches Amigos!
I know I have been M.I.A. but traveling has become my middle name. Last week, I had an awesome/tiresome time in the state capital, learning all about: GRANT WRITING!!! Did you know that there are millions upon millions of dollars in grant money just ready to be handed out? Yes, even in this economy. Granted (no pun intended), the selection process is way more competitive, but given the right tools one can get those millions of dollars. I was so excited, yet, slightly intimidated to be in a workshop with 29 other people who were mostly executive directors of major organizations in Wyoming. It was also such an honor to have been chosen to be a recipient of one of the scholarships to attend a grant writing workshop to this magnitude. I must say I learned so much over a four day period.
At any rate, I am so thrilled to start in this next BIG piece my work which is a huge reason why I'm even here in Wyoming in the first place. With my certificate in hand, I'm ready to start researching and writing grants and earning those millions of dollars ;-o.
Tomorrow, I will be flying to SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!! Mobile, AL to be exact for the HandsOn Network Conference. I am excited about this trip to network with other organizations, spend some time in 80 degree weather (Casper received it's first snow today!), and see my PARENTS!!!
The week after next I will be seeing the beautiful sights of another new territory to me, Salem, OR!!
So forgive me please, if I fail to blog.
En paz,
I know I have been M.I.A. but traveling has become my middle name. Last week, I had an awesome/tiresome time in the state capital, learning all about: GRANT WRITING!!! Did you know that there are millions upon millions of dollars in grant money just ready to be handed out? Yes, even in this economy. Granted (no pun intended), the selection process is way more competitive, but given the right tools one can get those millions of dollars. I was so excited, yet, slightly intimidated to be in a workshop with 29 other people who were mostly executive directors of major organizations in Wyoming. It was also such an honor to have been chosen to be a recipient of one of the scholarships to attend a grant writing workshop to this magnitude. I must say I learned so much over a four day period.
At any rate, I am so thrilled to start in this next BIG piece my work which is a huge reason why I'm even here in Wyoming in the first place. With my certificate in hand, I'm ready to start researching and writing grants and earning those millions of dollars ;-o.
Tomorrow, I will be flying to SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!! Mobile, AL to be exact for the HandsOn Network Conference. I am excited about this trip to network with other organizations, spend some time in 80 degree weather (Casper received it's first snow today!), and see my PARENTS!!!
The week after next I will be seeing the beautiful sights of another new territory to me, Salem, OR!!
So forgive me please, if I fail to blog.
En paz,
The Sweetest Thing...
It was Tuesday, October 5th, when the sweetest thing happened. That day was very special for one 4 year old little girl, who I will call Princess, and I. I am calling her Princess, because for some reason she wanted to wear her Disney tiara to school that day; so, I found that name very fitting to protect her identity.
Let me back up for a moment. Tuesday October 5th was the day we Casperites showed support for the annual Step Up For Kids Day event which was established by the Every Child Matters Education Fund. My purpose for being on this event committee was to recruit volunteers to help with the children's activities; however, I wasn't that successful. So, I ended up volunteering to help walk 13 imaginative and inquisitive pre-schoolers a little over 5 blocks from their school to downtown.
Now, that was an adventure in and of itself. I got to listen to 4 and 5 year olds speak intently about dinosaurs and why they were attacking the city and how they crossed the road. Cute, I know :). Once we made it to our destination, the children had a ball! They played with this enormous parachute, colored on posters, and created elaborate masterpieces on the sidewalk with chalk. Well, I can't exactly remember how Princess and I paired up in the first place, but we made a two color rainbow and even played a few rounds of tic-tac-toe using the sidewalk chalk. She was a pro at that game; believe me, I didn't even pretend to let her win.
When it came time to sit and listen to the local speakers about the importance of voting for kids issues, Princess had no problem wanting to sit in my lap. Of course, I wanted to check with her teacher first to make sure that they didn't have any rules against that, but the teacher didn't have a problem. So, I let Princess continue to sit there contently until it was time to go.
The real story lies within the walk back from the event. While the other adults and I were trying to assemble the kids together, Princess began to rub the back of my hand. At first I didn't pay any attention to what she was doing, but then I looked down I found this little four year old's hand rubbing and examining my hand. I thought to myself, "Why is she rubbing my hand and looking at with such inquisitive eyes?" Then she looked up at me and asked, "Can you hold my hand?"
I responded with a smile on my face, "Of course, I will hold your hand." At that moment, I realized that this child could tell that I was different from her. I can almost guarantee that she probably hadn't had this close of contact with someone outside her race prior to this moment. I'm sure by the welcoming stares of curiosity given by her classmates when I walked through the door, that many of them, too, had not had the opportunity yet to be around much diversity.
At any rate, we bonded as we held hands all the way back to her school. She never let go of my hand that entire walk back. I am glad that I was able to share that experience with her. I may never see her again, but for that short time period we had that connection and it was the sweetest thing.
Let me back up for a moment. Tuesday October 5th was the day we Casperites showed support for the annual Step Up For Kids Day event which was established by the Every Child Matters Education Fund. My purpose for being on this event committee was to recruit volunteers to help with the children's activities; however, I wasn't that successful. So, I ended up volunteering to help walk 13 imaginative and inquisitive pre-schoolers a little over 5 blocks from their school to downtown.
Now, that was an adventure in and of itself. I got to listen to 4 and 5 year olds speak intently about dinosaurs and why they were attacking the city and how they crossed the road. Cute, I know :). Once we made it to our destination, the children had a ball! They played with this enormous parachute, colored on posters, and created elaborate masterpieces on the sidewalk with chalk. Well, I can't exactly remember how Princess and I paired up in the first place, but we made a two color rainbow and even played a few rounds of tic-tac-toe using the sidewalk chalk. She was a pro at that game; believe me, I didn't even pretend to let her win.
When it came time to sit and listen to the local speakers about the importance of voting for kids issues, Princess had no problem wanting to sit in my lap. Of course, I wanted to check with her teacher first to make sure that they didn't have any rules against that, but the teacher didn't have a problem. So, I let Princess continue to sit there contently until it was time to go.
The real story lies within the walk back from the event. While the other adults and I were trying to assemble the kids together, Princess began to rub the back of my hand. At first I didn't pay any attention to what she was doing, but then I looked down I found this little four year old's hand rubbing and examining my hand. I thought to myself, "Why is she rubbing my hand and looking at with such inquisitive eyes?" Then she looked up at me and asked, "Can you hold my hand?"
I responded with a smile on my face, "Of course, I will hold your hand." At that moment, I realized that this child could tell that I was different from her. I can almost guarantee that she probably hadn't had this close of contact with someone outside her race prior to this moment. I'm sure by the welcoming stares of curiosity given by her classmates when I walked through the door, that many of them, too, had not had the opportunity yet to be around much diversity.
At any rate, we bonded as we held hands all the way back to her school. She never let go of my hand that entire walk back. I am glad that I was able to share that experience with her. I may never see her again, but for that short time period we had that connection and it was the sweetest thing.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Beautiful Jackson Hole...
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| 17 LONG miles of gravel road construction...YAY pilot cars :-( |
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| Welcome to THE GRAND TETONS...looks fake doesn't? |
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| This is a group of Mule Deer; they are much larger than White Tail Deer |
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| More Mule Deer eating. |
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| Going on a Moose Hunt!!! |
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| There is a Moose in there grazing I promise :) To be so large they know how to hide well. |
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| I told you there was a Moose in there. |
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| My first real live MOOSE...and he wasn't a STICKY MOOSE...LOL HIHOCA folks know what I'm talking about. |
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| Fuzzy wuzzy was a BEAR...a cute little black bear! |
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| Black Bear: "Why are all these people stopping traffic? I'm just trying to eat some huckleberry" |
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| People being impatient as the little black bear crosses the road back and forth lol |
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| We thought it was a smart idea to view the bear in the brushy area. |
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| V for VISTA!!! Amber & I VISTA Sistas for LIFE! |
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| O yeah, bring on the field of BISON! |
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| GRAND TETONS!!! |
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| Original Mormon Settlement |
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| The BISON through the Scope. |
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| I promise we weren't that close to these animals. |
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| As you can see their winter coats are already starting to come on their legs; like LEG WARMERS |
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| Debra: (whisper) HI AMBER!!! Amber: (whisper) HI DEBRA!!!! DID YOU SEE THE BISON?? |
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| Why did the Bison cross the road??? Lol |
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| Elk through the Scope...Elk Bugling is AMAZING! I've never heard ANYTHING like it before. |
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| Our Wildlife Expedition is over and now it's time for BUSINESS...Yay Board Meeting? |
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| Reporter: "So what did you do during your board meeting?" Debra & Amber: "We played with PLAY DOUGH!" Amber's Moose Head :) |
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| Masterpieces that children created at the lower school campus of Teton Science School |
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| Yummy Bison Tacos, Brown Rice & Black Beans |
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| Teton Village Ski Resort |
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| EXCITED ABOUT HORSEBACK RIDING!!! |
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| Pugsley and I we made a great team! |
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| Sad that our 2 hour ride was coming to an end. |
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| Pugsley and I after our ride through the mountain trail and meadow |
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 Until Next Time Grand Tetons! Your beauty AMAZES Me! |
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