Five Minute Friday - Listen

We want to fix and give hope.
We hear difficult news from a friend or have a conversation with a hurting family member, and we want to rush to help in our super hero capes lined with silver.
We offer up a story, an exception to the rule, or someone we know.
We feebly throw bumper sticker cliches at the obvious, hoping to make it less visible, less painful.
We hunt for reasons and solutions where there sometimes are none.
We take up the sword of justice on our loved ones' behalf, when there's no enemy to fight.
We jump to life lessons and words of wisdom when we should just mourn with those who mourn and rejoice when they start rejoicing.
We say don't cry, when we should really just pass the tissue.
We talk and advise and pray when we should listen.

Today I linked up with some other bloggers to write for 5 minutes unedited about listening here...

Jeep Journal - Crown King Camping

We decided rather on a whim a few weeks ago, to head to the mountains and try our hand at some camping again.  We have gone a few times, and have all the gear, but this was the first time we'd be heading up our own trip and the first time we were brave enough to bring the dogs.

The last time we were camping, I was sniffed by a bear.  But that was in a different state, with many more bears. So we decided to give it another shot, loaded up the beasts, and invited Mr. Ladd's brother and fellow Jeeper, to come with us.

We just made it a one-nighter this time since we weren't sure how the dogs would do, and if we'd forget some essential piece of equipment.  But, we could have easily done two nights and the dogs were so good, I think we will next time.

We found a spot just down the road from Crown King, an old mining town that you can only get to on a dirt trail up the mountain.  The town itself is literally a saloon, one gas pump, and a general store for the most part.  We headed past the town a bit, set up camp and proceeded to chill...

all of us...

all day...

It was lovely.

There was exploring, lizard hunting, and dirty paws.

There was cast iron over an open fire, s'mores, and a chilly evening under a crisp night sky.

At this point in the summer there are burn restrictions, because it's so dry, which means you have to camp in a designated campground with a metal fire ring.  But, at the time we went, there were no restrictions yet, and one of the really cool things about Arizona is you can just camp pretty much anywhere.  So there are these great little secluded spots that have obviously been used by others because rocks are formed into a fire ring, but otherwise it truly is being one with nature.  I never thought I'd want to be quite so familiar with nature, but the nature here is oh so worth it.  There is nothing like escaping up into the cooler mountains when the summer heat starts to creep into the valley.

Wordless Wednesday - Looking Up

It's Not Fair

There's always a whole lot of "not fair" in the world.  Some weeks, not fair seems to take up residence in your little corner of it, and you are struck with how supremely unjust something seems.  How can this be?  Why me, why us?  The irony of a situation smacks you in the face and coincidence taunts you.

But then things like Monday happen in Oklahoma, and you are reminded that there is no such thing as fair.  Or you're faced with something awful, and suddenly fair doesn't matter.  It can't.  If it did, you would sit in the dark and run circles in your head about the injustice of it all.  Instead it forces you to live, and suddenly beauty becomes more beautiful as you step outside yourself.  You are no longer waiting for something to happen to you or reeling in the dark when it does.  I'm reminded sometimes that things are terrible and beautiful and difficult and magical all at the same time, and it's just actually called life.  I want to live mine with this kind of perspective...

Wordless Wednesday - The Great Outdoors

Time To Whoop a Can

Last Sunday, our pastor gave a talk about the need for breathing room in life.  He started with a story of wrestling with his four year old son.  He said one day they were rough housing on the trampoline in the backyard, when his son kneeled on his chest and said, "Dad, now I'm gonna whoop a can on you!"  The little guy had obviously missed some important words in that famous phrase, but his dad got the gist.

He said, there are seasons in life when you just have to "whoop a can." But, he then went on to talk about the need for breathing room.  He defined breathing room as the space between your current pace and your limits.  So often we push ourself to the limits day after day, and his point was that if your "whoop a can" season is more than just a season, it might be time to reevaluate things and give yourself some breathing room.  If you are going and striving and slaving all the time, you are not enjoying your life as you should be, and there is no margin.  You've left no room for relationship and rest, and we can't sustain that.

I could so relate.  A year ago, my life had been all "whoop a can" and no breathing room.  Teaching was taking over my life and leaving me no room for creativity, relationships, or rest.  So, I made a big change.  I walked away from the job I had always loved, but that now wanted more than I was willing to sacrifice, and decided to take a breath and pursue writing full time.

So I've been breathing, and resting, and dreaming and creating.  I breathed myself right into a book project about teaching ironically, and now I actually have to write said book.  I have already learned so much this first month. There are words growing on the page. They're not great yet, but they're words. The process of writing a book is requiring me to find that can that I shoved way deep in a closet, open it, and start the whooping, and it's a challenge. The difference from a year ago though, is that now I have the breathing room and energy to do it. Sometimes you have to let go of some things and breathe for a bit to get to the next big thing.

Thankful Thursday - More

I have some major stuff on my heart and mind today.  This morning, I was just mindlessly watering flowers and starting laundry, when a conversation surprised me with messy, complicated feelings of wanting more in certain areas.  As usual, I find the cure for the sometimes painful yearning for something more or something different, is noticing what you have right now.  So today, as I often do on Thursdays, I'm noticing these things and just being thankful for them...

• Mr. Ladd, who I adore, and who is always striving with me to grow closer & stronger
• Red Rover Ale and Rampant I.P.A. on the patio with twinkling tea lights in mason jars
• Mico and Buddy, my quirky little fur babies, who keep me smiling and scolding daily
• Flowers, herbs, and vines overflowing in a pile of color in my backyard
• Watermelon Feta Salad with garden mint and sharp red onion
• New friends, fresh conversations, and next steps
• Summer waiting around the corner with blueberry mojitos and friends poolside
• Trips planned to catch up with Wisconsin in July and Jeep through Colorado in September