InstaFriday

The week started off with a bang. Our oldest daughter celebrated her Rite of Confirmation

I am so proud of her, as it was her personal choice. She has also decided she wants to serve the church by becoming a lector in Mass. Reading in front of the entire congregation will be a good fit for her, I think as she has a BIG voice in a small body. The Bishop gave an excellent homily and was quite the joker when it came to take photos with all the kids. He asked the girl in front of Delaney what she wanted for Christmas! 

My parents and sisters came into town and we had a good, but short visit. 

We got one shot with all of our eyes open. I miss them terribly and wish we all lived in the same town. Running errands with my sisters would be a riot.

 

 Steve's best friend from college came into town. He's Delaney's godfather and is a great  (if quirky) guy. Steve wanted to show us a "rock" that fell on a trail we hike on sometimes. That is how he described it, a rock.  So my sister Jennifer, Delaney, Steve, Dan and I went for a very quick hike (Jennifer had to catch a plane in Nashville). Karen stayed home with Ellie and I am sure they chatted like magpies the entire time. So freaky how much they are alike.

 Here is the "rock" which actually split in half on the way down and took out about 5 trees and took all the dirt with it. NOT small at all.

 

 The week was pretty calm for Casa Swann. We took it fairly easy and were home every night except Tuesday by 4pm. Which was refreshing from our usual home by 6ish. The girls are between sports right now, so homework got done early and we all relaxed. 

 

 I did a lot of piddling with computer things. My partner and I are having our last consignment sale after 10 years of being in business together. I am writing a manual for her to edit, as we are planning on selling the business. Hard to imagine right now.

 My favorite Tervis tumbler got used a lot for hot tea and coffee  because it was cold and damp here most of this week. And this little girl kept me company.  She was all ears for my ideas.

What did you do this week?  Share your week and check out everyone else's cool life over at

Whatever: Outdoors

I was sitting at the bar Wednesday night after the weekly evening run that my husband drug me to and I attended for the first time last night with one of my good friends. 

I was telling him how mad I was for years that we did not move to Colorado after my husband graduated from grad school.
It was weird, but as I was saying it, I realized that I am not really even close to regretful anymore. Which is a huge step for me.

 Instead, I realized that Chattanooga has most of the things that inspired the feeling that I wanted to move to Colorado.

 

 

 Chattanooga has changed a lot in the past 14 years. There are a lot more cultural opportunities and much better restaurants than when we first arrived. We have a huge culture of outdoor enthusiasts, other than the red blooded bass fishermen that I encountered the first few years we lived here.

That overwhelmingly red state state of mind has been tempered by quite a few of the people I have personally met over the past 5 years, making me realize I am not the only moderate in the sea.
We were even Outside magazine's number one place to live last year due to the abundance of outdoor activities and relatively affordable cost of living.

 I realized I just had just  been really remiss in utilizing all the great outdoor opportunities.
I started running about 8 years ago and that gets me in the company of a club of people who enjoy fitness and each other's company. But until recently, it was such an unrewarding experience to go hiking (one of my major reasons for moving to Colorado). 

My husband literally runs and my kids lagged and cried. So, I was opposed to doing it. I had given a stab at it a few times in the past two or three years, and it had not been horrible, but I still wasn't as into it.

Then something changed.

 

I went hiking with my parents and it was fun.


I wasn't sprinting to keep up with my husband and no one was crying about being bored. I was able to look around and the beauty surrounding me and truly enjoy it.

So, over Thanksgiving I took my sister and her family on one of my favorite EASY hikes.

There was little whining (her kids are tougher than mine, apparently) and we had a lovely time.

 

The wind was wild at the top and a cold front was coming in, so we didn't get the awesome photo I thought we might, but it was really peaceful and...enjoyable.

We had a great time as a family.
Even our dogs enjoyed themselves.

So, as I near the end of the year and start making my "want to do" list for 2013, I am adding Enjoy the Outdoors to the top of my list.

 

Whatever: The best of Christmas

For Karen...