Memorial Day Weekend!

Sometimes, when you're a lucky kid, your boss will give you a three day weekend. Last Saturday through Monday, I received just that, and boy did it feel like heaven.




Of course, the fun always begins as soon as you get home from work on Friday night, so I had breakfast for dinner and rented a chick flick. Oh.... and did I mention the large bowl full of ice cream with chocolate, caramel and a cherry on top?! ;)





Then on Saturday I drove to Madison, where my friend Laura was a vendor at a farmer's market there. She's so much fun! We usually see each other at busy events and never really get a chance to visit much, so it was nice to actually get some one-on-one quality time with her. Even if it meant driving around Madison on a wild goose chase with her.



In the afternoon about 85 people made it to the Gitto farm for a "Party just because..."! We enjoyed sports like volleyball, Frisbee and croquet, and of course there was food and music to be had as well.

 Croquet is a bit slow-paced when you have somewhere around 13 people playing.

My lovely friend Rachel... she's so gentle, encouraging and sweet. Her sweet nature and good example inspires me to be more mature and kind.

 This girl! Sarah... she's so good natured... and has such a fun sense of humor! 

Here are the volleyball junkies. Literally.... they may have stopped playing for a very short time to eat. I think they even played in the rain!

Sorry the pics are blurry... but the food and fellowship were fantastic! It's always a fortunate affair when you have so many great friends in one place.

So here we have Courtney... and her giant ice cream cone. She apparently forgot how you turn the soft-serve machine off. ;) ...it's funny, I almost did the same thing. You pull the lever and forget about everything else as you focus on getting that perfect twirl. =D

A big rain storm that rolled in, too. My friend Malachi captured a sweet time-lapse of the storm and stunning sunset. Sometimes he'll upload his time-lapses to his YouTube channel so be sure to keep an eye out for it.

As always, it was a good time at the Gitto farm. At a late night hour I zipped home with Courtney and stayed at her house for the rest of the weekend. Spending time with the Dunn family is always a pleasure! They all have their own amusing witty remarks and wisecracks. They jovial and fun to be around... but know how to be serious and calm as well. 

On Sunday, I went to Courtney's church. Both messages were good and then we had mango smoothies afterward!!! They were so tasty!

Then after lunch the sun came out, it was warm and the swings in the park were calling my name.... so we ran out the door to enjoy the "curious" weather. My new friend Josh lent me ALL of his camera stuff... we're talking fancy. So I tried one of the less intimidating lenses and cameras out. My subject was very photogenic as usual:





In the evening Court and I decided to go on an adventure... to Cheddar's! The food and atmosphere were surprisingly impressive. I had the most delicious whitefish, rice and salad, and Courtney had a big burger...

Courtney showed me where she taught school this past year. I convinced her we needed to get a picture of her for posterity's sake! ....especially since it's technically her first teaching job!

We spent the evening drinking sun tea, singing silly songs, and just simply relaxing. Mrs. Dunn and Court were trying to figure out what is important to each of us in life... relaxation was on the top of Court's list!

We found june bugs, Mr. Dunn showed me his garden and flowers! I love that he's like a farmer pretty much, in his own way!

We had a bonfire later on and I introduced them to s'mores with reese's peanutbutter cups instead of milk chocolate. It was the perfect night for sitting around a fire and visiting.

On Monday we went to the Memorial Day parade in Racine... and I forgot my phone!!! But luckily Courtney remembered hers and took lots of pictures... which you can see on her blog. Oh, did I mention all of the phlox growing in all of the ditches? Soooo much purple! It makes my heart happy! We took a walk on a wooded trail with phlox making up a good portion of the undergrowth. It was quite serene and peaceful.

Sammi, Court's cousin, came with us. She's so nice and fun! Christopher took us to this HUGE tree.. it had to be the oldest tree in the woods. The branches were the size of regular tree trunks. It was quite the tree, and rather perfect for climbing.

We brought Zirk along on our hike! He really is the coolest dog ever.

We decided to wade in this river. Water always attracts me. I can't help but feel it on my feet.

This picture of Zirk is soooo funny! He's such a feisty little dog. He wasn't too sure about hanging out in the water.



It was such a nice three days, but alas, I said goodbye and set off for home. The drive back was easier than I expected. No crazy holiday traffic or slow-downs... It was the best holiday weekend!

Another SoWis Adventure

This past weekend I was able to visit friends and attend a wedding. Such visits are always too short, and yet so much can happen in two days that it makes the heart full. I made it for Courtney's graduation party on Friday night. I'm so proud of her accomplishments... she's a dedicated person, with a gift for children. I know she'll impact the lives of the children she teaches in a very positive and permanent way. I was thankful to be able to spend some time with her family and her boyfriend, Estu, who is from Indonesia. I also met some of her very cool friends, and we had an epic evening of playing instruments and making the night festive!

I was also able to visit with Christopher, who's back from Uganda, ...but only for a short time. He'll be off to work for NOAA and leaves for basic training at the end of July I believe. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that he has an adventurous streak. I'm sure he'll enjoy tracking weather and chasing hurricanes. Speaking of which, did you know that it's national hurricane preparedness week? ;)

The tulips in the Dunn's front lawn never cease to catch my eye.... or a shot from my camera.

Estu and Courtney during a walk to Starbucks. ;)

These pretty things look like poppies to me.... but I'm not sure.

Estu said this tree would make a good photograph. He's a photographer himself... and he was right about the tree.

Estu is headed back to Indonesia tomorrow and during the last few weeks has been looking for things made in the U.S.A to take home to his family as presents. Alas, most everything seems to come from foreign countries, especially China. I snapped this picture because he discovered the coffee grounds were from Indonesia. Maybe I should move there.... since they can actually grow coffee!!!! ;) Hehe

Courtney & Estu... trying to decide on who would get which cake pop. ;)

 Estu had a graduation ceremony the day after Courtney's. It's a nice photo of the two of them.

Since I missed the ceremony, Court sent me a cap & gown photo. :)

Sadly Courtney's actual graduation ceremony was at the same time on Saturday as my friend Amanda's wedding. Therefore, I reluctantly hopped in my car an zipped over to the wedding (only an hour from Courtney's which was nice!). The weather was cold and cloudy but the warmth of friends at the wedding made everything cheery again! I was able to witness a beautiful, God-centered wedding as Amanda married Justin. What a rare thing to witness and in spite of the frigid wind, rain and even SNOW, it was a beautiful, heart-warming wedding. PLUS.... it was a bonus because I was able to visit with my favorite Gitto family! Katie, Laura and Rachel are so dynamic, and unique and their company is so encouraging and fun!

Amanda's daddy walks her down the isle.

Amanda and Justin. You'd never guess the weather was bitterly cold by those smiles on their faces.

We witnessed their first kiss.... a precious moment, indeed.

Mr. & Mrs. Becker!

The Gitto family.... taking up a whole row! I love this family to pieces!

Laura was looking lovely, of course. She can make a grey dress come alive with excitement!

Katie and I were able to spend a good deal of time visiting that evening and the next morning. This girl inspires me with her humility and servants heart. A lot of people tell her she's perfect, which frustrates her greatly. She says in return, "...but I'm not perfect. I'm a sinner just like everyone else."

The park where the wedding was held was lovely. Bridges, water... quite picturesque.

The three Gitto sisters: Rachel, Laura and Katie. Everyone assumes Rachel and Laura are twins but actually Katie is Laura's twin. Rachel is the younger of the three.

Overall, it was a wonderful visit. I'm already counting down the days 'till I can go back. Visiting with friends can be dangerous as it makes you start to wonder why you have to work and for what purposes you're really living your life. It's true that we must work all the days of our life and enjoy the portion we've been given (Ecc. 3:22), but honestly I'd rather be broke and spend time with the people that I love that spend my days toiling away to put a penny in the pig. *sigh* ....it's these moments that teach us to find a balance. Anyway, I'm just glad my old Honda made it there and back without any breakdowns!! I have so much to be thankful for. Until next time...

So many things to say...

Hello and good evening! I'm up later than usual tonight as my phone storage is getting close to full so I must download pictures off of it to the computer. The process takes a bit of time so I thought I'd blog a bit.

I've had a longer work week than usual. Spring planting just finished today on the farm where I work. They started last Sunday (not yesterday but the Sunday before), and everyone's been working odd schedules and longer hours. I can't complain as the bigger paycheck will be nice. Still, I'm glad things will be going back to normal. I think the cows will be happier too. :)

The weather and landscape has really burst into new life since I blogged last! I keep going to my gardens to check the progress of the little plant shoots coming up. The hosta plants have really taken off and my ferns are starting to un-curl. They remind me of little dragons before the pop into their leafy shape. Unfortunately the goats ate my irises to the ground. They've continued growing and have made good progress but I don't think we'll be seeing any flowers this year. OH.... and did I mention the weeds?! So much chickweed. I know it has fantastic medicinal properties but I wish it would grow somewhere besides my flower gardens. *sigh*


Anyway, can you tell I'm excited about gardening?! I've barely been able to wait for Mother's Day because that's when the majority of the greenhouses start to open. It's tradition to go flower and plant shopping with my mom, sisters and Grammy. One of my favorite thing to do!

Well... I really should be working on writing an article for the newspaper. I've been so busy with work and life that I've missed getting an article submitted for the last two editions. I'd like to have one ready for the June edition. My dilemma is usually narrowing down my subjects of interest. There are so many good topics to write about, yet what can I actually portray well and cover accurately? So.... that's where I'm at right now.

It reminds me of a TED Talk I watched recently that perfectly describes my habit of putting off important things 'til the last second:

Looking Forward, Looking Back

March has almost whisked itself away and in a few days it will be April already. I'd thought the long wintery months were behind us but a blizzard brought over a foot of snow. I should have known because March usually brings one last heavy snowfall.
I've been thinking about Colorado a lot these past few days. It was this time last year that my bros and I were enjoying the excitements of that gorgeous state and the company of my Aunt and Uncle. We did so many memorable things that I believe it may have changed me in some ways. I'm not sure how but I suppose magical things happen on vacations like that, in ways that cannot be reversed. Change and growth in this case is good.
This year has been quite different and promises big excitements. Like new babies, new business ventures and I feel that it will not be a disappointing year. ...but I suppose I won't know 'till next year when it's all done and over with. I'm sure next year is only a few days away since time flies faster the older I get. Which is exactly why each day must be taken advantage of, to be used to it's full purpose. 

Anyways, enough vague rambling about time. Granted, I love blogging because it is the one places where I am allowed to be vague, ramble and not be responsible for my bad grammar or random thoughts. Programmers haven't updated the blogging world by adding like-buttons or heart-buttons or videos that play when you scroll past and overwhelming business like they've done to Facebook. I suppose Facebook has always been a bit silly, but as much as it has become necessary to have lately in order to keep in contact with people, it's become a circus of nothingness. People spend more time sharing video clips and memes than they do updating their "status". I used to think updating your "status" was a bit much but I'd gladly take that any day than the constant entertainment and information that has nothing to do with the people are who sharing and posting this stuff.

Or maybe I'm just getting old. Next year it'll be a decade since I joined Facebook. I've been weighing the pros and cons of deleting my account lately. Maybe the real fix would be to not log into my account so often. Delete the app off my phone so I don't have easy and constant access. Deleting Facebook itself is like burning your address book full of names, addresses. It's like choosing to live in a world where you unsubscribe to the local prayer chain and newspaper, saying, "I don't need to know if your baby died, if you're moving to Texas, if you were married yesterday or if you have photographs of your life events to share."
It's these things that I do want to know. The important stuff. Without that social media connection it seems I find out about the relevant information months later. I cannot convince myself which extreme is better.... not just yet.


Lately I've been drawing and painting a good deal more than I have in the past. I'm really enjoying it.. especially the painting part as it's something I haven't done more of and each time I dabble in it my paintings improve. It's exciting to see the evolution of my understanding of the art. I also was given an easel... which is a new experience. I'm currently working on a painting of a New York City street scene in the morning. I'll share it when I'm finished.

Child Sexual Abuse

This is the most recent article I've written for a local newspaper. It's such an important and ignored topic. I hope this article encourages more discussion and effort towards preventing and stopping child sexual abuse.

Why Parents Should Be Brave
Five steps for dealing with child sexual abuse

Last month, a sting operation was conducted in Eau Claire, WI in which 8 men were arrested for soliciting children for sex via online avenues. Stories like this make the news for one day and dissipate as quickly as they come to our attention. Yet, 1 in 10 children are abused before the age of 18, so why is the issue of protecting the innocent from abuse such an ignored topic? While there are efforts being made to raise awareness and prevent this violence, sexual abuse is still grossly under-reported. There are plenty of sources that help to educate children and parents on avoiding predators and sexual abuse. However, predators often do much damage before they are detected. The question we are afraid to ask is not 'how do we prevent our children from being harmed?' but rather, 'what should we do if and when they are?'

1. Believe and protect your child.
Only 4 to 8 % of child sexual abuse reports are suspected to be false and of the children who are abused, 60% never tell anyone. While it's true that children of single parents or adolescents from broken homes are more likely to be candidates for abuse, it doesn't mean sexual abuse can't happen in healthy, happy homes. One of my friends from a stable family talked of the kid who started out as a best friend and became an abusive enemy. This friend said he was abused from age 6 to 10, before he went to his parents for help. A parent of a victim gave me this advice, “If the problem is at school, your child stays home. If the offending party is a relative, you don't go to family gatherings. You remove your child from anywhere the offender might be.”

2. Getting past your pride.

If a child has been abused while under your supervision, you may feel guilty for failing to protect your child. Shame comes from knowing that you let the wolf into your safe-zone and left your child vulnerable. Pride comes into play as we try to protect our reputation and the image of a perfect family. Guardians are mortified that abuse has occurred under their watch and in many cases a child's pleas for help are often ignored by parents who would rather live in ignorance. Please, do not be one of those parents who allows abuse to go on because stopping it would make you or someone you know feel uncomfortable!

3. Nobody is above justice.

The last thing a parent wants to do is call the police, create a wave of scandal, and press charges against someone that they cannot actually prove has done anything wrong. Still, the best thing you can do for your child is expose the perpetrator and ensure that every effort has been made to achieve justice. It should be noted that if a person aids or abets a crime they are usually considered just as responsible as the actual offender in a court of law. Do not be a party to another person's crime. If an offender is a spouse, child, relative or someone you care about you can aid them by making sure they get proper help and cannot hurt anyone again, even if this means they'll serve time in a correctional facility. Whether or not justice can be attained, taking this step will give your child the confidence of knowing that you care. 

4. Utilize your soapbox.

We live in a society where people don't want to rock the boat. Yet, the people who molest children are successful because they're confident that none of their victims will reveal their wickedness. Some parents hide under the illusion that they don't want to make their child feel any more uncomfortable by telling the world of his or her wounds, but in reality secrecy only protects our egos. The male friend, whom I mentioned above, told me that his parents notified the police of the situation, however as the abuser was just under 12 years of age, they could not prosecute. The victim's parents took steps to warn other families who associated with the offender's family. The best way to hinder a pervert is to inform those who will listen of the perpetrator's behavior. Alerting others has the potential to save other families and children from going through similar trauma.

5. Seek professional help.

One victim told me that he was better off than many of his acquaintances who'd been molested, because his abuse hadn't been kept a secret. His immediate family, extended relatives, and friends knew of his abuse. It wasn't comfortable having his injury be made public but because people knew what he'd gone through he didn't feel isolated or abandoned. Children need to know that they don't have to go through hardship alone. They need support, council and guardians who will do everything in their power to take down the perpetrators. It is important to know that most victims of sexual abuse during adolescence do not become abusers. Though for many, being sexually abused is the start to a lifelong spiral into the darkest nightmare imaginable. For these reasons it is often wise to seek out professional counsel for yourself and your child. If a child has been sexually abused it is best to contact social services and the police.

Dealing with child sexual abuse is a heavy matter that takes careful consideration and diligent pursuit of the facts. No journey is identical, other than the end goal of healing and recovery for the abused. Some people use their scars to help others to bandage their wounds and heal their hurt. Over all we discover that others have shared our sorrows and if we stand together, we don't have to let our past dictate our future.

Statistics in this article are taken from www.d2l.org. Darkness to Light is a well-cited website and an organization created for the recovery, prevention and awareness of child sexual abuse.

For 24/7 confidential support, contact an abuse hotline:
-USA National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
-RAINN: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network: 1-800-656-4673
-Crisis Text Line: text 741741