Week 45-Handstand with my dog.

Just a handstand in my backyard with my dog Gypsy. I can't imagine what's on her mind. Probably, "I think you should cover your belly." or "You should really try using both legs and arms on the ground, like me. It's really much easier than walking on your hands."

Photographer: Dan Donovan

Location: My backyard

Week 44-Cranking the Kanc-White Mountain Adventure

"Crank the Kanc" is actually a well known hill climb Time Trial well known to cyclists in New England which my friends Amy, Renee and I did not do! However, we are all preparing for cycling events that require a lot of hill climbing. Amy and Renee are training to complete the Mount Washington Road Race which is a 7.6 mile climb up Mount Washington with an average grade of 11.5%, extended grades of 18% and it finishes up with the last 50 yards at 22%. People pay good money to do this! Remarkable isn't it? I am doing something a little more sane. I will be biking 148 miles in one day for a good IPA at the end. The beer is free and I did not have to pay nearly as much as my friends to enter the event.

Amy mapped out an 80 mile ride that took us on our adventure over the Memorial Day weekend. There were some great mountain climbs and beautiful vistas of the White Mountains, waterfalls and rivers. We climbed Bear Notch Hill Rd, the Kangamangus Hwy, then into Loon Mtn area, through Franconia Notch and the Flume, past Twin Mountains and down through Crawford Notch! It was a specatcular and challenging ride!

My very first handstand photo for this blog was taken at the top of Mt Hale at Twin Mountain in the White Mountains last August. I have gone all the way back to the seed of this blog which is kind of cool. I had no idea I would be climbing these mountains by bike at the time I planted this seed last year. I will try not to get too philosophical here, but I love how life plays out as you go. I embrace the unexpected. I love having friends who expand my already adventurous spirit. I don't think I would have done or thought to do this. I was very nervous about this ride, but Amy planned it as if it was the most natural next step in our training, she got us out there and the next thing I knew I was doing it! It was more amazing than I ever could have dreamed!

Top of the Kangamangus

Mount Washinton (elev 6288) in the background, Mount Washington Hotel is to the left.

Elephant Rock, just before heading down Crawford Notch.

Photographer: Amy Gothorpe

Location: White Mountains NH

Week 43-Harley Chicks & Dude

My husband bought himself a 1968 FLH Electra Glide Harley Davidson for his 49th birthday. He has been talking about it for years and I knew it was only a matter of time when the day would come where he would walk in the house and say, "I bought a Harley". It kind of went like this,"You don't have to get me anything for my birthday because I think I am buying a Harley tomorrow." He isn't big on buying things for himself so I figured I'd believe it when I saw it, but low and behold, he did show up with a Harley the next day. Photo shoots will be about the extent of our Harley enjoyment for now. It needs some work before he can rev the engine and get it out on the highway. My friend and fellow swimmer, Kirsten, ("KGirl") is posing here with me and the Harley this week.

And the Harley Dude himself-

Location: The Shop

Photographers: Dan Donovan & Kirsten Thompson

Week 42-In Progress

Week 41- Making Sense of the Senseless

Tyler Ryan 9-18-91 to 4-28-10

A boy in our community took his life last week. The service celebrating his brief life was held yesterday at the Fenn School.

For me, the best way to sift through my emotions is to write my thoughts down. I hope in sharing my thoughts I do not offend anyone. In fact, what I hope, is that my words might create some hope where hope has been stalled.

I did not know Tyler, but my son, several high school kids and the CCHS football team have been affected by this trajedy and in turn so have I. I have learned Tyler touched many hearts in his short time here with us and has done so while carrying a heavy and emotional heart himself. In astounding numbers, adults and children, came to pay their respects over the last few days.

It’s really impossible to make sense of this. While I continued to go over and over in my mind why this happened and what went wrong and why couldn’t he reach out, a qoute popped into my mind. I found this quote in the home of a relative, thumb tacked to a wall. Here is the qoute: “To understand is to stand under, which is to look up, to which is a good way to understand” Now, maybe this qoute was simply written to get youngsters to look up to their elders, but what I see is that understanding requires many perspectives and even then, understanding, may be just a viscious cirlce, going around and around and around. In regards to Tyler that is exactly what is happening in my head. I have to halt it! I have to stop this viscious cycle!

Halting the viscious circle required looking into the thoughts expressed at the service and trying to find a common denominator in Tyler’s life. The thread he seemed to weave into the lives of all who knew him was empathy. He had an empathetic heart for everyone; his family, his friends, his classmates, his teachers, his teamates and his community. Abundant empathy, this was expressed over and over. Abundant empathy; A blessing and a burden? For those who reap the benefits of empathy this is a blessing but for those who carry this great gift, whose hearts, beat after beat offer empathy, perhaps a burden. Empathy is a great gift and it is what makes us human. It’s why we reach out to others and offer our support and love. To halt the spinning and the senseless questions in my mind, I will take with me, on my journey in life, from Tyler, “empathy”. Empathy is a path of humanity, bravery and compassion; where our hearts spill with emotion for what we know to be difficult. May we all walk this path as we head forward on our journeys.

In closing of the service yesterday, Reverend Lombard asked everyone to take what was good in Tyler and nurture it within themselves. This is a good way to heal. Anyone who has lost a loved one or who has suffered a broken relationship would do well for themselves to heed this advice. If you can take the essense of someone who has made an impression in your life and shape it and form it into who you are that person will always be a part of you. That person who you have lost can reside and walk with you whether or not they are “there”.

You are all in my toughts as we move forward.

week 40-Handsome Jack!

CCHS Sophmore Semi

May 1st, 2010

Week 39-Caden/Take 2

Last week I spent a few days with my nephew, Cade, my brother, Evan and my sister in law, Christy. Cade is just learning to walk. He can take a few steps on his own. Remember either when you, yourself of your child was just learning to walk or ride a bike and that overwhelming excitement passes over you when you realize you are up and doing it and then because you are so excited about your new accomplishment you lose focus and crash! Ya! A lot of that going on!

Cade is just learning how to kiss. It's the cutest thing you have ever seen. He gets his lips all puckered up and sucked in and then he releases a big smack and an even bigger smile! If you then throw a kiss back at him he will keep doing it right back at you! He isn't into skin to skin contact just yet, just air kisses for now!

So...., I think Cade is saying here in this photo," Well, at least she isn't making me balance on her toes like she made me do in the very beginning of this silly endeavour when I was only 4 months old!" (see August 2009)

Location: Lafayette, CO (Cade's backyard)

Photographer: Christy Little Schneider