Welcome Back Monarchs Day

I'll be heading to Natural Bridges to welcome back the monarchs, enjoy the wonderful santa cruz fall weather, meet up with freinds, sing songs, admire the butterflies, picnic on the grass, visit the beach, play with kiddies, and generally geek out on butterflies, and maybe win another raffle prize (we got free camping last time we went). I would love it if you could join me. Monarch inspired attire is encouraged!!

Welcome Back Monarchs Day at Natural Bridges

WELCOME BACK MONARCHS DAY
Sunday, October 11,
10:00AM to 4:00PM
at
NATURAL BRIDGES STATE BEACH

Join us for this joyful, monarch-filled day and welcome the monarchs back to this park, their over-wintering habitat. Participate in numerous activities including arts & crafts, active games for kids, music by the 5M’s (the mostly mediocre musical monarch mariposas), hand-cranked ‘monarch’ ice cream (pumpkin), information and action booths as well as more about monarch butterflies and how-top’s for a butterfly garden. The park is located at the end of West Cliff Drive at the north end of Santa Cruz. For more information, please call (831)423-4609.

Test Results

I just had another test done last week. This test measures how strong my immune system is for fighting off this Lyme Disease. I should be getting the score early this coming week. The number I get will help to determine how long my treatment should take. Right now my doctor is estimating somewhere between 6-24 months. I've got an appointment with her in Watsonville on Monday Oct. 6 at 2:00. At this appointment we should be able to narrow it down even more. I'm really hoping that she tells me it will be a year or less. I'm ready to be done with all of this and get back to my life. I was hoping that Emiliano would be able to attend the appointment with me, but he had to move his soccer practice from Tuesday afternoons to Mondays. I'm still looking for someone who can go with me and take notes so I don't forget what she tells me.

Hiking in the Redwoods

I just got back from a hike at Nissene Marks State Park. It was really hot here today so we decided to go find out how much hiking I could do in the shade of the giant redwood trees. I haven't been on a hike in a REALLY long time. It was so great to get out there and comune with nature. I really miss being on the trail.

I had a great time hiking, well it was really more like a walk in the woods. I think I hiked faster with 20 1st graders than I did today. We got in a few miles before my hip and knee were hurting too much. I finally just sat down and Yawno went for a run back to the car and drove back to pick me up on the side of the road in the park. It was a good thing he did run too because when he got to our car we were getting a parking ticket from the ranger. We had paid the fees. I was hapy to pay given the dismal state of the parks system. But, our envelope didn't have a stub to put in the window so the ranger though we hadn't paid. He talked to her and got her to look through the box of fees for the one with our lisence number on it. We still have a ticket, but she said we can contest it and will likely win.

I'm tired now, but at least it's in a really good way. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get out and about more often and for longer so if you want to go for a walk or hike please take me with you I'd love to go.

My Favorite Websites

I thought I'd share a bit about some of my current favorite websites.

www.meetup.com

Meet up is a social networking site that people use to create interest groups that actually meet up in real life to do things they have as similar interests. I signed up and found meet up groups in the Santa Cruz area that go hiking several times a week, a walking meet up, one that is for crafty types to inspire and encourage you to finish your projects, one for sustainable living and homesteading, and my favorite-the women's clothing exchange which has a monthly event where you can trade your old clothes for someone else's. There are groups for nearly everything you can think of. Check it out and I bet you'll make new real life friends that like to do that geeky thing you love to do.

www.etsy.com

Etsy is an online marketpalce where you can buy and sell all things handmade. It is unbelieveable the ammount of beautiful creations that people make and share through this site. I have seen awesome pottery with cool insects and geeky scientific info., mobiles made from fused recycled plastic bags, a wide array of beautiful handbags, cupcakes and vegan cookies, jewelry making tutorials, paintings, and photography just to name a few.


www.freecycle.org

This is a site siilar to the classifieds on Craigslist, but it's better because you can only offer, take, or request items for FREE!!! I have used this site to get us a freestanding hammoch, a push mower, a new iron, and 4 bags of beads. We have used it to get rid of an old area rug and some yard sale left overs. It's set up to send you notices to your email as often as you like and only tells you about the stuff in your area. Check it out to see what you can find or get rid of.

www.facebook.com

I always said I would never get into these kinds of things. I always preached that hanging out with your friends in real life is way better. It is, but we can't always hang out with everyone we know and facebook helps me stay connected with people whom I otherwise wouldn't see very often. I like seeing pictures and vides of what my friends and family are up to. I also like that you can share invites, blogs, links, videos, movie reviews, game scores, quiz results, etc. It's been great for getting me in touch with some people I have lost along the way and it is scarly accurate at reccomending people you should be facebook friends with. How does it do that? If you haven't joined the rest of us in facebook land yet, please do, we'd love to see you.