Once a year......

It happened again today, and I absolutely hate it. It doesn't happen very often, and it hasn't happened in a long time. I got a seriously bad migraine today.

I was just waking up this morning and I could feel a basic headached coming on as I got to moving around.

As the morning wore on, I kept having to stop for a few minutes until the severe throbbing stopped. Finally, I stopped. The migraine had arrived and the nausea had begun along with white spots. I postponed my entire day. School with the kids, business calls, and going out to dinner with my inlaws for my hubbie's birthday. Also, a meeting I should have gone to. Done. Non participation.

I laid in bed all day, snoozed a bit, and had those awful thoughts of "Am I having a stroke?" because it hurts so bad. The husband comes home, peanut butter and jelly for dinner, a science assignment was completed. I realize the kids did a great job doing some little assignments I gave them from bed and didn't kill each other. I thank them profusely.

I try going vertical around 6 pm, and the throbbing didn't start. I could move around and get my heart rate up without throbbing. I ate a little dinner. I got caught up on emails.

And tomorrow will be another day.....

I Am Back....

It has been several months since I posted, and I promise it won't happen again in the foreseeable future.

You might remember, or you might not at this point, I agreed to run for House District Representative in my home district. Election Day was November 2nd, and like most first time runners, I lost. I am not devastated, and I had my mind set that I would lose. I am tired, but fired up.

I thought I would share with you some of life's lessons along the way:

* We live in a great country. We live in a place where people give their lives to live.

* I was amazed and excited at how our country realized the path it was going on, and changed it's direction in one election. This all despite what the media, naysayers, name callers, and just plain dirty politics all said.

* I am amazed at how crooked ALL of our politics are. I am a conservative Republican. I won't hide that, although in my district it can get you assaulted. Any time I looked at a policy, a law, a bill, a proposal, etc. It's crooked. Truly all of us need to beware.....if someone says a bill is benevolent and meant for the betterment of mankind....peel back the onion and find out who is greasing what hand. There is no such thing. You truly do have to pick your battles, and you do need to recognize the powers in the room and who had a "dog in the fight".

* I am a more jaded, pessimistic, glass half empty person as a result of this process.

* I am fearful of our children's future. I am fearful of their ability to make a living and build a life for themselves in our current state of affairs. Unless the new Congress make strides to commit to a free market, principles our founding father's committed to that have made our country great for 300+ years that no other country has achieved....we are doomed to become just another socialist state. Ask Greece and France how that is working out for them.

* I am thankful to get back into my normal routine. It's been an adjustment. I have been breathing politics for over a year now.

* I am not done. I have our state's charter school law to continue to fight for. I have our legislature to continue to fight for to be more balanced, instead of the super majority it was that just whizzed through legislation without regard for consequences. We have broken that in our state, but it is tenuous at best, and we have a dolt for a governor. How do I know this? He served eight years, eight years ago, during an economic boom, and left office with an increase in unemployment of 65%....during a boom. Welcome to Oregon. Did I mention I am more pessimistic these days? I call 'em as I see 'em.

* I am looking forward to reacquainting myself with my family. Enjoy my dog. Hug my kids for moments longer. Having fuzzy cats warm my lap. Not wake up cranky and go to bed cranky.

I am thankful. We as Americans have much to be thankful for and to continue to fight for.

Stay-cation Relaxing Part III

So the next morning, after an incredibly quiet night of sleep, we headed off to breakfast. Our meal was served at the building next door, an annex sort of building referred to as the Bridge Inn. When we stepped into it, it was like stepping in the living room of Laura Ingalls.

So charming.

Except for the television, this felt like I had just stepped in a homestead parlor from 1870.

Yummy breakfast.....and one modern convenience I enjoy....that silver cylinder.

......two more national monument locations, plus a few extras, to visit......

......to be continued........

Stay-cation Adventure Part II

After departing the majestic Palisades of John Day National Monument's Clarno Unit, we were onto Fossil, OR.

Fossil, OR is very small. For this big city girl, it was shockingly quiet. It is actually one of the few towns in all of Wheeler County which is mostly government owned or vast ranch land. This girl enjoyed stepping out of the rat race. When I spoke to the Fossil Inn's proprietor, I knew it was a different pace of life when we discussed on the phone when we would arrive this afternoon and her response to me was "I need to go to a meeting a few towns away. I'll leave the door open, you just come on in and make yourself comfortable."

Honey, we're not in Portland anymore.....and we liked it a lot.

The Fossil Inn. This is one of two homes, you'll see the other in upcoming pictures. This is a B & B. It won't have a mint on the bed in the morning. It's a bit rustic. However, you feel like you just stepped in Aunt Bea's living room, dust bunnies and all. It was nice.

This was our "suite" entrance. We had a queen bed, twin beds for the kids, and our own entrance. No locks.

Stepping out on the porch first thing in the morning.

The word "city" is a stretch. My neighborhood is bigger than Fossil.
Look closely, only 17 points of interest.

Charlie certainly enjoyed our accommodations, and the inn was very accommodating to pets. She loved this trip and all the
walking and hiking we did.

Not much is it? What is this a picture of AMG?? Look hard. this is the back side of Wheeler High School located in Fossil, OR. So what?? Well, in those little holes and dents in the side of this rise in the horizon is a fossil bed that is open to the public. Just need to drop some cash in the self serve box as a donation, and each person can go dig (butter knife and a paint brush does the trick) and take home three fossils. This unassuming hill was the highlight of the trip.

Literally, fossils everywhere. Just need to find a favorite that has one of many leaf fossils on them. BH found some "electrified" wood.
Every time you pull away layers, there are fossils.
The abundance is staggering.

Once you have your fossils, turn around and look.
The sprawling countryside with Fossil nestled into it.

Then we went to a local eatery.....and do you think he's being grumpy?

Nah......just one of the many faces of BH.

.......to be continued........

Our Oregon Stay-cation Part I

A year ago, some friends of ours told us about going to Fossil, OR with their kids, and what a grand time they had. Fossil, OR is known worldwide for their amazing layers of fossils, from different eras spanning millions of years. We were also told how we could actually go dig our own fossils! Apparently, small town life exists! Behind Fossil's high school is a hill where the public can dig for fossils because they are so abundant, they just trust you to take only three per person and drop a donation in a box. We have wanted to go for awhile as you can imagine. When we ended our school year and had some free time for a few days, we made some calls to a Fossil, OR bed and breakfast, packed the van, and off we were! I hope you enjoy our adventures as much as we did, and I hope you think about going!

So let me give you some geographical layout. Fossil, OR sits right in the middle of a three part national monument, John Day National Monument. We did manage to squeeze traveling to all three. Our first day was to the Clarno Unit, which is marked by magnificent castle-like rock formations that are full of fossils called The Palisades. All the locations at every stop has a short hiking trail that we took the kids on and saw amazing things. Each stop had a small parking area, some great markers that gave a nice learning tour, and walking trails with great markers. All free.

We left home and drove to Fossil, OR and the Clarno Unit was on the way. It was perfect to stop and then head to our B & B waiting for us.

Hiking up close to the rock formations called The Palisades.
The kids were not happy. This was a long, upward hike
and it was warm and muggy.
The view from the top made it worth it.

Whew! That was a bit of a hike!

Then we look up and see the amazing little corner we are in.

That little cove in the middle is the final stop. You get to turn around and look out over the valley. You also can look up and see the huge formations above you.

After looking up in the cove, the view of the valley was so peaceful.

A panoramic distant view of the breathtaking Palisades.

Great educational markers along the way explaining the fossils embedded in The Palisades, the era of The Palisades and the volcanic activity that created the beautiful rock formations.

After a little drive past the Clarno Unit, we headed to our evening's final destination......


......to be continued.......