Posted on in Inspiration

Time To (Dis)Connect

If there are any buzz words from this never ending age of ‘smart’ devices that gets gossiped about like the new kid in school, it is ‘disconnect’ and ‘connect.’ If you’re not embodying them, fighting between being one or the other, or have figured out a symbiotic relationship between the two, then you’ve lived in an underground bomb shelter in your backyard for too long. That’s a whole new level of disconnecting that can be blogged by someone other than me. Bomb shelters are certainly not my area of expertise.

Of course, technology + (dis)connectedness = not my professional wheelhouse either. That’s why my blog is about stories, adventures, and taking journeys. So, hop on this journey with me of creating a life with less noise, vibration, and perceived connection.

‘Smart’ devices are gateway drugs. Just like alcohol and smoking are to harder drugs like crack. Oh, funny thing about that. Spending time on social media (from your device) has the same effects as certain drugs on your brain. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about having technology at our finger tips, but the grip it has is suffocating at times. Really, it is quite insidious and genius all in one. All it takes is one ‘hit’ and we are hooked. In 2011, I swan dived into that quicksand like an Olympic champion with my first ever iPhone 4SE. It was just neat. I could take pictures and more pictures. Post them on social media. Play games. Check email. Text. The possibilities were endless. Well, maybe not. Year after year, the features, options and camera quality got better and better. More businesses were making apps to make life even more convenient, fast, ‘connected.’ I bought an iPad in 2012 and was officially sucked into the vortex.

No worries readers, I will not bore you with my ‘smart’ device purchases over the last 10 years to make my point. I’ll keep that between Amazon and me. My point is, I fell victim to following the wide road. I felt that I was connected to family and friends more by checking social media and immediately responding to texts and emails. I had all of the magic squares and rectangles that told me so. Smart phone and smart watch, iPad, laptop. Although, I did draw the line at using an AI virtual assistant in our home. Get up and turn on your own damn music.

I clued into the fallacy of connection over Christmas when I realized I didn’t actually speak (that is where words come out of a person’s mouth and are not typed onto a pint sized screen for all my live and die by texting friends) a lot with my parents and brother unless we were all physically together. It occurred to me I should be hearing their voices more. Their tone, their emotion, and the way a conversation flows that could never be captured in a text. Clicking ‘Like’ on a meme my mom shared on Facebook didn’t really count as being connected. It made no sense to allow technology to use us as pawns in this game of (Dis)connection. We decided to use technology to our advantage and a weekly FaceTime call was born. The road become a little more narrow then.

While in Alaska this summer, I realized I needed more disconnection to be truly connected. Alaska is such a remote and peaceful place. I could hear myself breathe and think. The air was so fresh that I wanted to collect some in a Mason jar to take home. It just wouldn’t have been the same though. The fresh air and the majestic horizon were meant to be together. Just like I was meant to be on this narrow, yet beautiful road. A few days into this amazing adventure in AK, I grew weary of flipping my left wrist over to see why it was vibrating. Facebook messages, updated sales from Harris Teeter, calendar reminders, keeping up with group texts. The list could go on and on. I was over it. I turned off every single notification. Take that Apple Watch, you overbearing piece of fruit.

I think the time spent in nature and just being still allowed this revolutionary revelation to surface in just the right season in my life. I now had 4,496 miles on my way home to figure out how to create a life where silence, stillness, mindfulness, and peace are the foundation of living. Not chaos, busyness, stress, and noise. I’m still figuring that out while also saying yes to new things and adventures and spending more time in nature. (*Apple Watch not included.*) I have figured out one thing, a $300 watch tells the same time as a $35 watch. However, there is one fundamental difference. One has the potential to steal your time while the other whispers ‘take your time hiking this mountain, the view is breathtaking.’

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost
Posted on in Inspiration

Time To (Dis)Connect

If there are any buzz words from this never ending age of ‘smart’ devices that gets gossiped about like the new kid in school, it is ‘disconnect’ and ‘connect.’ If you’re not embodying them, fighting between being one or the other, or have figured out a symbiotic relationship between the two, then you’ve lived in an underground bomb shelter in your backyard for too long. That’s a whole new level of disconnecting that can be blogged by someone other than me. Bomb shelters are certainly not my area of expertise.

Of course, technology + (dis)connectedness = not my professional wheelhouse either. That’s why my blog is about stories, adventures, and taking journeys. So, hop on this journey with me of creating a life with less noise, vibration, and perceived connection.

‘Smart’ devices are gateway drugs. Just like alcohol and smoking are to harder drugs like crack. Oh, funny thing about that. Spending time on social media (from your device) has the same effects as certain drugs on your brain. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about having technology at our finger tips, but the grip it has is suffocating at times. Really, it is quite insidious and genius all in one. All it takes is one ‘hit’ and we are hooked. In 2011, I swan dived into that quicksand like an Olympic champion with my first ever iPhone 4SE. It was just neat. I could take pictures and more pictures. Post them on social media. Play games. Check email. Text. The possibilities were endless. Well, maybe not. Year after year, the features, options and camera quality got better and better. More businesses were making apps to make life even more convenient, fast, ‘connected.’ I bought an iPad in 2012 and was officially sucked into the vortex.

No worries readers, I will not bore you with my ‘smart’ device purchases over the last 10 years to make my point. I’ll keep that between Amazon and me. My point is, I fell victim to following the wide road. I felt that I was connected to family and friends more by checking social media and immediately responding to texts and emails. I had all of the magic squares and rectangles that told me so. Smart phone and smart watch, iPad, laptop. Although, I did draw the line at using an AI virtual assistant in our home. Get up and turn on your own damn music.

I clued into the fallacy of connection over Christmas when I realized I didn’t actually speak (that is where words come out of a person’s mouth and are not typed onto a pint sized screen for all my live and die by texting friends) a lot with my parents and brother unless we were all physically together. It occurred to me I should be hearing their voices more. Their tone, their emotion, and the way a conversation flows that could never be captured in a text. Clicking ‘Like’ on a meme my mom shared on Facebook didn’t really count as being connected. It made no sense to allow technology to use us as pawns in this game of (Dis)connection. We decided to use technology to our advantage and a weekly FaceTime call was born. The road become a little more narrow then.

While in Alaska this summer, I realized I needed more disconnection to be truly connected. Alaska is such a remote and peaceful place. I could hear myself breathe and think. The air was so fresh that I wanted to collect some in a Mason jar to take home. It just wouldn’t have been the same though. The fresh air and the majestic horizon were meant to be together. Just like I was meant to be on this narrow, yet beautiful road. A few days into this amazing adventure in AK, I grew weary of flipping my left wrist over to see why it was vibrating. Facebook messages, updated sales from Harris Teeter, calendar reminders, keeping up with group texts. The list could go on and on. I was over it. I turned off every single notification. Take that Apple Watch, you overbearing piece of fruit.

I think the time spent in nature and just being still allowed this revolutionary revelation to surface in just the right season in my life. I now had 4,496 miles on my way home to figure out how to create a life where silence, stillness, mindfulness, and peace are the foundation of living. Not chaos, busyness, stress, and noise. I’m still figuring that out while also saying yes to new things and adventures and spending more time in nature. (*Apple Watch not included.*) I have figured out one thing, a $300 watch tells the same time as a $35 watch. However, there is one fundamental difference. One has the potential to steal your time while the other whispers ‘take your time hiking this mountain, the view is breathtaking.’

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost
Posted on in Uncategorized

Nightlights

The sun is setting. The shade is pulled. The books in a messy stack to be read.

Mismatched jammies. Your dinosaur blanket pulled up tight. It’s time to settle down. It’s time for bed.

We snuggle together. Always sharing a pillow. The stack is getting shorter now. Just one more book whispered in my ear.

The stories are adventures page by page. Well worn words memorized by you. The creak of the book closing, it’s job now done.

It is lights out little one. The moon and stars tell us so. I wrap my arms around you. I sing you a song.

The soft glow of your nightlight comforts your soul. Your eyes are heavy. Your breathing soft.

I brush your hair from your eyes. I kiss your cheek and say I love you just one more time. You don’t hear me. You’re fast asleep. Your peaceful face a balm to the bustle of our day.

I soak in the moment illuminated by your nightlight. You make everything in this world right.

I untangle myself from your little arms. Pull up the covers and memorize this picture to place in my heart. Without making a sound I leave your room. Sleep tight my sweet bear.

Nightlights aren’t just made for little boys. Nightlights are made for moms too.

Posted on in Uncategorized

The Crafty Procrastinator Manual

I definitely have an addiction to being inspired by all of these clever crafting projects I see on Pinterest or Etsy. I usually buy the supplies and put them on my craft table. And that’s where they sit, collecting dust and taunting me. Kind of like the laundry but it usually doesn’t collect dust. Especially if it is leggings or hoodies, but I digress.

Let’s talk about some of my ‘projects,’ AKA money sucking unrealistic aspirations.

Metal stamping. Seriously, how do people get those letters to be straight? The bookmarks, the jewelry, the useless spoons with cute sayings. The possibilities are endless. Unless you’re me and expect perfection from the start. I did make my kid a bracelet with his name that I promptly found discarded on the floor. Clearly, metal stamping was not going to be my Etsy niche.

Sewing. This is hilarious! I can barely thread and set the bobbin let alone sew some curtains. Don’t worry though, I have PLENTY of fabric to not sew and sit in the closet. This includes the large amount of terry cloth I bought 10 years ago when my husband was in Afghanistan to make hooded towels for Sophie and Cole. I bought so much fabric I could have made a charming towel for a baby elephant. My baby elephants are now 14 and 12 and probably aren’t really into a cute hooded towel for the pool. I have fabric to re-cover our dining room chairs, make pillows, make fabric covered cork boards, baby blankets, and last but not least, fabric to make curtains for a house we don’t even live in anymore. So many cute things to make and not nearly enough patience.

Jewelry. In my 20’s (which was a couple of decades ago) I was pretty decent at making bracelets and necklaces. I even went to a class. Well, fast forward to today and I’m doing well if I can keep my kid from putting beads in his mouth. Not to mention my eyesight was a little keener back then to do the fancy work to secure the clasp on the wire. Should I Pinterest to death some amazing bracelets and earrings to recreate, I’ll still just have a bin full of supplies and a jewelry box filled with random necklaces in knots and pairs of earrings that are single now.

Cricut. The world of vinyl. So many projects to pick from. Stickers, shirts, and signs, oh my! So many colors and patterns too. Oh, but the trial and error can be brutal and discouraging. You don’t want to mess up weeding an intricate piece and have to start over. I’ve been there all too often. Uniqueness as a result of failure is okay until that ‘e’ looks like a ‘c.’ But hey, at least it isn’t a misspelled tattoo. Just a $10-ish ‘Oops’ and you try again.

With all that said, thus far on my journey of pretending to be crafty and have an imaginary farmers market where I sell my creations, vinyl seems to be where I’ve been the most successful. In other words, I haven’t given up on this challenge.

So, please read below my How To Guide in creating an amazing shirt to show off to your family and friends. The excited presentation to said family is the equivalent of a 2nd grader’s clay bear that looks like a buffalo.

Step 1: Select vinyl and t-shirt on a random trip to the local craft store. Set on top of craft table lying to yourself about when you’ll start (and finish) this epic shirt.

Step 2: Get up the nerve to make your first shirt and finally being okay with a potential failure. I would recommend focusing on the beauty that is going to unfold before you in the shape of a shirt. (I’m still working on this).

Step 3: Create your masterpiece on your Cricut. YouTube and Google as many things as possible in the hopes of avoiding any errors.

Step 4: Take a deep breath followed by a heavy sigh. It’s ‘Go’ time. Cut the appropriate size vinyl and put it on your mat. I use the green one. Put the mat in the Cricut and be patient.

Step 5: Freakout momentarily wondering if you selected ‘mirror’ before cutting.

Step 5: It’s time to weed. Watch those e’s and b’s. Those can be tricky. I have figured out if you have decent vinyl weeding isn’t really that bad.

Step 6: Get ready to heat press your masterpiece. Recommendation—>Do not eyeball your alignment. Again, Google ideal placement based on the type of garment. Place shirt on press at 305-310 degrees and heat for about 15 to 20 seconds.

Step 7: Lift press and inspect shirt. Press for a few more seconds ‘just to be sure’ the vinyl is nice and snug. Lift press again and revel in your expertise. I mean, you couldn’t even buy a shirt that looks this good.

Step 8: Start researching what it takes to start an Etsy shop now that you are a t-shirt designer.

Step 9: Leave all Cricuting supplies right where they are until the next Pinterest project is born…in about 6 months.

That’s it people. Simple. Now get to creating. Be okay with failure, don’t give up, use your resources and most of all have fun. It’s taken me a long time to accept progress over perfection.

Sincerely,

Crafter Wannabe Extraordinaire

Posted on in Aspiring Author

Leave It At The Lamppost

Today was heavy. A levy on the verge of breaking. The pressure to race to the next was immense.

It didn’t start out that way. The momentum builds with each filled room. It seems it is just going to be one of those days.

Someone was screaming. Alarms incessantly ringing. Messages for each person to hear how busy we are sing overhead.

Priorities spoken aloud, ever changing for the nurses around. I’ll be right there. I’ll be right back. Pulled in too many directions to count.

The cacophony is muted to experienced ears only attune to the noises of a rhythm change. A crashing pressure. A frail woman seeking safety by climbing from bed. Her mind longing for a happier time.

The silent glances with another nurse will always be louder than any words ever spoken. The twinkle of laughter. The sorrowful eyes of defeat when our Maker a soul meets. Every emotion is felt within the walls that have seen it all. Joy, love, friendship, and camaraderie. Tears, sadness, stress and despair.

The glistening of a single tear when receiving a hug for a job well done. A thank you will do, but human touch is powerful too.

I hope I make a difference in some small way. A smile from a child. Wisdom shared by a centenarian on how life should be lived. I take it all in. I know the fragility of the world. It is on display in an indescribable way on the faces of those I am privileged to care for. I will never be who I was before. I am changed in ways that many will never know. Yet I always come back for more.

It’s time to go. The clock tells me so. It is time to leave the heaviness behind. I think about the day as I journey home. I may be weary but my caring must continue.

My family needs me. I anticipate the excited welcome I always hear just beyond the door.

I wonder if I can do it just a few hours more. Give of myself where it matters most. I can. I will. I will leave my nurse life at the lamppost.

Posted on in Inspiration

Rainbows and Racism

I don’t understand racism.  I just don’t.  It is absurd to me that people are judged by the color of their skin.  Unfortunately, racism continues to exist and is the constant canvas upon which America is painted.  I don’t understand how hate has become America’s industrialized injustice.  It is an institutional divide that we still have been unable to overcome for centuries.

One of my favorite quotes is from Martin Luther King Jr.:

20 Of The Most Powerful Quotes by The Exceptional Martin Luther ...

This seems so simple to me.  It just takes so much anger, devotion to destruction, negativity, and energy to hate people because of the color of their skin.  So exhausting.  I would much rather use my energy, positivity, devotion to respect all people, and happiness to build a bridge for America to cross to put a stop to hate, violence, profiling, and fear.

As I’ve thought more about recent events that have been happening across the country that have magnified racism to a level that we all know exists, but have had the luxury as white people to ignore or stay silent, I’ve thought of a book I often read to Levi.  It is called How the CRAYONS saved the RAINBOW written by Monica Sweeney and illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas.  You can find it here.  It is about the sun and the clouds being best friends and how they loved to make rainbows together.  Then one day they got into a big fight and weren’t friends anymore.  The world lost all of it’s beautiful colors and there were no more rainbows.  Luckily, in one little town in a school desk was a box of crayons that still had their colors.  They were so sad that all they could see was black and white.  They went in search of the colors and decided they could do something.  They started coloring rainbows all over town, but nothing changed.  So, they worked together and colored a huge and bright rainbow so the entire world could see it.  The sun and the clouds slowly took notice of the beautiful rainbow and realized how much they missed being friends and making the world a colorful place.  So, they apologized to each other and worked together and rainbows started to reappear and make the world wonderful once again.

You might be thinking, what does this children’s book have to do with racism?  It has everything to do with racism.  When the world is devoid of the uniqueness and beauty of all colors and people, it is bleak and bitter.  When we get tired of living this way, we will choose to become the colorful crayons, make a difference and make the world bright.  Honestly, I am tired of racism.  We are better than this.  Our nation has progressed and evolved in so many ones, but continues to allow the stain of racism to define us.  We must tip the scale towards racial and social justice.  We must speak up as individuals, families, communities and as a country.    We must not limit ourselves and live in ignorance.  We grow and heal by walking with others in their journey.  We have to love one another as humans.  This is what God has called us to do.  After all, it takes all the colors in the crayon box to make beautiful rainbows.

 

Posted on in Adventures

Let the Camper Adventures Begin

We love going on adventures as a family. We DO NOT love making hotel arrangements, eating powdered eggs at the free “continental” breakfast, leaving our dogs at the kennel, the non-homey feel, the fear of taking a few new friends home in the form of bedbugs, or the 1 ply scratchy toilet paper.  We wanted to take our home on the road when it was adventure time.  We also wanted to incorporate more weekend adventures into our busy lives.

So, the mission to find a pull behind camper began.  It was a short mission, mostly because Joe was the Operations Commander.  While I was at work, he was rapid fire messaging me with camper after camper.  I provided what limited input I could.  By the time I had arrived home from work, he had all of the pictures of our potential adventure mobile up on the 55 inch television.  A measly iPhone wasn’t going to cut it to show the grandeur that these campers embodied.  By this point, Joe was giddy as a school boy in a candy shop.  I could see the gears turning as our future camper life played out in his mind.  His excitement was contagious.  We looked through all of the pictures and narrowed it down to 2 campers.  One was brand spanking new that we could drive off (I suppose ‘pull’ is a better word) of the lot that same day.  The other one was a couple of years old and being sold by a retiring Marine who wanted to upgrade to a fifth wheel.  Of course the Marine brotherhood is strong and Joe instantly gravitated towards the second choice.  In less than 12 hours of finding the camper, he had already arranged for us to see it over the weekend.  In another 36 hours (before even seeing  this 32 feet of pure awesomeness on wheels) he had arranged payment.  You know, “just in case.”  I should have known better than to expect anything less from this “always prepared” former Marine.

As we would quickly learn, the camper community is amazing.  The family was so gracious and just as excited for us becoming first-time camper owners.  As Joe got the tour, the specifics, the whats and hows from the seller, I was an eager student as his wife was sharing the ‘must haves’ when traveling.  Two hours later we were on the road taking our adventure home to our brick home.  Of course on the way, we stopped to pick up a Christmas tree.  It was a festive day for The Buck Family.

When we arrived, we quickly ascertained the challenge of backing up a camper down a narrow driveway from a narrow road.  Our new way to experience fun was one slight turn into the ditch on either side of our driveway from disaster and A LOT of cursing. Oh, and did I mention, this was all taking place after sunset.  We do love a good challenge.  I am ill suited to be the one who is providing direction via flashlight to “help” back this beast up.  I’m sure my facial expressions were pretty amusing or concerning depending on how you look at this.  And the camper made the WORST screeching noise when the Dodge and the camper looked like an L.  I was sure we were going to break our camper just by parking it and we hadn’t even gone anywhere yet.  Alas, after a lot of reverse, forward, reverse, etc., the entire camper was safely in our driveway.  As I’m getting our littlest Buckaroo out of the truck, out of the corner of my eye I see Joe with a machete going towards some tree branches.  It definitely seemed like a great idea to be swinging a very sharp object around in the dark….said no wife ever.  Apparently, some limbs needed to come down so the camper could fit into it’s new parking space.  Okay fine, swing the machete all you want.

Once the camper was parked, unhitched, and the stabilizers put down (camper set up and breakdown coming in a future post) the kids couldn’t wait to get in it.  So, we spent the next hour playing in the camper and getting excited about all of the adventures we hadn’t even planned yet. Later after getting the kiddos to bed, we BOTH were like little kids in a candy store deciding where our very first adventure would take us.

Some people have a getaway home (sort of like a getaway car, except legal). We have a camper. So this is where it all begins. We will never be anchored to just one destination when adventure calls our name. The experiences and memories are limitless.

 

Posted on in Inspiration

Hello World

Hello blog readers of the world! Welcome inside our story of living life, going on adventures, tackling some DIY honey-do projects, and all The Buckaroo chaos that comes with being a party of five.

Why write a blog? Who has a blog these days anyway? It seems very 1990s. I don’t actually know if that was when blogs really took off, but it was a great decade (for me anyway) so let’s run with it. I’m sure Google would tell me. Google knows everything. BOOM! I asked Siri and she agreed the 1990s was when the blog-mania began. Anyway, I digress. Is this for random blog fans, family, friends, and strangers? Or is this about chronicling our lives by means of a modern day journal to look back on decades from now? I’m not certain quite yet. Maybe both. I like writing and I like memories. It seems to make sense to combine the two and perhaps humor some others along the way.

Blog writing is probably one of the most daring adventures for me to embark on. I want to inspire others, make people laugh, some may even cry (this one is for you Mom❤️), share some wisdom (which may be questionable, so proceed with caution), and just bring joy to people. BUT, it’s risky and vulnerable putting yourself out there for the world to read. I hope that only my closest family reads my entries because that is the safe zone. I also hope deep down that others will too. Because that is why I write. To share, to learn, to grow, and to have fun.

Now, about the leading quote. It’s my mantra this year. Eleanor Roosevelt was a pretty outstanding woman in her day. She was outspoken and an advocate for expanding women’s roles in the workplace and the civil rights of minority groups. She wrote a daily newspaper column and a monthly magazine column. A blog pioneer perhaps. Sometimes believing (and probably a little elbow grease) is how we make dreams a reality and impact the future.

So jump on board this journey with The Buckaroos. It will be fun and intriguing. A bit of humor with a side of inspiration.

Katie B