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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Hunt

"pull"...  I sheepishly turned around and met eyes with the guide.  "Sorry" he said, "I didn't hear you".  I turned back around, took a really deep breath and yelled "PULL!" My eyes scanned the horizon where I briefly caught glimpse of the orange disk flying through the air.  Well, here goes nothing - I pulled the trigger which prompted a blast from the .28 I couldn't believe was cocked to my right shoulder.  Although I missed the target (and I'm pretty sure by a lot), I turned back around, a grin plastered on my face.
"You were right there, almost" he said. 
I love when people are encouraging. All I could think was, now I know why I shoved those orange ear plugs in my ear and this is only target practice.





There are few things more thrilling than a first time in life.  Or at least, that's how I feel.  There's a sense of adventure, of not knowing if you'll like it or hate it.  Whether its food - like the first time I ate an oyster.  Or something that pushes your physical limitations - the first time I swam 100 yards of butterfly (that's four lengths of the pool doing that stroke where you dolphin kick while both arms fly out of the water simultaneously... seriously, who thought of that).  Or maybe it's the first time you meet someone truly special in your life.  Firsts are something to be thoughtfully treasured and always remembered.


As you can probably see where I'm going with this, I had a new first this past weekend.  Well two actually. The first time I went hunting and consequently, the first time I had ever shot a gun.  Now I'm not sure how I felt about hunting in the past.  If anyone in my family has hunted (prior to my marriage:-) ), I was unaware of it and I had never thought of doing it.  Frankly, I knew nothing about it except for the less desirable stereotypes often associated.  This hunting expedition was definitely eye opening and I'll admit, downright fun.




The adventure was embarked on with Eric's family.  Their very dear friend had graciously invited us to hunt quail on a guided trek at their hunting club in Southern Georgia.  So my mother-in-law and father-in-law, my sister-in-law and her husband, Eric and I went hunting.  A family affair.




As mentioned, we were hunting quail which involves highly trained dogs that actually locate the birds and point once one has been tracked.  This particular location where we hunted was a preserve with farmed quail that had been set loose.  The guide would let loose two dogs which would leap and bound through the brush, elated to be running in the outdoors and along for the hunt.  I was absolutely in awe of the dogs.  Their ability to find a camouflaged bird in fairly dense brush is truly something exceptional. These dogs have been bred as pointers - their purpose in life fulfilled to be doing just that. 

Surprisingly, I actually got a few birds, something I wasn't sure would be possible for this first time.  Although it was a good time and I really did like being in the great outdoors practicing one of human's oldest pastimes - I couldn't help but think of long ago when humans hunted to put food on the table.  Of course, we would be eating all we hunted as well, but there is a difference in hunting out of the necessity to provide.  To me, being out in the fresh air and experiencing the hunt was exhilarating, challenging and sparked in me a new kind of appreciation for nature.




All in all, this first time experience is right up there in my log of memorable moments in life. I already looking forward to my next "first time" adventure which at this point I am confident wont be as challenging as hitting one of those orange flying targets...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Little Things

I have a friend who came up with a fantastic idea.  Why not start writing down and sharing the "little things" that make you happy or that you come across and think - wow,  now that is really great. Now I'll try not to get too sappy or sentimental; however, those of you that know me well know that those two adjectives often define part of me.  Its a foggy day here in Columbia, and in sitting at my desk pondering what to write about, I decided to make a small list of the little things that make a difference to me.

Columbia


Driving - Understandably, Eric and I NEVER missed driving while living in NYC.  It does present a whole set of responsibilities and work that is easily eliminated when you're able to travel via foot.  However, since moving to a new town, Eric has really shown me a new side of driving.  We often take drives around town and through neighborhoods, always pleasantly surprised at the many beautiful places and scenery we simply didn't know were there. Weaving around town in a car is one of the best ways to site see - I guess now I know why those big red city tour buses do so well... There is often the humorous self-guided tour moment - like yesterday when I apparently found that naming a shopping center 'Boozer' was something to laugh about... no really, it was called 'Boozer'

Our purple chariot...


An email, note or phone call - In the age of new media, I will be one of the first to admit that I often use email as I would a phone call.  To catch up with friends, send a funny thought, or just to say "hi" and stay connected.  Since moving away from friends and to a new place where we know no one in town, I have come to cherish and truly appreciate emails, notes and phone calls from my friends and family.  The effort in staying connected, at times, in this fast-paced digital world seems difficult but always, and I mean always is completely rewarding.

Straws - I love straws.  I know its a wierd simple thing to love.  But I'm drinking out of one right now and I'm telling you, it makes my glass of water ten times more enjoyable.  Most people wouldn't agree, but hey, this is my little things list and I like straws. :-)

Mystery Books - As an English major, I had to read a lot of books, and I mean A LOT.  These days I prefer reading the entertaining stories, ones that are quick reads, light and not difficult to comprehend.  Turns out my grandmother enjoys the same.  I returned from a visit to her house with a huge shopping bag full of books.  What's better than curling up and enjoying a good read, especially one where there is mystery involved? And thanks to my grandmother, I will be able to indulge in my guilty pleasure for quite some time as I take on the rather large bag of hand me down books awaiting me.

Saturdays - Undoubtedly the best day of the week.  They're a bit different for me these days since our business operates on Saturday so what once was a guaranteed lazy morning now means waking at 6 and out the door to work.  Still, Saturdays are the best.  It's that day of the week where you know tomorrow is Sunday, you can hopefully feel great about a full week completed and can start to look ahead to the new week upon you. 

Smiling - Partially a tribute to my sappy side, smiling is like chicken soup for the soul.  It's amazing what effect a smile has when it's exchanged between strangers.  I've noticed this especially living in smaller towns versus a large city.  Passing by people on NYC streets doesn't often warrant a warm exchange.  And with millions of people passing by each other each day, it seems justified.  I've noticed however that when I do smile at a complete stranger on the street, most of the time, a smile is returned.  I think I'm going to try harder to not only smile at others but just to smile more in general.

Admittedly, this is by no means a comprehensive list.  Just the thoughts that came to me first.  In thinking about these little things, I suppose they aren't little at all.   More, one size fits all things.  In any event, these are things that make my day brighter and they are definitely fun to think about.  Happy holidays, and here's to the little things in life!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Giving Thanks

There must have been thousands of hamburger buns.  Or at least it seemed like it.  A group of volunteers diligently transferred huge bags of buns from the crates they were sitting in to large boxes where they would await distribution.  This was our first assignment when we volunteered at a local food bank this past week.  Turns out a McDonald's truck was involved in a minor traffic accident (no one was hurt) on it's way to deliver these buns to a local Mickey D's.  Well when the trailer tipped, the most famous food chain didn't want the buns anymore so instead, delivered them to the food bank.  This is where our task came in of transferring the buns from the McDonald's cart to boxes at the food bank.

The 'bun initiative' sparked many thoughts in my head as I'm sure it might spark a few as you are reading this.  I couldn't believe that a twist of fate had re-directed that delivery truck from providing thousands of dollar menu meals to providing thousands of meals that probably would have been eaten (or not eaten) sans-bread.  Thank goodness.

I feel I should candidly state my naivety.  Before spending time at the food bank, I was unaware of what a food bank actually entailed.  I thought it meant that people without homes could come and get a hot sandwhich or bowl of stew, or maybe we would help put together bagged lunches to hand out.  I had no idea that these banks provided canned goods, baked treats and even fresh produce for families that were forced to choose between paying their rent and bills and putting a hot meal on the table. These banks provide relief for these families and truly embody the spirit of giving.  And it's not only during the holidays but year-round.

Growing up my family participated in adopting a family for the holidays.  We would bring them food and gifts that they could open for Christmas.  Those are the most humbling of experiences.  The families we brought gifts too were utterly grateful.  In return they would make us a homemade dish to take with us - an offering of thanks.  At my previous job, my boss would adopt a family each year and I had the chance to go shopping for one of the children's wish lists.  Sweaters, jackets, a new backpack - all she wanted was the essentials.

This year, we are helping out with sponsoring a child at a local children's home.  She is a 15 year old girl and on her wish list is a new bedspread, shower gel and batteries.  I was trying to remember what was on my wish list when I was 15...

Tis' the season for giving.  I love the holidays for so many different reasons.  I truly believe it brings out the best in people.What better time to tell family and friends how thankful you are and what better time to help out a stranger? From bun initiative to shopping for a new bedspread - I have realized I'm already learning a lot this holiday season.  I have much to be thankful for - my health, my friends and my family.  What better way to celebrate that than to keep giving thanks.