Fiery Tunnel

Those maple trees are lit up!

This is from yesterday (10/3/2022) on my drive home.

Enjoy!

Little Man

Hey!

Happy Fall officially!

Here's the latest I found in case you are planning a trip up to see the colors of the trees. Click here!

I drove the covered stretch this week, and man, those maples! They light a fire in my soul!

The maples are the most vibrant at this point. I think the oaks, birch and popples still have some time yet... at least where I've been! Hopefully that link will keep you updated.

Otherwise, life is good, eh?

Especially if you have gratitude.

Brady P is still becoming an independent young man. 

I had to rearrange his room, so he has a fun, organized place to go and be with his imagination. He loves it!

Even before he snuggles into bed, he sits up, looks around and assesses the set-up.

"Mummy! That's my office. That's my toys. All my animals. And my CDs!"

Ha! 

What a lucky kid. He gets to use CD's! I always thought he would be a DJ. Now he can pick his own tunes, and feel cool trading the discs out. I love watching him be him. That's the goal in life for us all!

He also got a new basketball hoop from Uncle Matt and Auntie Alex. Man, that kid can shoot! Shot after shot, he just gives it! He doesn't make them all (then we'd have to put it higher!), but he makes enough to stay motivated.

Brady P. He has so many talents that I am so curious to see what he settles into when he really is a man.

He gets a little closer every day.

I hope you have a great day! Thanks for stopping!

Here's to your perfect pumpkin!

Going Places

Hi!

Did I tell you we have a second grader?

Again!

Ha!

He started kindergarten a little early age-wise because he was ready. And he really was! He did great!

But now things are moving a bit faster in class, so everyone decided that this would be his repeat year. When a child with an IEP for a delay starts school early, it's pretty much a given that they will repeat a year. 

This is the one.

And it's perfect! All of the older kids from the past few years are going to Calumet school now, so B is one of the oldest in the school! Quite a different dynamic. Different, but good because change is part of life.

Miss Liz, his personal aide (and magician) said he is doing so well already this year. His output for actual work has really increased. We are so proud!

All the therapists that came to visit so far are thoroughly impressed. I tell ya. This kid isn't going to let anything slow him down.

Neither am I!

He's definitely changing and growing up, and I need to honor that. 

One way we did this was to get us new ride. A "motorcycle!!!"

We call it that because it's more exciting to say than an E-bike, which it is. But it kind of looks like one too!

On our way the first day of school!

We take it to school and to the shores and lakes and wherever we want to go. It gives us so much freedom, and I know he feels so cool on it. He sure is excited to ride it each time. He knows the rules about what to wait for before he can get on and off. And he can crawl up and down by himself!

What a little man. 

When he's on, he makes sure to hang on tight with both hands. That's another rule! He's doing really well. We are both not quite as scared as when we started. That bike is much heavier than I'm used to.

So far we really love our Rad Power Bike. Such a great find to keep us motivated to go places.

Where will you go next?

Best Job in the World

The other day B and I were coming back from throwing rocks at the beach by the bakery.

Like many of our escapades, this one ended up with him riding on my shoulders for the last few blocks home. My almost eight-year-old can ride on my shoulders. That's pretty impressive!

As we passed a row of cabins, a young couple (middle-aged? I don't know!) walked past us.

"Hi!" I said because Brady P taught me to always reach out.

They did not say hi.

But then the woman looked at us and said, "You have the best job in the world."

It took me a minute to figure out what she meant. Because I am a mom? Or... because I am the mother of a little person with an extra chromosome?

Maybe that was it!

Cuz I am Brady P's mom!

I have the best job in the world!!!

I am so lucky!

And, you know what? She is right!

It is the best job in the world.

I have made it my priority to be the best mama I can be, so he can be the best person he can be.

Let me tell you, I wouldn't trade this journey for anything.

It took me too long to register what she may have meant for me to respond to her (I was already home!), but I am curious how she knows that.

Does she have this job too? Does she know someone else with this job? Does she want this job?

I don't know. 

But thank you, lady, for understanding the magnitude of this job, seeing it as something great and sharing that with me.

Do you know who else I would like to thank? All the people who see us in Copper Harbor, recognize us from this blog, and say hello! 

I really don't know if people are reading this, so it's nice to get positive confirmation. A shout out to Heather and Al -- the last people to introduce themselves!

See? We are all connected!

Hello from the best lake in the world!

Gratitude Forevermore

Happy Wednesday!

Things are looking up!  Hooray!

Gratitude is a huge part of having a wonderful life. Then you can have a good life pretty much wherever you are. Because you are grateful for what you already have.

That's a blessing right there, my friend.

An attitude of positivity combined with fortitude is also quite helpful. Sit in the driver seat of your life. Make your own decisions and goals. You have the accelerator, the steering wheel and even the brake.

You can change your mind.

When you listen to your body, heart and soul, this happens a lot.

It's okay to change your mind.

Only you know the truth in yourself. 

Seek it.

Pay attention.

The universe is talking to you everyday!

Okay, there's my little motivational speech for you. Thanks for reading!

Now how about something about Brady P?

I love that he is growing into such an amazing young man. I love that he is becoming such a good helper. He is definitely his spirited individual self, but I supposed that's better than the alternative.

He just keeps me and all his support team on our toes.

He says hello!

And life is good.

If you are grateful, then life is great!

The inner magic of a zinnia flower

I've been meaning to tell you that the platform I use to write to you no longer sends an email when I post, so you might have to click here every couple weeks to look for something new.

Cheers to a wonderful day!

Shop til You Drop

Monday we had to go to town for B's annual eye exam.

It can take an hour to get to town from here depending on summer traffic (not busy, but slow!), so I decided to check out a couple hours ahead of time and lollygag.

We took M-26, the lakeshore drive. And yes, all the cars ahead were quite slow, but we were not in a rush!

It was lovely as Lake Superior's water sparkled and reflected the blue sky. Ahhhhh.

We grabbed some lunch and dawdled around. I also had to grab two food items, so we went to the local grocery store. Brady said, "I'll push the cart!"

Good, I thought. That will keep the boy on a mission!

But with only two items on my list (I still made a list), I grabbed a "basket" instead of a cart. This basket, however, was on wheels with a pull handle, and it was almost as tall as he was!

I pulled the handle out and announced, "Here you go! You can pull this!"

"Ooh!" he chirped. 

Aaaaand off he went with a red basket rolling behind him.

He stopped instantly for a pack of Bubly in a new color of box. "Mummy, let's get this one!"

"Okay, that looks fun!"

Then he proceeded to stop every few yards to try to put another unnecessary item in the cart.

"Ummm, no, Braeds. We don't need that."

But he did find a few other acceptable items: bananas, sweet potato, watermelon. He also tried shoving a box of ice cream cones in there several times, but I had to keep reminding him that he can't eat ice cream like that, so we didn't need them.

By the time we got to the end of the store where I found the things that were actually on my list, the basket was pretty full!

After I added eggs and yogurt to the mix, he decided to swing that rolling cornucopia up and down every aisle saying, "Just one more thing."

That kid.

Luckily, we had time to spare, so I just let him use up that youthful energy. I kept laughing under my breath and shaking my head in wonder and amazement.

I love watching him take charge in another environment. It's so meaningful to observe what he does. And it's pretty fun to follow him around and see what decisions he makes (while nixing his poor ones at my discretion).

He was really good that day. He has become quite the astute and pleasant traveler. I mean, I actually like to go places with him now! Before it was such a chore. Any new parent knows that.

And he was even super awesome for the eye doctor "to check my eyeballs!" he would say. Ha! What a guy.

A little shift up in his prescription should benefit him.

Now I just have to figure out where else we can go to help empower him!

My little vampire

Where Have You Been?

Hi!

Oh my gosh, I'm here this time!

How many times did you check here since the last post? 

HOW many? 

Jeez. Sorry if I disappointed you.

But let's explore that a bit... were you disappointed? Mad? Sad? Worried? Did you give up on me and you're now reading this in the year 2025?

What's your answer? How did you feel? How did you feel when your expectation was not met over and over again? What were your thoughts as you were trying today?

You don't have to tell me. Just tell yourself, and see how it fits in with the rest of your life. Gotta love a little self-reflection.

Ahhhh. 

Okay. Thanks for that.

The berries are coming out, and the lakes are mostly tolerably swimmable if you hit them on the right day and on the right shore. Ha!

We've had a pretty mild summer so far. Definitely not sweltering like last year. And we've finally been getting rain! It's such a relief to... wait, what? 

Oh, you don't care about the weather?

You are wondering why I didn't write to you for a month?

~Did I just read your mind? I won't tell you what else I know then. Wink.~

I got my second concussion of the year. Yeah, 2022 has been a real bruiser. I wasn't in the bathroom this time. I was on my bike. I smashed my face right into the road and rode on an ambulance to get my forehead sewn up. Oy!

Still not a noble way to end up in the ER, but I guess most of these accidents usually have an embarrassing story. Like, not a cool one. Just... I tipped over and broke my fall with my head... and not a helmet.

See? Not a cool story at all.

But I sure am grateful for the people who were around to save my life! I think I have already thanked them all. If not, THANK YOU!!!

Yup, I'm still alive. 

On Wednesday, July 6th, when I was supposed to be writing to you, I was crawling to the bathroom, drinking as much water as I could and even drinking my food because I could not really chew. Luckily, I could swallow Ibuprofen cuz that's what I had for the pain... and swelling.

The left side of my face was a purple balloon. I will spare you the picture of that. I don't want to gross you out unsolicited. You can't unsee things, you know.

But here is B-man watching the 4th of July Parade 

with his cute little bro!

So yeah, um, I didn't write that day. Or the following couple Wednesdays. But, I'm alive! Yay! So grateful! And I can still use all the parts of my body! 

I'm not yet ready for a mountain bike ride or other aerobic activities. They cash me out right away. I also am not really able to do all my office duties without crying that I am a failure. I'm also not really good at learning something new yet.

I need to rest. A lot. It's really taking away from my life. I can't even take B-man out most days because the sun makes me feel like I'm being pressed into the earth by a giant palm. That's annoying.

I have already done too much and then regressed big time. It is quite frustrating. This time around has been harder to recover from than the first head smash, but at least I have a little practice of how it might go.

I have a ways to go yet. Oy!

But I'll get there. As always... I will prevail!!!

Nice to see you. Is that a new shirt?

Summer Time!

Happy Wednesday!

And happy Summer Solstice!!!

The days get shorter from here, my friend. Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, of course!

I am happy to report that we are doing well. The traffic in town is definitely picking up. That's a blessing for everyone who relies on it!

Brady P likes it too. 

He likes to sit in the front yard and "watch the world go by." I think it's quite mesmerizing for him. He definitely looks entranced each time a camper, Jeep, motorcycle crew, family with a dog -- anything -- goes by.

When we go on our walks, and he sees people walking, he'll say, "Look, Mummy! Friends!"

Then he'll shout "Hi, Mark! Hi, Abby!" even though he doesn't know them. He just makes up a name and calls them by it! Ha ha! My little hoot.

If we happen to walk alongside other people, he will often ask, "What's your name?" 

I love it.

He definitely knows that we are all connected. I love how I am able to adapt that philosophy myself... learning from him, of course. It takes way less energy to make up reasons that we should be divided from others.

Simply amazing.

Try it, if you don't already practice that. It's a real life-changer!

Yes, he is our little spreader of love and light. Of acceptance and connectedness. Of more than I ever thought was possible in this world.

This is quite the journey we are on. Thanks for coming with us! Our best to you!!!

And if you are up on any given Thursday, we have our Performances in the Park running again for the 2022 season!

Healing Power

Another thing that is precious about Brady P is his appreciation and ambition for healing people.

Maybe I have mentioned this before. 

If you get a booboo of any kind, or even mention that you are not feeling good, he stops what he is doing and gets attentive.

"Oh, you're not feeling well?" he'll ask with the utmost concern.

If you are bleeding, he will get you a bandage. He will dote on your owie, kiss it and tell you it's going to be okay while he pats your head.

If your head hurts or you are sick, he will take your hand, pull you to the couch, say, "now, lay down" then cover you up with all the blankets he can find. Then he will bring you your drink (whatever it may be) and find a cherry tomato for you to eat.

"Here is your tomato! Eat it!"

He might also take your temperature for whatever is ailing you.

He gets this overall personality change when he gets in this mode. His voice is so sweet, positive and reassuring. Suddenly his focus is all about the "sick" person. He takes charge.

It is so precious to watch him do this. Usually I am his patient, but I have seen it with others, and I just let him do his thing. 

Sometimes that attention promotes the best healing of all.

The Squirrel Story

Hey!

Today I would like to share the squirrel story with you. 

This past spring Brady P and I took the trail behind our house for a little walk. Upon cresting a short hill, I saw a dead red squirrel lying right in our trajectory.

There was no way he wouldn't see it, so I decided to announce it.

Usually when we see a dead squirrel it is smashed with its guts hanging out on the road or something gruesome -- a perfect example to give for why we look before we cross the road.

But this little guy must have gotten poisoned or something because he looked like he was just napping... in a rigor mortis position.

"Oh!" I started. "Oh no! Brady. This squirrel! He's dead!"

"He's dead?" B answered.

"Yes. He died. He's not moving."

Now, I don't know if the stuffed-animal-like appearance of this particular red squirrel made him question my diagnosis, but it could be part of it. I do know that if any living person has a booboo of any sort, he is quick to aid and sympathize.

He is made of love.

I was ready to move on, so I took a couple steps ahead on our path. Brady P was not ready. 

He crouched down in his little stance and spoke quietly to the squirrel. When I think back to that moment, he might have even put his hand above the squirrel in a reverent manner.

What he said was inaudible to me, but the way he crouched there made me envision him as a priest giving the rite of passage to this stiff little animal.

I was instantly blown away by this.

A moment later, he stood up and confirmed, "Mummy, he's dead." 

He touched my hand and said, "It's okay."

Then he lead the charge, and we walked on.

We have talked about death before, and I inform him when someone he knows dies. "They died?" He usually asks, leaving me wonder what he thinks death means.

But after that experience the squirrel, I have a feeling he understands. 

Maybe even more than I do.

Pay attention, my friend. Life is sweet if you look for the sweetness.

A sweet moment we often share

Lake Lesson

Hey!

I miss you.

I sure hope you are doing well!

But, you know what? I'm learning, alright. I hope you are too. And I can help you learn from my mistakes, if that's okay. Some people learn best by reading, some by doing, some by taking notes, etc. I learn best by making mistakes. 

Ha!

You might remember that I've been quite busy lately. I mean, that's why I scarcely get to this computer to write you your weekly love note. 

It's not you. It's me. Wink.

So I've been busy, alright, and some things have been falling by the wayside as they say. I don't like that feeling.

Life ebbs and flows, however, and we just need to roll with it. But there are some things, like those good things that we do for ourselves to keep us sane and at peak performance that often get left on the side of the road.

Hint: try not to do that.

Starting in April of 2022, I decided to start doing cold water immersion.  Some people sit in ice baths up to their neck for as long as they can stand it. Some people take cold showers.

I have this large and lovely just-above-freezing body of water right down the road. 

I chose the lake.

Her Majesty, Lake Superior, that is!

My first try was 17 seconds in that beautiful frigid beast up to my neck. I made it 48 seconds the second time. Then I surpassed a whole minute!

I was trying to go in once or twice a week because it made me feel sooooooo good... after I got out and warmed up, of course! Let there be no doubt that lake is cold. I brought a thermometer in one time, and when I pulled it out, the mercury was at 33 degrees F.

Coming back to an icy shore

My point is that I was making this wonderfully exhilarating event part of my weekly routine. I was feeling sharp, full of energy and full of life.

Then I got "busy."

Wah waaaaaah.

I was doing all the things I mentioned in my last post plus all the other parts of life that I don't need to bore you with. We all have life to deal with. 

And we should be so lucky.

But let's learn and get it right, okay?

So after a month and a half of busyness taking over my "me time," (that's right, I didn't go in for 6 weeks!) I decided to go back into the lake. Just last week.

I was alone, and I had no towel, but I worked with what I had. I could absolutely feel that I had to get in there. I couldn't take it anymore!!!

So I went in for about 30 seconds at my favorite beach.

As I emerged, the sun warmed the beach rocks just enough, so I could warm myself.

Once I got to shore and felt humanness return, I sat in the rocks and then -- well, let me tell you what my journal says for that day.

    Then I sobbed.

    Sobbed and sobbed.

    "I missed you!" I cried to Her Majesty. (Repeatedly)

    "I needed that." I wailed. (Repeatedly)

    I came out and felt like a totally stripped down version of myself.

    I was not a mom. Or a deputy clerk. Or a girlfriend. Or a mountain bike coach. Or anything.

    I. Just. Was.

Yeah... I needed that!

And all the stress I had been feeling was rinsed away because I realized that I was putting it all on myself to be all those things in such a capacity that I was over-extending me.

Does this sound like anyone you know? Do you do this? How do you real yourself back in when you do?

More often than not we commit to more than we can handle. There are so many facets to life, and, in a way, it's fulfilling to be a part of as much as we can. But we must remember to always take care of ourselves or we'll have nothing left for other people, other jobs, other passions and other hobbies.

Whether this resonates with you or not, I thought it was worth sharing.

And, hey, if you ever want to try cold water immersion, I know a great place to go!

Busy Spring

Hey! I know I've been scarce lately. I sure hope you are doing well!

Here are my excuses.

Besides having an inflated amount of work and responsibility at the township office, B and I have been traveling a lot this spring. Like... almost every weekend. And we still have a couple trips left!

Luckily, it's mostly fun stuff. We went to Arkansas, so B could visit his dad and their family (and I could ride my bike and suntan!). I went to Wisconsin to take a rad mountain bike clinic with Brooks Adventures to learn how to jump and drop better. Then I had to buy some ramps for my own yard! Siiiiiiiiick!!!

Soon I will go to Grand Marais, MN (such a beautiful place!) to renew my Wilderness First Aid certification. Then right after that, B and I go to the Soo Locks, Tahquamenon Falls and a Pictured Rocks boat tour for a school trip. So fun!

So, really, all good things. 

Then once June hits, we can be here way a lot. I'm excited for that! 

I am pleased to say that little man has become quite a good traveler. He hands me things when he's done (an empty snack bag, his water, his iPad) instead of throwing it to the back of the van making it impossible to retrieve until we stop, and we are not stopping this van!!! Ha!

He also finds a lot of pleasure in looking out the window at the world. It's really cool to see. And if I put his window down a bit, well, you'd think he was riding a horse as he woohoos and yays back there. Such a hoot, that little man.

Though we are super busy, we are well.

My anxieties of taking him places with me are dwindling. He is usually such a good kid! He likes to push the cart when we grocery shop, which makes him feel purposeful (and keeps him right next to me).

He is such a charmer to all the people we see. Man, that aspect about him just boosts my soul! He is such a gift.

And now that nearly all the snow has melted, we get out to throw rocks. Woohoo! That is Mom's break time. Ahhh, time to bask in the sun (or hide from the wind) and listen to the splashing, plunking and gulping of B's rocks in the lake.

Hello spring. For real, this time!

My little caster!

Ketchup

Hey! Sorry to leave you hanging. I just need to catch up on the rest of life. 

Here is a picture of Braeden on our latest trip. He is learning how to drive a tractor!

Take care!

The “New” MacDonald