2011 Year in Review

Photo: View from Vivenda Miranda, our honeymoon resort in Lagos, Portugal

This year was the year of the perfect wedding, seeing more west coasts (Oregon, California, Portugal), throwing out my TV, visiting Kansas City five times, meeting with 12 Members of Congress, and it all seeming like a blur because I'm traveling in this giant orb of contentment after a big-event, life-changing year.


Below I have listed some highlights, which doesn't include many wonderful moments. Would be too hard to choose a "favorites" list from the wedding.

Photo: Harley ride with Tom's Dad in New Ulm, Minnesota

FIRSTS (other than the wedding):

• Helicopter ride: over the redwoods in California
• Harley ride: with Tom's Dad in New Ulm, Minnesota
• Grotto boat tour: sailed to above-water ocean caves in Portugal
• Debt ceiling crisis: it was the year of many, many threats of government shutdowns
• Earthquake: August 2011
• Hurricane: Hurricane Irene, same week as the earthquake

Photo: Rogue Wild and Scenic River, near Grants Pass, Oregon

FAVORITES

• River: Rogue Wild & Scenic River, Oregon. Took exciting jetboat tour through canyon
• Park: Jedidiah State Park, California. Dirt roads carving through hills canopied by giant redwoods
• Campout: Bachelorette party campout in Colorado mountains near Fairplay
  
• Drink: The port of Portugal
  
• Book: Cleopatra: A Life. Fascinating life. Woman of incredible power and leadership. At 11 years old, married her younger brother. Had Children with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.
• Movie: Midnight in Paris
  
• Podcasts: Slate Political Gabfest, Dave Ramsey, NPR Planet Money
• Mundane new thing: not having to label my items in the refrigerator because I no longer have roommates
  
• Person who didn't walk down the aisle for my wedding: Paul Cotter. Tough job for a two-year-old. Paul, someday your aisle walk will come

Photo: button flowers, made out of my great-grandmother's buttons

OTHER

• Reading: Started the year reading a book about Theodore Roosevelt and ended the year with another TR book: Wilderness Warrior and Colonel Roosevelt
• Art: drew a save-the-date card, made hundreds of button flowers, painted a moose, designed tea boxes
• Biking: mountain biked on the Appalachian Trail (they allow this in Damascus, VA), toured Gilchrist State Forest area in southern Oregon via mountain bike (best work day of the year)
  

GOALS FOR 2012: more cooking, camping, crafting.

Photo: mandatory photo of Tom as a boat captain to sum up 2011

Update: Smokey the Bear Keeps His Job

Update: Smokey the Bear will keep his job, after his threatened funding cut this week. Yay!

Dear Photograph

Photo from "Dear Photograph" website.

Caption: "Dear Photograph, I was once as skinny as my clarinet. These days I should be playing a tuba. - Eric"

I am a fan of the "Dear Photograph" site, where people match up old photos with the current surroundings and write a short caption. Check it out at this link.

Photo from "Dear Photograph" website.

Caption: "Dear Photograph, Remember when you had to come home when the street light came on? Where are the good old days when the neighborhood was full of kids outside playing tag, hide ‘n seek and wiffle ball? Those were kick the can fun times! - Linda"

Giant Wreath

Photo: Christmas at Union Station, Washington, D.C.

Smokey Might Lose His Job

"Only Congress Can Prevent Smokey Bear's Death by Budget Cuts"

is the headline for National Wildlife Refuge's (NWF) coverage that Congressional cuts to environmental education may lead to Smokey losing his job. Very sad.

The NWF site states "The U.S. Forest Service’s conservation education programs include efforts to get kids outdoors, healthy and connecting with the natural world. Do we really want to say farewell to Smokey Bear at a time in our nation’s history where kids spend less time outdoors than any generation in human history?"

Link to full story here.