Bear Spray Deposit

As I was entering the Cody/Yellowstone airport the other day, I saw a large wooden box. I found the words printed on the side of this box to be unusual….”BEAR SPRAY DEPOSIT”.  I’ve been fortunate to enter many airports in my day, but was the first time that I saw a Bear Spray Deposit Box.

Bears are serious business in the Yellowstone area. There are places outside of Cody where parents wait with their children at school bus stops to protect them from grizzlies. In fact, the playground at the Wapati elementary school is surrounded by a 10 foot heavily wired fence. I’ve seen prison yards with less fencing. However, in this case, the fence is not to keep the children from escaping but to provide protection from the grizzlies.

So if one is roaming the mountainsides of Yellowstone country, carrying a can of bear spray makes sense. However, the FAA is there to remind folks that there are no grizzles allowed on passenger planes and therefore, carrying bear spray is no longer necessary.

The Bear Spray Deposit Box was a reminder of another question that I will ask myself….”What do I need to discard?”  This is not my favorite question. You see, I really like to hold on to things. Lots of things. Many way past their expiration dates. Way past their usefulness. This applies to both things and to thoughts.

I have been systematically going through my house and tossing or donating things that I no longer need (or maybe never did need). This includes clothes, extra bicycles, craft supplies, obsolete electronics. Lots of stuff. As I have reduced the clutter of my physical surroundings, I have noticed that it has been easier to relax in my home. What a concept!

I have also been on a journey to discard old thoughts that are no longer necessary (and maybe never were necessary). Thoughts like “I am not good enough” and “What will people think?” These thoughts are as useful as bear spray in my Chicago suburb. Discarding such thoughts has made it easier to relax in myself. An even better concept!

So, my Faithful Readers, I invite you to see what things and thoughts you might discard. I invite you to ditch the bear spray.

Quilting in Cody

Each day I ask myself: "Am I creatively involved?"

I thrive best when I am creative. That's just the way it is. I experience joy in quilting. I love the creative process of design saturated in color. And the end product is useful. How cool is that!

Last weekend I attended a Quilting Retreat in Cody, Wyoming. This retreat was hosted by Vicki Mollett, owner of Friends & Company Quilt Shop. Eighteen avid quilters spent the weekend in a banquet room at The Cody, a lovely hotel. We set up our sewing machines and cut fabric, stitched miles of seams and produced all sorts of bed quilts, table runners, handbags and wall hangings. It was such a fun and relaxing time of sewing, snacking and great conversation. Yep - there' was a whole bunch of creativity going on.

I like to stock up on fabric at the Friends & Company Quilt Shop, my favorite quilt shop. It's located in Cody, Wyoming. Vicki does a super job stocking the store with a vast array of fabric - from batiks to western designs and everything in between. I stand along side a row of bolts of fabric and lose myself in a rush of creative possibilities.Vicki has created a gracious and hospitable environment - one enters the shop as a customer and leaves as a friend. It is well worth a visit. Check it out at www.friendsandco.net  

Friends and Company Quilt Shop in Cody, Wyoming

The shop is well lit with an incredible variety of fabric and goods.

There is an outstanding batik section.



Vicki Mollett



Marquerite showing our work during the retreat's Saturday night Show and Tell.

Sewing at retreat.

By the Greybull River

There’s a question that I ask myself every morning – “Do I feel refreshed and rested?”  This is how I ascertain if I am allowing enough time for sleep and to determine if there are lurking stressful thoughts that are diminishing my rest.

Sleep is a critical step in the regeneration of energy, but I also take energy “refreshment breaks” throughout the day. One of my favorite refreshment break is to take short walks in the morning where I can feast my senses on the natural surroundings. 

This past Monday morning I took my two Westie buddies, Duffy and Angus, on a walk by the Greybull River in Greybull, Wyoming. I love the golden leaves, the flowing water, the sun just about to peak over the rock bluff on the other side of the river, the voices of the elementary school children in the playground prior to the start of their school day, the whistle of the nearby trains, the feel of a slight breeze indicating the start of a fine autumn day.

Ahhh…. A deep breath of gratitude and joy…… Refreshed!

 

Looking north along the Greybull River. The Big Horn Mountains are in the distance.

Looking south by the river walk.

Duffy and Angus

End of Refreshment Break. Time for naps.