Icelandic Honeymoon

Connie had talked about going to Iceland for the Northern Lights way back in March. I was hesitant because I wanted to go somewhere warm. Then we decided to get married in September, and Iceland seemed like a more appropriate destination for a honeymoon than say Texas or Florida. I was also worried about a long flight because we only had 7 days of vacation. I learned flights were nonstop from Chicago. I was all on board after that. I am so thankful I got on board, as it was a trip of a lifetime and definitely Honeymoon-worthy! Not knowing a lot about Iceland, we booked a guided tour with Gate 1 and the ball got rolling.

This is from the top of a volcano center we visited. The volcano in this view is Eyjafjallajokull. It erupted and made big news in 2010. The volcano that is active now is Fagradalsfjall.

A few weeks before our trip, a volcano in Iceland was acting up and threatening to erupt. They evacuated a small town on the southern coast, and we all held our breaths. We followed the news up until a week before and it seemed we were a go. Iceland is no stranger to volcanoes, but certain eruptions in certain places can threaten travel. We were cleared to travel and boarded our flight on Dec. 4, 2023.

We were greeted at the airport by a guide and taken to a small brewpub for breakfast with the other people on our tour. After breakfast and introductions, we did a small driving tour around Reykjavik and stopped at a historically famous church named Hallgrimskirkja. We then went to The Perlan Museum where we learned a little about Iceland and got a 360-degree view of Reykjavik courtesy of its observation tower. 

Such a beautiful view from the observation tower at Perlan Museum

After the Museum we drove towards our hotel in the middle of nowhere. We stayed at Hotel Hella for two nights. There is no light pollution there because it is in the boonies! We had a meet and greet dinner with our fellow travelers. Then we went to bed around 9pm. We were exhausted. But don't worry, the hotel has a wake-up call for everyone whenever the Northern Lights become active. Sure enough, at 11pm our phone rang. We rubbed out the sleep in our eyes, got dressed, grabbed our cameras, and headed out. We were NOT disappointed either. We were treated to 2 full hours of dancing green lights in the sky. It was truly a magical feeling to watch the Northern Lights, and even more magical to witness them with my beautiful wife on our Honeymoon!

One of my favorites from the first night.

Another good one from the first night. I love how the light shoots up to the Big Dipper!

The next morning, we took a drive towards the southern coast, out to the town of Vik. Along the way we stopped to do some sightseeing, viewing a couple of great waterfalls. We stopped at The Lava Center and saw some interesting exhibits on the history of volcanoes in Iceland. The real treat, for us anyway, was the Black Sandy Beach in Vik. It was utterly surreal and unique! Winds were gusting up to 50mph, but that did not deter us from walking out to the beach and cliffsides. It actually enhanced the experience for us! It did make it a little dangerous for some of the folks who had mobility issues, and that was unfortunate. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

This is such a fun photo of Connie. Notice the snow blowing in behind her! Incredible!

This might be my favorite photo from the whole trip. Connie took this of me while I was trying to get up out of the shallow "bunker" in the sand. The snow was coming in sideways!

After spending a little time around Vik, we headed back towards our hotel in Hella for a second night of Northern Lights. Along the way, we saw some beautiful farmland on the coast and another waterfall. We packed as much as we could in the 5 hours of daylight we had :0). The sun rose around 1030 and set around 3pm in December. Of course, it was all worth it to see the Lights as much as we did. Once again, we got our wake-up call when the lights were active, and out we went!

I like how the lights randomly shoot up into the sky

They "dance" along the horizon

The next day we checked out of Hella and drove to The Golden Circle. It is a uniquely scenic part of Iceland that is vastly different depending on the time of year. During the winter months, there are fewer hiking opportunities, but the scenery is indescribable with the frozen tundra, geysers, and roaring waterfalls. We also stopped at an Organic Tomato Farm, which was fascinating. Iceland imports almost all of its foods except fish. But this tomato farm harvests 2000 tomatoes a day for sale throughout the country. They are all grown inside an elaborate Greenhouse. We were also treated to a delicious lunch of tomato soup and some amazing homemade breads! It was quite the experience, to say the least.

Geyser at sunrise

Gullfoss Waterfall in the Golden Circle

Organic Tomato Farm

! 

The bread was to die for!

Our 3rd night we spent in downtown Reykjavik. We walked around a bit and had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. After dinner, we had a guided Northern Lights tour. Basically, our guide drove us out to the edge of The Golden Circle, away from the city lights. He found a small parking lot and we all got out to set up tripods and such. Within a few minutes, the lights were dancing all over! We spent an hour and a half just enjoying the display before we headed back to our hotel to sleep. All 3 nights were spectacular, but the last night seemed extra special to me. Maybe because it was our last night? Maybe because we were in The Golden Circle? Who knows, but I do know Connie and I thoroughly enjoyed them all!

The Big Dipper was really prominent!

For this one I played around a little and made a Fisheye effect 

"Beam me up Scottie"

Two Happy Honeymooners!!!

The final photo of the night.

On the final day in Iceland, we were supposed to go to The Blue Lagoon. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the threat of volcanic activity. Luckily, our tour guide had another option for us. It was a smaller, more quaint Hot Springs just north of Reykjavik. It was called Hvammsvik and we loved it. We probably enjoyed it better than we would have The Blue Lagoon. We always enjoy the smaller out of the way places better and this one did not disappoint. 

The view was spectacular! Notice the small "Hot Tubs" near the water and to the left. 

After the Hot Springs, we had free time to do whatever we wanted. We lounged at the Hotel Beer Garden and then walked around the city a little before grabbing dinner. The trip was only 4 full days, but we were thoroughly tuckered out and ready to come home. I am so glad I made this another LILI moment in life and followed Connie's suggestion. It is a trip we will never forget! May you all have such a trip in your lifetime!

                            Now Go Out and Hug Someone!!!

Live It Like Improv 2023

The lily is a beautiful flower. Life is beautiful also. 

This year's theme is Live It Like Improv, or as I like to refer to it... Lili.  Lili is such a beautiful name and flower, no matter how it is spelled. When I say Live It Like Improv, the "it" is life. I have always tried to live my life like Improv, and I encourage everyone out there to do the same. Honestly, life is all Improv anyway. It is the ultimate Improv skit don't you think? But allow me to further explain what I mean. 

The first rule of Improv is to say "Yes" to everything, followed by "and...". In other words, if someone suggests something to you in a skit, you should say yes and add your own input to it. An example in Improv would be... your partner in the scene will say something like "You should donate all your clothes to charity"... and you respond with "Yes! And I should buy a whole new snazzy wardrobe for myself". That can set a hilarious scene of you and your partner going shopping together and trying on a bunch of fun clothes. In life, an example might be... your partner says, "You should change careers"... and you say "Yes, I will become a professional shopper!" Or whatever else you come up with. 

Of course, those are fun and silly examples. Some suggestions may be bad ones, and by no means do I suggest you do something illegal or mean in life. What I do believe is that if someone suggests something, your first reaction or thought should be a positive one. That does not mean saying Yes to everything, just have a positive thought or reaction to whatever is suggested.  Saying Yes is positive, and a good start a lot of the time I believe. Then put your own spin on it. This can lead to a lot of great, fun, and interesting opportunities in your life that you may not have had if you said no. Here are some examples from my life, just to give you more of an idea of what I mean.

At 22 I was living with my mom. I worked in a bowling alley and at Taco Bell to pay my way in life. I had no thoughts of going to college or changing my life. At the time, I felt happy and was OK with all of my choices. Then a friend said, "I am going to go to nursing school, do you want to go with me?". I honestly didn't give it much thought, and I said sure. I gave very little thought to what it truly meant or how it would change my life. Rest assured; it totally changed my life for the good in so many ways! My first response was positive, and as I got into my career, I kept adding more to it with my own input. First, I decided to do travel nursing. This positive response led me to working at summer camps for Easter Seals. Easter Seals led me to clowning, which led me to Russia and Maria's Children, and so on. All of these experiences in my life are invaluable to me, and I truly can't imagine what my life would be like if I had said "No" to nursing school. I certainly don't want to go back in time to try and find out either. I love my life, and that is mostly due to the fact that a LONG LONG time ago, my first response to a suggestion was "Yes"... "And"... just like in Improv. 

I am not so naïve to think my life is perfect, or any life would be perfect. However, my life is a great and happy life with the positive choices I have made to the suggestions that were presented to me.  Even camp and Russia were not my idea, but suggestions from people I know. I said yes and ran with it. I am so much happier because of it. 

I am also not so naïve to think "Yes" is the right answer to everything. Of course, we should say "No" to a lot of things... Say No to drugs, Say No to violence, Say No to karaoke... OK, maybe we can say yes to karaoke, Ha. The point of this is to think positively about whatever is ahead of you and whatever you decide to do. This will involve listening to others closely and listening to yourself and your heart. It will lead you on the right path, and I believe it should be a path of positivity! Do you agree?

So, that is the meaning of LILI in a nutshell. If you agree, I would love to hear about it. If you disagree, I would love to hear about it. And if you have examples from your own life, I would love to hear about them! Comment below if you can, or email me at

                                cheepski@gmail.com 

As for other news in my life. The bed and breakfast is going well. We work hard, long hours in the summer, with a reprieve of sorts in the winter. We enjoy the people, projects, work, and benefits that come our way from all of it. By the way, owning a bed and breakfast is another example of LILI in my life. It wasn't my idea, but I said "Yes"... "and"... And it is leading me to some amazing, fun experiences along the way. Coincidentally, I will say "Yes" to almost any suggestion Connie or Katie make. 

In March, Connie and I went to Costa Rica with Connie's sister and brother-in-law. We had so much fun and learned quite a bit along the way as well. We ate delicious food, met some fun and interesting people, and saw some great birds, wildlife, and topography! Connie really wanted to see toucans, and we did! I really wanted to see a sloth, and we did! We both love birds, and we saw so many fascinating, beautiful birds along the way as well. Plus we saw monkeys, a Jesus Christ lizard (named so because it can run on water), and more. We highly recommend Costa Rica for a vacation destination... or even a retirement destination! 

A sloth we saw climbing through the trees

Toucans we saw in the tree at one of our resorts. They also flew over us! 

My favorite surprise bird in Costa Rica. The Blue-Crowned Motmot

Unbelievably, Costa Rica is an example of LILI. Connie's sister told us they were going and asked if we wanted to join them. Our initial response was not necessarily positive, but not negative either. We weren't sure we could both get off work at the same time to go. Eventually, we figured out it would work and so we said "Yes" and... I am so glad we did! 

Mitch and Sandy signed up for a guided tour, which we had never done. They had done one in Europe, so we trusted their suggestion and said "Yes" and... This was another example of LILI. We went with it and we had more fun than we probably would have on our own. Our tour guide was incredible, and so smart. We learned so much about the history of Costa Rica, and the history Costa Rica has with the United States. He taught us about a lot of the plants, the ecosystems, and the wildlife of the area.  We also did things we might not have done without the guided tour. We went to a local brewery, a coffee plantation, zip lining with a Tarzan Swing at the end, Hot Springs near the volcano, a riverboat tour, and much more. On the riverboat trip, we saw monkeys and our guide spotted a Great Potoo! This is a fascinating bird that we probably wouldn't have seen without the guide. Plus all of our transportation was provided, which was a nice perk that also allowed us to gawk at the scenery without having to navigate it. These perks were all a result of Living It Like Improv! 

The Great Potoo is nestled in the "fork" of the tree. We NEVER would have seen it on our own. 

In May, Connie and I took a weekend off and drove up north. We took both dogs and rented a small place to have to ourselves. We got to really relax and enjoy the outdoors with the dogs with no thoughts of the business. It was a much-needed getaway before the busy summer season. Northern Wisconsin has some beautiful spots to walk around.

In June, I went to Ohio to watch my nephew graduate from high school. This is the beauty of having a set work schedule at the hospital. He walked on a Wednesday, so I was able to drive down on Tuesday, stay a couple of days, and drive back on Thursday. Just in time to help with the B&B some and work my weekend schedule. It was such a lovely trip, as I got to spend a little time with some great friends. I also go to spend a lot of quality time with Nathan. We spent a whole day just hanging out, walking through Carillon Historical Park and Gardens, and taking photos together. It was truly a highlight of my year. 

I upgraded my camera after that trip, to a Nikon D7500. It takes some great photos! The first week I got some incredible bird photos, along with some scenery. I am looking forward to using it in Iceland for the Northern Lights, among other things. 

One of my favorite non-bird photos with my new camera.

My absolute best photo of the summer with my new camera.

A "smiling" dragonfly. Or it could be a damselfly? I never know which is which. 

The summer was filled with the usual B&B stuff with a few days here and there to rest. As much as I enjoyed the summer, September was definitely my best and favorite month this year. That is the month Connie and I got married! It was a wonderfully, perfect day for us. It was a casual day of spending time with Judy, Sandy, Katie, and each other. We had a nice lunch, a quick ceremony at the courthouse, and then a quiet evening at home. We did go see an awful movie before relaxing at home for the evening. We saw "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3". We both loved the first one, didn't see the second one, but were interested to see the 3rd. Even though it was not funny at all, it still seemed fitting to go see a movie about a wedding on our wedding day. And we laughed a lot! Not at the movie, but at the absurdity of it. So, in a way, it was a funny movie, I guess.

Mr. and Mrs. on our front porch

Cheers! Isn't Connie beautiful? I just love how her eyes sparkle when she smiles!

I do miss my friends in Russia, but I was blessed with a visit from Asya this past October! It was so wonderful to see her and play for a few days. We hiked around Devil's Lake to see the beautiful Fall colors, juggled, and ate some delicious food. It was at least a small taste of what I am missing in Russia, and now I dream even more about going there to see Maria and her other daughters! 

Asya and I taking a rest. 

Asya enjoying the Fall colors

Just this past week we had a couple of free days, so we went to a secluded spot on the Wisconsin River to watch the Sandhill Cranes fly in. Sandhills migrate through Wisconsin in November/December as they head south for a few months. We see thousands of Sandhills all over the fields in our area, but I have never seen them fly to the river. They fly to the river every night and rest on sandbars and islands. This keeps them safe from predators, especially coyotes. To see thousands of cranes fly to the river over a 45-minute period at sunset is something everyone should witness in their lifetime. That is my humble opinion anyway. AND, the noise is so cool! It was extremely loud and fascinating! I was surprised by the noise actually, and that made the experience that much better. If that wasn't enough, we also saw a gold eagle, 2 bald eagles, and a pileated woodpecker fly directly over our heads! It was such a lovely evening shared with Connie, Katie, and Judy! 

Thousands of Sandhill Cranes fly in at sunset. 

A couple of flyovers.

The Holidays will be filled with family time and walking the dogs, etc. Connie and I are going to Iceland in December to chase northern lights for our Honeymoon! That is if the volcano doesn't blow! So far, it seems like we will be able to travel there! If not, we will say yes to a different opportunity and see where that leads us, so stay tuned. 

Funny enough, Iceland was another LILI moment for me. I wanted to go south and somewhere warm. We were talking about and planning to go to South Texas for a birding trip. It probably would have been fun, and we may do that in the future? Connie had suggested Iceland early in the year before we got married. My first reaction was not a big positive one, to say the least. Yes, seeing northern lights would be fun, but being cold didn't sound like fun. After a little research and finding out that flights were not as bad as I had envisioned; I said yes! It will be our first international trip alone together! That seemed more fitting for a Honeymoon. So, in true (albeit delayed) LILI fashion, I got on board with it.  I couldn't be more excited! This also brings up a good point, that not all LILI moments are immediate. You can have a delayed positive response to make it a LILI moment! I will be posting this blog before we go to Iceland, so if you want to know how the trip was, you will have to email me and ask :0). Or perhaps read a future blog post? 

That is about it from this end for 2023. I would love to hear how your year was and if you have ever had any LILI moments in your life?! So, send me messages to let me know. 

Now Go Out and Hug Your Wife, Husband, or Other Loved One!

For Fun's Sake... The Right to Play, Part 2. (Ash Perrin and The Flying Seagull Project)

 

This is a logo from The Flying Seagull Project. I LOVE IT! We should make coffee mugs with this saying, to remind adults about Fun!

Last week I wrote about my friend Guillaume and The Right to Play. Guillaume returned from Ukraine a couple of weeks ago, and now he is headed to Jordan to continue to enforce The Right to Play with refugees there. He had gone to Jordan in 2013 with a group called The Flying Seagull Project, which was started by Ash Perrin. (Edit correction: Guillaume just informed me, he was in Jordan in 2013 with Patch. He has done several trips with The Flying Seagull Project, just not what I had referred to. I apologize for the misinformation). Guillaume shared an article with me that was written by Ash, and that sent me down a little rabbit hole of sorts. A really fun rabbit hole I might had. Just another way Guillaume enforces The Right to Play... sending ME down fun rabbit holes! With Ash's permission, I am now going to share that article with you along with other videos and information from The Flying Seagull Project. I will be adding my thoughts as well, so I hope you enjoy this trip down my rabbit hole of fun.

Ash and friends performing for refugees in Jordan

Ash and his friends in The Flying Seagull Project work tirelessly to encourage, enforce, and invoke The Right to Play. In his article titled "Play and the art of playful communication" he brings up several important elements of play and some key components on how to utilize those elements. He starts with a simple, yet profound statement on play...

"Play is the indigenous language of the child, and it is the simplest language                                                                  there is!"

I agree wholeheartedly with these words. I will add that we all started as children, so play is also indigenous to adults as well. Adults have just complicated the language a bit with expectations and adult experiences. Some of lost the ability to speak the language, while others are just no fluent in it anymore due to lack of use. However, I believe every adult can re-learn the language of play or at least learn how to utilize play again with some education and the willingness to let go of inhibitions. I say we should do it for our kids' sake AND For Fun's Sake! I like how Ash has simplified it even further by saying...

"The most valuable thing you can ever offer a child is “you”: mistakes, doubts and clumsiness included."

That is what play does in the end. It allows you to offer yourself to a child or another human being for that matter, with mistakes, doubts and clumsiness included! Don't you agree? Well, I will let you read Ash's full article now. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and what you might be doing to help encourage, enforce, and invoke The Right to Play with your kids, neighbors, and beyond!

https://www.theflyingseagullproject.com/2023/09/02/play-and-the-art-of-playful-communication/

The Flying Seagull Project performs anywhere kids are willing to show up.

Below is a link to a 2-minute video that tells what The Flying Seagull Project is all about. It has some inspiring footage in it and is well worth two minutes of your time. I personally love how Ash states...

      "If you are lonely, and someone connects with you...  you are                                                                less lonely."

I would also like to encourage you to pay extra attention to the boy who speaks at 1:13

                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2JGLFruUpA

Day or Night, The Flying Seagull Project wants to play!

I don't want to just bombard you with videos, but this next video is a newer version about the beliefs of The Flying Seagull Project. I whole heartedly agree with what they do and the message they are trying to convey! I especially like how Ash states...

"Play isn't a luxury. It is a part of development. It is a part of life. It's the best part of life. And these children don't just deserve it, they have a right to it". 

He nailed it for my blog. They have a RIGHT to it. Meaning they have A Right to Play!!! So, I encourage you to spend two more minutes watching one more video... and then go out and PLAY, because you too have The Right to Play!!!

                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJU5CET1JJA

Adults encouraging a child in her Right to Play!

Well, hopefully you went out and played a bit after watching that last video. Then you came back to finish reading my blog, right? 😃

Or maybe you trudged on through and read the rest of my blog before you went out to play. Either way, I do hope you got out to play today and encouraged others to do the same! To finish things off, I wanted to close with the last few sentences of Ash's article. You know, the one from the beginning of my blog post... you did read it didn't you? I believe the point he makes with these last few words is... No matter who or where you are... No matter what YOUR circumstances are... YOU can make a difference in encouraging the Right to Play for other people! 

"Whether you are on a distant board somewhere, advising on content for exercise books in schools, or on the front line of social care, remember that you have the ability, and arguably the responsibility, to use the fire and pure energy of your heart to encourage and light the paths of others.

You are the inspirers, the magic-makers, the knowledge-sharers and soul-lifters. Always remember that you can and must make a difference to every life you touch.

Go forward and pour such passion into your work that the world is brighter for it."

Now Go Out and Play... For Fun's Sake!!!

                   Oh, and Go Out and Hug Someone in the Process!!!

The Right To Play

 

Guillaume with a friend in Ukraine

People talk about human rights. The right to free speech. The right to carry arms. The right to medical care. And so on. There is one right that doesn't get talked about very often, and I feel it is every bit as important as all the other human rights. It may be the MOST IMPORTANT! The Right to Play! You read that right, or should I say correctly? No, you read that RIGHT. It is an absolute right of every human on earth, and it is important on so many levels. My friend Guillaume understands this as well as anyone! He recently traveled to Ukraine to help people discover and express that right. Everyone has the right to play. Some people need extra encouragement to invoke that right. Especially people who are affected by war and displacement. The kiddo in this photo lives in a town that is affected by Russia's war on Ukraine. Guillaume, who in many ways considers Russia his second home, has gone to show this kiddo that people do care about him and that he has every right to play in spite of the circumstances that have been forced upon him. Even in horrific times, it can not be said enough... Every human on earth has The Right to Play! Guillaume has posted on FB about his time in Ukraine. He talks about the stories of bombs being heard nearby.  Hiding in a bathroom to stay safe from the missiles. He explains his experience there way better than I can, so feel free to go to his FB post and read for yourself.

                                                    Guillaume Vermette | Facebook

Guillaume with some playful adults

The other thing that can get lost in this, is that the Right to Play is not just for children! Adults have that same right, and they should invoke that right often! If an adult invokes the right, it does several things. One, it shows children they have the right to play, and it helps them express that right! Two, it helps the adult to release some tension that may make them less able to care for themselves and the people around them. Three, it improves brain function and overall health. Those three things are really important in life.

Guillaume as traveled solo many times to refugee camps, orphanages, nursing homes, etc. This time he had a friend, Marie, join him. She understands the importance of The Right To Play as well. 

Just think, these children live in fear every day! Fear of being bombed. Fear of being killed. Fear of their family members being killed. Yet, they have discovered their right to play and are using that right to the best of their abilities! Having 2 clowns join them helps, but hopefully they have learned that play is useful in so many ways. Hopefully they will continue to play when they can and teach others about their rights! 

This man looks like he has seen some shit. But look at that glow in his eyes and that smile! He needs to play!

There are a lot of humanitarian clowns out there who understand this basic right. They are all doing their best to promote that right and spread the laughter and joy. One of my favorite organizations is Clowns Without Borders. They have recently posted a blog series on the Right to Play. You should read these blogs as well, in my opinion. The first of 3 is listed below. After reading this one, just click on next post at the end of their post.

Meet Lively Clowns (and Puppets) Who Defend Kids' Right to Play in Zimbabwe ⋆ Clowns Without Borders USA

One of the main things I really took from reading the posts from Clowns Without Borders was how play actually improves brain function. It enhances your prefrontal cortex, which is critical in complex thinking. Other important aspects of play and what it does for us and our children are listed below. Play does all of the following bullet points...

• Treats failure as a right, and shows that it’s necessary for learning
• Strips away social roles and norms
• Exposes the audience to their self, free from normative social roles
• Increases self-awareness
• Acts as an interlude from real life
• Encourages a sense of community
• Facilitates relief of stress and anxiety 
• Provides human connection
• Gives people lasting memories of joy

One of the greatest thing that play does is, it teaches kids how to handle stress and problem solve in a fun, safe environment. This way they are better able to problem solve during a time of crisis or stress! Also, the OHCHR recognizes the child's right to play. See below.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Recognizes Children’s Right to Play in

Article 31 of The Convention on the Rights of the Child

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

We are making strides in protecting and defending the Right to Play for kids of all ages. Let's continue that work and keep spreading the joy and laughter. Are you with me?

      Go Out and Hug Someone Today

     as you express your Right to Play!!!

The "I Love You" game

 

These kids know how to play

If you don't know about Clowns Without Borders, you should. It is a great organization that sends clowns into desecrated areas, mostly refugee camps. The clowns put on shows and play with kids and adults who are affected by war, among other horrible life conditions. I am quite certain they have saved a few lives without even knowing it. I do KNOW they spread a lot of LOVE and LAUGHTER. And as you know, those are two of my favorite things in life. I recently read a blog post from one of the clowns and I thought I should share it. 

                       

                                     https://clownswithoutborders.org/can-you-be-a-clown/

                             

She wrote it in honor of Valentines Day, but it definitely holds true year round. You can definitely Love someone year round, which means you can play the "I Love You" game year round. It seems like a fun game to play with children of all ages as well. I am going to try it. 

The children of Russia will definitely play with me

I can't wait to go to Russia again and play the "I Love You" game with the kids I already know. I am not sure when I will get back to Russia exactly, but the good news is I can play the game with kids here in America! Maybe I will have an opportunity in Costa Rica? You just never know when the timing will be right, so I say always be ready just in case. I encourage you to play this game with your own children, your grandchildren, children of friends. The more children are loved and learn about love from adults, the world will most definitely be a happier and better place! Don't you agree?

                  Now Go Out and Hug The Children Today!!!

Self-Improvement 2022 and beyond

I was recently "chatting" with my nephew Nathan. You know, via text, as the young folk tend to do. Oh yeah, that is how I chat now as well. Maybe I am young? Hmmm, that's food for thought. Did somebody say Food? Now I am hungry. Does anybody want to send me cookies? OK, I got off track there. Anyway, I asked him what was on his mind. His reply surprised me and inspired me! He said, "What's on my mind? Self-Improvement". What a thoughtful, self-aware answer. We all need Self-Improvement for sure. For a 17 year old, who lost his father last year, to be aware of it and acknowledge it is quite astounding to me! I never had thoughts like that when I was 17. I have decided to work on my own Self-Improvement thanks to his reply. 

See, cookies show love AND they are delicious!

Like I said, we all need Self-Improvement, and I certainly am no exception to that rule! So, for the rest of 2022 and all the years to follow, I will do my best to improve myself as much as I can. To help me along the way, I am going to list some things I feel I need to improve upon the most. This way, I can revisit this post and remember what I need to work on. I encourage each of you to make such a list as well. Feel free to share them with me, your other friends, and your family. That way they can help you on  your way. I believe Self-Improvement starts with self, but extends to family and friends to help. Not only do we all need to Self-Improve, but we all need help along the way as well. That is the first thing I will be working on to improve in myself. Asking for help when I need it! In fact, I asked Connie what she thought I needed to improve. She said "You need to stop sighing at me". She sure is funny isn't she? But she also has a point. Sighing at someone is a sign of frustration, but without any real communication. I need to communicate better for sure! So that is something I will work on.  In order to do that, I need to decrease distractions and listen better. Among other things. But first... 

Help! I  need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone, Heeelp. Asking for help is something I need to improve on. Being strong and independent can be great qualities, but asking for help when you are overwhelmed is a great quality as well. I will try to ask others for help when I need it. One thing I have learned is when you allow other people to help you, you are actually helping them feel useful. Most people I know want to be useful. 

Sometimes help is absolutely needed. This seems obvious in certain situations, but less obvious in others. Just don't be afraid to ask for it!

The next thing I am going to work on for improvement is Kindness. Yes, I try to be kind in every situation I am in, but I fail miserably sometimes as well. With the ways of the world right now, I get caught up in media, news, conversations, etc. that encourage negativity and even meanness. I want to change that in myself, and hopefully that encourages others to do the same. I want to get rid of all the stigmas that we see daily with the internet and social media. How can you possibly know someone's true heart if you have never met them in person? I believe it is impossible actually. This includes ALL the people I have never met, but have been told negative things about. I am going to try to speak of everyone kindly as I move forward. Even if I have met them, I can focus on their good qualities. If I disagree with their thoughts and opinions, I can be kind in my disagreement with them. And hopefully it is reciprocated. 

If people can be kind to animals, we can be kind to each other! I will gladly accept a head rub or a hug anytime! :0)

This leads me to my third feature I need to work on. Confrontation/Conflict Resolution. I struggled whether to call this Confrontations or Conflict Resolution? In the end, I think they mostly go hand in hand. If you have a conflict, you should try to resolve it if you can. Whether it is a conflict within yourself or with someone else, do your best to resolve it. Most times this will involve a confrontation of sorts. Confrontation is my biggest fear. I am not sure why that is? I do know it is rooted deeply inside me. It could be a result of genetic makeup or past events, or both? Either way, I know I can do better with it. In my world, I just want everyone to be happy and at peace all the time. This is not necessarily a bad ideology! However, it isn't always practical or right, especially when you have a conflict you should resolve. This leads me to brush off negative thoughts and comments and focus on happier things. It is a defense mechanism that has served me well in some situations. It also serves me poorly in other situations. To resolve some conflicts, you have to be somewhat confrontational. I don't mean I will seek it out and confront people to just be confrontational. What I mean is that I will confront people and ideas I don't agree with and do it with kindness and a purpose. Part of this improvement will be learning when to speak up and when it is OK to just let some things/thoughts be. I want to voice my thoughts to make positive change. This is not something I have always been good at doing. Sometimes I do well, but other times I shrink up. If that makes sense. In doing this, I hope to educate people around me on what I believe is good. I also hope to learn things from other people that think differently from me. 

Confrontation can actually be useful when done right. It does help to resolve conflicts. Connie has taught me this better than anyone, and I still have a lot to learn. She is so good at voicing her thoughts and doing it in an educational, kindhearted way. To me, she is a master at useful confrontation to resolve conflicts. 

Here is a story from my past that really drives home what I am talking about. It is simultaneously one of my most shameful moments and one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed. 

In 2003 I was on a boat in Russia for summer camp with Maria's Children. On the boat we did activities and master classes. One of the classes was on dancing and we were going to perform a dance for the whole boat at the end of the trip. We had this intense dance instructor from America. I am sure she is/was good at what she did, but she didn't always go about it in the proper way. During our rehearsal, one of our kids was struggling to keep up with the pace. This was due to the fact that he had Cerebral Palsy and physically couldn't keep up at the pace she wanted. So, she went over to him and told him he needed to sit this one out. He was smiling and said "OK" and went to sit down. Shamefully I just stood there and watched and did nothing! I figured since he was "smiling", that all was well and everyone was happy and at peace. Luckily, my friend Erica is a lot smarter and stronger than me. She went up to the instructor and in a kind way said "Oh no, Denis is not going to sit this one out. We will adjust however we need to adjust to allow him to keep participating. He is part of this group and will perform with us". That was a paraphrase, since this was 19 years ago. The instructor reluctantly allowed Denis to continue. I am sure it made her "job" harder, but it was the right thing to do. Denis performed wonderfully and we all had such a great time doing our dance. The whole boat, which was full of Russian tourists, loved it as well. This is a time that confrontation served a purpose to help solve a conflict, and served it well!  The fact I remember this 19 years later, you would think this event would have made me be better at useful confrontation. But sadly I need a lot more work!

This photo could be indicative of a useful confrontation. A mother educating her daughter, or a daughter educating her mother.

As I am writing this, I found it interesting that Kindness and Confrontation/Conflict Resolution can actually go hand in hand! This is something I truly didn't consider or fully understand until this exact moment! My Self-Improvement is well on its way, thanks to this blog post! In saying this, I would encourage each of you to share what you feel you need to improve upon. Sometimes we just can't see the forest for the trees. Talking/Writing about it can help you "see" better. Just like right now as I am writing this, I saw a forest of opportunity for interlinking Kindness and Confrontation/Conflict Resolution. I am always open for input from my friends. So please let me know if you feel there is something I can improve on. See, I am already working on my first improvement, Help!

Writing your thoughts down will help you on your journey.

I was chatting with a friend recently. We were talking about the over usage of phones. This has led me to the third thing I will work on improving. I will work on decreasing distractions to live more in the moment. This is something I am fairly good at, but I do allow things to creep in and distract me... mostly my phone and Snapchat. Since I love photography, I use it as a convenient excuse for why I use my phone more than I should. I will try to do better at balancing this out. Balance is the key in a lot of life improvements I believe. Yes, I will still take photos with my phone. I will most likely still use Snapchat. (That is up for debate though). I still think phones can be useful and even fun to a certain degree. For me that fun is photography. However, I can still put it down more often and live more in the moment! I will have to learn to just take more "mental" photos. This should help me to focus more on the people who are important in my life. You know who you are, I hope. :0) Hopefully I will learn to talk more about the photo I was going to take, instead of sharing it from a distance. It is a mild conundrum, as I LOVE seeing photos of other people and their children. My balance will be focused on sharing said photos with people who I might not see anytime soon, especially if they live hundreds of miles away. Distractions can lead to distancing, but I feel that is more relevant to people you are closer to in proximity. Hopefully that makes sense to you all, because it makes sense in my brain. Which is scary I know. I love the following lyrics by Jason Mraz "Living In The Moment".

Living in the moment
Living our life
Easy and breezy
With peace in my mind
With peace in my heart
Peace in my soul
Wherever I'm going, I'm already home
Living in the moment

If I am ever looking at my phone while giving you a hug, wake me up please! 

One thing I would like to point out here is that Self-Improvement is exactly that... SELF IMPROVEment. It doesn't mean you have to be perfect. It just means you should try to improve skills you already have. You know, things you are already good at, but can be better. It is not about trying to do a 180 to make yourself better, or adding a big list of skills you don't already use. It is about making strides forward with the tools you already have, while adding a few other tools to your belt. For instance, I know I am fairly good at being Kind, but there is so much room for improvement. And I am horrific at conflict resolution/confrontation, so I need to keep trying to develop tools to help me be better at that. In the end, all we can do is TRY to improve ourselves without trying to prove anything. And that should make the world a better place overall. Do you agree?

The focus of this blog is Self-Improvement, but there are other things to update everyone on. Ugly Biscuits Bed and Breakfast had a successful first few months! We opened Memorial weekend and were full the first weekend! We had rooms booked almost every night through the summer, and our weekends were pretty much full. It has been a fun, exhausting, and educational experience for sure. We look forward to how the Winter and Spring will go, as we gear up for another busy summer. Along the way, we have found a little time to enjoy friends and family. We have had several friends book with us, and we have really enjoyed hosting them. So, what are YOU waiting for?? Come stay and play with us. We would love to see you this year!

                          

Wouldn't you love to see this sunrise?

Or the Big Dipper like this?

Other things to catch up on... I am still loving my weekend gig at American Family Children's Hospital. Connie is still a nurse at the VA in Madison part time. She really enjoys caring for the veterans. Katie continues to make delicious food for our guests. She is a wiz in the kitchen and has fun with it. She is also looking forward to advancing her education in conservation, working towards a masters degree in the next few years. Louie continues to enjoy walks and long naps at home. Dixie still loves chasing her chuck it balls and eating whenever she gets a chance. They certainly make life fun. 

They love laying in the cool dirt during a hot summer day. I actually recommend it too.

That is about it from here. We look forward to another fun and exciting year. We actually have travel plans in March. We are going to Costa Rica with Mitch and Sandy! It will be our first international trip together, and we are so excited!! We certainly hope you all are doing well and that 2023 is full of all kinds of improvement.... Self, World, Attitude, and any other kinds of improvement you can think of. Take great care of yourselves and the ones around you, send us updates when you find a little time to do so, and let us know when you are ready to book a room or book the whole place! 10% discount if you book the whole place. Ask us how.

           You can google us at Ugly Biscuits Bed and Breakfast

                             Or go directly to our website  

                                  www.uglybiscuitsbnb.com 

Now Go Out and Improve Your Hugging Skills!!!