H.A. Larson's Blog, page 33

Coffee Talk: New Shoes, Finding Balance, and The Write Life

Good morning, friends. It's been a while since we've sat here with a cup of coffee and had a chat. I'm a cream-in-my-coffee kind of person, and this morning my coffee tastes deliciously of coconut. I find that coconut milk from the can - with a bit of sugar, of course - is the perfect complement to a cup of coffee.


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I've been suffering from some lower back pain lately, and it's been affecting my ability to walk and hike. I mean, I still do it but the pain was really bothering me. This pain caused me to take a look at my trusty New Balance walking shoes that I had purchased over the Christmas holiday. While they're comfortable to wear, were they providing enough support? As I've gotten older, I've become fairly flat-footed and I also have pronation of the heels, so wearing shoes with good support for both ailments is something I should be paying attention to...but haven't. 
I looked up my NBs online and discovered that they, indeed, provided no support. I set about, then, looking for a good pair of quality shoes. If I'm going to walk/hike 100 miles a month, then I better have good shoes. I found these cute Ryka shoes on Amazon. I've never heard of them before, but they're made for women and have, not only good support for both my ailments, but great reviews as well. The reviews said to order a half size up, which I did, but I really didn't need to. Fortunately, they fit really well regardless. After just a few days, I noticed my back pain has nearly vanished. Lesson learned! 
Incidentally, I did purchase some good inserts for my NBs so I can still wear them.

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You've read about my struggles recently, trying to make important decisions about my life and trying to wrestle all my obligations into something manageable. Well, I've finally sorted it all out. While I was stressing myself out and stretching myself thin, all I really needed to do was find some balance. I sat down one day, literally, and said to myself, "Okay, what is your role in each of these things, and what should you be doing in these roles?" Once I figured out my roles and what my responsibilities were, it was easy for me to then relinquish a lot of unnecessary baggage and control. I've now been happily able to accomplish all of my tasks because I know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm not going to talk excessively about it today as I'll write up a proper blog post dedicated to the topic in the near future.

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One of the best things about finding balance in my life is that my writing has taken center-stage again. I've been working with gusto on Vanished  - researching & writing - and I'm excited about its progress. The Write Life has been strong in general lately, and I couldn't be more pleased. For once, I have a nice selection of blog posts waiting in the wings, making it easy for me to put out my twice-weekly posts. All this activity is a boost for my psyche as I'm being super-productive, but it also indicates that my creative drive is far from dead. I had a few moments during the first half of the year, where I wondered if I had lost my desire to write. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded as I'm back in the saddle, right where I belong.



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Thanks for sharing a cup of coffee and a chat with me this morning. I always enjoy your presence a lot! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more vacation posts, a recipe of the week, and even a teaser from my upcoming book Vanished ! You won't want to miss it. Also, if you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, you should. Click on the menu bars in the upper left-hand corner for the sign-up link.

Vacation Snapshot: Palisades State Park

One of the places I was fortunate enough to visit during my vacation last month was Palisades State Park. About a thirty-minute drive northeast of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this state park is small but mighty. I had read about and seen pictures of Palisades SP earlier this Spring, and it prompted me to want to visit there. It was on my radar, then, for vacation.
When we were on the second leg of vacation, we were in Iowa visiting family and friends, and my Dad took us all to Sioux Falls for the day where we spent a fun few hours at Falls Park. Afterward, we still had plenty of time to kill so we took the short drive to Palisades. Knowing that it wasn't a big park, I wasn't expecting much more than a bit of pretty scenery. It was more than that though and we all ended up being pleasantly surprised.



There are four hiking trails in Palisades S.P. The first one is Balancing Rock Trail. So named for this large balancing rock, the trail is the second-longest one there at 0.6 miles. It starts at the top of a ridge and makes its way down to Split Rock Creek, which is nearly as large as a river and runs directly through the middle of the park.






South Wall Trail starts over by the playground area and runs along the bottom of the same side as Balancing Rock Trail. In other words, BRT runs on the top of the ridge while SWT runs on the bottom of the ridge, closer to Split Rock Creek. At only 0.4 miles, it's a short trail as well. 






The shortest trail at Palisades is one of the prettiest. Less than a quarter of a mile in length, King and Queen Rock Trail runs along the North wall of the Park and gives one a close-up, impressive view of the two largest quartzite formations at the park: the King and Queen Rocks. This sign along that trail affords a glimpse into the history of the area. Just like Falls Park, the citizens of the area harnessed the power of the creek to power their grain mill.



A majestic view of King and Queen rocks. See their "crowns"? It's how they got their names.



See that set of stairs in the foreground, to the right? Where I stood to take the picture were the steps on the other side. A trail sits between the two set of stairs, but you'd never know it by the amount of water that completely covers it. For the two weeks prior, and during the week of vacation, it rained like it was monsoon season in the Midwest. We needed the rain, don't get me wrong, but flooding was apparent everywhere, and it was evident in Split Rock Creek as well. Every trail at Palisades cut off where the water had risen over the trail, making it nearly impossible to walk along the entire length of any of the trails. We still enjoyed the beautiful scenery all the same.









The last trail in the park, Split Rock Creek Trail, is the longest at 1.5 miles. We walked along it until, yet again, it was impassible due to flooding. We were treated to gorgeous sights all the same, and this is an amazing view of the creek as it flows down, past King and Queen rocks, towards the trail.

This park is a fantastic way to spend a quiet morning or a peaceful afternoon. Provided that the trails aren't flooded over, the park is small and it's easy to move from trail to trail. Overall, you can trek just under 3 miles by taking all four trails. The trails are fairly easy to hike so you wouldn't need any special gear, but I highly suggest taking a book and a small picnic spread to enjoy at some point during your trip. It's just that kind of place.
For more information about the Park, including any costs, trail map, hours of operation, and location, go to their website. 

Healthy Life: 30-Day Challenge

Back in June, I read an article about a guy who gave up alcohol for thirty days. This isn't the first such article I've come across, but it was the first time I found the article interesting enough to consider it. No, there wasn't anything special about this article that made it stand out from any of the others, but I decided that maybe this time I would give it a try.

Several years back, when I first started my journey to a healthy life, I was an almost daily beer drinker. When you're young, this isn't that big of a deal as far as the body is concerned, but as you get older, it starts to take a toll. I was having health issues because of it so I decided that I had better cut back to drinking just a few days a week. I've been pretty good with that for the most part as my life is so busy that I stay sober and "on" during the week, but lately I've begun to notice a shift.

I imagine it's because of all the stress of being involved in too many things in such a short span of time, but I've begun to drink three (and sometimes four) days a week. I definitely don't want to diverge down this path again because I know where it leads: weight gain, painful joints, laziness, and bloating, to name a few.

So, I'm doing a 30-Day Challenge. I'm giving up alcohol for the next 30 days - I'm already nine days into it - and see how I feel afterward.

I'm hoping to see a few positive effects, and to that end, I'm going to keep a log of my progress each week. I'll then share that with you after my month is up.


Wish me luck.

Vacation Snapshot: Falls Park

View of the entire Falls from the top of the Visitor's Center Tower. You can see downtown, the Mill, and the Falls from here.
Recently, I went on vacation and, is my usual custom post-vacation, it's time to start sharing the places I went & the things I did. My husband went back to school full-time last Spring, so the last two family vacations we took, we kept costs in mind. Last year we were fortunate enough to go visit my mom, who lived in Arkansas for a few years, where we were able to stay with her, cook our own meals, and spend abundant time in breathtaking nature.
This year was no different, but not wanting to rack up any credit card debt and be able to have fun with very limited funds (post forthcoming), we headed up north a few hours. We chose Northern Iowa because my Dad and my Mother-in-law (as well as a close friend from high school) live up there. We were in our own town for the weekend then drove North where we stayed with my Dad for a few days and my mother-in-law for a few days, before heading back home in order to fly out to New Orleans for a long weekend (another forthcoming post). 
My Dad and I are both avid hikers and outdoor people, so we did a generous amount of hiking. One day, however, we packed up the whole family to head up to South Dakota where we spent the day going to a few amazing places. One of those places was Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Now, I've been to Sioux Falls a few times, but have never had the opportunity to visit the Falls. It was gorgeous! 


Even though you can't see the Falls moving, you can really tell how powerful it was during our visit.
It rained heavily the week before and during the week of our vacation. So much so that flooding was a common sight all over the countryside. Even though I've never been to the Falls before, I could tell by the amount of water and the sheer force it exerted as it pushed its way down the quartzite, that they were swollen to higher limits. It didn't affect our ability to get up close and check them out, but it did make for a more magnificent sight.



As you meander up the paths next to and around the Falls, you can see all the nooks and crannies contained within.



Like any other such type of water area, it was put to good use back in the old days. Falls of any kind were usually great places to put mills. Mills could harness the water, via gravity, to power the large wheels that made mills work. This mill, the Queen Bee Mill, ground wheat into flour.


A close-up view of the Queen Bee Mill.



This informative sign at the Falls talks about the Mill being an integral part of the Queen City. This refers to Sioux Falls, as it was the Queen City of South Dakota. Queen City is a designation for any town or city that is the largest in its county, state, province, or territory.


This shot shows the remains of an old pipeline that routed the water from the Big Sioux River to the Queen Bee Mill. The remains amount to the concrete stands the pipe rested upon.


This sign explains how the pipeline worked to bring water to the Mill. 


The Falls are a pretty amazing natural structure. Composed of quartzite - a sandstone that is converted to quartzite from the heat and pressure of the movement of tectonic plates - over 7,400 gallons of water rush over the rock every second, although I think it might have been a bit more when we were there, just because of the sheer volumes of rain that had dropped for the entire week prior. It was a pretty place to spend an hour or two, and one can get lunch in the restaurant that is contained within the old mill.
For more information about Falls Park, click here and here.
It was a nice place to visit and I recommend it for anyone traveling through South Dakota. South Dakota is a beautiful state, and I wished we had been able to spend more time there as we had originally planned. Such is life. We still had a great time and got to visit a few places while in the state. Stay tuned for other vacation posts from our visit to South Dakota!
Have a great weekend.

100-Mile Goal

As you've read in a previous post, I'm a walking fool. I've always liked to walk and hike but had never invested myself as much in them until Spring finally arrived towards the end of April. As I reported in June, I walked/hiked a total of 119.01 miles in May. I can now report my June mileage and I clocked in a whopping 97.45 miles! While not as much as June - it was significantly hotter in June - I still made it close to 100 miles. So far in July, I have walked close to 30 miles.

All this walking has been really good for me. I feel nimbler, stronger, and healthier. Combined with watching how much I eat, I've lost weight. It's also been a great mood lifter as well and it gives me some personal time to work out things in my mind. I've decided, then, that walking and/or hiking 100 miles every month is completely doable. I'm not sure how that will look going into Winter, but I figure that I can always get a cheaper gym membership to get me through.

Walking, in general, is one of the easiest things anyone can do to get in better physical health. All one needs is a pair of comfortable shoes. People who walk can lose weight, but even if they don't lose weight, there are still plenty of benefits. Regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and even some cancers. For more information about the healthful impacts of walking, read this article at Harvard Health.

Do you walk? If not, is there another form of regular exercise that you do? Would you like to join me on my walking quest? Let me know if you do in the comments! You can also comment if you have goals of your own you'd like to share, or just need some words of encouragement.

Happy walking!

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

One of the things I did while on vacation was spend a few days visiting my folks. My Dad and I got out a few times by ourselves to go hiking and I really enjoyed spending some quality time with him. We decided to take a trail hike at his former place of employment (he's now retired), so I asked if we could make a pitstop at the old family cemetery: Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant is where my paternal grandparents, my great-grandparents, a great-aunt, a great-uncle, and my twin brother & sister are buried. 


The family plots.
Mount Pleasant is not a large cemetery by any means and it's not very well-maintained anymore either. Back in the day, it had a homestead just north of it and a church/one-room schoolhouse across the road. The homestead is long gone and the old church was moved to some fairgrounds, leaving the cemetery to its fate.



This is a baby's grave. This must have been a standard, popular model of child headstone at one time in history because there is a handful of this same headstone scattered about the cemetery.



Top of the headstone: Baby Goldie.


Martin and Helena Schultz's grave marker.

Small as it is, Mount Pleasant Cemetery is home to a dark piece of history and its subsequent reputed haunting. This particular headstone marks the final resting place of Martin & Helena (Lena) Schultz. As you can see from the headstone itself, husband and wife passed away on the same day: August 16, 1893.
An older, physically-limited, childless couple, they rented farmland from Lena's brothers and squirreled away every cent they earned. They had a distrust of banks and chose to save their money in hiding spots around their farm, money that they hoped to purchase the rented farm with and live comfortably in their later years. Alas, it was not meant to be. 
On the morning of August 17, 1893, a neighbor arrived to help Martin with some farm chores. When Martin never arrived, he made his way to the house where his knocks on the front door went unanswered. As he made his way to the back door, he made a gruesome discovery. There he found Lena Schultz, battered and beaten about the head with a hard, blunt object - most likely a hammer. She had been beaten so badly that six of her teeth had been knocked out and were scattered around her in a two-foot radius. Inside, Martin Schultz was found dead in a small bedroom, his arm covered in defensive wounds. His head was also beaten in with several gashes and holes, some as deep as two inches.
The entire house had been ransacked, with papers and drawers scattered and tossed about the house. The motive, then, was decided on as robbery. Everyone knew that the Schultz's kept a large quantity of money hidden in their home. Unfortunately, it was impossible to know just how much money had been found/stolen, but the police estimated it to be around $300.00. In today's money, that equals to just shy of $8000.00, a lot of money for that time.




While many suspects were jailed, questioned, and even brought to trial over the years, there was never any concrete evidence to firmly tie any of the suspects to the crime. Even with a $2000.00 reward offered - money put together by friends, relatives, and the police force of the time - the case, to this day, remains unsolved.
John Williams was the sexton of the cemetery around that time (a sexton is someone who looks after a church, its cemetery, and digs graves), and he became fixated on the granite marker over the Schultz's final resting place. He came to believe that the granite was transforming to reveal a face, or faces, on its side. John was convinced the faces were of the deceased couple and started to spread the word around Cherokee, the closest large town to the area.


The side of the Schultz's grave marker with the "face".
Can you see the face - or faces as the sexton believed? The sexton thought the face(s) depicted the victim(s) as they were when they were found: gashes, missing teeth, and all. I can only see one face.




This closer view of the marker shows the face better. It looks like a woman to me, with curly hair, closed eyes, and a deformed mouth. Lena Schultz, if the legend is to be believed.
After John Wilson told the town of his discovery, the cemetery - and the Schultz's grave - became a morbid tourist attraction. The community, still reeling from the heinous crime and it's aftermath, believed that when the face (or faces) fully formed, that the perpetrator would be revealed. 500 people would visit the cemetery each weekend to see the grave, some traveling as far as 25 miles - which back in those days was a long distance to travel.
Eventually, word spread as far away as the east coast, and the New York World sent a reporter and photographer to cover the case. Not duly impressed with the face(s) on the tombstone, they created an oil painting on cloth over wood to take pictures of instead. The vision was a representation of what they thought the killer looked like.
As time moved forward, and no further changes to the granite were observed, interest in the story waned, and with it, the cemetery and the grave. As a child growing up, I knew about the legend from my grandparents and older relatives, who were not as far removed from the tragedy. That homestead that used to be next to the cemetery that I mentioned earlier? It was the Schultz's. 
After my generation is gone, the legend of the Schultz's untimely death will be relegated to the annals of written history while it's oral history will die. Does the headstone of the Schultz's depict a face or two? Probably not, but I won't rule it out entirely. I'd like to think Lena Schultz got her one revenge: an image of her mangled, brutalized face to show the world for all eternity. 
Or until her gravestone crumbles to dust.
Requiesce in pace.

Back from Travels

I'm back. My plane flew back into town yesterday, and I walked off the plane and into the waiting arms of my kids. There's nothing quite like those hugs to bring me back to life after a fast-paced, multi-town/city tour.

Vacation was a mixture of business and pleasure this year, and it was, for the most part, very enjoyable.

We spent the first weekend here in Omaha, visiting with friends and relaxing. From there, we drove a few hours north to visit family and friends in Northwest Iowa, where my husband and I are both from. I did plenty of hiking with my Dad (much to the chagrin of my kids) and, in the process, had lots of good talks. I really needed that time with my Dad. It was relaxing, enlightening, and recharging.

We celebrated Nature Girl's birthday and then left her there for an extended visit with her grandparents while The Teen, my husband, and myself came back home on Thursday afternoon. Friday morning, I and my husband flew to New Orleans for business and then flew back home yesterday. While I didn't get to do as much sight-seeing as I had hoped I might, I did get to do a bit. I was there for the organization I represent though, so it wasn't unexpected.

I'm back to work today but I'm off again tomorrow for the 4th of July holiday. It will be a short week at work for sure. I'm going to spend the holiday getting my vacation blog posts ready so I can share with you all the fun things I did.

Until then, have a great day, and a great 4th!

Being Present in my Now

One of my vacation photos.
Hello from somewhere else! I'm sure you're probably wondering why I didn't put up a post yesterday as is my usual Tuesday custom. Well...I'm on vacation. Now, I'm sure you're saying, "But you usually post while you're on vacation," and you're right.

Not this time.

I read a post by another blogger awhile back where she talked about how she started uninstalling her social media apps when she went on vacation (or shorter trips). Instead of spending what precious time she had away from the grind of her everyday life checking into locations, updating her accounts, and filtering/posting photos, she was being present in her vacation.

Huh. What a concept.

I thought that sounded like a good idea, so Sunday - before leaving town for the second part of vacation - I uninstalled my Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and Twitter apps off of my phone. How has this social media blackout been for me? Blissful. Instead of spending half of my vacation time attached to my phone, I've barely touched it, and it's been wonderful. Instead of being distracted, I'm being present for the time away from the harsh realities of my everyday life, and I'm enjoying and savoring every last moment.

I'll reinstall everything before I head for the third, and last, part of my vacation, but I won't be putting up a Saturday post. I'll be very busy on this last leg of vacation as it's part business, but it's also part pleasure and I'll be taking advantage of those moments to the fullest as well.

I'll be putting up detailed vacation posts starting next week, but until then, enjoy your free time. Be present in your now.

Coffee Talk: Time, Budgets, and Vacation

Time just hasn't been on my side as much as it used to. I suppose it's just a consequence of getting older, but it still kind of sucks all the same. The older we get, the faster time goes, and there's not a whole lot we can do about it. Granted, my time goes even quicker because I've found myself way too busy in general. I've been thinking pretty heavily over the past few weeks about how I can make better use of my time, and how I can withdraw from some things that are just taking away from time I could be investing elsewhere. With all the things on my plate, I've been feeling the burn, admittedly, and I know I need to make some changes, but where do I start? I already pared down some things over the past several months, but I'm still swamped. I'll have to make some hefty decisions over the next month or so. Such is life.

I've been pretty productive this morning, even getting my budget folder prepped for July's bills. If you're new here you might be scratching your head wondering what I'm talking about. I dispense some common-sense financial advice at times, and a few years ago I shared my method for making a simple budget. It's not a standard budget, but rather a simple way to make sure bills are paid in full and on time each month. So, I got my July section ready to go for next month, and June's is nearly completed. There's something about getting bills paid that is so satisfying...even if it can also be very sad. Bye bye paycheck, I will miss you.

The best part about today though? I'm on vacation!!! You have no idea how ready I am for this vacation. I don't go back to work until Tuesday, July 3rd, and I am excited. With all the stuff going on in my life, I've been a bit stressed and feeling overwhelmed, so having 10 days off is going to be great. We'll be in town until Monday morning and then we're heading out to visit family and friends up North before heading South next weekend. Don't worry, I'll be sharing all of my vacation activities with you in fun posts like I usually do. Stay tuned for those!

Now, my dear readers, it's time for me to get a bit of writing done before signing off to enjoy a nice relaxing Saturday. Have a fantastic weekend!

-H.A.

My Heart Belongs to Dublin

I have debated for a few months now whether or not I really wanted to publish this post. I mean, my future plans are just that...plans, and I don't know if my plans will come to fruition or change. Of course, I'm pretty dead set on my plans - and I'm consistent at my age if nothing else - but none of us can predict the future, including myself. So, take this post with the idea that I will be able to follow through with this. Carry on, then, dear reader.

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Ahhh, Dublin. It's a city of wonderment, romanticism, history, and modernity, all mixed together to create the perfect place. The perfect place for me, that is. Over the past few years, my dreams of someday traveling the world for a year or two has given way to living somewhere in Europe. I've thought long and hard about where I'd like to hang my final hat one day, and after much thought and deliberation, I've decided on Dublin. This hasn't been a quick decision, nor is it a rash one, just to be clear.
Living in Europe is a dream of mine, and when I thought about where it would be that I wanted to live, I considered five main factors:


 1. Language : I readily admit that learning a foreign language is difficult for me. Therefore, when looking at where I'd ultimately want to live in Europe, I narrowed it down to the English-speaking countries.









2. Size: I grew up in a small, sleepy, little town...and I hated it. When I grew up I kept moving to bigger and bigger places until I landed in a city. I love the perks that a city can bring, and I love being an urban dweller. I need to live in a city with a population of one million or more.






3. Weather: I want to live where it gets neither extremely hot nor extremely cold. In other words, I want to live somewhere that has a more moderate temperature. Dublin averages 40-60 degrees F throughout the year, which for me is perfect as I am a leggings and long sleeves gal.











4. Proximity to other Countries: Traveling is big on my radar, so living in a country where traveling to other countries is both quick and inexpensive is a must. Ireland is close to the rest of Europe - as well as other places - and several perusals of flights to other places have revealed the quick and inexpensive I'm looking for.







5. Access to Nature: I might love city life and want to live as an urban dweller, but make no mistake, I am, and will always be, a nature girl. When I need a break from the daily grind, I need to plant myself in nature and hike. With Wicklow Mountains National Park to the South, the ocean coast directly to the East, and a whole bevy of other parks, bogs, castles, nature, and even the Cliffs of Moher, no more than a short train ride away, nature will be in abundance for me.



Like I said, these are the five main factors, but there are others. Having traveled to and tread upon the streets of Dublin, Limerick, and Galway, I'm already familiar with Dublin, and Ireland on the whole. I was completely captivated by this country (especially in comparison to others I've been to): the nature was breathtaking, the people were friendly, the cities and towns were fascinating, the history drew me in, and I related to the culture. Yes, I'm aware of the differences between visiting vs living, and the differences between there and here, but the thing going most for me is my sense of place. 

I've picked up and moved around to several places, and states, within the U.S. and I've never felt a sense of loss or sadness. Moving isn't that big of a deal to me, and I don't have those strong ties and sense of roots that some people do. I'm all about new experiences, living life to the fullest, and having adventures. I am unafraid to try something new...even if I'm alone when I do it. 

While many people could never imagine picking up and moving across the country, let alone to another country, I'm not afraid in the least. I realize that the worst that can happen is that it won't work out, and I can then move on to the next place. At least I gave it a shot! Truth be told, I don't want to be attached to or tied down to one place. I want to live my last, great years being a citizen of the world. So, while I have designs (as of now) to plant myself in Ireland, it's really just a place to hang my hat as I plan to spend the majority of my time visiting the rest of the world. But, if you have to spend some significant time in any one country....you could definitely do worse than Ireland.