Runners * Explorers * Dream Chasers
As an art teacher, my goal is to contribute to my community and improve my skills as a life-long learner. The foundation of my teaching is built in refining my work as an artist and seeking professional development. This summer has been an opportunity for me to hone my craft and explore new techniques such […]
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It is a humbling experience to see the work of master artists, just footsteps away from each brushstroke on canvas. No amount of planning, research, or anticipation can replace the sense of wonder when I stand face to face with the same image the artist once analyzed for hours as it evolved from nothingness. The […]
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The long awaited visit from the Jager family had arrived and the forecast was severe thunderstorms all day. We had planned to bring Derek’s parents to the Chicago Botanic Garden first thing in the morning and then spend the afternoon in Mitsuwa Marketplace. Cal and Sawako had loved hearing of our Japanese grocery adventure that […]
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We didn’t make vacation plans in 2020. Looking back through our photos, our last destination trip was visiting Seattle in the summer of 2019. As we made it through the unknown changes of a pandemic year and relocating for a new job, it has been refreshing to finally settle in where we are and explore […]
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The fire crackles as two plump marshmallows singe to toasted perfection while we gaze into the embers beneath. It’s a warm night and we relish in the stillness of the forest with only an owl’s gentle hoots calling to us from the distance. It had been far too long since we had pitched the tent […]
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It was so windy that my tent flew away. In preparation for a night out camping, I was setting up our two-person tent for waterproofing on our porch when a gust of wind blew it right out of my hands and over the roof. In a mad dash down the three story apartment building, I […]
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I used to bike all around my neighborhood. Pedaling as fast as I could with the wind rushing through me, I accelerated down the big hill without brakes like an adrenaline junkie while a blur of tiger lilies and cattails surrounding Shipshewana Lake blanketed my peripheral vision. It felt like […]
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It seems as though the season has finally turned to springtime with days of fresh rain and sunshine. With the warmer weather on our faces, we commenced our goal to bike the network of trails weaving through the Lakeshore area. We obtained a copy of the Northwest Indiana Greenways and Blueways map from our local […]
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Winter is upon us and the negative windchills could not be more frightening. However tempting it may be to bake the day away or curl up with hot beverages while binge-watching great television, the opportunity to experience adventure is missing. My lifelong partner in exploration devised a brilliant plan to tackle the winter terrain by […]
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The Thanksgiving holiday, like most American traditions, has a complicated history. Over the years, I have had a personal disdain for the inaccurate retellings of Native American history, over-abundant feasting, and the crowds of mass consumption for the “newest” products. Focusing on these unfortunate characteristics takes a bitter toll on my ability to appreciate much […]
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Game Changers 