Blogging

I have given a lot of thought recently to blogging. I started blogging over 5 years ago. I never dreamed anyone would give a crap about what I had to say. Blogging gave me the courage to admit things that I wouldn't tell most people. It brought me a mental clarity to realize that my life was not what I wanted it to be. Blogging donated the confidence that I needed to make the changes necessary to set my life in motion. Without it, I'm not sure I would have ever had weight loss surgery.

Blogging has brought me many real life friends that I would never have had the pleasure of knowing without the help of the internet. These relationships are some of the strongest in friendships.

I am currently still in a relationship that began over a year ago. He lives over an hour away so we mostly see each when we can. I'm content with where our relationship is and don't feel the immediate need to change things. I'm enjoying making it on my own. I never dreamed that I would be able to pay my own way in life and make decisions completely alone. It's not as bad as I thought.

The guy doesn't agree with blogging. He thinks that it's an invasion of privacy. I tried to explain that blogging is like pen pals were back in the day when you couldn't wait to hear from your friend from afar. So, out of respect for him, I won't post pictures of him here. What follows are pictures taken during a camping trip last month that we took with my parents. It was 32 degrees but we had a blast despite the weather.

My youngest and me on Suicide Bend at Tippy Dam. Those tiny dots on the river are people fishing for Salmon.

Here we are on top of a metal giant grasshopper statue.

This was a giant fire pit. The focus was supposed to be on the colors behind me in the trees but the photographer (who shall remain nameless) didn't get them in the shot.

This is what 3 days of camping without running water looks like.

If any of you still read this, I thank you for that. I think about you often. :)

A River Runs Through It, Take 2

~edit~ I learned how to make movies!! Here is my first:

(Oops, I deleted the pics by accident. Most of them are in the video.)
My entire family went to the great North in Michigan (see last year's post) this past weekend. Mr. Sign, both girls, Mom, Ted (my step dad) and my grandma. Grandpa got sick at the last minute and didn't come.

It was an excellent weekend even though there were few fish. I forgot to take a picture of the outhouses. They were the pits, pun intended. Just imagine a tiny house with a hole inside. Now imagine that many disgusting men have used it. I mean, this thing looked like someone exploded inside. I did everything I could to find other amenities. I'm still nauseous thinking about it.


The family slept in my parents travel trailer. Mr. Sign and I slept in the back of our van. It was rather cozy.

(All pictures can be enlarged)

Here we are almost tucked in:

This is how Mr. Sign likes to sleep, just like at home, all over the entire bed:

This is the view out of the back of the van:

This is #2 on Suicide Bend. We hiked (yeah, I hiked. Can you believe it?)
up to catch the view. It was breathtaking:

#2 and me. I can't believe how different our coloring is:

#2 rigging up her rod:

This is me near the dam:

Daughter #1:

Daughter #1 is the only one who caught a fish.
Here she is with her fish on a leash (I know it's a stringer,
it just sounds more fun as a leash):

Here is a rather unflattering picture of my backside. I have split many logs,
but this one almost killed me. I chopped at it for over an hour and now I can barely lift my arms:

This was our morning fire. It had to be kept small since the wind was blowing 50 MPH and the leaves were blowing. I didn't want to catch the woods on fire.
Mom, #2, Grandma and Ted:

The colors were gorgeous: