Hiking Adventure Update #1

Since I posted my first post about our Hiking quest, my husband and I have gone on 3 hikes to build our endurance.  We hiked 3.25 miles through forested trails that are part of our local University property.  The next day we hiked over 4 miles which actually wound through our neighborhoods  for a long way, so the terrain was smoothe, but quite hilly in spots.  Our latest hike was again through the trails but we added on 2 loops of the long one, plus doing the short one.  Our total mileage was over 5 miles and it took us around 2 hours.  Meanwhile, we researched hiking gear and ordered our boots, rain jackets, etc.  I was thrilled to talk to a fellow-hiker (perhaps hikers don't want me calling them "fellow-hikers" just yet...) and found out she loves and owns the same boots I researched and ordered for me and my hubby.  They were great for my first hike in them.  I keep reading excerpts from my book, "It's Not About the Hike" and I must confess that when it's evening and I'm tired, I really wonder if I'm crazy to be on this mountain-hiking quest.  Of course when I'm well-rested and it's morning, my outlook is completely different.  The good thing is that we'll actually be ascending these mountains in the morning, so "not to worry."  We get our trial run in March when we're being hosted by our friend who is taking us on a 12-miler (round trip) in North Carolina that she promises has a beautiful view at the top.  Oh my, that sounds exciting and daunting at the same time, so I'm preparing for it as best I can.  We're hoping to get up to 8 miles before we go on that trip.  Guess it's time to get on the treadmill and crank the incline up.  I'll try to include a picture in my next post of some of my gear.  I don't think hiking gear is the most fashionable stuff one can wear, but it fits the needs of the task, so I'm not complaining.  I'm sure future updates will be more brief.  Thanks for taking the time to read and follow.

A New Direction for 2014

It has been a long, long time since I have blogged, and a lot has happened and changed since I last put words to my post.  I decided to begin writing thoughts I am willing to share about a new interest in my life.  I will probably lose card-creator followers, possibly gain followers interested in my new venture, or I may lose everyone.  It will be interesting to see where this leads.  I do want to say that I still have most of my card-making "ingredients" and still make the occasional card, but time has not permitted me to be immersed in this activity as I was during the time I blogged about it. 
My new interest was born from a recent event.  I just finished a book that was put before me out of the blue on an app I have called BookShout.  The name of the book is "Following Atticus", and the name alone caught my attention.  After reading the brief synopsis of the book, it looked like something I might enjoy and so I purchased the book for my Kindle and began reading immediately.  It drew me in, chapter after chapter and it didn't take long before I finished it.  The book was endearing and inspiring in so many ways.  I loved the way it was written but I truly loved the subject matter.  Now for this homemaker who has never been considered the least bit adventurous, I was especially gripped, due to the story, with a desire to not only start hiking, but to hike the White Mountains.  There are several reasons this appeals to me.  I'm a person who likes to be "doing" something.  My husband keeps saying he would like to travel, but traveling for travelings' sake doesn't do much for me.  I know, I'm weird.  The thought of traveling with a plan, -a plan of hiking, with a goal in mind for the hiking - saying you've hiked the 48 4,000'ftrs, - now that appeals to me!  My husband, the very in-shape, ready-for-an-adventure person that he is would leave next week if we could.  That's not going to happen, but I am planning on getting in better shape, getting essential gear, and then we can take off for the mountains and see just what we're facing.  I've purchased some books, one which I am thoroughly enjoying called "It's Not About the Hike," and it's getting me excited about doing this.  So many thoughts go through my mind which include my eagerness to do this and my fears about doing this.  Our journey isn't even going to take place for another three months, but I figure I have plenty to do to get ready and in shape, so this is a journal, of sorts, about the journey that leads to the journey. If you care to follow me on this new adventure, then stay tuned.  I plan to do a weekly update leading up to our end-of-May adventure.  Once on the adventure, I'm hoping to post a whole lot more of the hiking itself and hopefully the beautiful views that await us at the top.  Thank you in advance for any encouragement you might offer.