Category Archives: Wander Out West

Kona Kai Marina

Sailing and Eating in San Diego

“We should get some racquets,” Darren said to me trying to brace himself against the pull of our chocolate lab, Daisy, on our way to the Wissahickon Park to go on a hike. The year was 2000. We were newlyweds, living in our first house in Philadelphia, PA. In the warmer months we passed our neighborhood tennis courts a couple of times per week.  The crazy thing is that we said this for 9 years!  Not once did we swing a racquet on those courts.  I began to feel like if we actually got racquets that it would ruin our longstanding funny.   Continue reading →

Tweedle Dum in Winter Park, CO

The Heart of Winter in Winter Park, Colorado

Gratitude.  It leads my daily decisions. As I stare down at my ace wrapped ankle drinking my coffee while my family gets ready to ski, I feel a little sorry for myself.  I only let the feeling linger for a second because, hell, I could have torn a calf muscle, ruptured my ACL or, worse, my achilles, all injuries common among my middle aged tennis community.  I simply sprained an ankle.  Down, but not out. Continue reading →

Another Rainbow on Kauai

A Family in Paradise: The Good the Bad and the Puker

Today, the wind whips to challenge the palm trees to remain vertical. The waves come in short ferocious sets each one trying to out do the next with the size of their salty spray as they slam into the small cliffs in our temporary backyard.  We have the sliding doors wide open as the rain is only light right now.  The southern tip of Kauai is just about to come into play on the radar for Tropical Storm Ana.  We watch the force of the waves and wait with anticipation for more wind and rain.  Darren has been fighting a high fever through the night thanks to the some annoying virus we have so graciously shared with one another.  Our last few days in Paradise have been rather real life to say the least. Continue reading →

Garden on the The Big Island, Hawaii

Mice Not Nice: The Big Island

  “There was a mouse!  It ran from the kitchen over there, ” Liam said as we were unloading luggage and groceries into our little bungalow for the second part of our adventure on the The Big Island.  “No way,” I said in total disbelief.  And really I did not believe him until I saw several others over the next 24 hours with my own eyes.    Continue reading →

paddle boarding off the Big Island 2

Commencing Adventure: The Big Island

We live in a hood where people are constantly running through our house, big people, little people all sorts of people.  We like people.  My kids will send me over the edge with the constant play date requests and sometimes the play dates just show up, request or no request.  There is always an event to attend.  We have to consciously declare that it is a family day to alert the kids that it will be just us for the afternoon or the evening.  It is usually met with a drawn out, but whyyyyy??!!  Continue reading →

Kalalau Trail, Kauai Hawaii

T-10 days: Hawaii

September is a month of change and shift.  We all need to shift slightly to adjust to the changing season and schedule.  There are more demands and less lounging.  Sleep is always an issue in my house.  I gave birth to three restless sleepers that have a hard time shutting it down and rising in the morning.  Now that we are on day 18 it’s better.  We are starting to get a groove on in school and at home.  Continue reading →