Adding Another Item to the Bucket List...

I've lived in some pretty spectacular places. In 2002, our home was perched on the side of a mountain near Park City, UT when the Olympics came to town. We've lived in bustling downtown Seattle, arguably the most caffeinated city in the world, not to mention funky, trendy and always filled with people worth watching.  For a while we called a log house in the shadow of the Big Horns of Wyoming home. Most recently, we spent seven years in New England--site of the most glorious autumns on the planet.

When we moved to the Ozarks in 2014, in some ways it felt like a retreat from the world. (Given what's happening in the world in general and our politics in particular, maybe that isn't such a bad thing!) But I figured once we settled into this sleepy little backwater, we were done with beautiful views and adventures.

I was wrong.

Welcome to the North Fork of the White River. It's only a few miles from my house. While it looks lazy enough in this picture, there are a number of stretches of rapids along this twisting waterway. Kayakers have to be careful around a few small falls.

The river is absolutely pristine. Since it's spring-fed, the water is cold, even on the hottest summer days. You can see straight to the bottom of its rocky bed. Trout leap in the shallows and birdsong fills the air.

Sometimes the river banks rise in rocky cliffs.

This one towers about 30 feet above the water's surface.

My DH went kayaking on the river with a buddy recently and wanted to share some of what he'd seen with me. So we drove to a few spots along the river where we could walk down to access points. But there's so much you can't see unless you're on the water.

You see, I didn't kayak with him because I'm on supplemental oxygen for a lung condition and my concentrator doesn't respond well to getting wet. But just the little I've seen of the White River makes me want to find a work-around. If I can figure out something, I hope to splash into that cold water next spring.

Anybody know of O2 equipment that doesn't mind getting wet?

Insert Foot

Honestly, I don't know what gets into me sometimes. I'm usually a very nice person. At least, I try. But every now and then, a devilish little thought pops into my head and out my mouth before I can shoot it through my "nice-ness" filter.

Case in point: The other day the Dear Husband and I were coming out of Aldi's grocery. In case you don't have one of these stores near you, part of the "fun" of saving money on your food is slipping a quarter into a little slot and jiggling the heck out of it until the latch gives before you can take a cart out of the line and into the store. As a result, most shoppers watch for others to come out of the store. After the first shoppers unload their cart, the new shopper hands them a quarter and takes the cart off their hands so they don't have to fiddle with the latch.

So on this particular day, a lady came up to us after we unloaded and handed my DH a quarter.

"I figure he makes all the money anyway," she said to me.

"Oh, no," I quipped. "I'm the wildly successful one. He's just my boy toy."

She blinked hard and turned a horrific shade of puce. The DH nearly swallowed his tongue trying not to bust out in a loud guffaw. He was kind enough to wait on his laugh fest until we got into the van.

I'm glad he enjoys my twisted sense of humor. My claim was utterly untrue, of course. He's always brought home the lion's share of the bacon. I have no idea what possessed me to say what I did. I guess I thought it would be funny--and it was to my DH--but I embarrassed that lady.

The whole thing reminded me of a little poem I learned when I was a kid. It was in an old book of verse called The Cheerful Cherub.

I'm often more clever and catty than kind

It's such a temptation to show off my mind.

But if to gain laughter I hurt a good friend

It's plain that the laugh is on me in the end.

Of course that lady wasn't a friend, but the sentiment probably still applies.

How about you? Have you ever said something you wished you could take back?

Shake Off the Autumn Blues

Yes, the leaves are erupting in a final blaze of glory. Pumpkin Spice lattes are available in every coffee shop. The air is crisp and fresh as the last of summer's heat fades away.

And yet, fall makes me a little melancholy. It's like reaching the end of a favorite book. Yes, I'll find another one worth reading, but I hate saying goodbye to this one.

Ditto for summer.

So I thought I'd share a few things that help me shake off the autumn blues:

• Visit a friend. I always feel better after I've spent some time with a buddy I can tell anything!
• Try something new. The DH and I have joined the community choir for the first time in years. We're loving the music our director has chosen for the Christmas concert! 
• Get some exercise. Whether it's a mile on the treadmill or walking the dogs, it always helps to move.
• Make a big pot of chili and invite some friends over to help you eat it. If you need a recipe, check out Jake's Lazy Man Chili
• Go to a high school football game! I hope your home team is doing better than the Fighting Marmots of Coldwater Cove. Even with 4 returning seniors, the coach isn't happy about their chances... 

How about you? What do you like to do to lift your spirits?