Traveling and learning about other places, here and abroad, is fascinating to me. It’s like I am a sponge soaking up the history, the uniqueness and the beauty of my surroundings. I don’t have the capacity to remember it all any more, but I sure do love learning. I recently had the opportunity to visit Puerto Plata for the first time, and the history around the Dominican Republic and Haiti sharing the same island is something on which I had no information. Working at Feed My Starving Children for several years, I was aware of the border between the two,…

Walking along a sugar white sand beach with cool clear teal waves rolling toward me, blanketing my feet, was itself a gift. So was wandering along the sandy paths through woods around a lake and marsh. I was feeling truly blessed by the opportunities that surrounded me on my visit to Panama City Beach. Then, little surprises made my day! I should back up a moment. Last Friday, I drove to Panama City Beach to take my grandson out to dinner to celebrate his upcoming 18th birthday. I really enjoyed his company as we ate fish tacos with an incredible…

For those of you who don’t know me well, being outside, especially in the woods, is food for my soul. I know that sounds like a cliché, and it is to some degree. It’s hard to describe how it affects me, the way it calms me, relaxes me, and slows me down. There is a quiet joy, a seed buried by the earth of daily decisions, that grows into a full blossom of gratefulness. A smile of praise erases the mask on my face before I even realize it is there. I’m sure people think I’m crazy because I start…

While St. Augustine is not the oldest city to exist in North America, it is North America’s oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement. History always fascinates me. And the history continues to unfold. What is present today has been orchestrated by decisions of the past. St. Augustine, Florida, is what it is today because of choices made the last 460 years. And tomorrow, choices made today will be the future’s history. I knew it was a city full of history, and tourism, but I really had no idea what to expect. I was blown away with the history of the area,…

Talk about a new adventure! I had never been to the Grand Bahama Island, nor had I ever stayed in an all-inclusive resort, nor had I ever ridden a fast ferry from Fort Lauderdale anywhere! It was a relaxing, fun, beautiful trip, though the rumbling stomach and dizzy head of motion sickness affected me on the ferry ride there. I took dramamine too late for it to help much! The fast ferry is just that – FAST! Traveling from From Fort Lauderdale to Freeport, Grand Bahama took only 3 hours! We were in the premier economy seats, which gave us…

Sea turtles have always fascinated me. Actually, all turtles! I had the opportunity when I was living in Lester Prairie to watch a small painted turtle dig a nest in which to bury her eggs. I missed her laying the eggs when my patience waned because the digging was taking so long. I stepped away for a minute to photograph something else in the bog, and when I got back she was already doing her tamping dance on top the closed nest. Though I missed the eggs, it was such a privilege to come upon her at that precious time.…