Uniquely December: Ice Cream Day

If you were reading awhile back, you know that I love Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey and that I also struggle supporting that particular ice cream establishment due to our differing political views.  When I mentioned it just a few months ago I hadn't found the impetus to make a definite turn away from my favorite frozen delicacy.  Today, however, I've taking my stand.

With Ben and Jerry's today throwing their corporate support behind the Occupy Movement, I will no longer support them even to indulge my strongest cravings.  Not because there isn't good to be done buried somewhere deep in the mess that is the Occupy Movement.  And not because I disagree with their long-standing efforts to support employees and consumers over corporate interests.  The reason I can no longer sneak my Chunky Monkey has much more to do with their decision to fuel a completely ineffective and direction-less movement.

Over the past few months I've found myself in several different states and seeing fairly up close the Occupy Movements in several those areas.  I've listened intently to what the Occupiers in my own neck of the woods are saying, and there's not much coherence there.  I know they must believe strongly in what they're fighting for-why else would they have stretched their protests into the bitter cold of winter?  But no one else is believing them because their is no concise point for us to be believing.

Let me share my view of the Occupy movement based on what has happened here in Salt Lake City...

Pioneer Park for years was a haven for homeless people and drug dealers.  It was a BIG problem; a historic and significant area of the city and nobody was able to enjoy it.  Finally the city stepped in to clean up the park and the problem.  Over the past few years they have made tremendous strides in cracking down on crime and finding shelter options for those in need.  Families are coming back to the park.  The farmer's market sets up there once again and a new summer concert series packs a crowd every week.

So what is the logical next step for a park with such a troubled past?  I promise you it's not a group of unorganized squatters pitching tents and piling up trash in the walkways.  It's not a group of people who apparently also have no homes because they never go there and also maybe can't read because they are completely oblivious to the printed park curfew signs.  The city bent over backwards, set aside their own city tenets, to enable a peaceable protest.  The SLC Occupiers recognized that. Then a man in a tent died. The city had to put their foot down. And the occupiers lawyered up to sue on the grounds that the city violated their own laws by letting the protesters stay.

What are the SLC Occupiers fighting for?  I have no idea.  On Black Friday they were calling for a boycott of shopping at Wal-Mart because Wal-Mart undercuts prices and products that are American-made.  Today, they're "riding our bikes very slowly" in front of trucks leaving the Wal-Mart distribution centers to show solidarity for the Wal-Mart workers who "deserve a living wage" and should unionize.  Are you kidding me?  Riding your bikes very slowly in front of a moving 18-wheeler?  Great cause.  Great movement.

If I think about it, I suppose the Occupiers are out there fighting for me.  Right?  Middle-class family struggling to keep health insurance, a bit afraid of the rate at which the price of food is rising, and wondering what comes next.  But you know what?  My husband and I won't be joining you.  No.  We're working.  We're supporting our family.  We're making ends meet the best way we can and looking for opportunities to intelligently make our situation better.  Know what else?  We're bathing!  (Well, okay, except for the no shampoo thing...)

What does all this have to do with ice cream?  Absolutely nothing.  Except that Ben & Jerry's has made it their new mission to stick their noses into the mess.  If, in the long run, their clout and own corporate dollars are successful in finally bringing a point to the Occupy movement, hurray for them.  Let them be a catalyst for something good (it'd definitely be better than touring with a burning effigy of the President).  For now, though, I am one of little faith.  I'll continue to grant them their creative tastiness, but will no longer be indulging...in their ice cream or in their involvement with the Occupy movement.

Campout and a Giveaway!

Great American Backyard Campout Giveaway

I've been writing and mentioning about this great event meant to inspire you and your family to get into the great outdoors.  For more details about the campout, check out this post.

And now, as promised, a fun summer giveaway to inspire your outdoor adventure:

The Prize:

1-Nightize Innovation L.E.D Light-Up Ultimate Frisbee Disc

1-Deluxe Camper's Compact Hammock

2-Extension Forks (i.e. extendable weinie/marshmallow roasters)

All the makin's for great S'mores

Details and How To Enter:

This giveaway is being hosted both here at Wandering Still and on the blog A Local Wander.  That's great for you-extra entries! There will be one winner from all the entries between both blogs.

Giveaway begins 12:01 AM on 6/24/11 and ends 12:01 PM on 7/1/11.

Mandatory Entry:

(for all entries be sure to leave best email address to contact if you are the winner)

Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite camping spot.

Oodles of Bonus Entries:

~Follow Wandering Still on Google Friend Connect 

and leave comment here that you did.

~Follow A Local Wander on Google Friend Connect 

 and leave comment there that you did.

~Like Wandering Still on Facebook,

 come back here and leave comment that you did.

~Like A Local Wander on Facebook, 

come back here and leave comment that you did.

~Upload a photo of your favorite camping spot to Wandering Still on Facebook 

(No need to comment, I will add 2 entries for each photo added)

Winner will be chosen by random selection process after entries are combined from both blogs and Facebook pages. Notification will occur within 48 hours of giveaway ending and winner will have 48 hours to respond with mailing information or another winner will be assigned.this post

Reminder: Come Camping With Me!

I have an invitation for you!  I'm going camping and I want you to come along...WAIT...I know you don't live near me, but keep reading...it's going to be exciting!

Camping has always been a fun activity for me, my friends,and my family.  Growing up I was a proud member of Campfire Boys and Girls and have innumerable memories of the camping trips that made it possible for me to participate in (most of the trips involved being soaked in the rain and eating food we thought was disgusting, but they still make me laugh and smile).

In high school my parents rented a group campsite at our local lake and allowed each of my sisters and I to invite friends for a weekend of outdoor adventure.  It was a first camping experience for several of the kids who came along and we felt like the luckiest family on the planet!

And now that I'm grown?  I still love camping!  In my early (and poor) married days my husband and I made it a priority to buy quality camping equipment.  It served us well while we working and playing in Alaska and has lasted long enough to introduce our two little boys to the joys of sleeping outside.  Living in Utah we have the ability to camp in the most amazing places and try to take the opportunity as often as possible.

That brings me to the invitation I teased you with at the beginning...

The National Wildlife Federation, REI, and KOA are hosting the 2011 Great American Backyard Campout on Saturday, June 25th.  The Great American Backyard Campout provides an opportunity to support NWF’s work to return nature to childhood for the health benefits and for the fun of it!  My personal memories of camping, as well as the joy of watching my little boys outside, inspired me to join the fun and I want you to share it with me.

So what do you do?  Join the team at http://online.nwf.org/goto/campwithme.  Then start planning your adventure and share the excitement with your friends and family.  How fun to have a team spanning the entire country!  Participate on the team website or leave a comment here to let me know what you are planning.  

Then, the week following the campout, share your experiences on the Wandering Still Facebook page for a chance to win a gift to inspire you to spend more time this summer in the great outdoors (more information on the giveaway posted on FB June 24th).

I look forward to seeing you out there!

Bring On Spring

 A few weeks ago I broke my resolve to save money by suppressing all travel desires.  With 24-hour's notice and an invitation from family to join them in the Grand Canyon, I hastily packed my bags, loaded bewildered kids in the car, and hit the open road.  It was the perfect way to welcome spring and summer adventure back from hibernation.

Apparently a little too perfect because now my imagination has gotten the best of me.  With extended family trips already scheduled to San Diego in the summer and Iowa in the winter most people's vacation budget would be full.  I guess it's all in your priorities.  My home is humble and my kids wear hand-me-down clothes and that's fine for me.  Its what makes the going possible.

So what else is on the itinerary?  Well....

~An unexpected additional trip to Iowa and Kansas next week.  Fact is, I miss my family.  And my boys miss playing with grandpa's antique toy trucks. So we're going.  Simple as that.

A July wedding in the Washington D.C. LDS temple that I'd love to go to, but probably will be the first item on the chopping block when reality sets in. 

Relaxing weekends at a "secret" beach-side camping spot

~Hiking in the Utah  mountain canyons.

~Lots of sun and fun at our local waterpark

~Parades and city festivals until we can't bear to take one more piece of free candy or cheap advertisement

~Meeting my sister half-way between here and there for a random weekend meet-up (hint, hint, Beth)

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with side trips to

 White Sands National Monument

and the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

   And if I'm lucky, an incomprehensible number of things I haven't dreamed up yet!

What have you dared to dream into your summer travel adventures?

A Heavenly Scare

I can't believe I quit writing so quickly after the beginning of the year-New Year's Resolutions...aargh! I'm not feeling inspired to write anything insightful, but I want to keep trying to make writing a habit, so today I'm going to copy down a journal entry I wrote a few weeks ago... We had a scary experience last night (8/16). We went camping at Hope Campground up the Provo Canyon. Beck had so much fun walking around & playing with sticks & rocks. He wore his flannel to match Daddy, but then Daddy didn't bring his flannel (or any warm clothes). After our dinner of shrimp & crab we laid Beck down in our tent. To our surprise he barely whimpered & fell right to sleep. After too many s'mores we also crawled in bed. Unfortunately the tent zippers woke Beck up & he felt his 2 1/2 hour nap was good enough. He exploded into hyper sleep-deprived mode. It was cute & funny for about 10 minutes before we realized he wasn't going to calm down. He was crawling over us, scratching, pulling hair & falling down with his head smacking the ground. He wasn't safe to himself. Ben finally had too much and we decided maybe Beck needed familiarity. Ben took him to the car and put him in his carseat. A long while later they returned to the tent, but neither of their moods had changed. Beck was still out of control and Ben was exhausted and at his wits' end. We tried to ignore Beck but he was inflicting pain on us and himself. Finally I told Ben to just go strap him in the car and crack the window open. My hope was that he'd tire himself out quickly but in a confined space where he'd be safe. Also he'd be away from us. I had a bad feeling about putting him in the car. He'd be away from us, but then I thought that he always sleeps in his own room away from us. There are always horror stories on the news of kids being left in cars and I was thinking of how warm the car might get before he woke up in the morning. Also I didn't want him sitting in the car and thinking we had left him. Ben took him and I told myself he'd be fine only 50 feet away with the window open so we could hear him. We went to sleep and it seemed like Beck had accepted it and went straight to sleep. Some time later I was pulled out of sleep by faint crying. There had been a crying baby further away and I thought it was her until the crying didn't stop. I told Ben that Beck was crying and asked if he'd locked the car. He barely muffled a sleepy no. I hurried out of my sleeping bag and out of the tent. I had to go around to the far side of the car and as I opened the door I looked for Beck in his carseat. He wasn't there. In the dark I could barely make out anything and Beck's cries still sounded muffled. I looked around quickly and there face-down on the floor was my baby. In the way time often is during panic mode, the next 30 seconds happened in slow motion. The front seat was reclined and I fumbled to get it out of the way before I could get to Beck. Confused and scare I wondered why Ben put him to sleep on the floor before I realized Beck hadn't been strapped in and had fallen on the floor. As I picked him up I feared the worst and prepared myself for blood and a broken nose or worse. Straining in the moonlight to see, I scooped Beck up and wrapped him in his blanket. He instantly cuddled into me and, with his binkie, went back to sleep. I carried him back to the tent and carefully laid him down with love and safety between his parents. I told Ben what had happened and asked why he hadn't strapped Beck in. At the time I was seething mad and couldn't believe my husband could be so selfishly careless. He voiced to me that he'd thought Beck would be okay and was thinking to himself, "Well, why didn't you tell me to strap him in." By wings of a prayer we got home very late and still showered and made it to 1:00 church with time to spare. As I sat through the meetings the events played themselves out in my mind again and again. I finally found peace as I realized that our son is protected. I believe the Lord tried to tell me there was trouble ahead. He knew beforehand that Ben would not strap him in and tried to warn me. Ben had the same promptings and also decided it would be okay because it was like sleeping in his room. I don't know what happened in the car. Maybe Beck used the reclined chair as a stair and climbed down onto the floor. Maybe he slid out of his chair like he does when we get him out. Or maybe he fell out as he groped around in the dark. What I do know now is that when his parents had failed him, the hand of the Lord protected him. I now that Beck found a cushion beneath him and loving arms around him. I know that when he was scared, his Heavenly Father comforted him and with patience called out again to tell me my son was in need. I'm grateful for the Savior who has allowed for repentance after neglect. I am glad for a loving Heavenly Father who understands and wants us to succeed. I'm especially grateful that the Lord knows my son and holds him up in his time of need.