Happy New Year!

 I have started several entries that I have never finished.  I wish I had.  This is New Year's Day, January 1, 2021!  For many, 2020 will have been a year to forget.  It included a world-wide pandemic that led to or contributed to so many lost loved ones.  It saw the closing of many businesses and the loss of employment for so many hard working people.  There were wild fires, tornadoes and hurricanes.  Glaciers are melting at a record rate.  Peaceful demonstrations were high-jacked by looters.  Politics was more about power than people.  

But, 2020 is also a year to remember!  We learned that by being responsible and respectful, we could help protect the lives of others just by wearing a facial covering!  I haven't had even a cold for almost a year!  It was a year that I learned to pay more attention to my health!  I hiked a lot and start 2021 eight pounds less than I started 2020.  I am at a good, healthy weight.  I had a squamous cell cancer removed.  No big deal, but I mentioned a long existing spot to the Doctor. It was successfully removed, but things could have been a whole lot worse!  I learned to listen to my body!

I saw people showing compassion.  Providing resources to others and asking for nothing in return.  Loyal volunteers who were there to help in any way they could.  We learned we could grow closer to people, even if there was a six-foot distance between us.  Some of us learned that being alone doesn't mean lonely.  I learned to relish the quiet times.  Some of us learned new things, from a Zoom meeting to face-timing.  We learned new ways to stay in touch.  We saw dedication to others in a way we hadn't seen before.  From front-line health care workers to the cashier at the grocery store, people stepped up to care for others!

As difficult as 2020 was, I hope we don't forget the lessons learned.  Lesson #1, above all, be kind!  Wishing everyone continued personal growth throughout 2021.  Happy New Year!

Well That Was Fast!

I had every intention to keep up with this blog.  Obviously, I failed!  I like to write.  Honest, I do.  I just wish I had time to do all the writing I want to do.  After retiring in 2011, I took some time for myself.  I went to the gym almost every day and hiked a lot.  I have been to the gym once since mid-June and been on far to few hikes.  I had to update my profile.  In March, I lost my old dog, Mikki.  I still have two dogs, Minni and Matilda.  I still have six cats, but not the same six.  I lost one and gained one.  Had to change the number of grandkids to six since Leah had baby number four.  Isla was born on May 12th.  I don't think that number will need to be updated!

I have gotten more involved in neighborhood activities than this introvert ever thought possible!  I am into my second year as secretary of our neighborhood association after taking a few years off from that responsibility.  I have not typed up the minutes of our September 8th meeting yet.  Hope I can still figure out what my notes mean.

We just published the most recent edition of our neighborhood newsletter.  The next edition, November-December starts our 3rd year of doing the newsletter.  I usually write a couple of columns for it.  After the newsletter got off the ground, I started a Facebook page by the same name, East Bluff News.  We have 473 members and continue to grow.  Monitoring that page takes an unbelievable amount of time.

The East Bluff Community Center tried to start some programming of "seniors".  They forgot to ask seniors what they wanted.  Even Bingo failed.  What did survive was our "Coffee With" events.  From March through October, I organize one a month.  We have had "Coffee" with the fire department, Code Enforcement, the Police Chief, the Mayor and various City Council members.

September 26, 2015 we started the East Bluff Community Food Pantry.   Although it is only open for two hours on Saturday morning, hardly a day goes by that I am not doing something related to it.  Six days a week I pick up the bread & baked goods donation from Kroger on Wisconsin Ave.  It was seven days a week, but I gave a day to a small neighborhood pantry.  Come Saturday morning the bags of food are ready for distribution.  It takes a couple of hours to get everything set up and at 10:00 AM it is non-stop for a couple of hours.

Most recently, I have started supervising events at the East Bluff Community Center.  It doesn't happen that often, but I love it when I get to do it!  Most of the events have been with the Hispanic community and has given me the opportunity to take a peek into the culture.  And besides, I get a $10.00 an hour stipend.  Most of that goes back into the food pantry though.

I know this has not been a fascinating read, but it helps explain why there has been no post since December 31, 2015.  So much for retirement!

WELCOME 2016

It is New Year's Eve, December 31, 2015.  It has been a pretty good year, but like most years, I am ready to tell it "Farewell".  I will go to bed at my usual time and wake to a new day and a new year.  The promise of each new year offers the opportunity for new challenges to be met.  Another chance to step out of my comfort zone. 

I describe myself as a hermit.  I am very comfortable just being at home with the animals, the computer, some music and the TV.  I am in control here.  When I leave my driveway, I am no longer in control!  I have really surprised myself this past year.  The East Bluff Newsletter & Facebook page, the East Bluff Food Pantry and other community activities have pulled me out of the house.  Surprisingly, I don't mind.

Until 2015, I had pretty much given "lip service" to the idea of community involvement.  This has been the year to put some action to it.  This has been the year that has seen me recommit to taking care of myself by being more consistent with going to the gym.

2016 holds much in store for me.  January is my daughter's birthday.  She turns 36 and it does not seem possible!  Insurance has me changing doctors and my first appointment is in January.  February brings my son's birthday and he turns 48.  Wow!  February is also my granddaughter, Brianna's birthday.  March starts up the Coffee With the Cops meetings.  We have been on hiatus during the winter.  Neighborhood association meetings also start.  Don't know about April yet.  I am sure there will be something!

May is a big month.  My granddaughter, Adele, turns two and my grandson, Evren, turns seven.  Best of all, there is a new baby due!  My daughter will be the same age having the new baby as I was having her!  June sees my youngest grandson, Milo turning five.  July isn't planned yet and neither are August & September.  October is my birthday and also my granddaughter Angie's.  November and December are the busy holiday season and then it will be 2017!

Wow!  Time flies!

I Finally Figured It Out!

I always told my kids to find their passion and then figure out how to make a living at it.  I am glad they are living that advice.  I don't think I ever realized what my passion was until recently.  In some ways, I have been living mine and didn't know it.

Back when I was going to school, options were fairly limited.  Girls normally became nurses (not doctors), legal assistants (not lawyers), secretaries (not CEO's) or teachers.  There may have been many other options but, I didn't know about them.

Looking back, it seems my passion was "Community Organizer".  What is the education for that?   Other than life, I don't know.  I have been a part of many "communities" over the years.  Schools, prisons, drug abuse and public housing are all sort of communities and I have worked in all of them with varying degrees of success at organization.

Retirement has brought new opportunities!  I live in a "transitional urban neighborhood".  Whether that transition is positive or negative is a matter of much disagreement.  Some focus on the negatives, others on the positives.  Crime watch reports tell me some of the negatives.  Occasional gun shots do the same.  Police cars speeding down the street in response to trouble provide more evidence.  There is litter in the street, graffiti on garages and houses in various states of disrepair.  I welcome the cameras, shot spotter and neighborhood police officer.

When asked if the glass if half full or half empty, I am the type of person who knows it is neither, it just is, but will likely respond "half full".  It seems that I continue to get more and more involved in the neighborhood.  The calendar fills up fast!  Build It Up meetings, CONNECTIONS! meetings, Senior Advance meetings, East Village Growth Cell meetings, neighborhood association meetings, East Bluff Food Pantry and East Bluff News.  Public art is appearing and more is planned.  Paint the Street, actually an intersection, received a lot of attention and the first East Bluff Sunrise 5K Run was a success.

There is a great deal of work being done with homes in disrepair.  Community Core and "In As Much" did a lot of work in a targeted area.  From landscaping, painting and porch repair, residents have homes in much better shape that before.  There is new construction by Habitat For Humanity and through the Attorney General's Grant that provided the funding for new accessible duplexes.  More new construction is planned and a different area will have Community Core designation next year.  Assistance will be available to homeowners within the East Village Growth Cell beginning in January, 2016.

Communication is the key!  Perhaps my favorite endeavor is East Bluff News.  Several of us put together a newsletter every other month.  It is distributed at various locations around the neighborhood and is emailed or snail mailed to others.  The other half of East Bluff News is our Facebook page by the same name.  We attempt to let members know what is happening that may be of interest to them.  The newsletter is also posted on the page.  We are up to over 330 members.

All these efforts involve many people who also recognize the glass just has water in it, but continue to believe and act as if it is half full and getting fuller!

Indeed It Is Illinois

For a brief period, I made an attempt to follow the Surgeon General's advice to get outside and exercise for at least twenty-two minutes a day.  It was fun while it lasted.  Just did not last long enough.

Five trips around Glen Oak Park lagoon is about a mile.  I did that several times and often took one of the dogs with me. I normally saw very few people near the lagoon and it was quite nice.

I frequently walked in lower Glen Oak Park and am so disappointed with the lack of maintenance done there.  Sidewalks washing out and fallen trees across the trail were some of the problems.

Spent a lot of time hiking in Springdale Cemetery.  Usually ended by sitting by the little stream for a bit.  Matilda, the Rat Terrier, enjoyed a cool drink of water after hitting the hills!

The Pimiteoui s always a challenge.  The weather has been hard on it this year.  I would really like to go from Grandview Drive to Forest Park and back again, but don't know if I will ever be able to work back up to that again or not.  I may try again next year.

Cooper Park in East Peoria is always a fun hike.  It suffered quite a bit of flood damage this year, but the variety of plants and the river views make it enjoyable.  It is nice and flat with wonderful boardwalks.

There is a trail going up from the park at the bottom of Grandview Drive that is a good one to tie into a walk along the fence by Route 29.  Am really glad that the shelter there has been preserved rather than torn down.

And then, there was the hike from Detwieller to the tunnel at Route 6.  That was fun!

Few more excursions I would like to take while the weather is still decent.  Maybe I need to take up cross-country skiing!

And On It Goes

Still busy.  Some things have been fun, some not so much.  Never one to focus on the "not so much" stuff.  The individual Faces of the East Bluff now have a permanent home.  They are hung throughout the East Bluff Community Center. 

We gave completed the branding and logo.  We were able to introduce both to the neighborhood in time for the first annual East Bluff Sunrise 5K Run.  We painted the street.  Actually, we painted the intersection of Nebraska St. & Wisconsin Ave.  Hope it becomes a bigger project next year along with being a fundraiser.

The strategic planning process we went through for the improvement of the Wisconsin Business Corridor earned recognition of the Illinois branch of the American Planner's Association.  They liked that the plan is a poster and not a book sitting forgotten on a shelf.  Rather it hangs on a lot of walls to be seen by the entire community.

East Bluff News has completed a year of publication.  It continues to grow in readership through hard copy and the East Bluff News Facebook page.  The Facebook page is such a good way to keep in contact with neighbors and people interested in the East Bluff.  As the transitional neighborhoods in Peoria improve, Peoria improves.  Communication is part of that process.

With several months of no food pantries in the neighborhood, we were able to open the East Bluff Food Pantry at the community center.  It serves residents of 61603 exclusively.  Times are pretty tough for some of our neighbors and the churches and volunteers involved want to make an impact.

A new activity this year was "Coffee With The Cops".  The idea came from a Senior Advance meeting.  Four sessions were held this late-summer & early-fall.  Meetings were well attended and very useful!  We will pick the meetings up again in February or March, but are taking the worst weather months off.

There are many naysayers in the neighborhood, but that is okay because it forces myself and others to dig deeper and try harder to make the East Bluff a decent place to live and raise a family.  We have a lot of work to do!

Happy Camper

Well, I am not really camping but, I am indeed happy.  Nothing is ever perfect, but I would have to say that I am quite satisfied with where my life is at this point.  Any fear that I had about being bored in retirement had have proven to be unnecessary!  I started simply.  I volunteered to walk dogs at PAWS.  I did for a couple of years but took this past winter off and have not found the time to go back to doing it on a regular basis.

I am not there yet, but I am on the way to becoming a "Neighborhood Advocate", in other words, a loud mouth!  I live in a neighborhood where people are encouraged to move elsewhere.  A neighborhood that people tell new arrivals to the city to avoid.  Some people look around and see insurmountable problems.  I look around and see potential. 

I attend updates for the East Village Growth Cell, the East Bluff Build It Up group, the East Bluff United Neighborhood Association meetings and the board of Senior Advance at the East Bluff Community Center.  I have delivered 18 "Pride in Peoria is Picking Up" signs around the neighborhood in the last couple of weeks.  I only have one left in supply. 

I am most pleased with my involvement with the "East Bluff News" publication and the associated Facebook page.  It has proven to be a good source of information for residents and people who are interested in East Bluff activities.  Four editions of the newsletter have been published thus far.  It was started with a small grant from LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation).  The first edition was November/December 2014.  The Facebook page was started last October.

There are plans for the redevelopment of the Wisconsin Avenue Business Corridor.  There are empty storefronts that need to be filled, but there are also businesses that are doing well.  We are starting to work with a consultant on "branding" the East Bluff in a way that emphasizes the potential for the neighborhood to be a great place to live, work and play. 

We have only just begun!

Unveiled!

The mural, The Faces of the East Bluff, has been unveiled!  If you have not seen it, it truly is worth a drive past 1902 N. Wisconsin.  I was honored to be asked to speak at the dedication and to help pull the cords to reveal the masterpiece.

I have lived in my home  for 23 years and have seen a lot of changes over that time.  There has been ups and downs.  I am really hopeful that we are on a  real upswing now! Most of my neighbors who have lived here for some time agree with me that it is better now than it was 10 years ago.  Change does not  take place in a matter of days.

I see that the foundation for one of the duplexes is going in and even more construction will take off once the weather breaks for good and the ground is thawed and relatively dry.

Ran the tiller over my garden spot and another time or two and it will be ready to plant.  Took my hyperactive Rat Terrier, Matilda, for a long walk this afternoon.  She is sleeping right now, but I know that won't last.  It is nice enough to have a couple of windows open.  Great to have some fresh air  in the house.

Life is good!

Neighborhod, Sweet Neighborhood

This is the mural that will be installed on a building in the neighborhood.  The project is called Faces of the East Bluff.  Yours truly is second from the left in the bottom row.  It gets installed on March 18th. 

Busy

Delivered copies of the East Bluff News to various businesses yesterday and today.  Passed out a few to some neighbors.  Updated the East Bluff News Facebook page today.  Tomorrow is the East Bluff Build It Up meeting.  Taking  a friend to work and picking her up tomorrow and Friday.  Senior Advance planning group meeting is next Tuesday.   Wednesday, two of my cats go to  the vet for their annual check up and rabies shots.  Neighborhood  association meetings come off of Winter hiatus next Wednesday evening.  Haven't even started entering things on the calendar for the week of the 15th.

Retirement is wonderful!

Life Happens

Have not blogged for a long time!  As much as I like to write, life has gotten in the way.  I am still dealing with my sister's estate.  Hopefully that will be coming to an end soon.  It will be two years in June.  It has been almost a year since my firefighter nephew died in the line of duty fighting a fire on the campus of the University of Missouri.  I have had a new grandbaby born.  There are five of them now.  Three girls and two boys.

I have gotten even more involved in neighborhood activities.  I write the front page article for the community newsletter, East Bluff News and monitor the Facebook page of the same name.  I have been attending the East Bluff "Build It Up" weekly meetings and recently was asked to attend meetings for the "Senior Advance" program at the community center.  They are trying to figure out what kind of activities we "old folks" might enjoy enough to get out of the house and socialize with other old folks.

I took the winter off from walking dogs at PCAP (PAWS).  I hope I have the motivation to go back to doing that when Spring comes.  I did pretty good.  I only adopted one dog (Matilda) and one cat (Zeus) the entire time I was at the shelter every week.  I lost one of my senior cats, Trumpkin, to liver failure.

This cold weather is sapping my ambition.  I am still a member at the Riverplex, but my attendance is not what it was.  I am hoping that with the arrival of Daylight Saving Time, I will be more motivated to go.  I feel so much better when I do, but making myself go out in the cold at night is not an easy thing to do.

I celebrated another birthday.  Seventy sounds old, but it doesn't feel old.  I am content and healthy and really have nothing to complain about.  Complaining doesn't solve anything anyway.

I am looking forward to a road trip in April when my grandsons have their violin recitals.  Nothing like watching a three year old and a five year old feel like they are conquering the world!  I have not been to see them since October and am really looking forward to seeing them and the baby, who will be almost eleven months old by the time I get there.

Life is good!

YES, I SAID IT

There was an interesting meeting in the East Bluff last night.  It was a follow-up to meetings/communication with business owners/managers along or near the Wisconsin Corridor.  The area under consideration follows Wisconsin Ave. from Forrest Hill, south to Glen Oak.  About 30 +/- residents of the area met at the East Bluff Community Center at 6:00 PM.

We took a short walk.  We looked at buildings and houses.  We noticed some fantastic land use and vacant buildings in need of new facades, but full of possibilities.  We saw homes that showed pride of ownership and houses in dire need of repair or re-purpose.  Following the walk, we returned to the Center to begin our table discussions.

Each table had maps of the area and the assignment to figure out realistic goals and time lines for those goals.  There was a surprising amount of agreement on the type of improvements the neighborhood would like to see.  We envisioned improved street lighting, public art, neighborhood gathering spots in the form of a restaurant, coffee shop, diner, etc.  Small businesses such as a bike repair shop, beauty parlor/barber or thrift/antique shop would be welcome.  We want to see kids playing soccer on the grounds of Glen Oak Learning Center.  We want to see a Farmer's Market located on a parking lot on a Saturday afternoon.  We want to see the parking lot at Wisconsin Plaza reconfigured.  Public art could include decorative shop windows, sculptured bike racks, carved wood decoration and murals like the one at Wisconsin and Frye Avenues.  We are pleased that that one has been there for over a year and has not been vandalized.  The neighborhood is proud of it!

We were realistic enough to know that safety is goal #1!  It doesn't matter how good it looks or what it offers if people do not feel safe enough to visit the area all times of the day.  We also know that an active, welcoming street scene providing many eyes on the street increases safety.  We can't have one, without the other!

One item on the list from our table raised some eyebrows.  I was even quoted in the Peoria Journal Star!  I thought we needed a Starbucks among the businesses.  Well, maybe not Starbucks, but something like it.  We want Mom & Pop places to succeed, but it may take  a chain like Starbucks to pull people traveling to and from work into the area to see what else is there.  A business that could provide employment to people living in the neighborhood.  Mom & Pop places usually are run by the family and do not hire many "outsiders".  Whether Starbucks or another well known entity with a philanthropic mission to empower young people, a business of this type could serve the neighborhood in more than one way.  Heck, I would even get a $4 cup of coffee occasionally!

I am hopeful!  It was a good meeting that went until almost 9 PM.  I am anticipating the report that will be presented to the City and look forward to private development $$$$$, East Village Growth Cell $$$$$ and mostly, I look forward to the renaissance of the East Bluff. 

The Past 12 Months

This past year has been a difficult one.  March 17, 2013 saw the passing of my niece, Kim.  Kim had a difficult time with diabetes and its many complications.  July 9, 2013, Kim's mother, my sister Wini, passed away at her home.  She had an unsuccessful back surgery many years ago and lived in pain for a long time.  She also had diabetes. 

The final straw was the death of my nephew, Bruce on February 23, 2014.  Bruce died in the line of duty as a firefighter in Columbia, Mo.  He had been with the department for 23 years.  I was not able to attend his memorial service in Columbia, but a local TV station did live streaming of procession of "first responder" vehicles from throughout Missouri and beyond.  The memorial service was also shown.  I watched it all.  I have shed more tears in the last 2 weeks than I had done in my life time, thus far.  Just when I thought I was though, someone would post a new memory or photo on his memorial page. 

Today, there was a second memorial service held.  This one in a little town north of Springfield where Bruce grew up and started his life as a fire fighter on the local volunteer fire department.  Local fire departments were represented, as well as a group from Columbia.  It was a beautiful service.  There were many tributes to the man he had grown to be.  His wife and three year old daughter were there.  My heart breaks for them.

I learned today, that as an organ donor, Bruce saved or enhanced the life of twenty more people. 

It is said that things happen in threes.  

One Little Word

January 1, 2014, New Year's Day.  I was watching The Today Show after CBS This Morning was over.  They interviewed a man who suggested that rather than make resolutions, identify a word, just one word, that would sum up what you hoped to accomplish in the year.  It should encompass everything that would be on a list of resolutions if you were to make one.  He suggested posting it around the house, maybe frame it or make a screensaver out of it.  I thought about his suggestion for a bit and a word came to mind.  I thought about the suggestion off and on throughout the day.  The word has not changed, so I guess I was meant to go with it.  I am going to make copies of my word and hang it on the wall, attach it to the refrigerator, tape a copy on the scale, write it on duct tape to put on my gym bag, affix it to the computer monitor and  the clock I look at most often.  I will figure out where else I need reminders.  Will have to put it in the car and probably several other places.  My word covers most aspects of my life.  My word is BALANCE. 

Off To A Good Start

So far, so good!  I have not missed a day at the gym since I recommitted.  Wish I could make it the same time everyday, but that won't work.  At least I get there and do a minimum of forty minutes of water exercise.  It is so easy to pack on weight and so hard to get it off.  I've taken "road food" with me when I had to go to Bloomington.  Grazing on small mini-meals is working.  Made a fruit salad today.  A pear, an apple, an orange, a tangerine, a banana, some raisins and some almond bits with vanilla Greek yogurt for the dressing.  There is enough to last for a few days.

Sweets are still very tempting!  I really wish I did not like them so much.  Doing fairly well, but not as well as I wish.  Darn those samples at Hy Vee today!

And the journey continues.

No More Excuses

Life has not been the same since June 9th.  The day my sister passed away.  She had been ill and in pain for many years.  In some ways it was a blessing since she is at peace now, and if Heaven exists, she has rejoined the love of her life and her daughter.

I am serving in the capacity of Executor of the Estate and there lies my excuses.  Trying to get the house cleaned out, numerous sales, a large storage unit and lots of "stuff" so we can get the house sold.  She would have qualified as a hoarder.  I have been away from home a lot since the house is in Bloomington.  Having my routine broken up by unpredictability, has given me the excuse to stop going to the gym on a regular basis.  It has given me the excuse to "grab a quick bite".  It has given me the excuse to eat out more often.  These excuses have allowed me to give in to the evil sugar addiction that has plagued me for most of my life.

I have tried to put this on paper several times; only to delete every word.  I don't make New Year's resolutions, so I made a Thanksgiving resolution instead. I resolve to "knock that shit off"!  There is no excuse for me not to take care of myself.  There is no excuse for me regain any of my hard-earned weight loss like I have.  There is no excuse for me to turn to sweets instead of healthy foods.

Am off to a pretty good start and need to keep reminding myself that my continued health is worth the effort.  Have been to the gym for the last four days, even missed the first hour and fifteen minutes of The Voice tonight.  Have given in to sugar once.  I was going to throw the last piece of pumpkin pie away, but ate it instead.  At least I hadn't gotten whipped topping.  I have gone back to "grazing" on several small meals rather than 3 meals a day.  Grazing has always worked for me, I just need to take "road food" with me if I am not going to be at home for an extended period of time.

I am so thankful for so many things in my life, so Thanksgiving was the perfect time to resolve to regain control.  The stresses will continue for some time, but it is up to me how to handle that stress.  I resolve to handle it more effectively through exercise and better food choices.  I resolve to do everything, well almost everything, I can to remain in good health and feeling good about life.  I had hoped to add "stop smoking" to the list, but I am not there yet!  Maybe a Valentine's Day resolution?

Over Five Months

It has been over five months since I have posted a new blog post.  I am not very consistent, but this has been an extended period of silence.  Nothing is wrong.  Just have not been motivated to write.  It has been a long winter, not a bad one, just long.

Have to say that Fridays this winter have not been bad.  Friday is the day I walk dogs and it seems like rain and snow missed on Friday.  Had a few cold mornings, but over-all, dog walking has been good.

On March 24th, the day of the big snowfall, we had the celebration of life service for my niece who had passed away on March 16th at the age of 51.  Damn diabetes!  Rest in peace, Kim.

Had a serious scare with my son who spent almost a week in the ICU with a severe case of cellulitis. The antibiotics  finally kicked in and surgery with tissue removal and possible bone scraping was avoided.

Still going to the gym pretty much every day and maintaining the 20 pound (average) weight loss and so happy to be back in the skinny jeans.  I have given myself a five pound range so I don't get crazy with the numbers.  Have gone over it a couple of times, but have gotten right back on track instead of going "full steam ahead" as I have done in the past.  More determined than I have ever been.  Eating more healthy than I have ever done.  Even have Chia seeds and Quinoa in the cabinet and pomegranate juice in the fridge.  I have eaten kale for the first time in my life and snack on pistachios.

The little red truck has gone to the scrap yard.  I loved that little red truck, but decided I did not want to put any more money into its' repairs.

Grandkids are growing up.  Softball practice has started and there is a violin recital coming up this month.

I am looking forward to hiking now that the weather is beginning to break.  I have gone on a couple of short walks, but I want to hit the trails.  Been fighting off a bout of anger, and nothing soothes this restless soul like being in the Temple of the Tall Trees.

Life goes on.

Another Year

Another year has passed.  No it's not New Year's Day, it has been the anniversary of my birth.  I was born one year too early to be counted among the "baby boomers" since it was 1944.  Yep, that makes me sixty-eight!  Not ashamed to admit it, in fact, I'm kinda proud to have made it this far. 

This has been the year that I developed a deep spirituality while hiking in the woods.  I call hiking the act of entering the Temple of the Tall Trees.  I am grounded and centered while in the woods.  It doesn't matter if it is the flat terrain of Cooper North or the challenge of the Pimiteoui.  I get some of that same feeling when practicing Tai Chi.  I need to practice more often!

This year brought the birth of my fourth grandchild.  A beautiful little girl named Brianna.  She joins Angie, Evren and Milo as the lights of my life. 

This was the year that my oncologist said I didn't need to see him anymore.  Fifteen years cancer free!  I went into a state of panic.  I reminded him that he is the one that orders my other annual tests, biannual bone scan and my two prescriptions.  I was relieved to be scheduled for next year.  I don't care if I am seen by the Nurse Practitioner, it is reassuring to be in the office.

This was the year that I attended my 50th class reunion.  Fifty years since I graduated high school.  It does not seem possible!  I have made contact with some classmates through Facebook, but others I had not see for fifty years!  It was good to see people again.

This was the year that I joined the Riverplex.  Had I known how much I enjoy going to the gym, I might have joined long ago.  I do believe that things happen when they are meant to happen.  This was my time.  Since August 1st, I have missed three days.  Once I was out of town and twice, I was "under the weather",  Many days, I go more than once.  I'm back in my "skinny jeans" and feel great!

This was the year that I kept my commitment to volunteer at PAWS if I found that I did not have to go back to work.  I look forward to Friday mornings walking the dogs. 

I have so much to be grateful for, and I am!

National Night Out Against Crime

The first Tuesday in August has been set aside as National Night Out for over 25 years and hosted in Peoria for 12 or 13 years.  Last night the occasion was marked in several neighborhoods throughout Peoria, including the East Bluff.  In years past, East Bluff neighborhoods held their own events, almost seeking bragging rights as to which could "do it best".  For the last couple of years, Serenity, Glen Oak and East Bluff United neighborhoods have joined forces to sponsor the event.  Still, the emphasis was on agencies passing out information and goodies (I am still using my pens from PDC last year), fire trucks, Armadillos, and food.  A block party for lots of blocks.

This year, the focus changed to action.  The East Bluff neighborhoods joined forces for a rally to bring awareness to the residents that crime prevention begins with us, the residents.  Of course there were a few activities for kids.  Face painting, frisbees, a toss game, water sprayer and an appearance by McRuff.

  

The media was there.  We had WMBD/Fox 43, PJS and Dennis Eggemeyer coordinating PCCEO's Captions coverage of events. 31/43 had nice coverage on the local news and PJS had a good photo of the diverse group that formed to "take it to the streets".  A commenter on PJS said the "gangbangers had a good laugh".  Perhaps they did, but it very well may not be the last laugh.  There are many of us in the East Bluff that are committed to change, positive change and transformation.

  

 Residents were joined by a number of dignitaries, area pastors, candidates and elected officials.  There was an announcement concerning the Peoria Reads' Don't Shoot initiative. Signs were made by the children at the Boys & Girls Club and by volunteers.  Everyone proudly donned their tee-shirts showing their commitment to the neighborhood.  Some people who were present were: States Attorney Jerry Brady, Sheriff Mike McCoy, Chief Steve Settingsgaard, Mayor Jim Ardis, Senator Dave Koehler, candidate for Senate Pat Sullivan, Councilman Tim Riggenbach, among others.

  Residents pledged to the East Bluff, determined to show "We Own It" marched behind our banner.

Detweiller Park

I have driven through Detweiller Park numerous times over the years.  I have taken pictures of beautiful fall colors there and stopped at the playground when I had little kids, but I had never hiked any of the trails.  "Back in the day", I wasn't doing any hiking.  I printed out the map of the trails, but forgot to take it with me.  I went on a fairly short hike, but there will be more to come.  I am glad that trail maps are available on the Peoria Park District website.

Entering the park from Route 29, a visitor sees the Korean War Veteran's Memorial and the remnant of an ancient tree.  From that point, I turned left to find the first of the trails I would walk.  I started with the River Overlook trail.  It is a short climb uphill that comes out on Detweiller Drive.  I did not know that it picks up on the other side of the road and turned around.  There was no view of the river on the part of the trail that I walked.  Will have to give it another try!

I drove on down toward the sand volleyball court where Dry Run Trail and the Pimiteoui Trail begin.  There are more trails to be explored and I am looking forward to the adventure.

Walk on!