Wonders N Wishes

There are so many wonderful things about Wednesday!

My short list:

• It is Hump Day! That wonderful middle of the week, half way to the weekend, let's celebrate making it over life's hump day!
• It is Wordless Wednesday! Whether you celebrate by seeking quiet solitude or by sharing image only posts, there's a sense of wonder in the wordless approach. Click here for my contributions to the sound of silence.
• It is 'not so' Wordless Wednesday over at Curious as a Cathy. Absolutely perfect for the chatter box in me. Of course I will be sharing this post there. :D
• It is Wish Day! That is right, the day designated by Claudya @ Unknown Mami's as the day to put a voice to our wishes. You will find my wish below. 
• It is Wonders N Wishes Day! The day I am designating to share a 'Wonder' as well as a wish.

 

This week's wonder

Searching for a wonder for this week I came across a story about a gentleman who purchased the Providence Arcade built in 1828 and is the oldest mall in America. Then he remodeled the two upper floors of the mall turning them into micro apartments. I really think it is a great idea, and wonder if maybe it other abandoned malls could be converted similarly but in a way that would provide affordable transitional housing.  

It's Wish Time!

Today I'm calling on the universe to grant the following wishes.

- I wish It was December.  Not because I am impatient for Christmas, and certainly not because I love winter. I wish it was December because then maybe, just maybe all this election negativity would be over.

- It would be really nice if stores started carrying non-alcoholic Irish cream for my coffee. It use to be that all the grocery store carried Irish cream coffee creamer, but over the last few years fewer and fewer stores are stocking it. And now I can't find a single store in our area that stocks it. The only reason I can think of for this is that it must not have sold very well, which baffles me because Irish coffee is SO Good!

- My last wish for this day is that the universe is looking down on you kindly!

As Claudya at Unknown Mami's says go ahead and wish, be it simple or big, when we give a voice to our wishes it helps us realize those wishes. So what are you wishing for? I would love to know, just put your wish in the comment section and I will gladly lend my wishing powers to your wish. Please join me in visiting Unknown Mami's Wish Wednesday so that we can lend our wishing powers to her and those she is wishing for.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Boy Was My Face Red

Typically one is happy to receive an award or trophy, and they are proud to display it for everyone to see. Now I haven't received many awards or trophies in my lifetime but I can tell you that I earned one trophy when I was a teenager that I hid and hoped the entire world (my small circle of friends and acquaintances) would forget about.

It was the summer of '74 when I found myself the recipient of that ill begotten award. At the time, like many 14yr old girls I was awkward and self conscious, often finding comfort by reading true stories submitted to Young Miss magazine for their 'Boy, was my face red' feature. The stories were never anything really shocking and in a way put everyday little mishaps into perspective. Then it happened! I had a story that topped every story I had ever read, but there was NO way I was going to write in to the magazine and share my humiliation.

 

Growing up in Southern California my summers consisted of long afternoons surfing the waves, fun filled times at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and Baseball! Now if you are fortunate enough to remember the 70's, you may remember that national news agencies proclaimed a streaking epidemic in '73 that rose in popularity and was was called a "a growing Los Angeles-area fad" by Time magazine in it's December '73 issue. By the summer of '74 streaking had reached a high point in pop culture with a wide range of novelty products flooding the market and Ray Steven's song "The Streak" hitting number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May. While I thought the song was great and regularly attending Dodger games so I had seen my share of streakers, I was not usually one to follow fads and I certainly had no intention of bearing it all to follow that one.

What I didn't know was that Ol' Neptune had different ideas. No one warned me when I chose to follow the string bikini fad that I would be setting myself up to join the growing number of individuals following the streaking fad. While body surfing one hot afternoon, I discovered just how much Ol' Neptune likes his ladies bare.

As was my typical routine, I had gone to the beach with my eighteen year old brother and a large group of his friends. It was a bright sunny day and the waves were really good, probably thanks the rather strong rip tide. We had been surfing for a few hours when I saw what would be both the best and worst wave of the day. I quickly swam out, positioning myself for probably the best body surfing I have ever done. It was perfect! I caught that wave and rode it all the way in. With the thrill of the ride still running high in my system I leaped to my feet as I the wave deposited me on the shore. I know I must have been grinning like a cat that just caught the fattest mouse. Then I saw one of my brother's friends. He was standing directly in front of me with the most shocked look on his face I had ever seen.

I could feel the rip tide pulling the wave back out to sea as I looked down and discovered I was Naked! As fast as I could I STREAKED back into the ocean, looking around for my best friend or my brother in the hopes they would bring me a towel. Much to my dismay neither were anywhere to be seen. Instead it was my brother's friend who ran and got a towel, then waded out into the water to give me the towel. I was very grateful but still completely mortified and hoped that no one else had witnessed the event. My hopes were soon dashed when a few days latter I received an award, which was quickly hidden away, that read "World's Fastest Streak".  It stayed hidden for many years, and although others enjoyed reminding me of how I got the award I did not talk about it until my own daughter became a teenager. 

She too loved to surf and one afternoon before heading out to buy her a new swimsuit I pulled it out and told the story as a warning to be very careful of the bathing suit she was about to choose. I had completely forgotten the incident when Liselman posted this on his blog and reminded me. As I read his post I found myself laughing at the memory of my short streaking career, and promised to post my story. I looked for the award but have no idea where it has gone. It is most probably buried under a ton of rubbish in a landfill somewhere, so I decided to have a bit of fun and make one.

Have you ever wondered why it is that we find events that at the time totally embarrassed us so funny years later?

SIMC: Lincoln Patriots Marching Band

My oldest granddaughter is a member of the Lincoln High School marching band and this last Saturday they competed in  The Dutchmen Field Championship in Orange City Iowa. It is one of the largest Midwest marching band competitions. This was my first time going to a marching band competition and I have to say it was pretty cool. In more ways than one, I really should have taken a blanket.

Each band's performance consisted of three 'acts'. The Patriots colorguard actually changed outfits during the performance. Switching from the bright green 'Alien' outfits to orange/gold spacesuit outfit. The theme of their performance was "Moving to Mars".

The large boxes served both as a way to display background scenes for the show as well as to provide a place for the colorguard to quickly change their outfits. It was so well choreographed that I didn't even realize what was happening till I saw the different color outfits.

Toward the end of their performance they had a huge parachute like material unfurl as the band played and a voice could be heard saying "Huston we have touchdown".

Most of the bands competing had less than 100 students,  with a few having between 110 and 150 students, but my granddaughter's band is huge. They have 260 students in the marching band. Watching them march off the field really gave a good sense of just how big they are. This photo only covers about half of the band.

After the Patriots performance the band for the hosting school performed a really awesome show titled "The Giving Tree".  Then all of band performers gathered on the field with blankets to sit and watch the fireworks display while the judges deliberated. 

When the lights went back on the kids on the field stood up while a few members from each band lined up on the sideline to accept awards for their teams. 

 

For the most part everyone was having a good time, except this young lady that was sitting next to me. She was so tired and just wanted to go home. In her defense I will admit that some of the performances were a tad on the boring side.

Every band got a participation award, and awards were given for various performance aspects. I do have to say I was glad that the bands were grouped into different classes with awards given in each class. The Lincoln Patriots received first place which really wasn't a surprise because they are very accomplished with a long list of outstanding accomplishments. They have participated in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California as well as in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York on multiple occasions. This year they have been invited and will be marching in The Hollywood Christmas Parade" in Hollywood, California. All of which is a testament to not only the kids but to Lincoln High School's music and marching band programs and directors. 

At the end of the night we were all a bit cold and tired but very happy too. Three High schools from Sioux Falls and two from smaller towns near Sioux Falls had all competed, so the line of cars heading back to Sioux Falls looked even longer than the line created by the Patriots as they left the field. I tried to get a good shot of the long line of cars and buses on the roadway in front of us, but this is the best I got. LOL

Have you ever been to a marching band competition? 

 

Thank you for visiting me here in South Dakota.

This is my contribution to 'Sunday In My City'. 

To find out what is going on in different cities around the world hop over to

 Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City blog hop.

The AC Menagerie Bulletin

Welcome to the September 7th addition of

 The AC Menagerie Bulletin

The AC Menagerie Bulletin is a weekly digital newspaper highlighting brief accounts of the week's happenings around the Zoo (our home) and on blogs by myself (Nita Davis). Sit back, relax and enjoy while you catch up with the Davis family.

Blog News 
I do believe I jinxed myself two weeks ago when I wished for help keeping track of time. The wish came to mind late Wednesday as I was writing my Wednesday Wonders & Wishes post. Yes, a post that should have been written by Tuesday so it could be published early Wednesday, and thus the wish. Instead of giving a bit of help keeping track of time the Universe decided I needed a wee bit of a break and gave me a nasty cold instead. 
 
Exciting News 

This happy couple just celebrated their second anniversary. Well I am no dummy, so when they asked me if I wanted to go to brunch with them on their anniversary, I knew some exciting news was coming. I was right, they are expecting their first child in April. 

 
Educational News

We have all been anticipating Sissy's orchestra concert this year as we found out at the end of last year they will be preforming with a very special orchestra. It hasn't been announced publicly yet, so I won't spill the beans and say who it is. I will say though that the orchestra holds a very special place in our family's heart and especially in Sissy's heart. From the time she was two years old until my husband passed away four years ago when she was eight, she would sit in his lap every day and they would watch this orchestra's video of 'Carol of the Bells'. It became 'Their' song.  Last week when Sissy got home from school she was visibly upset and told me she was thinking of asking if she could preform in the chorus instead of the orchestra. I was so confused as she had been so excited all summer long to play with the orchestra. When I asked why, she said her teacher handed out the sheet music for this years concert, and of all the song that they could have been playing wouldn't you know it they are playing 'Carol of the Bells'. She said she doesn't think she can play that song without breaking into tears. I totally get it. Her mom and I get teary eyed every time we hear that song. But we have convinced her to put all that emotion into playing the song. Now we are just hoping that all the time and tears spent practicing and listening to her practice will be a healing experience for us all.

Critter News

Devil cat is at it again! The other day I bought two packages of these donuts. Yes, my biggest junk food weakness is donuts. I was in a hurry that morning and had opened one of the packages and ate two of the six little donuts, before running out of the house. Forgetting we have a kitten that thinks it is a dog, I left both the opened package and the unopened package on the table. When I got home that darn cat had not only eaten the opened package of donuts but had ripped open the sealed package and eaten half of them as well. I was so mad at the cat I threw the half eaten donuts away without taking a picture of them. It is a miracle the cat is still alive.... LOL

Comics 

The Blog Review

On Artistic Composition  & Nita's Photography this week:  Digital Silence due to the following.

Wonders N Wishes

There are so many wonderful things about Wednesday!

My short list:

• It is Hump Day! That wonderful middle of the week, half way to the weekend, let's celebrate making it over life's hump day!
• It is Wordless Wednesday! Whether you celebrate by seeking quiet solitude or by sharing image only posts, there's a sense of wonder in the wordless approach. Click here for my contributions to the sound of silence.
• It is 'not so' Wordless Wednesday over at Curious as a Cathy. Absolutely perfect for the chatter box in me. Of course I will be sharing this post there. :D
• It is Wish Day! That is right, the day designated by Claudya @ Unknown Mami's as the day to put a voice to our wishes. You will find my wish below. 
• It is Wonders N Wishes Day! The day I am designating to share a 'Wonder' as well as a wish.
• This Wednesday is extra wonderful as our car got fixed today! YAY!

 

This week's Wonder Award goes to:
Dr. Richard A. Kaplan

I was going to find a different wonder for the week as I wrote a post about Dr. Kaplan on Monday, but I decided to share a tiny bit here as well as the link to my earlier post. My children and I were blessed to have Doctor Kaplan as their pediatrician before he switched to specializing in the care of abused children. He was wonderful as a pediatrician but his work with and for abused children is my reason for choosing him as this week's wonder. In a way it seems a bit late as he passed away three years ago, but the work he began lives on. Dr. Kaplan was a known and well respected around the world as one of the leading voices in establishing guidelines for the care and treatment of abused children. Working with such organizations as the Child Advocacy Center and The Midwest Regional Children's Advocacy Center. He even spearheading the creation of the Sioux Falls Children's Advocacy Center.  I hope you will click on the link to my earlier post where I share fun stories of this wonderful doctor.

Now for a bit of wishing!

Today I'm calling on the universe to grant the following wishes.

- The leaves are changing and I love it! I just have one request as far as Autumn goes. Please oh please can you make it longer! It would be so nice to have say five months of Autumn and one month of Winter.

- I could use a tad bit of help keeping track of time.

- My last wish for this day is that all of you a fantastic week!

As Claudya at Unknown Mami's says go ahead and wish, be it simple or big, when we give a voice to our wishes it helps us realize those wishes. So what are you wishing for? I would love to know, just put your wish in the comment section and I will gladly lend my wishing powers to your wish. Please join me in visiting Unknown Mami's Wish Wednesday so that we can lend our wishing powers to her and those she is wishing for.

Richard A Kaplan MD: Beyond the degrees

Over the years I have met and worked with many doctors, both in a professional capacity and as a patient or advocate of a patient. It is sad to say that having done so my overall opinion of doctors in general is not a very good one. 

But today I feel the need to raise my voice and tell my story of one of the greatest doctors I have ever had the pleasure of working with, Doctor Richard A Kaplan. A few years back, even though my children were all adults I made a call to his office in Minnesota in to leave a message for him because I knew he would enjoy an update on my youngest who was a bit special to him. His office told me he was out on family medical leave but they would relay the message. I did not hear back and although I worried some and hoped who ever was ill in his family was doing better, I got busy with life and forgot to check back. Then the other night my youngest and I were sharing funny stories of Dr. Kaplan with a family friend when she decided to google him to find an email address to send him a note. What she found rocked us both. Doctor Kaplan had passed away in August 19, 2013, just a few weeks after my attempt to reach him.

In reading the news report and obituary on line not only was I sad because he is no longer with us, but I was disappointed by how cold they were. Sure they told of his many professional accomplishments and of his dedication to children but few spoke of his amazing spirit so full of love and joy, except the one that included comments from a few friends and colleagues. Even those did not even scratch the surface of what it was like to know this amazing man and have him for your doctor. So I would like to share some fond memories of Dr. Rich Kaplan here for all to read.

When our family first moved to Yankton, South Dakota in March of '93 I scheduled an appointment at a local clinic for my four children. At the time I had no idea how fortunate we were that out of all the doctors in the clinic, Doctor Kaplan was the doctor that would be caring for our children. 

I will never forget that first visit, and how I was shocked when the door opened and in walked a rather wild looking man. He wore tan Bermuda shorts a loud Hawaiian T-shirt and if memory serves me correctly argyle socks with bulky sandals. His hair was a bit long and wild, but looked right at home with his bushy beard and multiple earrings in one ear. My shock was quickly replaced by laughter and admiration. Before even that first visit ended I knew that this eccentric man was one of the most down to earth compassionate doctors I had ever met. 

Well check ups were a time not just to make sure everyone was healthy and on the right growth trajectory, but they were also a time to catch up. He would ask the kids what they had been up to and if they had gone on any adventures. Then he would tell them about his latest adventure, sometimes it was bicycling from South Dakota to the east or west coast other times some fun time spent in the Black Hills with his family. But always it was sharing and more times than not it inspired the kids to explore the world around them. 

Over the years, his care was unwavering even when we moved away and "cheated on him" by taking the kids to as he called them "horse doctors". He still considered our children "His kids".  When I found out he was practicing in Sioux Falls I was so excited that the children would be able to see him again. But when I called to set up the appointments the receptionist informed me that he was no longer in general pediatrics but saw only children who were referred by various agencies because of abuse. I was glad he was helping those children but at the same time I was disappointed and I guess it came across in my voice, because she said she would tell him I called and ask him if he wanted to take on my children's medical care. The next day I got a call from the receptionist telling me in a bit of a surprised voice that Doctor Kaplan had instantly said to schedule appointments for the kids because they were "his kids". So even though he was doing some very important work with children who desperately needed his expertise he still cared and made time for those that could be treated by other doctors. Of course well child check-ups sometimes were scheduled way out because he was so busy but if they were sick he always squeezed them in.

The kids were always more than excited to get to go see him. A few times I even suspect they faked being sick just so they could go see him. That may sound odd, but honestly I can not think of a single time the kids complained about having to go see Dr. Kaplan. I am sure the following had a great deal to do with that. What other doctor writes a prescription for a Happy Meal, or gives their patient the silly animal looking flashlight that they just used to peer down the child's throat? Yes, these were common occurrences during visits to Doctor Kaplan. One time when my oldest was a teenager and had a mild case of pneumonia Dr. Kaplan turned to me and said "What K needs is plenty of fluids so I recommend a six pack a day and while you are at it a few extra holes in his head would look good." K's face lit up until Dr. Kaplan finished with "Just make it a six pack of root beer." 

Not long after he began his work as an expert witness in cases of child abuse I ran into him on my lunch break at the county court house. I almost didn't recognize him, he was clean shaven with short hair no earrings and was wearing a three piece suit. To say the least I was shocked and asked what on earth he had done with our Doctor Kaplan. His reply showed just how dedicated he was to the children he cared for. He answered with a flip 'Well, Judges tend to only take one seriously if one looks like this". 

Now don't get me wrong, I am not trying to make light of the extraordinary work Dr. Kaplan did with and for abused children. He was everything the articles and obituary claimed him to be, but he was so much more than an advocate for abused children and an expert in his field. He was a proud husband and father, a roll model to countless children and adults, a joker, an outdoor enthusiast, and most importantly a man who truly cared for his fellow man and touched so many people.

I share this here as a tribute to the whole man that was Richard A. Kaplan and not just the professional Doctor Rich Kaplan, because I want to make sure that there is a lasting public account of more than his degrees and contributions to abused and neglected children. This is also my way of telling his family how very sorry I am for their loss and how much he was loved by our family.

RIP 

Dr. Richard A Kaplan 

source

SIMC: Redlin Art Center

Today we are going to take a trip a few hours north of Sioux Falls to the small South Dakota town of Watertown. Watertown is home to one of my favorite places, The Redlin Art Center. This wonderful museum houses over 150 of the most gorgeous oil paintings I have ever seen, by artist Terry Redlin. Like Thomas Kindade, Redlin's paintings capture the light so perfectly that they almost come to life on the canvas. 

Source

Front entrance to the Redlin Art Center

After Charles Redlin asked his father to stop selling his original paintings in 1985 the plan for the art center was born. Twelve years later, in 1997 the art center opened as  a free exhibit designed to draw art loving tourist to South Dakota.

Often successful individuals give back to their communities, but I don't know any that have given in such a way. The Redlin family built this beautiful complex to house Terry's amazing art and then prior to it's opening to the public they donated the art and complex to the State of South Dakota.

The main building is surrounded by a beautiful park like setting with meandering paths and tranquil ponds. The art center is just off Interstate 29 in Watertown, South Dakota.

The complex includes this octagonal Pavilion, which is an event venue that sits on a small island in one of the larger ponds on the property. In addition to gorgeous granite floors, floor to ceiling windows and a brilliantly sparkling chandelier, the elegant interior, which seats 150 guests, includes eight larger than life panels featuring Redlin's America the Beautiful paintings.

 

Turning back toward the back of the main building the path winds through the park with benches along the way.

The lawns and ponds create not only a favorite stopping point for large flocks of waterfowl but a soothing setting for humans as well.

Back of the art center as it can be seen from I-29

While the exterior of the center and it's surrounding grounds are beautiful, the interior is what pulls me back time and time again.

I shared this photo earlier Here.

Once inside, as a lover of art, I tend to revert to a viewer and all thought of taking photos is relegated to the back burner, so I don't have but these two photos of the interior to share. 

Thank you for visiting me here in South Dakota.

This is my contribution to 'Sunday In My City'. 

To find out what is going on in different cities around the world hop over to

 Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City blog hop.

The AC Menagerie Bulletin

Welcome to the September 16th addition of

 The AC Menagerie Bulletin

The AC Menagerie Bulletin is a weekly digital newspaper highlighting brief accounts of the week's happenings around the Zoo (our home) and on blogs by myself (Nita Davis). Sit back, relax and enjoy while you catch up with the Davis family.

Automotive News  Update

Well, the guy at the car parts store was wrong. The battery is perfectly fine. However, the alternator is shot! We had to order the part and it won't come in till this coming Tuesday. In the meantime my oldest boy has lent us his little beauty.  

Life News 
While I am very thankful for the use of my sons car, I am not so sure I like his car. Every time I get behind the wheel I feel like a little kid that needs a booster seat! Here is a photo of me in the driver seat. My shoulder doesn't even come up to the bottom of the driver side window! I have to sit very straight and tall to see over the steering wheel. LOL

Community News
On Monday we participated in a special event in which participants, found little ways to spread kindness. I am not sure one of our deeds qualified, but it was sure fun. While shopping in Walmart Lexi and I decided to re-arrange an almost empty bin of dinosaurs in the hope that it would bring a smile to other shoppers. To find out more about the event check out my Spread Kindness post.  

Creative News

Last minute preparations, that is what you get when you have a preteen in the house. Last Friday Sissy had a friend spend the night and of course neither girl woke up Saturday till almost 11am. When the got up they told me they were invited to attend another friends birthday party at 2 on the same day. When I asked if they had presents to take to their friend both girls started to panic because of course they did not. They also had no money to go buy anything. So I pointed to the crafting closet and said well you better get busy. They managed to make some fun and useful things for their friend and even made a card and special bag to put the gifts in.

Pet News
Lexi's named her new kitten Moments because as she says 'he has precious moments eyes'. Let me tell you, those eyes can be deceiving! I usually call him Devil cat. No one can do anything in the kitchen without Moments running into the kitchen to 'help'. He likes to sit on the little step stool and watch what is going on. When I started to open the dishwasher to unload it he jumped onto the stool and refused to move. Which I guess is better than jumping in the dishwasher, which by the way he does every time I try to load it. And what cat likes lettuce?!!! I droped a leaf of lettuce and before I could reach down to pick it up he was on it and munching away. By the way he hates raw eggs. As a matter of fact he is terrified of them. Maybe he is really a dog.

Comics 

The Blog Review

Here is a list of this weeks posts. To visit them just click on the blue linked title.
 

On Artistic Composition this week:

- SIMC:Upper Falls: This last Sunday I shared a portion of the gorgeous waterfalls in Sioux Falls, that I don't often share.

- Spread Kindness: After being reminded of the importance of spreading kindness I wrote this post with it's accompanying motivational quotography.

- Wonders N Wishes: This weeks wonder is not a person but an amazing wonder of nature. 

 On Nita's Photography this week:

- South Dakota Sunday: Palisades: A photo trip to the beautiful tranquil Palisades State park is South Dakota.

- Controlling Exposure with Shutter Speed: Examples of how changing the shutter speed controls the photos exposure.

- WW: Prehistoric Revolt: A fun photo taken at the same time as the dinosaur photo above.

- The Challenge: Texture and Silhouette: Photography challenges four and seven of a 30 challenge series.  

- What's Better Than a Full Moon?: Check it out too find out the answer.

Have a Fantastic Weekend!

Linking up with Willy Nilly Friday 

Wonders N Wishes

There are so many wonderful things about Wednesday!

My short list:

• It is Hump Day! That wonderful middle of the week, half way to the weekend, let's celebrate making it over life's hump day!
• It is Wordless Wednesday! Whether you celebrate by seeking quiet solitude or by sharing image only posts, there's a sense of wonder in the wordless approach. Click here for my contributions to the sound of silence.
• It is 'not so' Wordless Wednesday over at Curious as a Cathy. Absolutely perfect for the chatter box in me. Of course I will be sharing this post there. :D
• It is Wish Day! That is right, the day designated by Claudya @ Unknown Mami's as the day to put a voice to our wishes. You will find my wish below. 
• It is Wonders N Wishes Day! The day I am designating to share a 'Wonder' as well as a wish.

 

This week's wonder:
Cueva de los Cristales

I thought I would change up the wonder a bit this week and go with a natural Wonder. I came across an image on boredpanda of an amazing crystal cave that I wanted to share. However in researching the image I discovered it was credited incorrectly and was taken by a National Geographic photographer. I sent a request to use the image with proper credit but have not received permission yet.

The cave which was discovered by miners in 2000 is called the Giant Crystal Cave and is 980 ft (300 meters) below Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico.  The picture I saw reminded me of Superman's Cave, with huge crystals jutting out in all different directions. This natural wonder has some of the world's largest known crystals. The largest crystal in the cave is 39ft long and 13ft in diameter with a weight of 55 tons. (can you see my shocked!)

Exploration of the cave has been problematic as the temperature is extremely hot, reaching temps up to 136 F (58 C), with 90 to 99 percent humidity.

When they found the cave the crystals were submerged in water which they continually  pump out so they can conduct scientific research and document the information. The research and documentation is being done by the Naica Project. I do hope they finish soon and allow the water to flow back in covering the crystals, as they deteriorate in the air. You can see the photos I saw in the National Geographic Article. Here is a video about the cave that also shows the photo.

Now for a bit of wishing.

 

Today I'm calling on the universe to grant the following wishes.

- A friend of mine is having surgery today so I ask for the abundant care of the universe to see him through safely, and help him heal quickly.

- Last week I left a message for the director of a local domestic violence shelter that I wanted to talk with them about organizing an event for the women and families under their care. My wish is that the director would call me back soon.

- My last wish for this day is that all of you find wonder in your life!

As Claudya at Unknown Mami's says go ahead and wish, be it simple or big, when we give a voice to our wishes it helps us realize those wishes. So what are you wishing for? I would love to know, just put your wish in the comment section and I will gladly lend my wishing powers to your wish. Please join me in visiting Unknown Mami's Wish Wednesday so that we can lend our wishing powers to her and those she is wishing for.

Spread Kindness

It is so easy to get wrapped up with our own worries that we forget what a simple kind word, deed or smile can mean to others. A simple act of kindness means so much, and yet is so easy to do. The joy experienced by both the receiver and the giver is undeniable and instantaneous. 

I was reminded of this by one of Lexi's friends. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of her father's death, and a few weeks ago she posted the following to Facebook: 

"September 12, 2015 is the day I lost the best man I have ever known, my Dad. While my heart is still broken I am choosing to celebrate his life instead of mourning his death. My Dad was the most generous person I know. Always the first to help, the first to care, always the first one to make a difference.  So in honor of Dad we are doing a day of kindness! Big or small it doesn't matter. Be a positive force in honor of a wonderful man. Pay for coffee for a stranger. Put extra change in a meter. Compliment a stranger. Take baked goods to a neighbor." 

I am happy to say that many of her friends joined her in celebrating his life by spreading kindness in his honor. One of the things I did was to create this quotography for her and a variation for others as a reminder of the importance of spreading kindness.

Just the other day I was feeling pretty bummed out about the color of my hair, or I should say the lack thereof. You see, portions of my hair refuses to hold any dye so some of it is a vibrant red while some is, oh I don't know, a silverish mousy brown with a blue green tint. Well, I was at the store when a stranger passing by said "Oh I love your hair! Where did you get it done?" To say the least it made my day, and now I don't feel as bad about the strange look of my hair. 

Has the kindness of another touched you recently? I would love to hear about it.

SIMC: Upper Falls

I often share photos of the gorgeous waterfalls here in Sioux Falls, but they are usually of the lower falls. So today I decided would be a good day to share images of the upper falls. 

Thank you for visiting me here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

I realize I am a day late, however this is my contribution to 'Sunday In My City'. 

To find out what is going on in different cities around the world hop over to

 Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City blog hop.