Glamping?

I read an article yesterday that I thought was interesting. It was about glamping, which is camping in style. Luxurious bedding, bathrooms, lighting and even maid service. I instantly thought this would appeal to women. The women can go camping worrying about those icky bugs and sleeping on the ground. The men might go along with it because it's still in the middle of the woods. The article talked about places like Africa--even Washington.

How about this one in Canada?



Or this one in Tanzania? These places bring a whole new meaning to the term camping.

I thought this one was interesting. It almost looks like a living room in there. I'm all for roasting marshmellows by the fire, but not sleeping on the hard ground. That hurts my back
I'll admit some of them went a little overboard-a personal butler, bathrooms, and air conditioning?! Men would probably laugh at the thought of this. but it might not be so funny if that's the only way their wives would go. Mrs. Newlywed, this one's for you.

Credits: msnbc.com

Memories Rewind: Quit Sangin' and Sore Fists

Having a twin is good for the most part. You always have someone to play with, someone to talk to. Sometimes you get on each other's nerves.

Case and point:

My brother and I went up to the dilapidated barn to see what our dad was doing. We decided to hop up on the old green tuck with its big headlights framed in thick silver rims. The dark green paint had a few rust spots that showed its age. The windows were the kind that you roll up by hand. You had to put some muscle into it.

We watched my dad talking to some men, but we soon became bored. My brother broke into a song-"Away in a Manger" to be exact. We're from the country, so keep that in mind. "Away in a manger no crib for a bed--"

I decided I needed to get in on the action. "Away in a manger"-- Suddenly I hear a loud rapping noise. Bang bag bang, as my brother['s fist pounded the truck. "*Danielle, quit sangin!" It's my turn. He tried again. "Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the wittle Lord Jesus lay down his sweet he-ad"--

"The cattle are lowing the baby's"-- I sang in my high pitched voice.

"DANIELLE! Quit sangin!" He punctuated every word with a loud bang on the truck, desperately trying to get my attention. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. I punctuated my stare with a swish of my blond ponytail.
"Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet he-ad", my brother sang.

"Away in a manager"-- I sang ever so sweetly. Mama had the camcorder out, I wanted my fifteen minutes of fame, dadgum it!

He finally gave up-I think his little wrists were hurting. I'm so glad Mama filmed that because the whole family laughs their heads of every time we watch it.

Looking back though, I wish I would have just let him sing the song. But aren't sisters supposed to pester their brothers?

*Danielle is not my real name, in case you didn't know.

Something to Make Your Life a little Easier

My mom came home yesterday with a smile on her face. She told me about a new product she had found that actually worked. Imagine that!

Hate doing laundry? This might change your mind or at least make it less of a hassle. It's a 3 in 1 cloth from Purex. It has detergent, softener, and anti static strip. I'm sure moms would love it(or anyone really). Since my mom doesn't have many readers yet, she asked me to tell everyone. Click here to read her post. What good is a secret if it's not shared?

For more info, go to Purex site.

Memories Rewind

We're making memories every day, whether we realize it or not. This week, I've been a little sad.

I've also been reflecting a lot lately. Like the time my brother told me that he had a girlfriend. We were young (like 11), so I didn't take him too seriously. I said, "Oh yeah?" He said, "Yep, her name is Brown." I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's because at that time we were young, no responsibilities or cares.

Or the time I got an ankle bracelet for reciting several Bible verses. That same night, I met Nikki. Nikki is not your average person. Why? She doesn't like chocolate. I know. She said she preferred pizza. In my eleven year old mind, I couldn't see how pizza was on the same level as chocolate. Even though she liked different foods, I didn't hold it against her.

As I thought about all of these things, I laughed out loud.

If you're interested, I might make this a weekly thing. I've been thinking of a weekly post that would be meaningful, funny, and capture my love of writing...for fun. This might be it! I have many more stories up my sleeve.

What memories still bring a smile to your face?

Scavenger Hunt Answers

Lots of people thought the scavenger hunt was a great idea, but no one left me a comment with their answers. Maybe you were so busy searching for the answers you forgot to comment. Yeah, that's it. I know everyone is dying to know the answers. Since I don't won't any of my beloved readers to die from curiosity, I will reveal the answers.

How many days a week do I go to physical therapy?

Two.

Is my twin a boy or a girl?

Boy.

What am I majoring in?

Communications.

What is my favorite fruit to eat during summer?

Peaches.

What do I love to do in my spare time?

Write.

What accessory did my mom's snow[wo]man have on?

Scarf. A brown and orange scarf.

What do I refer to life as?

Life is a journey. You had to read the "letter" I had to do on my thoughts about life for an assignment.

What's my motto about physical therapy?

It's all worth it.

What's the title of a recent book I've read that chronicles the story of a man who overcomes incredible odds in his life?

Gifted Hands

What never happens where I live?

It never snows!

Extra Credit Question: In your opinion, what's my blog about? My mom thought this would be a good question and so did I.


Since this was an opinion question, there was no right or wrong answer. I wanted to know what everyone thought.

Father's Day

I don't have a sentimental Father's Day post. Unfortunately, he hasn't been too involved in my life. I would love him to be, but he isn't.

Without going into too many personal details, I don't fit in when I go over there. He has a temper. Enough said. He overreacted at Thanksgiving, so we haven't spoken because he always has something negative to say.

Sometimes in life you have to be the bigger person. I sent him a card for Father's day. Even though our relationship isn't the best, I thought I could at least acknowledge him. It wasn't one of those sappy cards that say, "Thank you for teaching me the value of a dollar...." because he didn't. I picked out a simple card and sent it.

Since he can't talk to me without bringing up something childish, I haven't had the chance to tell him that he's welcome to see me anytime. You know what? There's only so much I can do. At the end of the day, I can only change myself. Maybe he'll eventually come around. I know deep down he has some good in him.

To all of you that have a father that spends time with you, cherish it. A father that guides you through life, dusts you off after you scrape your elbow is invaluable. I could be sad, but I know that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me more than life itself, has saw every tear I've cried when my dad wasn't there. My Heavenly Father has been there for every important event in my life. Every doctor's appointment, awards ceremony, and physical therapy appointment. Man, I've got a busy life! :)

You Gotta Dig to Find the Treasure

I'm glad that you all like the modern scavenger hunt. Is it too hard? If so, I never meant it to be. If I do another one, I'll only do five. Some people like a challenge, and I'm happy to oblige.

What's the treasure you ask? Finding out more about me of course! I guess this is my version of the "Ask me Anything" posts that are common in blog land. Instead of asking things, you go find them. While I'm not opposed to doing one of those, I'm not so naive to not know there are some crazy people out there.

I'll do a post with the answers to the scavenger within the next few days. I want to give everyone a chance to do it. I'm all about equal opportunities here at Making my Mark.

Modern Day Scavenger Hunt

The reason I say it's a modern day scavenger hunt is because it's going to be done with a computer instead of outside. I saw something similar on Pioneer Woman's website, but I came up with the name myself. Honestly, I had forgotten all about the one she did. I wanted something different, and this is what I came up with! Blogger doesn't want to fix my spacing, so just ignore it. I'm not sure why it looks like that when I post it, it looks ok on my end.


The Object of the Game: Find as many things out about me by searching through my entries--old and new.

• How many days a week do I go to physical therapy?

• Is my twin a boy or a girl?

• What am I majoring in?

• What is my favorite fruit to eat during summer?

• What do I love to do in my spare time?

• What accessory did my mom's snow[wo]man have on?

• What do I refer to life as?

• What's my motto about physical therapy?

• What's the title of a recent book I've read that chronicles the story of a man who overcomes incredible odds in his life?

• What never happens where I live?

Extra Credit Question: In your opinion, what's my blog about? My mom thought this would be a good question and so did I.

I thought this would be a fun way to see how much my readers know about me. Leave me a comment with your answers!

My Words...in More than one Language!

Disclaimer: While my site provides translations, it doesn't claim that the translations will be perfect. It won't translate word for word, but it is my wish that this blog will be enjoyed by people of many different languages.

I used Google Translations to accomplish this. If you're interested in learning more about it, I think it's a great tool to reach more people. If you're not sure what something says, just mouse over the words and the original translation(English in this case) will show up. Just click on your preferred language to start reading. Enjoy!

*Let me know if you would like me to add another language to the list. There were several to choose from, so I picked a few that I thought might be useful.

Español


Français


Italiano


한국어

To Translate or Not Translate

I've recently discovered something that translates blogs into several different languages--for free. I know that I've had some readers from other countries, so I want to make you feel welcome as well. Would this be something you would like?

I've always been a little concerned about other people from other countries being able to read my blog. I've been taking Spanish classes for years, but I'm not able to write exclusively in Spanish. I'm a little rusty and maybe I'll be able to take another class. My favorite teacher left to pursue another job. In any case, (I can't make the upside down exclamation mark with Blogger)Bienvenidos a mi blog!

Have any of you used the Google Translation Tools?

Come Out Wherever You Are

Blogging is a two way street. I write, you read. Since I share about my life, I want to get to know the people who read my blog. Sometimes, I think it's about four people. I don't care how many people read because that's not why I started blogging.

I started blogging a few years ago before people even knew what it was. I just liked the idea of having another place to write down my thoughts besides my diary. For these past few years, I've been in the bed except to do the necessary day to day things, so blogging seemed like a perfect fit. The computer became my best friend because it was very hard to write things in bed. I've mastered that art as well because not all homework can be done on the computer.

So, leave me a comment. I'd love to read your blog to find out more about you!

Man Vs. Wheelchair

Before I begin, let me give you a little background. I've had my wheelchair for a little over two years now. With that comes some natural wear and tear. Over time, family members and friends would unknowingly twist the handles as they were talking to me.

One day, my teacher was pushing me to my class. All of a sudden, I went off of the sidewalk and into the flowers. I kept my cool because I've been pushed into a door(on purpose). Yes, some people have a twisted sense of humor. I've also been guided down a very steep hill with two friends on each side. Rolling off of the sidewall? No problem. It was all part of it. Of course, my teacher was embarrassed and grabbed the handles. He thought he could push me onto the beginning of the sidewalk, which went upward a little, with one hand. Not as easy as it sounds. The handle came off. Well, I came home and told my mom that my teacher was concerned because the handle had come off. I don't think she really understood because she said, "OK, I'll see if I can find some new ones."

Another time, a friend of mine was helping me to class. We were talking about an upcoming class when the handle was really loose. It came off. I told my mom about it. I remember her saying she couldn't find any at our pharmacy. At this point, we had tried super glue on the handles for my walker, so we knew that wouldn't work. My teacher suggested the powder that people in band use. He said it would start out as a powder, then get hard. I was frustrated because we couldn't find anything.

Finally, my mom got to see it first hand. She was pushing me up the ramp to get to the house when the handle came off. She couldn't believe how easily it slipped off. She asked our pharmacy about it one more time. They said they didn't carry the kind with several hand grips, but he gave her some suggestions for stores that might.

Fast forward to today. One of the stores was right near where I take PT. My mom went in there and one person said they didn't have any. A man finally found some with one hand grip. My mom brought it back to test it out.

She got it on a little, but it wouldn't budge after a certain point. She's got muscular arms from lifting my wheelchair in and out many times a day, even though she doesn't work out. She called one of the male PTA's over to help, thinking he would have more success getting it on. It's only a piece of rubber, how hard could it be? He pushed and pushed. It went on a little further, but it wasn't enough. He gave it one final slam.

He decided to call in the big guns--McKenzie (Name has been changed to protect the innocent). She pushed and pushed--so hard that the wheelchair moved even when locked. The male PTA held the wheelchair. I was beginning to wonder if they could do it. Holding my breath, McKenzie got it. Score! The downside-that was only one.

My mom was able to get the second on further than she thought she could. There came a point that she didn't push it because she didn't won't to hurt herself. She decided to wait for McKenzie. She pushed, but it just wasn't going any further. She said it was bending.

Next, my PT gave it a shot. He pushed, and he also felt it bending. He said he might be able to get a better angle if I got out of the chair. He turned it over. He pushed and pushed and pushed. It was slowly easing up. That wheelchair had nothing on him. He was pushing so hard that he had to switch knees because it was getting sore. My mom and I said, "It's OK. That's close enough." He was still pushing and said, "One more push!" Looks like I wasn't the only one that got a work out today.
*Picture taken from Google