{Run for the Thirsty}

A race for a good cause is such an awesome way to kick off a Saturday morning!

Community
Exercise
Energy
Making a difference
New experiences
Fun with friends
Enjoying Mother Nature

That's the stuff that makes life so good!

Saturday, I got to participate in the Second Annual Run for the Thirsty -- an event designed to help eliminate emergency thirst in Phoenix -- a very real problem.

"Last year over 100 people in metro Phoenix died needlessly due to dehydration. The proceeds from this event will purchase clean drinking water for our homeless and home bound in greater Phoenix, and to stockpile for Arizona disaster relief programs," said Water for our World, race organizer.

Water insequurity is a global issue with enormous scope [source]:

• One-sixth of the world's population doesn't have access to clean drinking water.
• 2.2 billion people in developing countries die annually from lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.
• In the past 10 years, diarrhea has killed more children than all the people lost to armed conflict since World War II.
• Despite the size of the problem, we have made little progress against it. There were only 181 million fewer people living without safe drinking water in rural settings in 2004 (899 million) vs. 1990 (1.08 billion).
• 50 percent of people on Earth lack adequate sanitation. 

Amanda signed up to run it with me. It was her first 5k! She did great! All in all, a worthy cause and a great morning!!

{Dipping My Toes Back in the Water}

Hello, strangers!

What is it about a major life transition that puts blogging squarely in the back seat? LinkAdventures has been decidedly neglected for months, and people are one person is protesting my moratorium. Truth is, I miss this 'ole blog of mine. :)

What context it will take on remains to be seen, as the population of LinkAdventures has been reduced by just under 50% and what I want to share on the world wide web appears to be evolving. But I've been told more than once not to overthink everything so damn much! Interestingly enough, I heard this from ten different sources in as many weeks. If that many random people in your life come to the same conclusion and feel compelled to share it with you, perhaps it's worth taking note of, right?

With reckless abandon, I'll share and let the wind blow me and my little blog where it may ...

****************************

There's been lots of fun stuff happening. I haven't been very good about getting my camera out to document most of it (bad photographer!). That is, in part, because I'm staying present in the moment and enjoying what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with!

A couple highlights include a fabulous, homemade gourmet vegetarian meal with the Law family; going to see DisneyNature's "Chimpanzee" with Paul for Earth Day; attending a book reading with Jeff to hear seven-time Olympic medalist Amanda Beard talk about her memoir In the Pool, They Can't See You Cry; exploring the Tempe Art Festival with friends; and tea at The Phoenician with my new landlord and friend, Patrice.

I was honored to participate in Pat's Run this year. (I walked it with Lindsay in 2008.) It's a big deal in our community -- a 4.2 mile run for a good cause! My friend, Jeff, rallied and got ready to do it with me even though he hadn't run in six years after having both knees reconstructed. What a trooper, that guy! (If you want to support this cause, you might be able to do a "Shadow Run" in a city near you. Check it out here.) We got to meet up with the Hendricks family before and after. It was a fabulous way to spend a morning!

I've already had a couple sets of company in my new little house in the city. Aaron and Pam (my brother and sister-in-law) absolutely, unequivocally saved me by flying in the weekend after I moved. They were on a very specific mission to turn my box-filled mess of a house into a home in a fast 36 hours. They've both been through similar transitions and they know it can be a scoach overwhelming. We spent the first night reconnecting over wine, food and great conversation at Postino Wine Cafe. But at 5AM the next morning, Aaron was up and making sure us girls were, too! Aaron attacked the living room and Pam was in charge of the kitchen. I bounced back and forth between them. By the time they left on Sunday morning, everything was hung on the walls, my living room and kitchen were completely done, and I had a largely settled place to start my new life. As if that wasn't enough, they bought me all kinds of things to get me started including stuff for my kitchen, tools, plants, coasters, and more. :) I'll be forever thankful to them!! I'm so lucky to have these two (and their four kidlets) to love.

Then, my girl Jen -- who I've been friends with for 22 years now! -- flew in for a fabulous girls weekend. We had so much fun! Wine, a spa day, laughs at The Tempe Improv, good food, an awesome hike on the Cholla side of Camelback Mountain, shopping, and gobs of effortless conversation. A perfect weekend! It was wonderful to be able to focus on each other for four distraction-free days. Moments like that in life make me stop and thank The Universe for the amazing friends (which I count as family) I've been blessed with!

My "LinkAdventures" continue, even though they feel different today. It's all a lifestyle choice. Mine is on a mission to give back, explore, integrate into my community, experience new things, enjoy moments big and small with good people and a smile on my face -- determined to fill the air around me with positivity and sparkle! I think it's going to be a good summer. :)

{365 Days}

My life has changed a lot since last Saint Patrick's Day.

Not to dwell on the past too much, but I was so sure I knew were my life was headed

this time last year. I was on a new life course and was obsessed with it. Today, it not only

didn't happen like I thought it would, but my path has shifted so completely. I'm still

processing it all. It's taking awhile to sink in and shift from surreal to reality.

Holidays are good mile markers in time. They naturally get me thinking back to what I

was doing that same day the year or decade before. It's funny how the priorities in life

so heavily influence the way I celebrate in a certain moment and time. One thing that

always remains true -- I love having a reason to celebrate! I never plan to let that change.

In 2011 ...

- Lived in the suburbs with D and three four-legged babies

- Just got off the pill and was over-the-moon excited to get my body ready for pregnancy

- Planning a freelance career with a heavier focus on family photography to fit "mom life"

- Doing very little work in journalism

- Drove myself to Cave Creek to shop for house decor and explore a new part of town

- Made Irish Soda Bread and was all about nesting

In 2012 ...

- Single without kids

- Down one four-legged baby :(

- Living in downtown Phoenix with Norah and Oliver

- Weighing 27 pounds less than I did the year before

- Working full time in journalism

- A morning of wrapping up a story and running errands for my new house

- An afternoon with three great friends at Turf Irish Pub in our "hood." :)

One life and moment isn't better then the other.

They're just so different.

One is my present.

The other is my (very recent) past.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.

Anyway, back to the present! Here are some photos from the afternoon ...

Left: Here I am with a real life leprechaun!

Right: Me with my BFF Jeff. I know most of you have heard of him. Well, here he is!

I think this is his first appearance on the blog. :)

We were quite a crew, the four of us. We held down the corner of the patio at Turf for a

handful of hours. Kim and Isabelle got started early -- way before either Jeff or I did. :)

All four of us live within ten minutes of each other in Phoenix.

It's nice to have some company down here! I'm lucky to have such amazing friends!!

{The Itch to Stitch}

I'm a hobby girl. I've always gotta have one -- or five -- to fall back on at any given time.

Embroidering has been a constant for the last three years now. I started when Lindsay,

Carlene and I formed Stitch-N-Bitch. (Miss it. A lot.) I kept it up on my own when they

both moved, but it wasn't nearly as fun without them.

I finally found a steady group to create with in March -- Knitting Club. A few weeks

ago, we had our biggest group yet. It was awesome.

I'm so grateful to D'Arcy for creating this little group. The story of how it came to be

is pretty fabulous. She wanted to start a Knitting Club because she loves yarn, knitting

and people. So, she went posted the group on ravelry.com and started showing up every

single Friday at Paradise Bakery all by herself until one by one, members started

forming. Literally, she built it and we came, just like the old saying goes.

While I haven't been the most dedicated member in the last two months because

of my work schedule, I make it every time I can. There's truly no other place I'd

rather be come Friday at 6PM.

Here are some of the patterns I've stitched onto

flour sack towels in the second half of 2011 ...

Thanks for letting me show and tell. Cheers!

{A Spooktacular Halloween}

Boo!

I thought I'd pop in with a mini update from Halloween weekend. It was a busy and fun

one, for me. I had to work in one form or another Friday through Monday, but I also

made sure it was loaded with candy and friends, as God intended. Mwah-ha-ha!

I went to a third -- "Little Man" themed -- birthday party for Sawyer. :)

Then, Christa and Keith had a Halloween party at their place on Sunday afternoon.

They did it UP! They made so many awesome, festive treats and I think everyone

dressed up for the party -- little kids and "big kids" alike. I was an iron chef.

To round out the festivities, I put on as much lipstick, glitter and eye liner as possible.

Then, D & I hopped in the car and went to Jen and Anthony's to pass out -- and eat! --

a bunch of candy. I loved seeing all the trick-or-treaters in costume. They were pretty

darn cute.

Time to take down all our Halloween decorations now. Ugh.

{Getting back to Embroidery}

Embroidery is kind of a summertime hobby for me, it seems. Do you do

that with your interests -- pick them up during certain times of the year?

It's been about six months since I did any stitching, but I found myself starting a

new project in April. I like having something to do inside when it's hot outdoors. :)

Inspiration hit when I decided to make something for David's mom for Mother's

Day. She loves and collects lighthouses. So, I started making her a towel using

lighthouse iron-ons I bought awhile back at JoAnn's with her in mind. I didn't

finish it in time for her special day, but I showed her the project-in-progress

when she was here for a visit with a promise to get it done and mailed her way.

It was fun to do some stitching again! The towel has an image on each side:

Do you remember when I was doing Stitch-and-Bitch with Lindsay and Carlene?

Well, they both up and moved to Colorado. I've missed them and our little get-togethers.

My friend Patti has been going to a knitting club. Her co-worker, D'Arcy, started it.

I invited myself along last Friday, and they didn't seem to mind that I was doing this

instead of knitting. It was great to be around happy, positive woman who wanted to

connect and create.

They welcome new members if you're local and interested. It's at Paradise Bakery by

Gilbert Road and the 202 at 6PM. (It's every Friday in June and then it'll be every other

Friday in July, I think.) There's no fee to join. Just bring your materials and a smile. :)

{It's a Tough Life, but Somebody's Got to Do It}

David loves golf.

And he loves his job.

Lucky for him, he gets to combine the two

quite often.

His company hosted their annual customer

appreciation golf tournament back in April.

(I'm a little behind in some of my blogging.)

They asked me if I'd like to photograph it.

It was my first time documenting a whole

tournament -- candids and foursome shots.

I loved it.

It was a really fun day. I liked seeing D "in

his element" -- mixing, socializing, talking

business, golfing, celebrating a few good shots.

It was nice to see some faces I hadn't seen in awhile and meet others that I had only

heard him mention.

As for me, it was an awesome days work! I mean, seriously. It's not a bad way

to go. They handed me a golf cart and a couple drink tickets, and I was off with

my camera on a beautiful, crisp Arizona morning.

I really did work while I was there. I swear. I was just taking a little break when

Barb took the photos above. :)

Originally, I planned to share a few of my captures from the event, but in the end,

I decided these are the ones I want to remember.

{Life is a Many Splendored Thing}

High on the list of my most amazing life experiences is being in the room through the

entire process of labor and delivery as a tiny, miraculous human being takes it's first

breaths of air. Words can't describe what it feels like to watch parents meet their child

for the first time, knowing they'll love that baby more than anyone else in the world.

I've gotten to do it twice, thanks to my camera.

It was my honor to witness Barb and Jason as they ushered Gavin into the world in

the summer of 2008 -- a delivery that started with induction through Pitocin, went

through three hours of pushing and ended in cesarian section. I was granted special

access for all of it in order to preserve the moment with photos.

I thought it was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. That is, until Jenny and

Anthony asked me to do the same thing for them when their baby, Amelia, was born.

Obviously, most of the photos I captured on that day are private -- just for them -- but

I thought I'd share a few from before and after the delivery for my own documenting.

I couldn't resist taking a few quick pictures of Miss Amelia, just for fun, when I stopped

over to deliver the disk of birthing photos. She's so beautiful. So much so, in fact, that I

didn't even blink an eye when she urinated all over me during the diaper-off portion of

our mini shoot. :)

I'll never forget the moment I saw this little one be born. Pretty special stuff.

I wish her and her parents a lifetime of health, happiness, bonding, and love.

{A Concert in the Park with Patti}

There's something magical about sunset, about music and about time with friends.

I was recently lucky enough to combine all three when Patti and I went to see Steps Junk

Funk perform in the park. The outdoor concert was from the Sonoran Sunset Series at

Veterans Oasis Park in Chandler. You may remember I saw an Irish band there in March.

Admittedly, this was by far my least favorite of the three shows I saw there since

February, but it was still fun. The concept was cool. It combined some modern dance

(I say that loosely) with something like Stomp, street percussion style sound. They

lost two of their four members, apparently. I wanted to believe that was the problem,

but I think they needed, like, 38 more people to make it work really well.

On the other hand, every child there was totally mesmerized. They didn't flock to the

grass and dance with reckless abandon like they did for Irish folk music the month

before. But they were all in a trance, as if they were sitting in the back seat of their

parents' car, watching "The Wiggles" on DVD. The performing couple clearly had a

lot of passion for what they were doing, and it wasn't lost on the kidlets.

It was still really nice to be entertained outside on a beautiful evening in the company

of a good friend. I had a great time. I love that the City of Chandler arranges these

shows for us and encourages families to get outside and enjoy live music together.

While we were there, I took a few photos for Patti. She's always doing things for other

people, and it felt good to do something nice for her.

This was the last concert for their spring round. (That scheduling detail is a reminder

that it's about to get really hot here. Booo!) But they'll be back with more music in

the fall, beginning in September. I plan to go to as many of the shows as possible. It's

just too great too pass up free, live music in the park during the golden hour. Maybe

I'll see you there next time!