Travelers' Tales

Let's get one thing straight.  I don't get to travel anywhere near as often as I'd like. People who are extremely well-traveled are the ones that you sometimes hear complaining. They complain about the line at the airport, the minor delay on the runway and the bad food at the hotel restaurant. I'm not one of those people. I'm the one who is so excited to be going somewhere that I can overlook most of the inconveniences that are inevitable when traveling, whether it be waiting in a line, a flat tire or some iffy street food. These can be the very things that can make writing stories about travel interesting.

Blue Lake, near Cascade, Idaho

If I can travel somewhere to hike I'm an even happier camper... I mean traveler. In fact, I have a list of places that I want to travel to in order to hike. Like here and here, as well as a few others. Sometimes I get so busy focusing on these places that are far and away that I forget about what is in my own back yard.


 That was not the case in this case. I have been wanting a road trip and a  hike to Blue Lake (right in my own backyard) since the last time I was there, roughly ten years ago. Yes... it's true, I'm a little slow, and some things take me ten years. I can't name one thing that kept me from returning to this beautiful place, except perhaps the busyness of this thing we call life. Have you ever had a absolutely wonderful day somewhere? With that comes, for me anyway, a little trepidation. Perhaps if I go back to a place where I had a wonderful experience... it won't be that way again, and my memory of it will be ruined. There is the slightest possibility that I am a little bit neurotic, but I'd rather not discuss that...

But return I finally did! Just this past weekend the Captain and I synced up our schedules with some dear friends and headed for the beloved hills.

Though it is a fairly short hike from the trail head to Blue Lake, we made the most of it by climbing to the top of the nearest peak. It was easily the best day I have had in months, and though the experience was vastly different from the last trip there, it was... I'm happy to report, just as good. It was absolutely therapeutic and I could breathe up there. Really breathe. And breathing is very, very important.  Do you hear me?

My Exuberance List 7.10.12

Love is in the air

I'm trying something new, well new for me anyway. It's not an original idea, but I think it's  good one. I'm calling it "My Exuberance List,"  also known as things I'm groovin' on. It's a list of links, pictures, articles, and videos that I think are worth sharing. I hope you like it!
 I am, as always, Exuberantly Yours, Jana.

1. My kind of woman

2. Come away with me

3. Something just for you


4. How cool is this?


5. Top of the morning to you!


6. Wet your whistle


7.  Why don't I have one of these?

8.  A little getaway

9.  This made me dance

10. This made me lol

What I Found

Amongst my many enthusiasms is photography. As mentioned in a previous post, I lost much of  my exuberance for a period of time and a variety of reasons. The main reason - lack of time to focus on my creativity, led to the other reason - flat out depression. Now, I'm not a Dr., but I've been depressed in the past... and I'm pretty sure I recognize the sucky symptoms. Thankfully, I've moved past that and am in a creative place again.

Lomo-fi Filter

Did I mention that I like photography? I've never considered myself an actual photographer for a couple of reasons. Number One: I've always been surrounded by other creatives... and one of them was usually "the Photographer."  I, of course, was "the Writer." That didn't stop me from taking pictures though. I have a pretty good eye and can frame a shot. I also have the ability to recognize amazing lighting when I see it.  Other than that, I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot of the technical aspect of the art. The truth is, the only time I ever thought I might be a photographer was when I had some garden shots published in a couple of gardening magazines along with my articles. The other reason (which for the sake of structure we will call Number Two) that I've never considered myself a photographer, is that I've never owned a really good quality camera. When I needed to shoot stuff for a magazine I simply borrowed the Nikon of my generous "photographer" friend.

1977 Filter

As mentioned, I'm in a creative place again and am thrilled to have discovered the Instagram app practically by mistake. My sweetheart asked me about Instagram a while back. (Sadly, I'm the techie one in the relationship.) Some of our colleagues were sending him Instagrams from across the globe. I didn't know too much about it so I did a little research and realized that there is an app for the Android phone,  not just the iPhone. So download it I did, and I've been having a ton of fun with it every since.

 I love the different filters, borders and the versatility of shots that I can take, and while I realize that "actual photographers" may frown on it, I don't give poop! It has honestly renewed my interest in taking pictures, and as an exuberant foodie, I am jacked about how my food pics turn out, as in "happy, happy, joy, joy." My Facebook friends seem to appreciate them and so do the other folks that I sometimes force to look at them. I even have a follower! I wasn't expecting a follower, but hey, it adds to the fun.

Hefe Filter

Lomo-fi Filter

Savoring Idaho

Savor Idaho 2012

Boy, this girl loves food! And wine! I wish I could convey my passion for these things to every person I meet. Not surprisingly, I love nothing more than watching what happens when Foodies unite! Unless it's watching Wine Lovers unite. Luckily I had a wonderful opportunity to see both this past weekend at Savor Idaho, Idaho's Premiere Wine and Food Event.

  In its fourth year, and held at the beautiful Idaho Botanical Garden, Savor Idaho is put on by the Idaho Grape Growers and the Wine Producers Commission. The event allows consumers a wonderful opportunity to "savor" the best of Idaho wines and local foods. This year's event featured twenty eight wineries and seventeen restaurants or catering companies, all with plenty of delicious samples.


It turns out that as part of my wonderful life, I am blessed to know some wonderful Idaho winemakers who were kind enough to ask me to help pour some of their award winning wine at this great event. I met these fun folks (who rock climb all over the world when they're not making wine) a few years ago when I wrote a magazine article about their winery. So pour I did - for 900 plus vino lovers over the course of the afternoon. It was so much fun to be able to chat with enthusiastic people about such extraordinary wines. Next time... I'm pretty sure... I won't wear high heels.

ICW's Winemaker Mike McClure

Indian Creek Winery is well known for being the only winery in the Snake River Valley Appellation that's been consistently growing and producing Pinot Noir since the 1980's. Their 2008 Pinot Noir has won medals (beating out many of Oregon's famous Pinot Noirs) in the Northwest Region and their 2010 White Pinot Noir is equally as popular with the wine lovers. We also poured Indian Creek Winery's 2011 Pinot Noir Dry Rose. It is ... frankly, my new favorite summer wine.

If you're a food and wine lover and you like to spend lovely afternoons in a phenomenal garden, I highly recommend trying to get a ticket for next year's event. Meanwhile, if you're interested in finding out more about Idaho's Wine Country I would suggest getting your feet wet by taking a tour of some of our great local vineyards and wineries. Whether you're visiting the area - or if you perhaps didn't know that there was wine country thirty miles from your front door - I know you'll enjoy getting out and meeting some wonderful people who take wine making seriously. My friend George at Idaho Winery Tours would love to show you around.

Who knows, you may even see me out there. I'll be the girl with the big smile and the glass of wine who wants to talk  to you about what you've been eating.

Lost And Found

Boy, life can get overwhelming can't it? It turns out that life can suck the exuberance right out of a girl leaving a gaping hole that is then filled with a fairly blankety blank attitude, along with a fine mist of sarcasm. Not that life is bad, or has been bad, just... as I mentioned... a bit overwhelming.

Picture yourself in a job where you really aren't doing what you're meant to be doing. Somewhere where you (perhaps) hyperventilate all day. You go there, because for a brief period of time you forget that you have choices in life.

Finally, you release yourself from the situation in order to not die and wait for the expected results. You know, as in...breathing again and well, living. They don't come. You continue to wait, babying yourself along with plenty of rest and some nice self talk about how you're going to reclaim your life and your aforementioned Exuberance with a capital E. Still... nothing. Confusion sets in. Really? You expected to feel better the moment you walked out of the stressful place that did not feed your soul because it was too busy sucking it out. Did I mention the possibility of being covered by a fine mist of sarcasm?

Finally, after you've actually acknowledged that something might be seriously wrong with you, the breathing finally kicks in, the babying begins to take effect and you are on your way back to your former exuberant state.  You take some pretty pictures, you read some good books, you cook some delicious food, you tell someone a clever story that gets a laugh. And you hit your yoga mat and breathe like you've never breathed before, gasping a bit with thankfulness that you are beginning to feel like yourself again. And... finally... you write.

Ahhh.... Memories

If I've learned anything, I've learned this. Everyone... has a story. Not all are willing to tell their story, and not all stories are totally fascinating and mesmerizing, but nevertheless, we all have a story. And some of us actually tell those stories.

It's no secret that I am a bibliophile. I've been reading since the age of four, and perusing the pages of a good book continues to be one of my greatest pleasures.

In recent months my reading time has been cut back dramatically due to the busyness of life. I find this lack of book time seriously affecting my attitude and my well-being, and frankly, I'm not too happy about it. I need uninterrupted time with a good book, stat.. preferably under a tree, stat... on a nice summer day, stat.

When I do find time to read I find myself gravitating towards memoirs. Perhaps this is because I'm writing one. Or, trying to write one... or actually two. Did I mention that I was also too busy to write?

I have picked up a couple of recently written memoirs that were brilliant bits of storytelling. Stories that make you thankful for who and what you have in life. Stories, that make you wonder about the strength, the fortitude and the undying tenacity of our brothers and sisters. Stories that explain how someone came to be just who they are. Stories that will make you laugh until you pee... and stories that make your heart hurt so bad that you wonder how a person could ever survive the memory of their own memories.

I'm hoping to find the time to read more captivating stories... and to write some too. But more than either of those things... I'm hoping to live life, and make more memories. Care to join me?

Foodies Unite!

I love food! A certain amount of my time has been dedicated to talking and writing about food and what it means to me. These conversations are sure to take place when I am with members of my family or fellow foodies. Posting observations or obsessions about what I am cooking or craving on any given day, or what yummy, fresh ingredient I picked up at the market or picked from the garden, has become the norm. I'm always amazed at the number of people who respond to these food posts. It seems a lot of my friends are food and/or wine lovers. I love that! I do! Thinking about it makes me happy... and, actually, a wee bit hungry.

Recently I made some new friends who love food as much as I do. Their kitchen is definitely the heart of their home, and when I'm there, which is often, everything seems to revolve around what we are cooking. Time spent with them looks a little like this. Cook, eat, share a bottle of wine, talk, go to bed, get up, drink coffee, make breakfast together, eat, drink, talk about what we will cook next, discuss who gets the hammock, take a nap and then cook again and eat some more. It doesn't get much better than that.

I realized recently that the creative energy that is present in this relationship is what stimulates our appetites and is also a huge part of our fondness for each other. When inspired,foodie types get together you can expect some excellent meals, inventive new recipe ideas and stunning food photos. This creative energy is what happens when "Foodies Unite."