I finally found a group of people that are a lot like me and they reside on planet Earth!  I spent a good part of this weekend at Rock Springs volunteering and training for the Homestead at the Prairie Celebration.  During my time there I spoke to one of the directors of Rock Springs and it’s amazing – she is just as fascinated by ROCKS as me!

I’ve been collecting rocks forever.  I was lucky to have a family getaway near Beecher City when I was growing up.  Twenty acres of woods, two creeks, hills and ravines and lots of fun walking through undisturbed timber filled my every weekend.  I don’t make it down there as nearly as often as I’d like to now but this Fall I’ve got to take the kids there for a weekend getaway.  I also spent a lot of time in Spring Creek near my home in Decatur with my best friend.  That creek entertained us to no end. Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to all the rocks I use to have?

Anyway, speaking with someone else who could spend hours wading in a creek, looking for cool rocks to admire,  just made my day!

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If you missed the Prairie Celebration at Rock Springs, I highly recommend going to the Fall Harvest to be held on Saturday, October 24th from 3:00 – 7:00pm.  There will be food, wagon rides, a wiener roast, scarecrow making activities for the kids and story telling by campfire.  Last year I went unprepared and wore shorts to the event.  By the evening, I nearly froze walking back to the car from the Homestead, but seeing that wonderful unobstructed view of the stars by campfire while listening to ghost stories and other folklore was worth it.

There’s something I always  dread about this time of year:  shopping for new pants.  I think I’ve only worn a pair of full-length pants twice since April.  I’m content in shorts, a t-shirt and sandals.  It’s comfortable and more importantly, I can actually find shorts that fit my body type.  Finding a pair of pants that both fits my body type and style is always a long and exhaustive search.  Being petite (short) doesn’t help.

If you’re a short woman you’ll quickly realize your choices in apparel are narrowed down to “yuck” and “what were they  thinking?”  For some reason, clothing designers must believe that if a woman is short, she is also 95 years old. I always have to resort to ordering my pants online to get a more tailored fit and it really stinks to have to pay $50 for a single pair of khakis.   I have learned though, that if I find a pair of pants that fits me well, to order or buy five more pairs of it, because it’s rare that I find something that fits me off of the shelf.

Men have been wearing pretty much the same styles for the past 50 years and don’t have to worry about finding something they like, but every season women are forced to either accept whatever today’s fad is, no matter how ridiculous, or resort to shopping at a local thrift store to find something half-way normal looking from the past.  Why don’t they just leave womens’ clothes alone?  Quit trying to reinvent the wheel.  We know what looks good and what looks bad.  Stick to making what looks good!

A case in point is waist-less pants.  It’s like wearing a shirt with only sleeves.  What’s the point?  If I were 18 and in shape, maybe they’d look okay but how many women fit that mold?  After giving birth to a couple children, I cannot wear pants without a waist.  The front hangs out and my backside feels like I’m wearing a drafty rain barrel every time I bend over. I want pants that I can move in, breathe in and not look like an old lady or a fat plumber!

And the shirt styles for women aren’t any better.  This past weekend, I spent a couple hours at a local clothing store with my daughter, and out of the hundreds of shirts I looked through, maybe 1% were something I would consider wearing if I HAD to.  I really thought that many of the shirts should have came with a red rubber nose to complete the clown ensemble the designer must have had in mind when designing those ridiculous looking things.  Ruffles?  Ruffles on t-shirts?  Do ruffles EVER look good on anybody?  No!  I want normal looking clothes!

Boat Dock on Lake Decatur

Yesterday, I went out with my camera to take photos for a project I’m doing and my intent was to take photos of some of the beautiful wildflowers I’ve seen growing by many of Central Illinois’ highways.  On a recent trip to Lincoln a couple weeks ago I enjoyed the view of tall wildflowers in full-bloom swaying by the roadside.  So, I went out to get some photos of them and to my disappointment they were all mowed down!  I was too late.

That’s one of the issues this part of Illinois faces:  there’s no where to go to enjoy nature without risking being run over or bothered by masses of people.  Thank goodness for Rock Springs!  It’s one of the last refuges to retreat to when one wants to get away from it all, included our own jumbled minds, and get back in touch with Mother Nature.  But I sure would like to see more places in and around Decatur to take in the tranquility only nature can provide.

I finally found one spot that wasn’t taken along Lake Decatur to sit.  I’m not saying where this dock is.  You couldn’t beat it out of me!  Though I here that’s been happening around Decatur too!  But I just sat there and soaked up the sun and watched butterflies flutter past.  One did drown next to me but I’ll get over the trauma one of these days.

If everyone had a boat dock and a place to seek peace and quiet most of the world’s problems would cease.  Good luck finding your own boat dock, or place to photograph a wildflower, without being run over, around here!