Just a quick post with a great quote... “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
Buddha

What happiness will you share today?

Could you do this?

My husband and I have been involved with the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy Challenge for years now. Veteran hikers ourselves - we have done the whole challenge four times - we signed up for the Homestead Challenge this year. The Homestead is only 18 miles - as opposed to the 35.1 mile full challenge.

For the first time, I called it quits after about 12 miles. The heat this year was too much for me and I found myself getting chilled and goosebumps, despite the 90 degree day. Paul, I am happy to say, finished.

And so did some other great folks -
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-north/group-of-teachers-coaches-take-hiking-challenge-694137/

Getting outdoors and on the trail for the Challenge always puts us in contact with other wonderful - if maybe a bit crazy - folks. What is your Challenge?

Painting Happiness!

When we decided to go say "Good-bye" to one of our favorite spots in the world - Maho Bay on St. John, USVI, we also decided to visit Sloop Jones.

Sloop is from Pittsburgh, like us, and had relocated to the island 20 some odd years ago. A photographer by education, Sloop started painting amazing clothing.

Truth-be-told, when we first saw a Sloop sign four years ago, I was a bit nervous. We were on the far east side of the island (rather sparse) and the sign said, "Wearable art." Having no interest in a tatoo, I thought perhaps we should stay away. Paul laughed and encouraged me to enter behind the gate. What we found was a world of beautiful clothing!

This visit, we decided to take advantage of Sloop's new workshops where he teaches folks to paint their own shirts. Great fun. This time, Paul was nervous - a chemist, he claims he doesn't have a creative bone in his body. Ha! He painted an amazing shirt and we had so much fun.

If you ever get to St. John, take advantage of one of Sloop's workshops. In the meantime, visit his website http://www.sloopjones.com.

Sloop chose a photo of us to be in his ad. What an honor!