Kathy's Blog

Record-breaking Blizzard in Tulsa, Oklahoma

kathynygaard — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:27:29 +0000

Today, February 1, 2011, made history in Tulsa. It was the worst blizzard ever recorded. See this CNN article for more information. It was a great day to stay indoors if at all possible. The wind and snow made it impossible for many drivers, even emergency vehicles to get around. It started out with thunder sleet, then turned into thunder snow. It snowed all day, leaving 14″ of snow in Tulsa, and more in the northeastern cities.

2011 – A New Year

kathynygaard — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:57:42 +0000

Happy New Year! I look forward to a fresh start. Forget the resolutions. I stopped making them years ago. A resolution typically lasts at the beginning of the year, then dies within 3 months. I had a fun Thanksgiving up in Minnesota. My sister and her husband bought a condo off Lake Superior. It was great spending time with family for the holiday. I drove a rental car and found my way around with a GPS. It was my first experience using it on a long trip. It was great. I found places easily. Even though I went around the round about a few times before getting off. Oh well, it was a free ride.

Whatever your holiday experiences were last year, if it was less than perfect, you have another year to look forward to. If you are reading this post, I wish you the best. May all your dreams for the new year come true.

School’s In

kathynygaard — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:03:56 +0000

Since school started again, I’ll be taking another break from blogging. I plan to start up again when I take a trip somewhere. This semester I’m taking a Hispanic Lit class and Marketing. It should be a good semester.

If You Don’t Travel (a poem by Sylvia Chidi)

kathynygaard — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:34:23 +0000

I always marvel
Whenever I travel

Because if you don’t travel
And extensively explore
How can you open those awaiting doors?
Mysteries always lie waiting to be unraveled

I travel with my eyes
Watching those silently cry
Asking themselves the question why
Someone left them without saying goodbye

I travel with my thoughts
Abundant knowledge I have found and sought

I travel with my pen
To write about children, women and men

I travel with my voice
Speaking sensibly refusing to induce confusing noise

I travel with hope
Believing something new will spring into my horoscope
Whether in Africa or whether in Europe
There is always room, there is always scope

I travel to many places
Mix with different culture and races
Identify tribes by their faces
Everyone I always embrace

I travel with or without money
So please listen to my testimony
Every experience is worth lifes journey

I travel with intensive faith
Lavishing love rather than being defensive with hate

Because if you don’t travel
How can you grow?
How can you know,
What is beneath the dust and below the gravel?

Sylvia Chidi

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/if-you-don-t-travel/

Do You Journal?

kathynygaard — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:24:47 +0000

Now that the spring semester ended, and I have more time, I decided to type my handwritten journal into my computer. If you keep a journal, you know time consuming this task can be, especially if you write a lot. I love it though. Typing my journal forces me to read it. It’s great. It brings back memories of events long forgotten. I can see personal growth and development in the way I think.

Writing Away by Lavinia Spalding is my latest good read. In her book, the author gives her insight and advice on journaling. She has traveled extensively and shares her experiences. She writes:

A notebook is a traveler’s salve, soothing the commotion of our relentless thoughts by providing a safe container for them. The act of writing anchors us, slowing and deepening our reflections so that we articulate with more honesty and precision than when we think and talk. We tune in, decipher emotions, conquer demons, and exhume deeply buried memories. A journal also gives us a worksheet for managing disturbing emotions – if we’re angry, we can find the root, pull it up, and let it go more easily. If we’re afraid, we can dissect the fear, poke at it with a probe until we overcome it. If we’re depressed, we can cheer ourselves up. However many times we fling ourselves off the deep end, we can trust the journal to guide us back to safe waters.

Open Discussion (leave comments): What are your thoughts about journalingl? Do you keep a journal?

Spring Break

kathynygaard — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:47:37 +0000

I will be taking a social media break so I can work on my studies at OSU. I will resume in May 2010. I look forward to posting more blogs at that time. – Kathy

Airline Insults and Travel Fees

kathynygaard — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:19:30 +0000

Traveling by air now takes more thought and planning than ever because of the most recent changes. A couple of issues, size and fees.

What do you think about an airline that kicks someone off for being overweight? How do you think this should be handled by the airlines? Here is the story.

Also, be sure you figure in the additional fees for baggage, pillows and blankets. MSNBC reports about it in “Flying the fee-filled skies A comparison of costs for airline services.” Do you think the fees are reasonable? Please comment to share your opinions.

Haiti – A Tourist Attraction?

kathynygaard — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:27:53 +0000

Who hasn’t heard about the Haiti earthquake disaster stories spread out all over the media? News about that magnitude of earthquake travels fast.

I found an article published through MSNBC posted on Twitter that asks the question, “Should cruise ships be taking tourists to Haiti?” After seeing this article, my first response was, “No, of course not.” I thought it was insensitive and thought only the travel industry would benefit.

However, when I looked at the argument and discovered that the industry is actually helping the Haitian people, I opened my mind. I’m not sure I completely changed my mind, but I can see a viewpoint I wouldn’t otherwise see if not for this article.

What do you think? Read the article and leave a comment if you want to be a part of this discussion. Does the article change your mind? You can also vote from the article to voice your opinion.

Costa Rica

kathynygaard — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:52:42 +0000

Located in Central America, Costa Rica is a facinating country and a huge tourist attraction. Until I come up with my own investigative reporting information, here is a ready-made YouTube video called, Costa Rica no Artificial Ingredients.

Costa Rica is a paradise. One of the incredible facts in the video is that they did away with their army for half a century. What a peaceful place.

Costa Rica made it on the newly published New York Times article, The 31 Places to go in 2010 (number 15.)

The primary reason for my own interest in Cost Rica, is to earn college credits for learning Spanish at a school there called Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI), which is a Spanish immersion school. I figure the best way for me to learn Spanish, from what I’ve heard, is to completely immerse myself in the language.

“Grandmother Glides in Peru at 85″ Article

kathynygaard — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:22:01 +0000

One of my dreams has been to hang-glide off one of the beautiful mountains in Brazil. After watching this video, Peru looks good too. Age is a only a state of mind.

See the article and video here…

It’s incredible that this lady can do adventure sports at 85 years of age. I just hope I’ll be that spunky at 85 years of age.