Fall update

Can you believe it's already the end of September? Where did the summer go? (I'm still wondering this myself). Last night, Paul and I were out playing tennis in an Alameda park, and I could just smell the fall breaking through. It was crisp and cool and I got all excited for scarves, falling leaves, and baking things.

Anyway, October means it's time for a visit to Denver (for work), which I'm actually really excited about! I'll be there for 4 days, and I'm hoping to do a bit of exploring in between the 2 meetings that I'm supporting. Perhaps I'll sneak in a trip to the cowboy store to get an outfit for my mom's upcoming 50th birthday party (to be held at the Saddle Rack...whoohoo!)

That's the update for now....happy fall!!

Update - Alzheimer's Walk

Just a shout out to EVERYONE who supported me and donated money to the Alzheimer's Walk. My family and I had a great time walking with a few hundred (or thousand maybe?) people in support of Alzheimer's Research. We raised over $2,500 overall, and I think we were in the top 20 because we had our own "Team Fulton" table. Grandpa Homer was even there for the walk which was pretty awesome.

Enjoy the pics!

Frida Kahlo

Last Sunday I was able to see the spectacular Frida Kahlo exhibit at the SF MOMA. If you don't already know, I LOVE Frida. It was a pretty intense exhibit, but I loved it nonetheless. Here's what I wrote in my journal while perusing the exhibit:

I am inspired, impressed, a little sad, (a little annoyed at all of the crowds), but ultimately inspired by her amazing portraits and also the photos of her. After reading much about her and loving her work, it is a bit surreal to be here. I wish that there weren't so many crowds, so I could stay for hours and stare at her portraits, the brush strokes, the color. Almost as if I were in my own home. In some weird way I feel connected to Frida - it must have been her spirit, enthusiasm, love for social justice, her personal tragedy. To be a person that is able to convey their feelings with any type of art is remarkable - for it to be so real - so purely real is the only way I can describe it. I think seeing the actual photos of her was almost more striking than seeing the portraits themselves. It's like the portraits say something about how she was feeling, but the photos show her - her face, her expressions, her dress. The way she looks at Diego is interesting - with their tangled history, I wonder what she's thinking in those pictures. And the ones of her suffering with the bandages on her head after multiple surgeries...they are equally as intense as they are disturbing....

Work work work!

I've just returned from my fabulous staff retreat in Half Moon Bay, CA. What a time we had! To be honest, I was thinking it was going to be really boring, involve a lot of reading, and nooooo fun time. But it wasn't! There was plenty of time to chat with my fellow NWPers, but also enough alone time for myself. In that respect, it truly felt like a "retreat". The theme was "Writing in a Democracy" - a pretty applicable topic, no? There were readings associated with the theme, which allowed for some pretty interesting conversation by all. It was great to be able to talk with people in my organization thatI don't usually talk to - especially about current events and the work that we do. All in all it was a pretty fantastic retreat. Now I back to weekend meetings.....blah!!!

Who writes this stuff?

I'm not sure, but I LOVE IT!

Labor Day Camping

emigrant gap 001
Originally uploaded by whereisshannon

Here are some pictures from our super fun Labor Day Camping Trip. 25 adults + 5 kids + 2 dogs + lots of beer = an unforgettable trip. Sure, the toilets were stinky, and the water was cold...but the company was great, and the food was delicious! I can't wait until next year!

Help me raise $$ for Alzheimers Research!

Many of you may know that I'm walking with my family to raise money for Alzheimer's research on September 20th in San Jose. My grandfather has the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, and my great-grandmother had it as well, so it's definitely an issue that has affected my family. Check out my webpage and donate if you can (any amount is surely appreciated!)


Click here to visit my page!

p.s. Labor day pics/details to be posted soon!