Happy Memorial Day Holiday Weekend!

I don't know about you, but I am ready for a much needed break from work! Here's to a happy, healthy and safe holiday weekend and a little taste of what I have in mind for my own :)

Number 25 - Make a Better Attempt to Keep My Garden Alive

Wow, I'm slamming through my 30 Before 30 list :) haha, not really but here's Number 25.

Last Sunday I visited Home Depot and let me just tell you now that Home Depot on a Sunday morning is my personal version of Hell. So many annoying people just standing around, in my way. Good thing I had my coffee before I went or I would have really let someone have it!

Above is a before photo of my backyard. In the right bottom corner is the lilac plant that I purchased. It's an Edward J. Gardner plant. It's a pink lilac, not the typical purple and white which I think will be nice! Also, it's a Spring & Summer bloomer so I'm really hoping that I can get something from it this year.
This year, I decided to just do flower seeds, not actual flower plants. Last year the flowers lasted for about a week, then Presley trampled them. Thank god I don't have a larger dog!

I also added some more mulch to some of the border. I added some to the lilac plant and also by the wheel barrow. Last year the flower seeds I put in the wheel barrow came in beautifully, so I'm hoping that they cover the border just as well this year!

I'll add some pics once things start blooming. Happy start to Summer!!

My Favorite Melody

Welp, I didn't win tickets to this year' Ultimate Doo Wop Show but my Dad and I are still going! I'm super excited to see The Crystals (above) who also sing And Then He Kissed Me.

Some others performing at the show include, Dick & Dee Dee, the Fleetwoods, the Marcels, the Olympics and the Pentagons. Click on their names to listen to their songs!

My Favorite Melody

With summer upon us, I find this song to be very appropriate! After a long, cold winter, I'm more than ready to have some fun in the summer sun.

Number 18 - Better Known as Fly Fishing

I did it...finally. I've been saying since 2007 that I wanted to learn to Fly Fish. It didn't happen the summer of 2007 because I was still working in news, at KOAA, and was extremely busy working weekends. In the summer of 2008 is when my Mom passed away and my grieving pretty much consumed the entire summer and then some. 2009 is when I bought my house, was remodeling it day and night and in every spare minute I had. 2010 my Blazer had to have major surgery and getting geared up for Fly Fishing isn't cheap so my plans were once again put on hold.

But...it's 2011 and hot damn, I did it!

Above is a picture of me on the South Platte River, just West of Deckers, CO. I honestly did really well with my fishing lessons and was the only person in the class to catch a fish last Saturday! And, I didn't just catch one, I caught two!

This is a picture of the drive home. It was such a gorgeous day and it also happened to be my Mother's Birthday. She would have been 57. All during the drive I kept thinking of her and how she would have loved the landscape of where I was. Both of us have a deep appreciation for Colorado Open Space.

I honestly had so much fun and I can't wait to go back again soon! Scratch Number 18 off that 30 Before 30 List... I'm a Fly Fisherwoman!

Joplin, Missouri

I'm sure you've all seen the photos, watched the video and have heard of the devastation that took place yesterday in Joplin, Missouri. A massive tornado ripped through the town I once called home.

I lived there from January 2006 - May 2007 and while my time there was short, it was special! It's the first place I was actually ON TV! It's where I began my broadcast journalism career, really, and it's the place where I learned who I was as a young woman.

When I moved to Joplin, I was 23 just about to turn 24 years-old and besides moving to college, I had lived in the same house since I was born. It was a huge step for me to move away from my family and those I knew best, all for my career. I hated it at first, honestly, I couldn't wait to get the hell out. But, as I grew up, grew into my career and learned what it was like to be on my own, I began to cherish my time there.

Not only are the residents some of the nicest people on the planet, so were my colleagues. It was more than going into work for me. KSN was a place I couldn't wait to get to in the morning. I would go in early, go in on my days off and stay late often. I loved what I was doing and haven't felt that way about a job since. I think it was partly because I was living my dream, but also because I was working with my best friends.

Since you don't get holidays off in news, these people you work with become your pseudo family. I spent Thanksgiving at the station with everyone else and we had an amazing potluck. Christmas was spent with Tiffany Alaniz's husband's family. While nothing on earth would replace a holiday with my own family, it was nice to have somewhere to go and people you cared about to spend time with during the holidays.

Thank god everyone I know who does still live there is okay, but many are not so lucky. If you'd like to help, there are several ways, click here to find out how. And please keep the 4States in your prayers tonight.

Fly Fishing

Last night was my first fly fishing class and I'm more excited than ever to begin casting! The class was so fun and the instructor is the nicest man who's knowledge of the sport is amazing!

Before the class began, I was very nervous but once we got started, I took to it, well, like a fish to water...haha!

Here's a picture of the knots I made. They're called Uni-knots and I must admit that mine were the best in the class, Bill the instructor, gave me a high-five for my outstanding efforts!

Now of course I know that my flies will be much, much smaller than this shark hook, but I plan on practicing tonight with some thread.

I'm so excited to head to Bass Pro at lunch today to get the rest of the supplies I need for the next class. In case you're curious, the list includes

• Tapered Leader (4X)
• Tippet (5X & 6X)
• Fly Floatant
• Clippers
• Strike Indicators
• Split Shot
• Hemostat
• Flies - a variety

This is one of the best birthday presents ever! Thanks to my Dad for buying the classes for me :) And here's to scratching another thing off my 30 Before 30 list!