Stephanie

September 18, 2013

Colorado flooding: How to help

Bear creek before the Colorado flooding.

Bear Creek in August 2013 before the Boulder area flooding.

Since I haven’t written about the details of our Colorado trip yet, you may not realize that most of the area where we spent the first part of the week has now been flooded. I’m seeing photos and videos of places we walked that turned into raging rivers and roads we drove eroded away. My mom’s side of the family is from this area, and many of my extended family members still live there. Thankfully, everyone is okay. The aunt and uncle we stayed with are ripping up soaked carpets and making repairs, but some of their neighbors’ homes were washed away or damaged beyond repair.

It’s hard to believe it. I mean, we were just there a month ago. People were concerned about droughts and wildfires. And now there is too much water.

It feels so close but so far away. I am praying for those affected, but I wish I could put on my work gloves and go help my aunt and uncle rip up carpet. Since I can’t do that and since maybe you’re also wondering how to help, I looked into what else we can do.

1. Donate money. Financial contributions are hugely helpful and flexible. Here are some organizations helping with relief in the Boulder area. Pick your fave. They all do good work.

Salvation Army, Intermountain Division – under “How would you like us to use your gift?” you can designate “emergency disaster services,” if you wish. Note: This is probably a general fund for all their disaster relief work. Page does not state your gift will go specifically to the Boulder-area flooding.
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund – Note: This is probably a general fund for all their disaster relief work. Page does not state your gift will go specifically to the Boulder-area flooding.
The Foothills United Way Flood Relief Fund was “created to help those affected by the recent flooding in Boulder and Broomfield Counties.”

Flooded Colorado neighborhood. Photo taken on September 12, 2013 by cw_anderson.

2. Donate time and/or stuff. If you’re in the Denver area, you can volunteer or drop off donate options.

Boulder County Flood Recovery Hub – Click “I want to give” or “I want to volunteer,” and they will try to connect you with an organization that has a need for your items or volunteer time. They also list community updates with volunteer needs, donation drop-off locations, etc. (H/T Lori Holden.)
The Salvation Army in Boulder at 1701 33rd St is accepting donations of items. The YMCA of Boulder Valley, currently a Red Cross Shelter, has said they were in need of the items below and asked that they be brought to the Salvation Army:
- new towels
- new blankets
- new socks
- dry shoes
- packaged food

3. Donate space. Airbnb’s Disaster Response program is designed to make it easy to offer your extra room(s), guest apartment, etc. to disaster victims for free. They will waive their fees and still offer hosts their property damage insurance via their Host Guarantee program.

Picnic table in Bear Creek Lake, September 14, 2013 by Kent Kanouse.

To stay current on which areas are affected, Google’s Colorado Floods Crisis Map shows where there is water on the roads, closures, and evacuation notices, as well as links to other resources.

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013

5 tips to make trip packing easier

If you’re not a hardcore traveler with the packing precision of George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, then getting ready for a trip can be a challenge.

Here are a few hints that I’ve found make it easier for us infrequent flyers.

1. Pack early. Instead of staying up late packing the night before a trip (which I used to always do), I schedule time to start packing 2-3 days ahead of time. This leaves less to do at the last minute, and, hopefully, gives you a little more rest. If you find you’re missing something, you have a chance to run to the store . (Or not – see #5.) Some people pack even earlier, but this is what works for me.

2. When in doubt, try it on. Make sure everything fits and matches as well as you remember and that you have all the accessories you need.

3. If you think of it, act on it. As soon as something crosses your mind that you have to remember to bring or to do before you leave, do it immediately or jot it down. Put the item in or on top of your suitcase or in the purse/wallet you’ll be taking with you if you don’t want to leave without it. The thought may not surface again in your memory until you’re on the road.

4. Stay packed. If there are things you always pack and have extras of, why not keep them packed? I keep travel-sized toiletries, some Q-tips, moleskin (not the journal – the stuff that prevents blisters), sanitary supplies, bobby pins, a compact mirror, and an extra hair band or two in my travel bag all the time. That’s stuff I don’t have to worry about remembering, and it gives me a head start on packing.

5. Don’t overthink it. When I was taking too long to get packed for family road trips as a teenager, my dad would say “There are stores everywhere.” If you forget it, chances are you can buy it (or borrow it) somewhere along the way.

What packing tips work for you?

September 10, 2013

Paper craft demonstration

Remember I told you about Craft Hack? (Yeah, I know you’re nodding while surreptitiously checking the link. I’ll refresh your memory.) It’s a monthly artist and crafter gathering. We chat and work on whatever craft projects we have in progress. Plus, each time there’s a different craft demo for anyone who wants to try something new.

Well, this time, I’m the demo-er. Demo-ista? Demotante?

Anyway. I’ll be demonstrating a few paper crafting techniques, while we pimp out paper sacks into holiday-worthy gift bags.

Should be fun times! Stop on by Gangplank Chandler for tomorrow’s Craft Hack, if you’re in town. Otherwise, I’ll be posting about it here later on.

September 5, 2013September 4, 2013

Sometimes the best plan is going nowhere

Good thing we decided not to go out of town for Labor Day.

A week ago, I woke up and just didn’t feel right. I had caught some bug that’s going around. And I’m still on the mend.

So, it’s actually better that we had already postponed our trip and planned to stay in. Home is the best place to be when you’re sick and your energy level is zero.

What did you do over the weekend?

August 28, 2013October 30, 2020

How to press flowers while traveling

Pressing wildflowers is a great way to remember the landscape you’ve traveled. You create a simple souvenir, a keepsake with more dimension than a photo.

Before you go/materials list:

1. Find a book you don’t mind destroying. You can use an outdated catalog or phone book, but just make sure it’s not too bulky to pack! This will be your portable flower press.

2. Find a rubber band that will fit around the book to keep it shut or several clips (or clothespins) that can hold a group of pages together.

On the road:

3. Look for leaves or “flatter” flowers with fewer layers (think daisies over roses) along the road, trails, or other places you visit. Pick a one or two or a few. Note where you found it/them or take a photo of the spot, so you can remember later. You may want to pick a flower for each day of your trip. After you pick one, I’d recommend doing a quick check for bugs. And, of course, don’t go picking on plants where it’s prohibited, like National Parks or people’s gardens.

4. Set the flower on top of one of your book pages. (If you’re picking one each day, you can press the first day’s flower in Chapter One, the second day’s in Chapter Two, etc. Or just make a note on whichever page you press the flower on.) Carefully close the book over the flower, so it’s positioned the way you want it to be pressed. You can put a few flowers on a page, but don’t put them on adjacent pages.

5. Band the book or clip a handful of pages around the flower to keep anything from falling out. Stick the book under your luggage, in between large items in your pack, or wherever you can put the most pressure on it.

6. If you add more flowers, place them in a different part of the book, so you aren’t moving the first one and are allowing additional pressure/weight between them. (Again, starting near the front and working your way back might be helpful.) Also, you want plenty of pages in between to absorb any moisture the flowers release while drying.

7. Give them a few weeks. When ready, flowers will be thin, dry and papery. If you get home before they’re ready, stick the book at the bottom of a stack of books or some heavy object that you won’t be moving around. Just don’t forget about them!

8. Pressed flowers and leaves would be a beautiful addition to your trip scrapbook or framed with your travel photos! They’ll be pretty fragile, so you may want to put behind glass, slip into plastic sleeves, or cover with contact paper.