Tag: #inspiration

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Joys of Sisterhood!

July 12, 2018July 12, 2018 emyminzel

Adventure Sister Stacy and I went camping with our husbands last weekend at Tettegouche State Park in Silver Bay Minnesota. It was a spectacular park with lots of hiking and stunning waterfalls of the Baptism River that led out into Lake Superior. We were only there for a very short weekend, but it seemed to be the get away that I needed to reset. You know, like an iPhone… power down for a bit and restart so I work on all cylinders instead of just some.

I needed to get out and reconnect with nature. I put my feet in the water, my mind back into the present, and gave my spirit some time to play. My husband and I got to the cozy campsite a few hours earlier than Stacy and Marty. We had time to set up the tent and hit the trail for a hike and to see the water falls. Jason was a little intimidated by the swinging bridge, but he made it over to the other side. I was very proud of him for pushing past his fear of heights, so we could be rewarded with waterfalls.

The next day we all hiked together, the park was scenic and vast, the steps were handier than BWCA portage trails but brutal in their own way. Luckily the water views and opportunities to swim made up for the stair master level 17 drill we embarked on. I think we all had over 10,000 steps in before early afternoon. I wasn’t expecting all the flights of stairs, but I believe they were totally worth the effort!

After our group hike we had decided to go back to camp and eat lunch. There was a great beach at the mouth of the Baptism river that led directly into Lake Superior. I wanted badly to swim and float on this 83-degree day and Stacy was up for some fun too. Marty drove Stacy and I to the beach while my husband who is not much of a swimmer decided he would be just fine enjoying some quiet time while we all went for a dip. We got to the beach that was made of rocks not sand, yet you would sink in them like it was quicksand in the right spot.

There was a sandbar (made of rocks) that reached like a finger of the earth just for the purpose of creating a pool before the river met the vastness of the Great Lake. All three of us wasted no time getting into the water. It was warmer than we thought it would be if we kept the current from sweeping us into the big water the temperature stayed perfect for this Minnesota girl. We know this because Stacy and I had let the current take us until it got so strong that I got a little scared and beelined for the shore and I would be able to put my feet back down.

We swam back and teased Marty about showing up to the beach with two women. All of us floated together having a great time while watched a young boy try to build up the courage to jump from a rock ledge that many others before had just done. In the end he did not jump, his fear got the best of him even though his older sister had jumped three times before. This makes me wonder about how many times I did not do something I really wanted to do because of my fear?

We swam for an hour or so then walked over to the other side of the rocky peninsula, so we could put our feet into Lake Superior. Even though the two waters were connected just yards away the large lake was much colder and seemed to have a fierceness about it. I walked in on the Lake Superior side and the rocks almost swallowed my legs up to my knees. The water was much cooler, and the energy of it was much different. It was a very cool experience to see how quickly Mother Nature can change her power.

I was in my happy place. I am a water baby. Always have been, always will be. Stacy also loves the water and as we turned to leave Stacy and I snapped a picture of us to document the moment. We didn’t check to make sure it was a good picture. We just took it quickly and kept on our path back to the campsite up more flights of stairs. When we got back to camp, I posted it to our BWCAdentureSisters Facebook page to let our readers know we were out adventuring together. It had been months since Stacy and I got together, and adventuring is one of our favorite things to do. We were both energized and very ‘here and now’ the moment the picture was taken. I believe it captured the peak of our happiness during that excursion.

I also believe that beauty comes from being happy. You don’t have to be traditionally beautiful to be perceived as pretty when joy radiates from your whole being and that is what the camera captured. Stacy and I are regular women, we have flaws, grey hairs, extra pounds, cellulite and everything else that comes with being forty-something and at that moment we did not give a darn at all, we were happy. Plain and simple.

Yesterday a Facebook fan had commented on our photo. She said, “You two are beautiful!”

It made my heart sing, not because I wanted to be perceived as pretty but because I knew that this woman could see our joy. It is not easy to find joy in our everyday lives sometimes. That’s why it is imperative to make time to do the things you love. I live in Minnesota, there are approximately 3 months of the year in which you can go swimming for any amount of time. Too soon it’s too cold, too late and dog days take over the lakes with algae blooms and other undesirable effects that keep us out of the water.

We made time to do what we love, and we were rewarded mind, body and spirit including a picture to prove it.

Thank you to our Facebook friend Pam for the nice compliment. I was having a pretty trying Wednesday after a great weekend escape, your compliment made my day. It made me feel like there is still good people who are kind, caring and most of all women who do not have to compete, women who lift others up, encourage other women for being authentic, without a beauty competition. It is okay for women to be kind and supportive of each other, we should encourage each other’s strengths, help each other on our paths, because we are intrinsically connected.

I think of the connection that Stacy and I have, and I am thankful for a different kind of sisterhood I share with other women I adore, the kind you choose. Neither of us have been blessed with a blood related sister but we seem to have found each other again in this lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t agree on everything and we have our moments of agreeing to disagree but that does not mean that for one second, I think she won’t have my back or I hers.

We seem to have embraced each other warts and all. She knows I am far from perfect and I know she is as human as person can get. I also still believe she is magical in her own way and I love that she pulls magic and courage out of me that I didn’t know I had. Sisterhood can be empowering if you let it! This picture personifies our joy on this day. Joy in just being us! No make-up, photo shop, or special effects can produce a photo that encompass happiness, it all comes from the inside.

Our goal as the Adventure Sisters is to pull this joy out of other women. To encourage others to be authentic as you can be while doing your best to find joys in your own lives. We do this by sharing how we do it ourselves. Feel free to share your own picture that shows you radiating joy doing what you love! It could be loving your babies, grandbabies, or fur babies. Hiking, swimming, or anything that makes your heart sing. We would love to see it!

Thank you for reading our blogs, thank you for the continued encouragement and support of our joint but separate journeys of the Adventure Sisters! We appreciate you.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Father’s Day without a father

June 16, 2018June 15, 2018 emyminzel

I grew up without a father in my life. I knew I had one, and he knew he had me, but I did not meet him until I was 18. Ironically, I met my real father at the celebration of life wake for the man who was most like a father figure to me. My Uncle Bob who was no real blood relation at all, was the father figure in my life that I still cherish and remember fondly to this day.

Uncle Bob was an avid sportsman, he loved to fish and hunt with a bow and arrow. He painted his face with camouflage before hunting as he sat up in a tree stand in the deep woods of norther Minnesota. My Uncle Bob would take me fishing, he would take me into the forest with him to scout for hunting spots and he made me feel as if I were his partner in crime. We were friends and I knew that he loved me even though I was not his.

This man I called Uncle Bob was my mom’s best friends husband. They both took me under their wings and helped my single mom out as much as she needed. They never made me feel like I was a pain or an inconvenience although I am sure I was at times. I remember one year when I was in elementary school my Auntie Max came to pull me out of school early. I was confused but ecstatic, this sort of thing never happened to me unless I was sick.

Auntie Max walked me back to their home which was just a few blocks from school so that I could help my Uncle Bob with his hunting success. He had taken a large buck with his bow and now needed some assistance from his little helper, me. I had not felt this special very often and at that age most people do not think to ask and 9-year-old to help skin a deer.

But my Uncle Bob knew that I needed him some how and he stepped up to fill those shoes even though he had no obligation to. He was not in a relationship with my mom, he had no ulterior motives but to befriend a little girl who desperately needed one. I felt so important as I held the horns of this buck to keep it still as he went to work doing what was necessary. I am not a hunter now, but I know that he was not killing because he liked to, he was hunting to feed his family.

My ‘adopted aunt and uncle’ where not wealthy but they always freely shared what they had with my mom and I including feeding us with fish fry’s and being generous with their time and attention. My Uncle Bob’s efforts to be in my life shaped my love of nature. I remember him waking me up in the still dark early morning hours telling me to get dressed we are going out nightcrawler picking. We walked to the spot and he handed me a flash light and went to town picking them out of the grass getting enough for the weekend of fishing.

He was with me when I caught my first Northern Pike, oh man that was a fun memory! He was there for me when my mom and Auntie Max where out working night time hours together doing what needed to be done. Me and Uncle Bob would watch Boxing on HBO in the 80’s when it was really good stuff! He used to watch Wrestling too which he called Rassling as I still do, to this day.

This man was not my father, but I will always be who I remember as my father figure. My Uncle Bob was amazing, kind and generous. Maybe I was just lucky, or I looked at him through rose colored glasses of a very young girl looking for a positive male figure in my life. Even if someone else has a different perspective of the situation I still have mine that I hold dear in my heart.

I had moved away from my home town of Virginia Minnesota when I was a teenager. Every time we would go back to visit our family my mom would ask “Do you want to go say Hi to Uncle Bob?” And every time I would say “Yes!”

Towards the end of his life (he passed too early of a heart attack) he had saved enough money to start his own business. He chosen to open a pet store. His love of animals and nature shaped who I am at the core of my being. The last time I saw him, he was sitting in his pet store called The Menagerie. We visited for a bit and had to hit the road. But we never once parted without giving each other our signature big ole bear hug! I am thankful for that.

The things he taught me, respect nature, to respect animals and only take what you need. Led to my love of animals and the environment that has carried me to my purpose. I was called to voice my opinion and avid disagreement of mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Which led me to where I am right now, campaigning and running or office so that I can do all I can to protect the environment and speak up for what and who do not have a voice.

So, all of you men out there who think your actions or time spent with children does not matter. You are wrong. The future generation depends on your participation the way you act or contribute will be forever remembered in a young person’s life. You do not have to be blood and you can still make a giant difference in the world and theirs. I want you to know that. There are great men in this world. I wish to see more of them stepping up and doing what others don’t think they have to.

I am lucky enough to have married a man who’s done the same for my daughter. I met my husband when my daughter was 11. He does ‘Dad things’ because he knows his role in our daughter’s life is important and it matters every day. He knows that being consistent and dependable and loving are the best thing in the world for us and even for him. He learned this from his dad.

To all you men out there who step up and do Dad stuff that isn’t your responsibility or try to be the best Uncle EVER! Thank you.

You matter so much more then you know. I see you. I salute you. Good job.

Happy Father’s Day.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

What if we all just love each other?

June 9, 2018 emyminzel

It is common for people to fear what they don’t understand. When you don’t know how to overcome or process fears, fear becomes hate. When you compare all your differences instead of your commonalities visions and truth are skewed, perceptions are half-truths. I denounce organizational practices that use scare tactics to keep people separated and fearful, knowing full well Unity is where the power is. When an organization, religion or race is spurred to be fearful of another it turns into “Us vs. Them.”

I believe the Higher Power gave us free will to make our own decisions. We can choose to use our curiosity to learn about others instead of imagining false reasons to fear someone you do not know. I do not buy into any separation of myself, other humans or living beings on this planet. I do not think any living being is less or more important then myself. I believe in helping and supporting others who are doing the best they can in the everyday struggle of life. I know we all struggle in our own ways.

I believe must not fear or try to make life harder for others because you do not have the same beliefs, religion or culture. I believe when we show compassion to others it is good for both souls. I believe refugees do not leave the country they love to unless they feel they must. Would you? What does it say about me if I choose not to see through the color of skin or religion into the soul inside? Maybe they fear me in the same way? Should they?

Why don’t we open conversations and get to know others who are much different in your perception? I bet if you took the time you would see, most people have very similar wants and needs. I want healthy food to eat, clean water to drink, a safe place to lay my head at night and a good life for myself and family. I want peace. I bet that is what you want too.

I want opportunities of success for my daughter and her children who are not born yet. I want the same for your children and grandchildren too. I imagine a world full of good will, unity and cooperation. Can you imagine how the world would look if we thought of our neighbors and other countries as family? I bet we would not fear others and practice wider acceptance of characteristics we do not share.

You could look at your neighbor with different color skin, or the woman who drums in her garden with compassion and acceptance as if they were your beloved aunt or uncle. You may even think “Oh that’s just Auntie Em, doing her thing, not hurting anybody, she will stop banging that drum soon.” Or you may think “Uncle Joe is preaching to the choir again!” You would not roll your eyes in annoyance because you know his heart is made of gold. We choose to practice compassion and acceptance when we share connection.

Why do we continuously choose not to see we are ALL connected? I believe we can change our thought and beliefs. When you change the way you look at things, what you look at changes. When I look for negative things about others, I find them every time. When I choose to look for the good in others, I find it every single time. I am choosing to believe in my faith of a kind, loving, and compassionate world full of great neighbors and family. To do this I have to start in my own back yard, in my town, in my state. Every day I choose to actively practice acceptance, choose love, and choose faith over fear.

Wishing you an abundance of joyful blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister

Porcupine Spirit

May 27, 2018 emyminzel

I am a big fan of Erin Brockovich she is an environmentalist that feels strongly about protecting our water. She investigates and researches water contamination, uncovering hidden pollution of our water supply. I love how she is a feisty, strong and determined woman and mother, just trying to do better for the greater good in the future. I feel like this is something we have in common and why I follow her to hear what she has to say.

I like when I meet other women with a little sass. I like women who aren’t afraid to say what they know, feel, see, or want. I was raised by a wonderful community of strong women, my mother, my grandmother, my aunties, and even my adopted aunties were all smart, strong and fierce women in their own ways. It occurred to me recently that since I was raised by these women, I most certainly hold some if not most of these characteristics myself.

Adventure Sister Stacy tells me she was intimidated by me when she first met me at a class we took. She still came up to me after the class to ask for my business card, so we could meet up to practice Reiki together. I am thankful that she was brave enough to see through my big energy and ask me to hang out even though she felt intimidated. Although she did not seem intimidated, and she didn’t tell me this is what she thought of me until many years later after we had become very good friends.

Hearing this statement from my dear friend I laughed a little and thought “Really? I am 4’11”. How intimidating can I be?” Turns out I can be very intimidating when others are uncertain of my character or my temperament. Sort of like a porcupine. Now that I know this I find it useful and at times amusing. I try my best to help people feel comfortable around me. I try to be kind and patient but at the same time, I have my limits and I will not hesitate to let you know my boundaries.

Before I knew that I would be running for Minnesotat State House of Representatives I had a dream I was a porcupine. Isn’t that funny? I didn’t think much of it, but when I told my husband of this dream, he made a face that said “Well…. Imagine that!” He knows me well and thought it very amusing, taking the opportunity to remind me that I had been acting kind of prickly at the time. Isn’t that what husbands and best friends for? To tell you how they see you, to help us grow? I think so, that’s why I took it as a sign not only from my subconscious but from my husband to relax a little.

Now, I don’t think that the intimidating characteristic I have sometimes are a bad thing. I was blessed with them for a reason. It is a way of protecting myself against any bull that comes my way no matter how big it may seem. You don’t see a wolf or lion picking on a porcupine very often now do you? So, when I decided to run as a candidate in this midterm election I felt that this trait will help me in times of conflict if they were to come about. I feel that since now I know this about myself, I can use it in a way that is beneficial and keep it at bay at times it is uncalled for. When you know better, you do better.

I am thankful for my husband and my friend for pointing out this prickly personality that I sometimes have on when I do not need to. I did not want to continue walking around with my energy looking and acting like an unapproachable porcupine! After all I do have a much softer side more like a cat… Which also is known to have boundaries but likes to cuddle on her own terms and conditions. Okay so maybe just maybe, I was given these gifts for the life that I am living for a reason. I needed to know when it is time to be tough, that I am incredibly able to do so when I must.

My new friend and Campaign Manager Kayla stopped by to meet with me this weekend. She had been visiting her father in Wisconsin and while there she came across a pair of earrings she said reminded her of me, so she bought them. Which is very thoughtful and kind because I love earrings! Besides my wedding ring, it is really the only jewelry that I wear, and I am very specific about them as well.

I wear them as a statement or for energetic reasons. I have a pair of raw emerald earrings I wear when I feel that what I am facing that day will need love or compassion. I wear amethyst earring to feel connected to the divine or my higher self. I wear dragons blood stones when I feel I need energy or courage to power through my day.

The earrings that Kayla set before me were beautiful! I loved them instantly. The same woman who delivered the words “You can’t quit the campaign. We need you. You are the light.” Saying the exact words at the exact time she needed to, to keep me in the race just when I was about to change my mind. Wouldn’t you know it?

Kayla laid before me a pair of beautiful handmade earring made of porcupine quills! I love them and will wear them as needed.

Do you have stories of synchronisities? I would love to hear them!

Wishing you an abundance of love and blessings,

Emy Minzel ~ Adventure Sister

Follow the Adventure Sisters on Facebook!

Stacy Crep ~ Adventure Sister