Back when they were tiny...
...and when they used to be sweet to each other....
Then they grew up....
Baby Cat in the washing machine...
Love Dove wanting her dinner....
This would be me. Getting ready to go snorkeling in Jamaica March 2000
Taking a break after hiking in the rain forest in Costa Rica March 1999
Sunset in Costa Rica...
Dedication of Women Veterans Memorial - October 1997
Me and Dad Feb 2000
"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him
father" Lydia Child
Leonard E. Mattison Dec 1915 - Aug 2000
USMC WWII
MOM
"All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my mother"
Abraham
Lincoln
Helen M. Mattison Feb 1919 - Dec 2000
A tired, weary, and much younger soldier Merri…
US
Army Combat Medic 1986-1989
EFMB (expert field medical badge) awarded 1987 Bad Kreuznach Germany
Army National Guard 1989-1993
"The Badge"
After being awarded “the badge”
I was sent back to the testing site the following year to be a part of the
testing team. Teaching. Even then. And, thinking globally!
I must say that joining the Army is one of the best decisions I ever made. It altered the course of my life and provided me with opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Additionally, my time in service paid for college. I am a grateful and proud veteran.
Sociologist
in the making…
Wide-eyed and ready to explore the world!
Me
and Mom ....
“There are only two lasting bequeaths we can leave our children: one is roots; the other is wings.”
For
understanding this, for understanding me, for loving me, not loving me “but”
or “anyway”, I owe you several lifetimes of gratitude! Thanks Mom & Dad.
May my work, my life, always honor you.
"Couldn’t
wait for the real world to test the strength of the Lion’s Heart”…the
pretenders
Hiking at starved rock July 2002
Portaging
while canoeing in the boundary waters
July 2003
The canoe gang - the boundary waters MN July 2003
Remembering my time in Korea 1993-1994
This would be me... a long time ago.
Typical Korean mode of transportation. We should be so frugal!!
Merri in Thailand Summer '04
Rafting on the Vermillion Summer '04
Oh, yeah, I climbed it! Christmas Eve 2004
Merri in Mexico Christmas Eve 2004. Resting on the steps after climbing the pyramid.
Lake Michigan near Petoskey MI July '05
Baby birds in my garden June '05
Pikes Market - Seattle summer 05
Winter Break DEC 2005
Normally I post photos here of my travels. December 2005 I went to DC over semester break to visit relatives and to see the National Holocaust Museum. I'd like to put a picture of that here but you can't take photos inside the museum for obvious reasons, which of course I respect. I would like to encourage you to plan a trip to our nation's capital so you can take in the holocaust museum. You won't regret it. Also, check out this website www.savedarfur.org which will help you to stay informed about the tragic situation and genocide going on now in the Darfur region of Sudan in Eastern Africa.
Spring / Summer '06 Travel
Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery AL
Inside at the Civil Rights Memorial is the "Wall of Tolerance". The wall has thousands of names of people who have pledged to fight intolerance, hate and injustice with their life. I encourage you to add your name. Go to: http://www.splcenter.org/crm/wall.jsp
Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery AL March 2006
Visiting the hometown of President Carter March 2006
Educator's tour Fort Benning GA April '06
Educator's tour Fort Benning April '06
Enjoying the Beauty of Yellowstone Summer '06
.
Whitewater rafting in Montana Summer '06
Me and my nephew June '06
Me and my great niece and nephew Jason
Grand Teton National Park Wyoming Summer '06
Holy Toledo.....
Road trip to Ohio to celebrate friendship and Halloween.....
Winter Break 2006
Back on board after diving in the Caymans December 2006
Sea turtles!!
Hanging out at the turtle farm December 2006
Grand Cayman Christmas 2006
Summer 2007
Now this is what summer is all about!
sunny days, rivers, kayaks, friends, who could ask for more?
Baby birds in my backyard Spring 07
Summer Travels 2007 - Off I ventured to Alaska and then back to Seattle for my nephew Sean's wedding. Here is a sampling of some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen!
Mendenhall Glacier Juneau Alaska July 2007
Humpback whales Alaska Summer 2007
A rare photo of numerous humpbacks breaching at the same time. The captain of our fishing charter said in his 35 years of taking charters out he has only seen this many whales feeding at once, one other time. Cool huh?
Pink Salmon Yum!
Bald
Eagle
Sitka Alaska
The summer sky from sea
Glacier Bay
Alaskan skyline
While in Alaska I did a "zip-line" canopy tour. How cool!
Zipping!
Me and my nephew Sean the night before his wedding
Late Fall '07 Travels....
Off I ventured in November to Croatia to meet up with a friend who was going
around the world as part of the University of Virginia's "Semester at Sea"
program. They literally go around the world and had been EVERYWHERE.
Among the many stops on their itinerary was Croatia. After some deliberation, I
decided to fly over and meet up with my friend and meet/chat with some of the
students, faculty, and crew. All in all, a very worthwhile
experience!
Croatia is very pretty and I even got to use some of my rusty German. We had a lot of fun. I laughed 'til my belly hurt. Slept in an amazingly cold room. Ate a lot seafood and bread, and laughed heartedly, numerous times, at my friend's attempt to drive down a set of steps . It was a quick but worthwhile trip! Here are a few photos...
The City of Dubrovnik
The countryside
