I never get quotes right - or jokes. Seriously. I'll say, "Oh I just love that quote by that one person who said that one thing. I can't remember it, but it was awesome." Or I'll say, "Oh I have a joke. Okay, there was this (pause) woman. I think. Yeah, yeah. It was a woman. And she (pause). Wait - WAS it a woman? I can't remember." And so on and so on until I kill the joke (and not in a good way). All of that to say I really DID hear a good quote yesterday, and I'm going to try to impart it to you.

I was watching PBS (okay, flipping through channels at a mile a minute), and there was a program on about a naturist who worked tirelessly to conserve parts of what is now Yosemite Park. I've never been to Yosemite, but I grew up going to Glacier Park, and we just spent our family reunion in Yellowstone Park. But hello. I am NOT a nature girl. I do not ENJOY camping, tent or otherwise. I do not ENJOY sitting outside in the dark or waking up covered in dew. I do not ENJOY hiking to the top of a mountain. Or hill. Or walking over land as flat as a fritter. I just don't. However........

.....when we went to Yellowstone, something in me was awakened. Or maybe I should say "re-awakened." See, I used to swim in the irrigation ditches and LOOK FOR snakes in the hills outside our house. I used to catch turtles in the pond, and spend hours on the tire swing. I used to collect rocks (of the outdoor variety). I used to sleep outside with nothing but some blankets and a pillow. And I wasn't even being punished! I actually WANTED to stay out there. Wow. But somewhere along the way, I lost my verve for all things outdoors. Enter Yellowstone. Its pristine mineral beds, forest regrowth after the fire, sky that goes on FOREVER, animals just roaming - - it was all mind blowing, really. We even got a personal tour from my aunt who works there. Amazing, amazing creation. I felt close to God there. And not in a cheesy, emotional way. Just in a very true, comfortable way. It was like something that had long been dormant was awakened, which leads me to the quote. Don't worry - I looked it up just to be SURE I didn't butcher it!
"
-John Muir

Okay - the above is NOT a type-O.

After MINUTES of looking, I cannot find that blankity blank quote ANYWHERE! The gist was something about how nature makes our souls complete.

Or something like that. Crap.