SHOT Roundup

Can I just say AWESOME!!!

I am so glad I made it to SHOT this year. It truly was incredible to be there, to see such awesome things, to meet such amazing people and to nurture some great connections.

I will start with the beginnng. Since I knew this would be a lot of physical activity for me I decided to cram everything I could into 2 days. If I tried for more than that I knew I would flare like crazy.

So Wednesday the 16th was my day 1. I checked in and got my creds and then looked up the Peppermill. You would think I would know where it is being a local but, alas, the strip is not my thing. Turned out it was down the strip a bit. Rather than move my car I walked it. A lot of activity for me but it felt nice to actually have the energy for it since I have quit the evil med. So off to the Peppermill I went for the 1st Annual Dark Angel Medical Ladies Bruncheon. I got to finally meet the female half of this vet owned duo. She plays words with friends with me constantly so it was nice to finally have a face to the name. I love what they do. If you are looking for a high quality trauma kit these guys can set you up. There were several women from different companies. Notably Women's Tactical Association was there and HammerFour. Then of course I had to drag along my friend Sandi, creator of Offhand Gear. I am her only Nevada dealer so far but that is just a momentary thing, her designs are awesome!!

Then I spent the day running around. I met up with Jason at Mission First Tactical. Awesome guy and a huge support of my Damsel venture. He has donated gear to giveaways and vice-versa and been a great contact!! I recommend them if you are looking for great rifle/carbine gear they are the place to go!

I also just casually bumped into ArmedCandy. I felt like a fan girl. Honestly there are a handful of bloggers that were a huge help in keeping me in shooting. After the shooting in Washington I was scared and knew I wanted to be able to protect us but the .40 hubby bought me was just not a good gun for me. ArmedCandy was one of the blogs that I read that helped inspire me to not give up, so meeting her in person was pretty amazing.

Day 2 for me was Thursday the 17th! What a fun day. I had some great meetings. I spent a wonderful bit talking to the owner and creator of Gun Tote'n Mamas. She is just amazing. I also love their concealed carry purses. They get cuter all the time and are not the bulky leather boring of the other places.

The highlight was the blogger lunch though. Misfires and Light Strikes put it together and I met some awesome people. He put up a great post of who attended, much more comprehensive than my weak memory! I am so glad I went and so impressed. Honestly I think I have felt like a lot of us, frustrated by the current politial climate and a bit at wits end. Sitting and talking with some of my favorite minds in the blogging world (Like Jay who was another reason I stuck with shooting) really helped me to remember that I am not alone in my frustration or opinions and that together we are a mighty force. Alan Korwin said something that stuck with me. He said that our best argument is that we are pro-RIGHTS. If we remove the word the anti's want to fight over and bring it back to the core issue at hand we win before the fight even begins because we are on the side of RIGHTS. I loved that thought and have been repeating it everywhere I can.

All in all it was an incredible two days. I saw awesome friends, build up some relationships, formed new ones, and really just reaffirmed that both Damsel and my passion for our rights are exactly the things I want to be doing with my life. I am good at this and I am loving it. :) I feel like I have found my people and my place.

**On a side note I have a giveaway up on my FB to help a family in need. They have a sweet 4 year old daughter who was diagnosed with a rare incurable brain disorder and she requires some major care. So I am raising funds for them. I have a couple great gift baskets formed. To enter to win them is a donation of $10 per basket. Check it out if you feel the urge, or pass it around! The more places it shows up the better! :)

Inspiring strength.

I am a reader. I read pretty much every day and in many forms. I was led to a blog that took my breath away. Reading the journey this couple took through an incredibly devestating blow touched me profoundly. I like to think I am a strong woman but the strngth displayed here was awe inspiring. It reminded me of how blessed I am despite the losses and the fight it took to carry to term and have my babies. Their story showed me that no matter the obstacle faith can and does see us through. So tonight as you look to your life please remember that blessings abound even in the darkest of moments. Miracles are there though it may be in the least expected form. Strength is inside you though you fear.

Life is crazy

My life being crazy translates into posting less. When I have to balance my time cleaning my house, helping three kids with homework I barely understand, feeding and taking care of 5 dogs, baking and overseeing a monthly bake sale for the rescue, attempting to teach 12 eight year old cub scouts something, planning a Halloween birthday party for my soon to be seven year old, and working on my projects; things like blogging kind of fall to the wayside. Sorry about that, hopefully after Halloween and parent teacher conferences and bake sales are over I will have some time untill it starts over again next month.

Quote of the Day

"I think it's a good thing that there are bloggers out there watching very closely and holding people accountable. Everyone in the news should be able to hold up to that kind of scrutiny. I'm for as much transparency in the newsgathering process as possible"

-Anderson Cooper