Elizabeth Atkinson's Blog, page 7
November 18, 2015
My NEVER FORGET Moment
As my mother and I recently shared our sorrow on the phone over the latest horrific events in Egypt, Beirut, Syria, and our beloved Paris, she reminded me that the world has always been a very brutal place. But my parents also raised me to believe that kindness and empathy will always outshine the atrocities.
Back in high school, when I applied to live abroad for the summer as an AFS student, it was my mom who pushed me to go. She wanted me to experience the world in a way girls of her generation rarely got the chance.
When the day came for me to fly to Brazil, I was paralyzed with fear. But what my mother told me that morning – firmly and confidently – gave me the courage to leave, and has stayed with me always: “Never forget that 99% of the world is made up of decent people who love their children and are trying their best. And those are excellent odds.”
The truth is, that’s the reason I write for tweens. The world can be a very scary place, especially when you’re young and the adults (who drive you crazy) are in control of your life. But I want kids to know that whatever despair they may feel at times, everyone experiences those same feelings. No matter how invisible and powerless they may feel now, life will get better. And someday they will be in full control of their own dreams…
The most important life lesson I’ve learned from traveling is this: the best way to respect people who feel different from you – who talk a “foreign” lanuguage, wear “odd” clothes, eat “strange” food – is to care about them. Don’t look away. Smile. It means HELLO in every culture. I promise you, your life will be so much more interesting, enriching, and rewarding. And your open heart will make this planet a much better place for all of us.
* So if you want to know a little more about my quest for empowering kids through story, read my latest Q&A over at LitPick: 6 Questions
* And if you want a sample of the dreamy cross-cultural adventure in my new novel, check out this new 1-minute book trailer: Impossible Dreams
* Finally, if you’re curious to know how that teenage summer in Brazil turned out, my quick bio tells it all: My Life (so far)
Back in high school, when I applied to live abroad for the summer as an AFS student, it was my mom who pushed me to go. She wanted me to experience the world in a way girls of her generation rarely got the chance.
When the day came for me to fly to Brazil, I was paralyzed with fear. But what my mother told me that morning – firmly and confidently – gave me the courage to leave, and has stayed with me always: “Never forget that 99% of the world is made up of decent people who love their children and are trying their best. And those are excellent odds.”
The truth is, that’s the reason I write for tweens. The world can be a very scary place, especially when you’re young and the adults (who drive you crazy) are in control of your life. But I want kids to know that whatever despair they may feel at times, everyone experiences those same feelings. No matter how invisible and powerless they may feel now, life will get better. And someday they will be in full control of their own dreams…
The most important life lesson I’ve learned from traveling is this: the best way to respect people who feel different from you – who talk a “foreign” lanuguage, wear “odd” clothes, eat “strange” food – is to care about them. Don’t look away. Smile. It means HELLO in every culture. I promise you, your life will be so much more interesting, enriching, and rewarding. And your open heart will make this planet a much better place for all of us.
* So if you want to know a little more about my quest for empowering kids through story, read my latest Q&A over at LitPick: 6 Questions
* And if you want a sample of the dreamy cross-cultural adventure in my new novel, check out this new 1-minute book trailer: Impossible Dreams
* Finally, if you’re curious to know how that teenage summer in Brazil turned out, my quick bio tells it all: My Life (so far)
(Photo Source: Google Images)
November 5, 2015
whistle like you mean it
Quite a while ago, Obi (my doodle) and I were taking our daily hike in the woods when a bone-chilling cry stopped us in our tracks… a horrible recognizable whine wailing from above. Perched on a rotting limb, peering down at us in broad daylight, was a fisher.
Knowing full well that the fisher is not only nocturnal, but also the main predator of porcupines (and neighborhood pets), I lunged at Obi before he could think to bark, and dragged him the half mile back to the trailhead as fast as I could.
A couple weeks later (after my heart stopped pounding), I recounted the story to our veterinarian and asked what I should have done had Obi (or I) been attacked. Should I have attempted to fight back or hightailed it and ran? To my surprise, Dr. Vet informed me: “A bright flashing light combined with a loud, annoying noise is your best defense.” He then added, “At the very least, hikers should always carry a high-pitched whistle.” Apparently, most animals can’t bear the shrill blast, and, he noted, a whistle is also handy in case you’re lost or need to ward off weirdos in the woods.
Now, I LOVE a one-stop solution for lots of problems. Like vinegar for example, which can be used for just about anything, from cleaning carpets to curing ear aches. A tennis ball has dozens of uses other than wearing out your retriever, like fluffing up clothes in the dryer and erasing scuff marks. Another great example is the hot bubble bath – a highly effective emotional and mental stabilizer for practically anything that irks you.
And now I had the versatile high-pitched whistle to add to my Surviving Life list – able to save you and your loved ones from a multitude of dangers lurking around many a dark corner. Immediately, I went online and ordered a dozen in a variety of eye-catching colors.
As soon as the high-pitched whistles arrived, I distributed one to everyone in my family while heaving a huge sigh of relief. I told my daughter who lives in Boston (and takes the subway home every evening) that she now has a whistle to protect her. My parents, who often take walks alone, could bring their whistle along in case they needed assistance. My son, away at college up north, should wear his whistle when trudging across campus in a blinding blizzard.
No longer would I have to worry 24/7 about everyone in my family – because now they all had ear-splitting super-sonic weapons dangling from their necks to blast evil out of the way! Thank you, Dr. Vet.
Several months later I was searching for a whistle to bring on a hike. We now strung them from a line of coat hooks — along with orange hunting caps, dog leashes, and polar fleece vests — making them communally available for anyone who visited our cottage in the woods. However that day, as I checked the hooks for my favorite lime-green whistle, a member of my family remarked, “I’m not convinced you could actually use one of those in an emergency.” Confused, I stopped searching and asked him to explain. “Well, if a moose charged at you, I’m not so sure you would be able to put a whistle in your mouth, and blow it like you mean it, before it trampled you to death.”
I realized he was right. I needed to practice and have whistle drills, as it was no secret in our family that (with the exception of the fisher incident) I rarely react appropriately during emergencies – in fact, I tend to do the opposite of what you’re supposed to do. More than likely, if a bull moose charged at me I would tear the whistle from my neck and throw it at him. So I practiced whistling at chipmunks who got too close or crows with menacing stares – not at full volume, of course, but enough to perfect my whistle defense system.
Eventually a year passed, then two years, with no additional threats from the wild… and gradually the whistle moved from my neck to my front pocket to my back pocket. Until one fine evening this past summer, I decided to stroll down the hill at dusk to see the full moon over the lake – with Obi opting to stay at home and sleep on the couch. As I wandered through the twilight woods, I noticed a creature in the distance lumbering toward me… the fisher’s favorite meal, a porcupine.
Porcupines are known to be timid, and since I had seen one up close only a couple other times in my life, I stopped and watched the animal curiously. But then she picked up her pace ambling directly toward me as if she were on a top-secret porcupine mission. Instinctively, I felt for the dangling cord around my neck, but it wasn’t there. Then I fumbled in every pocket, but nothing. I had forgotten to stash a whistle.
Next thing I knew I picked up a large rock and tossed it near the animal, hoping to scare her. Still she waddled at me. I grabbed a big branch and pounded the ground and stamped my feet. Undeterred, she marched forward, now within 5 or 6 yards. Out of ideas and panicking, I yelled, “Hey YOU porcupine, get off the trail!” Finally, she stopped and peered up with her pointy noise, just like a character out of The Wind in the Willows. I thrust my arm hard to the left, pointing at the woods, and commanded, “That way!” Lo and behold, she turned in the indicated direction and plodded off into the dark forest.
Needless to say, I no longer pester my family members to carry their whistles. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure anyone ever did, other than me when I remembered. That summer night, I realized it’s impossible to prepare for every threat or fear that may jump out at me in the woods, or worse, protect the people I love the most from getting hurt. But what I do know, and hope they know, is that a hot bubble bath will always be waiting on the other side.
Knowing full well that the fisher is not only nocturnal, but also the main predator of porcupines (and neighborhood pets), I lunged at Obi before he could think to bark, and dragged him the half mile back to the trailhead as fast as I could.
A couple weeks later (after my heart stopped pounding), I recounted the story to our veterinarian and asked what I should have done had Obi (or I) been attacked. Should I have attempted to fight back or hightailed it and ran? To my surprise, Dr. Vet informed me: “A bright flashing light combined with a loud, annoying noise is your best defense.” He then added, “At the very least, hikers should always carry a high-pitched whistle.” Apparently, most animals can’t bear the shrill blast, and, he noted, a whistle is also handy in case you’re lost or need to ward off weirdos in the woods.
Now, I LOVE a one-stop solution for lots of problems. Like vinegar for example, which can be used for just about anything, from cleaning carpets to curing ear aches. A tennis ball has dozens of uses other than wearing out your retriever, like fluffing up clothes in the dryer and erasing scuff marks. Another great example is the hot bubble bath – a highly effective emotional and mental stabilizer for practically anything that irks you.
And now I had the versatile high-pitched whistle to add to my Surviving Life list – able to save you and your loved ones from a multitude of dangers lurking around many a dark corner. Immediately, I went online and ordered a dozen in a variety of eye-catching colors.
As soon as the high-pitched whistles arrived, I distributed one to everyone in my family while heaving a huge sigh of relief. I told my daughter who lives in Boston (and takes the subway home every evening) that she now has a whistle to protect her. My parents, who often take walks alone, could bring their whistle along in case they needed assistance. My son, away at college up north, should wear his whistle when trudging across campus in a blinding blizzard.
No longer would I have to worry 24/7 about everyone in my family – because now they all had ear-splitting super-sonic weapons dangling from their necks to blast evil out of the way! Thank you, Dr. Vet.
Several months later I was searching for a whistle to bring on a hike. We now strung them from a line of coat hooks — along with orange hunting caps, dog leashes, and polar fleece vests — making them communally available for anyone who visited our cottage in the woods. However that day, as I checked the hooks for my favorite lime-green whistle, a member of my family remarked, “I’m not convinced you could actually use one of those in an emergency.” Confused, I stopped searching and asked him to explain. “Well, if a moose charged at you, I’m not so sure you would be able to put a whistle in your mouth, and blow it like you mean it, before it trampled you to death.”
I realized he was right. I needed to practice and have whistle drills, as it was no secret in our family that (with the exception of the fisher incident) I rarely react appropriately during emergencies – in fact, I tend to do the opposite of what you’re supposed to do. More than likely, if a bull moose charged at me I would tear the whistle from my neck and throw it at him. So I practiced whistling at chipmunks who got too close or crows with menacing stares – not at full volume, of course, but enough to perfect my whistle defense system.
Eventually a year passed, then two years, with no additional threats from the wild… and gradually the whistle moved from my neck to my front pocket to my back pocket. Until one fine evening this past summer, I decided to stroll down the hill at dusk to see the full moon over the lake – with Obi opting to stay at home and sleep on the couch. As I wandered through the twilight woods, I noticed a creature in the distance lumbering toward me… the fisher’s favorite meal, a porcupine.
Porcupines are known to be timid, and since I had seen one up close only a couple other times in my life, I stopped and watched the animal curiously. But then she picked up her pace ambling directly toward me as if she were on a top-secret porcupine mission. Instinctively, I felt for the dangling cord around my neck, but it wasn’t there. Then I fumbled in every pocket, but nothing. I had forgotten to stash a whistle.
Next thing I knew I picked up a large rock and tossed it near the animal, hoping to scare her. Still she waddled at me. I grabbed a big branch and pounded the ground and stamped my feet. Undeterred, she marched forward, now within 5 or 6 yards. Out of ideas and panicking, I yelled, “Hey YOU porcupine, get off the trail!” Finally, she stopped and peered up with her pointy noise, just like a character out of The Wind in the Willows. I thrust my arm hard to the left, pointing at the woods, and commanded, “That way!” Lo and behold, she turned in the indicated direction and plodded off into the dark forest.
Needless to say, I no longer pester my family members to carry their whistles. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure anyone ever did, other than me when I remembered. That summer night, I realized it’s impossible to prepare for every threat or fear that may jump out at me in the woods, or worse, protect the people I love the most from getting hurt. But what I do know, and hope they know, is that a hot bubble bath will always be waiting on the other side.
(Photo Source: GOOGLE Images)
October 19, 2015
Foreign Rights sold & more SUGAR MOUNTAIN news!
Before my big “foreign rights” announcement for THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL, I must thank everyone who helped with last Friday night’s book launch (with a twist)…
…and especially all those PAGE SCHOOL kids and their parents who showed up to buy signed first editions of THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL to raise money for the West Newbury Library Children’s Room!
The door prizes were amazing! And included donations from teachers at the PAGE SCHOOL, a basket of ISLANDPORT PRESS children’s books, beautiful hand-knitted MITTENS & a dozen MONSTER CHUNK cookies (both featured in the book) — and the grand prize, a KINDLE FIRE!
I’m so happy that we raised lots of money to kick off the furniture fundraiser for the Children’s Room, and hopefully the fund will continue to grow.
And a big round of applause for the Library Director, Susan Babb, who stole the show playing The World’s Most Divine Psychic, Madame Magnifique!
In other news… I also want to thank 250 6th graders at Stony Brook Middle School in Westford, MA for a wonderful visit last week!
If you know of a school or library interested in an author visit, please contact me about my free one-hour school assembly talks as well as my fee-based writing workshops.
And finally, my BIG NEWS!!
This just in from my publisher, ISLANDPORT PRESS:
“As if the release and early reviews aren’t exciting enough, we’re also delighted to announce that THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL will be translated into three languages—Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish—for Scandinavian book clubs published by STABENFELDT, that resemble the Scholastic Reading Clubs here in the US. The translated versions will arrive in January or February of 2017!”
So, after several busy book events, Obi and I are back at our cottage in Maine working away on a new novel, and the leaves are just past peaking…
Hope you’re all having a very
HAPPY FALL!
…and especially all those PAGE SCHOOL kids and their parents who showed up to buy signed first editions of THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL to raise money for the West Newbury Library Children’s Room!
The door prizes were amazing! And included donations from teachers at the PAGE SCHOOL, a basket of ISLANDPORT PRESS children’s books, beautiful hand-knitted MITTENS & a dozen MONSTER CHUNK cookies (both featured in the book) — and the grand prize, a KINDLE FIRE!
I’m so happy that we raised lots of money to kick off the furniture fundraiser for the Children’s Room, and hopefully the fund will continue to grow.
And a big round of applause for the Library Director, Susan Babb, who stole the show playing The World’s Most Divine Psychic, Madame Magnifique!
In other news… I also want to thank 250 6th graders at Stony Brook Middle School in Westford, MA for a wonderful visit last week!
If you know of a school or library interested in an author visit, please contact me about my free one-hour school assembly talks as well as my fee-based writing workshops.
And finally, my BIG NEWS!!
This just in from my publisher, ISLANDPORT PRESS:
“As if the release and early reviews aren’t exciting enough, we’re also delighted to announce that THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL will be translated into three languages—Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish—for Scandinavian book clubs published by STABENFELDT, that resemble the Scholastic Reading Clubs here in the US. The translated versions will arrive in January or February of 2017!”
So, after several busy book events, Obi and I are back at our cottage in Maine working away on a new novel, and the leaves are just past peaking…
Hope you’re all having a very
HAPPY FALL!
October 1, 2015
My Book Launch (with a Twist!) on October 16th
Please join me…
THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL
is being launched into the world with a twist!
ON
**** Friday, October 16th ****
(6pm – 7:30pm)
at the
GAR MEMORIAL Library
490 Main Street
West Newbury, MA 01985
~:~
So what’s the twist?
A NEW BOOK and A NEW LOOK!
This book launch is doubling as a FUNDRAISER for the library’s Children’s Room, which is in need of new & portable furniture (like this)!!
This special event will include:
~ Fortunes told by the one-and-only MADAME MAGNIFIQUE… a character in the book!
~ Dream Table w/ Crazy 8 Balls, Ouija Board, Fortune Fish & dreamy activities!
~ Door prizes galore! Including a Kindle Fire, hand-knitted items, Monster Chunk cookies, and more!
~ And a reading by (me
) the author!
…PLUS signed copies of THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL … with nearly half of all proceeds going directly to the library — AND an anonymous donor has offered to match money raised that evening from book sales! (Read early reviews from FANS!)
~:~
The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball is written for children ages 9 and older.
The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
Light refreshments will be served.
For questions about the event,
please call the GAR Memorial Library at 978-363-1105
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL
is being launched into the world with a twist!
ON
**** Friday, October 16th ****
(6pm – 7:30pm)
at the
GAR MEMORIAL Library
490 Main Street
West Newbury, MA 01985
~:~
So what’s the twist?
A NEW BOOK and A NEW LOOK!
This book launch is doubling as a FUNDRAISER for the library’s Children’s Room, which is in need of new & portable furniture (like this)!!
This special event will include:
~ Fortunes told by the one-and-only MADAME MAGNIFIQUE… a character in the book!
~ Dream Table w/ Crazy 8 Balls, Ouija Board, Fortune Fish & dreamy activities!
~ Door prizes galore! Including a Kindle Fire, hand-knitted items, Monster Chunk cookies, and more!
~ And a reading by (me
) the author!
…PLUS signed copies of THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL … with nearly half of all proceeds going directly to the library — AND an anonymous donor has offered to match money raised that evening from book sales! (Read early reviews from FANS!)
~:~
The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball is written for children ages 9 and older.
The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
Light refreshments will be served.
For questions about the event,
please call the GAR Memorial Library at 978-363-1105
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
(Photo credits: Google Images)
September 22, 2015
If you like (or love) a writer
Within every profession, there exists a common list of do’s & don’ts (and inside jokes) – and writers are no exception. The problem is, we’re a rather odd bunch in general and can be difficult to read.
Of course I don’t claim to speak for all writers, but if you like (or possibly love) one of us – and want to understand what makes us tick (and ticks us off) – here are a few Please Do’s & Please Don’ts:
* Please call or email ahead to make plans to visit, because we want your company and need you! But please don’t knock on the front door and surprise us. We’re often in our skivvies and deep in the creative writing zone. Plus, many of us work at home and we actually think we’re far away at the office…
* Please tell us your funny, juicy, crazy life stories, because we soak up your everyday adventures and swap tales constantly with each other! But please don’t tell us your idea for a story and tell us we should use it – we have to use our own ideas. It’s just the way it works…
* Please feel free to ask us specific questions about the publishing industry! But please don’t ask us how to get published, as if it can be summed up in one paragraph with directions to a magic button you push and voila…
* Please recommend books to us regularly! We love to to hear your thoughts and suggestions. But please don’t hand a book to us and insist we read it – we have stacks next to our bed, in the kitchen, by the bathtub…
* Please support us in our writing endeavors and cheer us on, as setbacks and failures are a constant part of this business (and stink)! But please don’t tell us how many rejections JK Rowling got for ‘Harry Potter’ – believe me, we console and torment ourselves daily with those stats…
* Please invite us to take a break with a cup of tea or a walk in the woods or a game of ping pong! But please don’t tell us we’re on the computer all the time – we write stories and promote online pretty much all day on a laptop, because it’s our job…
* Please know we don’t want to be by ourselves all the time and occasionally enjoy wearing real clothes and socializing! But please don’t ask us how we can stand to be alone – most of us are introverts, so if you have to ask, you just won’t get it…
* And please know, chances are, we like and love you more than you like and love us, because we’re a deeply passionate crowd! But please don’t let that stop you from writing us in your own unique way. We treasure every word.
Of course I don’t claim to speak for all writers, but if you like (or possibly love) one of us – and want to understand what makes us tick (and ticks us off) – here are a few Please Do’s & Please Don’ts:
* Please call or email ahead to make plans to visit, because we want your company and need you! But please don’t knock on the front door and surprise us. We’re often in our skivvies and deep in the creative writing zone. Plus, many of us work at home and we actually think we’re far away at the office…
* Please tell us your funny, juicy, crazy life stories, because we soak up your everyday adventures and swap tales constantly with each other! But please don’t tell us your idea for a story and tell us we should use it – we have to use our own ideas. It’s just the way it works…
* Please feel free to ask us specific questions about the publishing industry! But please don’t ask us how to get published, as if it can be summed up in one paragraph with directions to a magic button you push and voila…
* Please recommend books to us regularly! We love to to hear your thoughts and suggestions. But please don’t hand a book to us and insist we read it – we have stacks next to our bed, in the kitchen, by the bathtub…
* Please support us in our writing endeavors and cheer us on, as setbacks and failures are a constant part of this business (and stink)! But please don’t tell us how many rejections JK Rowling got for ‘Harry Potter’ – believe me, we console and torment ourselves daily with those stats…
* Please invite us to take a break with a cup of tea or a walk in the woods or a game of ping pong! But please don’t tell us we’re on the computer all the time – we write stories and promote online pretty much all day on a laptop, because it’s our job…
* Please know we don’t want to be by ourselves all the time and occasionally enjoy wearing real clothes and socializing! But please don’t ask us how we can stand to be alone – most of us are introverts, so if you have to ask, you just won’t get it…
* And please know, chances are, we like and love you more than you like and love us, because we’re a deeply passionate crowd! But please don’t let that stop you from writing us in your own unique way. We treasure every word.
(photo credits: Google Images)
September 9, 2015
They’re Here!!
Yesterday, I had a full day planned on the coast of Maine, starting with a meeting at my publisher’s headquarters in Yarmouth…
…to chat about my upcoming book release launch party in October – also doubling as a cool fundraiser for the West Newbury Town Library:
A NEW BOOK & A NEW LOOK
(Friday, October 16 th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm)
Book Launch & Furniture Fundraiser for the Children’s Room
at the West Newbury Public Library!
Award-winning author, and former resident, Elizabeth Atkinson, will launch her third middle grade novel, THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL, at the GAR Memorial Library, 490 Main Street, West Newbury, MA
The book launch is also a fundraiser to purchase much-needed furniture for the library’s Children’s Room. All money raised from book sales and donations will be matched by a local business.
The event will include: Door Prizes, Fortunes (told by the divine Madame Magnifique), a Dream Table, a Reading, Sale & Signing of Elizabeth’s new novel and much more!
However, what I didn’t plan on yesterday was seeing a stack of brand new shiny copies of THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL – hot off the press a whole month early!!
And already available on AMAZON and shipping this week!
And a GOODREADS GIVEAWAY is starting on Sept 16th, so be sure to enter for a free signed copy!
And great reviews are coming in!
“A sweet tale of inspiration and triumph.” (KIRKUS)
THE SUGAR MOUNTAIN SNOW BALL will pop up in bookstores all over the country this fall ~ but don’t forget, most bookstores can display only a fraction of the books published every year. But they can always get a book from their distributor, often within a day. So please support your local independent book shops and just ask!
August 31, 2015
Remember that Summer?
It recently occurred to me how formative my summer jobs were as a kid growing up in a sleepy little town in central Massachusetts.
The handful of cool jobs like scooping ice cream,
life guarding at the pond,
or working at the one real store in town
seemed to be grabbed up by those with connections… so it forced the rest of us to be creative.
It was possible to patch together babysitting and/or lawn mowing gigs if you were willing to endure the most boring summer of your life for $1/hour – which didn’t include riding your bike in humid hot temps across town… because all parents back then shared a secret pact refusing to drive teens anywhere.
But I’ll never forget the summer my best friend and I led a Theater Arts camp in the basement of the Congregational Church. The town Park & Rec board required that an adult sponsor us (thank you, young & trusting teacher) to be added to their list of programs which included a decent stipend.
The two of us had a blast leading sessions of surprisingly large groups of school age students in various Improv & Acting exercises with a grand finale performance across the street on the town common for family and friends.
I can’t remember if we had help (junior assistants?) – I just remember the heady feeling of being in charge of a pile of kids, planning fun activities, eating snacks whenever we felt like calling a break, and getting paid for it!
As I recall, parents seemed more than willing to drop off their precious cargo with two basically unqualified high school girls with zero certification in anything – just big hearts with wild imaginations.
And what we learned that summer – responsibility, flexibility, ingenuity, cooperation, discipline, organization, and most importantly, fulfillment – has lasted a lifetime.
So what was your most memorable summer job?
August 17, 2015
water trail
On a steamy August day, nothing beats a beautiful brook hike.
Over the weekend, I began at one of my favorite childhood summer hangouts, Devils Steps – a spectacular rock formation which crosses Great Brook on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest –
and I headed downstream . . .
I had learned of brook hikes in China when I taught in Hangzhou a couple of years ago – a place where it gets SO sweltering in summer, that people take to the water trails instead of the forest trails. Enterprising vendors even sell water shoes along the streams!
While I’ve always loved wading in rushing brooks, it had never occurred to me to actually hike the cool water instead of the hot woods… and, at the same time, gain a completely different perspective on the world.
Over the weekend, I began at one of my favorite childhood summer hangouts, Devils Steps – a spectacular rock formation which crosses Great Brook on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest –
and I headed downstream . . .
I had learned of brook hikes in China when I taught in Hangzhou a couple of years ago – a place where it gets SO sweltering in summer, that people take to the water trails instead of the forest trails. Enterprising vendors even sell water shoes along the streams!
While I’ve always loved wading in rushing brooks, it had never occurred to me to actually hike the cool water instead of the hot woods… and, at the same time, gain a completely different perspective on the world.
August 5, 2015
Mindset
Wow, you look exactly the same! is meant to be a compliment when you’ve reached a certain age… but why??
What if instead we said,
Wow, you’ve really lived and struggled and triumphed and changed and evolved and become such an interesting person!
You’re a better, wiser, cooler, deeper version of yourself.
And you would smile and nod and accept the compliment, because the modern world valued growing older… valued the markings of endurance. Of survival.
What if?
(Photo Source: Google Images)
What if instead we said,
Wow, you’ve really lived and struggled and triumphed and changed and evolved and become such an interesting person!
You’re a better, wiser, cooler, deeper version of yourself.
And you would smile and nod and accept the compliment, because the modern world valued growing older… valued the markings of endurance. Of survival.
What if?
(Photo Source: Google Images)
July 20, 2015
In My Backyard
Lately, I’m all about wandering via micro-trips – which (by my definition) are vacations of 3 nights or less.
While I love a BIG JOURNEY across the world, those faraway adventures can be exhausting, not to mention, outrageously expensive.
And with the emotional upheaval of our recent relocation, I’ve decided to stay close to home this summer and experience the beautiful state of Maine through relaxing (& economical) mini retreats.
I’ve already dropped in on Skowhegan for two nights… a historical Maine mill town on the Kennebec River which I’d heard of all my life, but had never taken the time to visit.
Coming up, my excursions will include the Rangeley Lakes, Mt. Katadhin, and hopefully one of the very far northern towns like Caribou.
But it’s possible nothing will top the last three days I just spent on Mount Desert Island. My daughter, Malou, drove up from Boston, met me in Portland, and together we meandered a few more hours up the coast, where we explored…
Acadia National Park
Cadillac Mountain
Northeast Harbor
Pretty Marsh
Seal Harbor
Somesville
and Bar Harbor
~ where I suddenly recalled visiting 40 years earlier in July 1975 with my parents and younger sister:
Malou and I were sharing lobster stir fry, grilled scallops, and roasted cauliflower upstairs at a lovely old restaurant with a view of the ferry station, when I noticed a middle-aged couple and their two young teen girls walking along the sidewalk below. The older daughter glanced up and caught my eye with a strange familiarity – as if, in that second, I had connected with my 14 year-old self . . . and I had to wonder if, four decades earlier, I happened to glance up at that same picture window and seen my much older self smiling down?
A world of undiscovered treasures lies in every backyard – literally and figuratively – you just have to know where to look.
While I love a BIG JOURNEY across the world, those faraway adventures can be exhausting, not to mention, outrageously expensive.
And with the emotional upheaval of our recent relocation, I’ve decided to stay close to home this summer and experience the beautiful state of Maine through relaxing (& economical) mini retreats.
I’ve already dropped in on Skowhegan for two nights… a historical Maine mill town on the Kennebec River which I’d heard of all my life, but had never taken the time to visit.
Coming up, my excursions will include the Rangeley Lakes, Mt. Katadhin, and hopefully one of the very far northern towns like Caribou.
But it’s possible nothing will top the last three days I just spent on Mount Desert Island. My daughter, Malou, drove up from Boston, met me in Portland, and together we meandered a few more hours up the coast, where we explored…
Acadia National Park
Cadillac Mountain
Northeast Harbor
Pretty Marsh
Seal Harbor
Somesville
and Bar Harbor
~ where I suddenly recalled visiting 40 years earlier in July 1975 with my parents and younger sister:
Malou and I were sharing lobster stir fry, grilled scallops, and roasted cauliflower upstairs at a lovely old restaurant with a view of the ferry station, when I noticed a middle-aged couple and their two young teen girls walking along the sidewalk below. The older daughter glanced up and caught my eye with a strange familiarity – as if, in that second, I had connected with my 14 year-old self . . . and I had to wonder if, four decades earlier, I happened to glance up at that same picture window and seen my much older self smiling down?
A world of undiscovered treasures lies in every backyard – literally and figuratively – you just have to know where to look.
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