tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50074348155977009862024-03-13T05:28:51.203-07:00A New Dawn ~ Year TwoReflections, observations and humor DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-57033058960824430122015-11-15T11:38:00.000-08:002015-11-15T11:38:46.705-08:00Abandoning Life In The Rear View Mirror<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kMO0p_x6rxU7uq5imQBlDHFCSIGdmySiQyB_VEInfl_9ATLKa7V9qvhddUR7af_ZTzR6dGzHBHB1QiNdS3GaG8A1I0H6VWgXTJXIwdJ9Vqap5xE4W6v3t0ZFZ0m80C29r7LNi7T5RNdT/s1600/IMG_1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3kMO0p_x6rxU7uq5imQBlDHFCSIGdmySiQyB_VEInfl_9ATLKa7V9qvhddUR7af_ZTzR6dGzHBHB1QiNdS3GaG8A1I0H6VWgXTJXIwdJ9Vqap5xE4W6v3t0ZFZ0m80C29r7LNi7T5RNdT/s400/IMG_1023.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> View in rear view mirror on East Chop dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Have you ever had a dream that was so real that you would
lay good money down that it was real?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That happened to me a few weeks ago. I was flying back to Martha’s
Vineyard after a visit to my children in New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must have fallen asleep briefly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An overhead announcement jarred me. I was
first aware that my mouth had that dry papery feeling that comes from being a
mouth-breather in repose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the plane
in descent, I gradually grasped that I was leaving behind a dream whose boundaries
and edges were fraying even as I tried to hold fast to them. Bits and pieces
fell away leaving me with the most peculiar feeling; it was like swimming awake
from a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I found myself semi-lucid,
I tried turning over the dream -- hoping to make sense of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aspect that had the most staying power
was that the entire dream took place as I observed it from the rear view mirror
of my car, a Volvo XC-90. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my
daughters was sitting up front in the passenger seat. My other two children
were buckled up in back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The moments
that I best remembered happened as my eyes roved back and forth over the road behind
me. I brought the kids home from elementary school, safely dropped them off at
our old house, then drove off again – on my own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before the overhead announcement
penetrated my dream, I parked in the Oak Bluffs cemetery. As I got out of the
car, I realized that I had spent the last two years driving through my life
while looking in the rear view mirror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How limiting was that, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
be moving forward while keeping my eyes on what had already past?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compounding this mistake was a cautionary reminder
carefully printed in small letters, too lightly etched in the rear view mirror to
read without care. The label read, “Caution; OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THAN THEY APPEAR.” I wondered if that meant
the past was nipping at my heels. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3y1ToO0jk_VQZweKNLcTlQ7d-m0ncXD17QnoUmBvXC5GRjgRsrKINmEzL8yeWqD7al4t1o3fTS-hZFEC9uEIlMp3cfq0LAN9OP33M7ppZlGF8j7TSICIIh2jc5pa-4Nt3jrQ-bA5rIyKJ/s1600/IMG_1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3y1ToO0jk_VQZweKNLcTlQ7d-m0ncXD17QnoUmBvXC5GRjgRsrKINmEzL8yeWqD7al4t1o3fTS-hZFEC9uEIlMp3cfq0LAN9OP33M7ppZlGF8j7TSICIIh2jc5pa-4Nt3jrQ-bA5rIyKJ/s400/IMG_1111.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The dream leapt forward in the way that they do, and I was manually
rotating the last gem of an idea like a gemologist at a metallurgy convention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the object is not seen in the mirror, does
it follow that they are not close at all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did it follow that I am the creator of all that I see? The final descent
of the plane prodded me reluctantly toward full alertness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon landing, I grabbed my luggage from the
overhead rack in preparation of disembarking at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. I
was oddly buoyed by this latest insight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While patently obvious, it was a new way of looking at my propensity to
play over and over all the losses I have sustained recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, my homesickness for brighter days
is misguided. As I stepped into a bright sunshiny day at MVY airport, I was optimistic
that I could retrain myself to keep my eyes fixed forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people, places, and things that have taken
foothold in my heart over the past five decades can stay safely committed to
the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of them will move forward
with me, others will not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I navigate
through through each day, my eyes must remain on the horizon, appreciating the
beauty, grace and goodness that surrounds me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Occasionally, I will lift my eyes to take in the promising view all
around me, I feel certain that I will experience life more fully if I avail
myself of this entire 360 degrees of perspective.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A reminder mind leaps out at me every time I drive my car.
The words are laser-etched words in the mirror, “OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER
THAN THEY APPEAR .”<o:p></o:p></div>
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To that, I quietly utter to myself, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No kidding.” And then I put my car in gear
and drive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-40534419957091119862015-09-23T18:25:00.002-07:002015-09-23T18:25:34.996-07:00The Autumnal Equinox<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xZuPnJt_hSH09dOn3zQJ5C2MehRSXYRxpLOg_QoysRivwSK7LIgoBOGw8zKpXSkrMHm0cRnI76UJMBFpqksVo4jXnpjvg5qdTJYw4OMmsdS-w5eYxOnK5jo6svvVmEjiklO5kL-_hbtV/s1600/IMG_2383+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xZuPnJt_hSH09dOn3zQJ5C2MehRSXYRxpLOg_QoysRivwSK7LIgoBOGw8zKpXSkrMHm0cRnI76UJMBFpqksVo4jXnpjvg5qdTJYw4OMmsdS-w5eYxOnK5jo6svvVmEjiklO5kL-_hbtV/s640/IMG_2383+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Last rose petals linger.... dee’15</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";">Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 4:22 AM EST <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been keeping an eagle eye on
the calendar, waiting for the Autumnal Equinox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Due to some inexplicable gap in my education, I was in college when I
learned what the word equinox meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
new restaurant opened in the Amherst, MA area around 1976 and it was called the
Equinox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I queried the owner about the
unusual name and he explained that there are two Equinoxes annually.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They occur around the 21<sup>st</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to 23<sup>rd</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of March and September. On these days, day and
night are equally twelve hours long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
to be overlooked are the solstices; they occur two times a year, also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is at thes</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">e two points that the sun is at
its greatest distance from the equator.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">
</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">The summer solstice occurs around June 21</span><sup style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">st</sup><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">, bringing with it
the shortest day of the year and the winter solstice occurs around December 22</span><sup style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light';">nd
</sup><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">and is the shortest day of the year. I am embarrassed to say that it wasn’t
until that moment that I finally understood how the four seasons were tied to
events both celestial and astronomical.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, each season brings with it certain
rituals of celebration and welcoming. There are equally important seasonal
markers in nature that denote the passing of time and the letting go of the
past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Winter Solstice</span></b><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"> is
part of the Festival of Lights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As days
draw shorter and shorter, we, in the Northern Hemisphere, arrive at December 21
or so and we find ourselves on the shortest day of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite words of the season are “Light
Cometh.” I know that, if I can survive a day with about 9 hours of light and 15
hours of darkness, the next day will be slightly longer and the night – and the
darkness -- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>will start to shrink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";">The solace that comes
from that knowledge is immeasurable. This year, the winter solstice comes on
December 22<sup>nd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep a look
out for the sun on that day. It will rise at 7:06a.m. and set at 4:16p.m.. Be
sure to enjoy the nine hours and sixteen minutes to full advantage….Make sure
you do something that brings you joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsgXgW7a-BbxC9YiCMKOv21NZSWsv5xoEKhBoELX1ZwnsRQzIJgJKCcImnHR-K14aqjxHeUm2J_KdaUitB0ob1SW4I0tBv-16K5_0Xuu_JXn-6JtmilJzFJCraryzQV_shmAKZUb1XqAo/s1600/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsgXgW7a-BbxC9YiCMKOv21NZSWsv5xoEKhBoELX1ZwnsRQzIJgJKCcImnHR-K14aqjxHeUm2J_KdaUitB0ob1SW4I0tBv-16K5_0Xuu_JXn-6JtmilJzFJCraryzQV_shmAKZUb1XqAo/s200/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ground stirs with new wonder.</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Vernal Equinox</span></b><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";">
usually occurs around March 21<sup>st</sup> and it heralds spring. For me, the
trip of the Spotted salamanders across Henry St. in Amherst, MA is one of the
hallmarks of spring. The town set aside a sizeable budget to create tunnels for
these hardy salamanders to make it across the road without injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These small creatures were motivated by the
all-important business of mating in vernal pools. After the first rain of spring,
when the temperature stays above 40 degrees, the salamanders are on the move.
So, too, are the do-good members of the Amherst bucket brigade that herds the
salamanders <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">into</i> said tunnels with
their buckets. Other signs of spring are the taps on the maple trees, the sight
of robins against melting snow, the scent of decaying leaves, the fresh new
growth on the tips of the trees and the very first sound of the peepers. My
entire family knows the thrill I take in seeing the first snowdrops in March,
followed by crocuses in April. A family tradition we have practiced on the eve
of the Vernal Equinox has been to balance an egg on end. Over time, my son demonstrated
that this feat of daring do and great prestidigitation may be accomplished with
any willing egg on pretty much any day of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And still, we wait for March 21<sup>st</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrU8EOtctvDiPSxVwa5YZhtuE_4vva7zl8V3-IDK0az1y-Pj7FC96PqDkib2o5doVRJylmb4spyKnmD3U7sxtakrFnTGh-NkTYqXVJoR-l2zbl85xg8Mt6wIyB0Z9SZ3KjKn225IOfJwK/s1600/IMG_2543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrU8EOtctvDiPSxVwa5YZhtuE_4vva7zl8V3-IDK0az1y-Pj7FC96PqDkib2o5doVRJylmb4spyKnmD3U7sxtakrFnTGh-NkTYqXVJoR-l2zbl85xg8Mt6wIyB0Z9SZ3KjKn225IOfJwK/s640/IMG_2543.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> One among many -- summer days in blue. dee ’15</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span> The Summer Solstice</span></b><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"> is all
about excesses of light. Unless June 21 is cloudy, the day bleeds into night
close to my bedtime. When the moon is full, it never gets fully
dark on the ocean. I have watched the play of the moonlight on the water bring
such brilliance that I can see remarkably well -- even at 2am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is usually a breeze that kicks up when
the sun has set and the moon is rising. Unless there is a storm, the sea builds
to a choppiness that I feel privileged to have seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like a pot on simmer, then, the flame is
turned off and the sea takes on a rare quality of near stillness…just the echo
of a susurration. On the longest day of the year, I finally surrender to the
weight of sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whomp, whomp, whomp
of the ceiling fan soothes me down. Abruptly, I am called back to wakefulness
by the early caw, caw, caw of the crows and the unyielding fingers of light
that seep through every crack and seam of my windows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuRguQ-3Kbge2IkI5JsZ-s5avSHcmdVRhZFnkqDD02pNH0kaWYGWOJHw8Gjobbvz43-Tz14aTaBA8B315eSLX1YUg5xV3MV56NU095Ml3rIykQmSkHJQgNWSHW0DGJnX02_MC6_9VbXrr/s1600/IMG_0780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuRguQ-3Kbge2IkI5JsZ-s5avSHcmdVRhZFnkqDD02pNH0kaWYGWOJHw8Gjobbvz43-Tz14aTaBA8B315eSLX1YUg5xV3MV56NU095Ml3rIykQmSkHJQgNWSHW0DGJnX02_MC6_9VbXrr/s320/IMG_0780.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coreopsis Leavenworthii brightens fall days dee’15</td></tr>
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</span></span></div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="letter-spacing: -1px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="color: #9e5205; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 21px;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">We have arrived back at the </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">Autumnal Equinox</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">. My favorite season is
the fall; perhaps I am biased because I am a Virgo, a September baby.
Many people associate autumn with loss and endings. For me, the first 21 years
of my life served as a lifetime rule; autumn brings happiness. I loved school and it started in
September. Fall was the beginning of the good stuff. Being with friends,
learning new things, beginning anew. Even though it has been forty years since
I put on a blue uniform over a white blouse and headed to school, my pulse
races a bit when I see the first tree aflame in yellow. Just today, I saw an
acorn when I was walking through a wooded area. I thought how I hardly ever see
them on the Island. Then I came home. OUT of nowhere, acorns. Everywhere.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">They littered my
driveway. I swept them up – more than assured that they will return tomorrow.
On the Vineyard, autumn nights are cool and the mornings, fresh.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;"> </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">The homebody in me wants to get ready for the
winter that is bound to bear down on us. I have a punch list: Post the stakes
for the snowplow (so that my garden isn’t decimated). Put away the awning. Put
the lawn furniture under cover. Pack up, rack up, clean up.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;"> </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">Get ready for the assault of winter.</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;"> </span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: 'Helvetica Light'; font-size: 17pt;">September 23 is the date of the Autumnal
equinox this year and I am getting ready. I have piles of summer clothes to go
into storage and winter clothes to take out. I am airing my blankets and polishing
my boots.</span></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wYGIWQC1LbyvGy4VGHTzDtXpTABaU7aBucEI3FQYwElMSq06_cTPXCCWBkXRQ8jN1auyEU3MoG7IaiEDMtZ-0l3SK65YiBxlcUzPHU8QxXcc6MHEVSNeqIlHKWBXWwZ9Zfhyphenhyphen7jb3CxwN/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wYGIWQC1LbyvGy4VGHTzDtXpTABaU7aBucEI3FQYwElMSq06_cTPXCCWBkXRQ8jN1auyEU3MoG7IaiEDMtZ-0l3SK65YiBxlcUzPHU8QxXcc6MHEVSNeqIlHKWBXWwZ9Zfhyphenhyphen7jb3CxwN/s320/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Goodbye to summer clothes dee ‘15</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If nothing else, I feel ready to
batten down the hatches and prepare for a rough ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The winds will blow, the days will grow
colder and shorter and I intend to be warm and cozy in my new abode. By
Halloween, it is dark by 5:30p.m. It is cold enough to wear a down vest over a
fleece in the morning. Noses run and faces grow ruddy from the fresh air. It’s
a time of magic and wonder. I persist in the desire to use my new fire pit. I
propose a bonfire to celebrate *Guy Fawkes Day in November!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanksgiving follows shortly thereafter.
Together, we all move forward, while individually, we turn inward, focusing on
what is directly in front of us. The smells of hot woodstoves and pine sap in
the autumn bring with them memories so deeply imbedded that I can’t assign
anything to them except the feeling of being home, being safe, being loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; font-size: 17.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light";">*</span><span style="color: #0b5519; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"> “</span><span style="color: #0b5519; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">www.timeanddate.com
› </span><b><span style="color: #6d6d6d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Guy Fawkes Night is annually held on </span><b><span style="color: #575757; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">November
5</span></b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">. It is sometimes known as Bonfire Night and marks the
anniversary of the discovery of a plot organized by Catholic conspirators to
blow up the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. Many people light bonfires
and set off fireworks.” Quoted directly from timeanddate.com</span><span style="color: #353535; font-family: "Helvetica Light"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-38419408750875504642015-09-16T17:11:00.000-07:002015-09-16T17:11:15.058-07:00Jump from Second Bridge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLjCOxcQRPs_FAVRGG2Kj3dT_MIVq632Vb9yNZQCkm32kyWrSzxocGsv44UVN79Q7OLT9eCFFKqkD5PZO1rv4Lzzs9CmGmfcElwcMSMuvcXY-sybC3Cw4xr_W1Bj2YAoI5P7RHP-ZY-Qh/s1600/IMG_2666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLjCOxcQRPs_FAVRGG2Kj3dT_MIVq632Vb9yNZQCkm32kyWrSzxocGsv44UVN79Q7OLT9eCFFKqkD5PZO1rv4Lzzs9CmGmfcElwcMSMuvcXY-sybC3Cw4xr_W1Bj2YAoI5P7RHP-ZY-Qh/s640/IMG_2666.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young jumpers leap from Second Bridge dee</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There has
been a lot of water flowing under the bridge since I last wrote regular postings
to my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I return to the
practice of writing my blog, I feel as if I must visualize a bridge under which both the detritus
and delights of my life have been flowing. In my mind’s eye, only one bridge
will do. It is the bridge called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Second
Bridge</i> or more colloquially, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jaws</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bridge</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was made famous during the filming of
<i>Jaws</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll some<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Jaws</i> footage and you, too, can see the Edgartown bridge under which I
imagine the waters of my life flowing out to sea. This bridge connects two fingers
of land by spanning a narrow channel of water. The road over the bridge
consists of a fifty-foot wide strip of land called Beach Road; it connects about
six miles between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Beach Road, itself, divides two
bodies of water. One side is graced by a usually gentle beach named the Joseph
Sylvia State Beach. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the home of
protected plovers and thoughtful beachgoers shielded by colorful umbrellas.
Only when tropical storms and hurricanes strike do we see its tumultuous
side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most Island vacationers and
day-trippers practice the rules of Beach Etiquette (that topic – The Twelve
Rules of Beach Etiquette must be addressed in another posting.). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>State Beach looks out over the Nantucket
Sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beach Road can be summoned wherever you are by picturing twenty feet of pavement designed for cars, trucks and
mopeds, 9 feet of parallel parking on the Sound side of Beach Road, and finally,
designated by a low rail of tree trunks -- four feet of Macadam designated a bike pate for bicyclists
and joggers, walkers and roller-bladers alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This description fails to include mention of the summer atrocity of bad
drivers, thoughtless – and often precarious -- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moped drivers, entitled bicyclists and lost
(or worse, rude) tourists with whom safe drivers are expected to share the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second Bridge
divides the Nantucket Sound from Sengekontacket Pond. Sengeknotacket is a large, calm, brackish
body of water that attracts scallopers, fishermen and some boatsmen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rimming Sengekontacket is a quieter, less
frequented beach, where the high tide mark is barely disturbed by human
footprints. Water ebbs and flows under Second Bridge between Nantucket Sound
and Sengekontacket Pond at the bidding of the tides and the moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on the nautical rhythm, the channel
depth below Second Bridge is about 12 -15 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That leaves plenty of safety for the daring adventurers who wish to take
the plunge. There is a siren call that lures jumpers to Second Bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A delicious edge between thrill and
reason is harnessed in the instant just before one springs off the rail into
nothing but air. Taking the leap has little to do with edge, but everything to
do with attitude: I have seen a three-year old in a life jacket jump off the
bridge, a seventy-year old man-- emaciated and frail -- jump, and a
twenty-nine-year old woman from Texas -- terrified of the sharks she imagined
might swarm below -- take the plunge…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCemLYDp9Hg6e_IhhS5LUyDJnKYayU_SaVdMCnaakq42GUEK3FLadngSzoYxGEJW5Q90yfDl6_H_J-jnaKnX7gJu-5sy5KykUGBfoJKFynh2mNBagrcgFzBCpojDQKWZj6sa8-Wehx9Oi/s1600/IMG_2659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCemLYDp9Hg6e_IhhS5LUyDJnKYayU_SaVdMCnaakq42GUEK3FLadngSzoYxGEJW5Q90yfDl6_H_J-jnaKnX7gJu-5sy5KykUGBfoJKFynh2mNBagrcgFzBCpojDQKWZj6sa8-Wehx9Oi/s320/IMG_2659.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No disputing that the signage exists... dee</td></tr>
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</span>At the
height of summer season, the bridge swarms with jumpers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one takes notice of the posted signs
saying <b>KEEP OFF BRIDGE RAIL</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>This is a relatively new bridge. The old
bridge Second Bridge required jumpers to jump more than two feet over a walkway
in order to clear the safety rail. The new design makes it significantly easier
to leap unimpeded. For all those who bring themselves to stand on the narrow,
wooden railing, their intention is clear. There is a moment in all of this that
fascinates me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is that moment of
intention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That precise razor’s edge
between thought and action in which the jumper is in position, ready to
surrender to gravity’s pull, but hasn’t unfurled his or her body to the snap of
free fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is just enough time before hitting the
hard surface of the cold water to register it is really going to happen. With
twelve feet of water protecting them from hitting the channel’s bottom, jumpers have
plenty of room to scissor kick their way back to the surface for that gasp of
air their bodies crave. The swim back to shore is exhilarating and leaves most
of these intrepid jumpers eager to return for more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can just about guarantee that the majority
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>jumpers who stand on the rail,
summoning courage, with eyes open, sights on the Nantucket Sound, are not doing
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>calculations. What is the percentage of
salinity of the water? Will it be brackish? What is the parabolic velocity of
the water flow? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not dwelling on
these or any number of other arcane or irrelevant factors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The questions jumpers ask as themselves as
the steel-blue water water flows beneath them is, “Is it deep enough? Is the
water cold? Can I swim to shore? Is anyone watching me? Is the right person
watching me? Will my bathing suit stay on? Am I crazy?” At the end of the day,
the most important question on the bridge for any jumper is this: “Can I do
this?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6U0PMcLRY61Os2H3iZYzdt4EkDXJeaoh7BW9pVd2xbpL-6PlpdGoJz3WNN7Ky61KbYgInzjvWo7uAVFojNVcJ6JKPcpQfDVr9thnPQk-393-mZkDNRTP8CqtEHJV6YXHAqgUyLof9uQW/s1600/IMG_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6U0PMcLRY61Os2H3iZYzdt4EkDXJeaoh7BW9pVd2xbpL-6PlpdGoJz3WNN7Ky61KbYgInzjvWo7uAVFojNVcJ6JKPcpQfDVr9thnPQk-393-mZkDNRTP8CqtEHJV6YXHAqgUyLof9uQW/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> A life-guard’s instincts caught on film- dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I saw
a first. I watched a young man walk toward the center of the bridge and put one
foot on the guardrail. I was drawn to his hair and how it lay tight to his head
in carefully coiffed cornrows. My eyes shifted to a girl in a pink bathing suit
who, three times, climbed up on the rail then talked herself out of
jumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I was looking through
my camera lens at this petrified young woman when the young man jumped…I did
not catch on film that he moved without pause, nor hesitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, someone yelled, “HE CAN’T SWIM.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first impulse, as a former lifeguard, was
to dive in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I had to measure reality
with the chances I had at saving him and realized that wasn’t sensible. It was
unlikely that my body would weather the dive and even less likely that I could
rescue someone his size after such a dive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I watched as one of the swimmers nearest him, threw the young man’s
clinging arm off of his saying, “Don’t hold on to me.” It took me longer than I
thought process all that was playing out before my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grasping the urgency, I yelled --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>along with several onlookers -- to the
several swimmers below, “He needs help.” Bystanders along the shore threw
floats toward the center of the channel, but they were not within range to
reach the scene. Two men flanked the floundering jumper. It wasn’t clear if the
one who demanded to be unhanded did so because it is one of the first tenets of
lifesaving, or because of his own instincts for survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt encouraged when a middle-aged man dove
straight off the bridge, keeping his eye leveled on the jumper, right until he
broke the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This man had
training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The jumper’s arm flailed
overhead, his face was turned skyward. When the lifesaving man came up from a shallow
dive, his head pivoted, expecting to find the jumper. Simultaneously, the two nearby
men seemed to reassess the truly life-threatening nature of the situation and
in unspoken solidarity, put aside their own fears. With a few strong over-hand
crawl strokes, they pulled toward where the jumper had been silently
struggling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Inexplicably, before the
diver surfaced and the two men responded to their higher instincts to work
cooperatively, horror struck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Inexplicably, in a five second window, right before my eyes, the jumper
simply…………………………. disappeared. A few large air bubbles, and he was gone. There
was no hole in the water where he had been; the water simply swallowed
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rapidness of his disappearance was
stunning. He was there. Then,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he wasn’t. The bridge diver took a deep breath
then upended sinking below the depths, his feet the last to disappear like a
mermaid’s tale. His determination to search the opaque and murky dark green
waters of the waterway was clear. Quickly following suit, the two other men, middle-aged
as well, dove under. It was evident <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that
all three were invested, with no holds barred, in saving a life. I counted one,
one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand, four, one thousand, five,
one thousand. We onlookers couldn’t see beneath the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beyond a slight chop kicked up by the wind,
the water was calm. Anxious faces lined the bridge. All activity ceased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the long, anxious seconds before the three
wanna-be, middle-aged heroes surfaced, there was a palpable fear that rode on
the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was abruptly dispelled when
the head of a dark-skinned man with intricate rows of cornrows rose well above
the surface of the water. The young jumper rose higher and higher until he was
nearly waist-high out of the water. I saw the same maneuver in a water ballet
once. His saviors remained invisible and submerged, working to keep him well
clear of the the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, the
first responders came up for hungry gasps of air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They grabbed a float that had drifted nearby
and the young man clutched it, his eyes closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Knowing they had succeeded in hauling this foolhardy Second Bridge
Jumper from the clutches of the sea, I turned away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first time, the thought surfaced that
the corn-row haired young man may have had a motive darker than seeking a
thrill when he jumped off of Second Bridge. The very thought caused tears to
prickle my eyes, but I fought them back. I wondered to which of the Gods (who
man has ascribed so many names) I should give thanks for the bright outcome. If we are all riding on a
carousel of life, then, in my simplistic way of thinking, the corn-rowed man
had just won the gold ring on a carousel with horses names Zeus and Hades,
Demeter and Hestia, Hera and Poseidon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think it must have been Poseidon who felt most cheated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 2.0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been over thirty years since I
have stood, toes curled on the rail of Second Bridge. It is still easy to
summon the sensation of my muscles clenched against the wobbling –made more
pronounced by the wind’s buffeting – as I prepared to jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These days, I often find myself on that
razor’s edge of intention, watching the water flow far beneath me. Yes, a lot
of water has passed under the bridge; in my imagination, attachments, memories, and uncharted
dreams roil the waters under Second Bridge.
As the tide races out of Sengekontacket into the Sound, it comes to me </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 2.0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>that so much of what was once so important is nothing more than dross. I keep my eye fixed on those receding memories, squinting to improve my focus. But, like the young man with corn-rowed hair, from my vantage point on Second Bridge, they disappear beneath the water’s surface with not a trace. </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TsgvO_-y99xsAPCkJDdYfiX142Uh2yhDkT5ZY6092JFdCk5HQ5sw0VuvwfSB1ozjeF8lVaP86mmCxQtiL3YeKQJsC1t2E_rba6XTYMkZ-exQuhS1ku10gY84aC-iJSFp9vqLDNYK2I1J/s1600/IMG_2673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TsgvO_-y99xsAPCkJDdYfiX142Uh2yhDkT5ZY6092JFdCk5HQ5sw0VuvwfSB1ozjeF8lVaP86mmCxQtiL3YeKQJsC1t2E_rba6XTYMkZ-exQuhS1ku10gY84aC-iJSFp9vqLDNYK2I1J/s400/IMG_2673.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Jumpers resume. dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-14121539951261736862015-08-31T18:56:00.000-07:002015-08-31T18:56:31.863-07:00All You Have to Do is Show Up.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTP3ey71j1IPK6s2d_uxKCsT9u7K7Zdtl9BzXqlnUy-Hj_o3xly4ZaYPtNk1u4532JSWO6mgsFyVAatCVPi0reP6yzBMOe5VYO6rEsi2K4QNUhqpe3D0-AIBA_JMkMw6VDZcve1BQlxA4/s1600/DSC03451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTP3ey71j1IPK6s2d_uxKCsT9u7K7Zdtl9BzXqlnUy-Hj_o3xly4ZaYPtNk1u4532JSWO6mgsFyVAatCVPi0reP6yzBMOe5VYO6rEsi2K4QNUhqpe3D0-AIBA_JMkMw6VDZcve1BQlxA4/s640/DSC03451.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inkwell Beach Foam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Often, I labor over the blog posting. I work hard on
choosing the right image, bolstering it with the ideal word, and edit it until
I feel willing to share it with the world.
Today is different. Today, the beach, in its wisdom, taught me that
sometimes, to enjoy life, truly enjoy its many mysterious and wondrous ways........<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
My good fortune was that I had my camera along to document
some of the things I saw as I found my way to spend 90 minutes spent at Eastville Beach.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLCBj38_fKzhhx7-dYCVJzLqQCVNBMcQezPMIdcu4ZvWSRk6VLxk5FbmsFZOwJbur7xM12kVKz8qKx1vVfGaoPNmVT9Ey3U_A4UtClMhRJo81HEIjE_uJiMoSMeSsG3f_QAoLXadTwfNP/s1600/IMG_0442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLCBj38_fKzhhx7-dYCVJzLqQCVNBMcQezPMIdcu4ZvWSRk6VLxk5FbmsFZOwJbur7xM12kVKz8qKx1vVfGaoPNmVT9Ey3U_A4UtClMhRJo81HEIjE_uJiMoSMeSsG3f_QAoLXadTwfNP/s400/IMG_0442.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wharf - No Trespassing.<br />I trespassed. The secret is to act as if you belong.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmECG0ZQ9rfyAEArbx-1WVGH2j9EYosIbMK7EREUDY-wEIpFOrIVEp0sMy0WEgtb3uz3DJ5vo_DAP29nbfkRG542YMnjx2xbyI1SBjM_CeqZKfCqhO2wLOvLxHSPDvLeipmNmQYdlSVU5/s1600/IMG_0446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmECG0ZQ9rfyAEArbx-1WVGH2j9EYosIbMK7EREUDY-wEIpFOrIVEp0sMy0WEgtb3uz3DJ5vo_DAP29nbfkRG542YMnjx2xbyI1SBjM_CeqZKfCqhO2wLOvLxHSPDvLeipmNmQYdlSVU5/s400/IMG_0446.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shenandoah and the Black Dog cross paths.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY-m2LpYdm2jv9EkUP0w9uD4rtjah0SHCud3kvWucEtuzBcNiLw5pxDC5V-fppXsejOlm-oKufzREaJ6DOqxbzYpXDndzsTZT9veYqFJQwvaDwae3DJ1cOKrHqJAhtNJsCWIZ8vMPVCNd/s1600/IMG_0438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDY-m2LpYdm2jv9EkUP0w9uD4rtjah0SHCud3kvWucEtuzBcNiLw5pxDC5V-fppXsejOlm-oKufzREaJ6DOqxbzYpXDndzsTZT9veYqFJQwvaDwae3DJ1cOKrHqJAhtNJsCWIZ8vMPVCNd/s640/IMG_0438.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Painting in Motion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg_eTKkNrIoqm2-FAYfz14Zwmy6pP9MHyTynFpawKRXR3sVaBgeVX7FptbDK-EHxM0UnrZVwKbqB9SN8vFe5cYckm87gJVqj-ypIXOk1fi08u4uU8R5iNadpkqaBKen_YPDJUq1F28FBj/s1600/IMG_0450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg_eTKkNrIoqm2-FAYfz14Zwmy6pP9MHyTynFpawKRXR3sVaBgeVX7FptbDK-EHxM0UnrZVwKbqB9SN8vFe5cYckm87gJVqj-ypIXOk1fi08u4uU8R5iNadpkqaBKen_YPDJUq1F28FBj/s320/IMG_0450.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyard Haven Harbor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqhOxbxrL2n22vVMeIBJmCI2IpvEJGIS-x42-NhVc-zSNbqJuDkHX66rLlXB7VhQVBLkXUnk1Vspmz4N8Ej3DFY9kCIegLX7qwYgIqaigtYY-HLzdgTNx7ZE7lGG1ISHZtDLHzFm0KQPm/s1600/IMG_0451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqhOxbxrL2n22vVMeIBJmCI2IpvEJGIS-x42-NhVc-zSNbqJuDkHX66rLlXB7VhQVBLkXUnk1Vspmz4N8Ej3DFY9kCIegLX7qwYgIqaigtYY-HLzdgTNx7ZE7lGG1ISHZtDLHzFm0KQPm/s400/IMG_0451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A reminder of another Island, for another day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsBNl6S669JXk_JwlHdC1UDmqyGOZShr3AHSxrcuypZoo6xEc_LpzV59VoJDhrkJdEildDRae5aeXldVY9Cyq1vCRxwOHllHSLZjqbWaoAor1X11irI-8piY9YOEiKiOlpW-ZmG646TX4/s1600/IMG_0456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsBNl6S669JXk_JwlHdC1UDmqyGOZShr3AHSxrcuypZoo6xEc_LpzV59VoJDhrkJdEildDRae5aeXldVY9Cyq1vCRxwOHllHSLZjqbWaoAor1X11irI-8piY9YOEiKiOlpW-ZmG646TX4/s320/IMG_0456.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tourists, they keep coming.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qo6Vae5ADTceO6GVlsOMw5NYqLGsdAPf43a-Ntbj-HBEZp6J0vNTkGfF7AEwpjSWuGy7Q_MhWSO9rdSoNIcKqhykNxJLSDKEG3KjnYhhDe6Bgd3-WlGBwzUdv-OLqatqS1OKt_dZv29c/s1600/IMG_0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Qo6Vae5ADTceO6GVlsOMw5NYqLGsdAPf43a-Ntbj-HBEZp6J0vNTkGfF7AEwpjSWuGy7Q_MhWSO9rdSoNIcKqhykNxJLSDKEG3KjnYhhDe6Bgd3-WlGBwzUdv-OLqatqS1OKt_dZv29c/s320/IMG_0504.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stop at Packer’s Wharf en route to Eastville.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzOnVHwcEX69pwdK4JCT9NTAx85U5PcPZczBAiglAtVAN-7T2unGlHyuHMj-tlbm6QnRAory4XhF9xB_P6nJBurwYSq5FzxcIDQnR4Aain5g_bQdnTYlMgwwEFuiKz6LeOe05bUiIqVJM/s1600/IMG_0510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzOnVHwcEX69pwdK4JCT9NTAx85U5PcPZczBAiglAtVAN-7T2unGlHyuHMj-tlbm6QnRAory4XhF9xB_P6nJBurwYSq5FzxcIDQnR4Aain5g_bQdnTYlMgwwEFuiKz6LeOe05bUiIqVJM/s320/IMG_0510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A seagull clutching a wine bottle cork.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H5H1ohm7PI_hlGOXJ8ICioQnoMdfRIukSZKpezqlrQMFmeYmmDVNY8bjOQcPx4wO3vHiv3szlu9m8C3vHoconG5JAXTgUpCpUKvHAO2OfjObvimV1idUK_KqQRzVSXetegiFI4VuQbJ0/s1600/IMG_0508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H5H1ohm7PI_hlGOXJ8ICioQnoMdfRIukSZKpezqlrQMFmeYmmDVNY8bjOQcPx4wO3vHiv3szlu9m8C3vHoconG5JAXTgUpCpUKvHAO2OfjObvimV1idUK_KqQRzVSXetegiFI4VuQbJ0/s400/IMG_0508.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seagull takes flight with the cork, not interested in sharing.</td></tr>
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<div>
All of this perfection, and I simply showed up. Mindfulness training? I’ll take the sky, the sea, the sand and all that they offer.</div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-60477997749463917842015-08-28T09:08:00.000-07:002015-08-28T09:37:42.639-07:00Kay’s Eggceptional Eggs: 18 months, two dozen eggs and three homegrown herbs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FDUTtYLU7gTE6bL2R6NxfiX8fLDxAfcfYIeR0LWH8HQWlI3Ffyq9nd2pfE0mV-Y7m3a_lz7kBsDUN2M9PPFkmhJ3OJiBR1uMwwr-jjDxygGS51I33RGktJIrxMQSluayKSrDSzWS469Q/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FDUTtYLU7gTE6bL2R6NxfiX8fLDxAfcfYIeR0LWH8HQWlI3Ffyq9nd2pfE0mV-Y7m3a_lz7kBsDUN2M9PPFkmhJ3OJiBR1uMwwr-jjDxygGS51I33RGktJIrxMQSluayKSrDSzWS469Q/s400/IMG_0430.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homegrown rosemary, oregano and sage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Christmas
before last, my daughter, Kay, surprised me one morning when she volunteered to
make eggs for me. It was one of the
first times I could recall that, in her 23-years, she had offered to serve me
eggs.. At the time, I lived in a condo
with an open floor between the living room and the kitchen. From where I was
ensconced on the sofa, I couldn’t see what magic was wrought. I heard the
refrigerator door open many more times than I thought necessary if she planned
to scramble up four eggs for us to share.
Finally, unable to contain myself, I got up to see what all the
commotion was about. Kay had buttered
two small ramekins. The oven was preheating to 350 degrees. She was furiously chopping herbs.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What have you got here?” I asked her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Baked eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go away,
they will be ready in fifteen minutes.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I saw the container of cream open on the counter, I
reminded her I avoided dairy products.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not today,” she said. “It’s not enough to worry about. Now
go SIT DOWN.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went back to my resting position. Then I heard aggressive
chopping resume.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“What <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are </i>you
chopping?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Food.” She has a knack of boiling things down to their
essence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only time
she asked for my assistance was in finding a pan the dimension of which she
could submerge the ramekins half-way in a water bath. Shortly thereafter, I
heard the stove door open, then shut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The electronic beep of the timer informed me that the baked eggs were
underway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fourteen minutes passed more
rapidly than I expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my pleasure,
Kay had the kitchen Spic and Span clean just as the timer dinged.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came in for
the unveiling. As I watched her gloved hand reach into the hot oven and
withdraw the eggs, my mouth began to water. She was careful not to jostle the
water bath into the ramekins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled
out a cooling rack from under the counter. Kay gently placed the perfectly
cooked eggs on the rack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had toast
already browning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever so tenderly, she
slid the eggs onto our plates. I buttered the toast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her, “I can’t wait.” I broke into the
just slightly runny eggs on my plate. Some of the yolk had thickened and some
hadn’t quite. The tops were brown as if someone had torched them to get a look
suitable for magazine perfection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
bite was simply sublime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can I call
an egg sublime? When the egg white tastes salty but savory. When the white of
the egg is melded to the yoke by a hard-to-define substrate, a carrier that
unifies the egg and the yoke so they are rich and smooth on the palette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so enraptured by the eggs Kay made,
that I never sat down. I ate my breakfast hovering by the stove – all the while
demanding she give me a complete rundown of what she did that made her eggs so
exceptional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shrugged her shoulders
forward in a very <i>je ne said quoi</i> French expression of dismissal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I just used whatever you had in the refrigerator, ” she
said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the last two days of her
visit, I finally teased out of her that she used some ½ and ½, salt, pepper,
rosemary, sage and oregano – all fresh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I listened
carefully and felt assured I would be able to replicate her eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made it my mission to replicate baked eggs
that were as dreamy, as tasty, as – shall I say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">EPHEMERAL</i> as Kay’s had been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The truth is that I tried at least five times in the oven and they never
met the standards I held trapped in my memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Initially, I used a water bath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t notice a significant difference with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had pronounced success
with water baths when making baked puddings or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grapenut puddings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the water kept the outside of the eggs
from browning, and it slightly changed the consistency of the cooked eggs, the
effects didn’t justify the labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>numerous attempts of making the eggs in my
oven with the bath and without the bath, the eggs cooked nicely and evenly
through either way. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to
continue experimenting using my toaster oven because the oven was not available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt it rational to dispense with the water
bath. Perhaps in larger volume, the bath would make sense. Despite following
her recipe, I could not replicate the sumptuous flavors that Kay managed to
seduce from the lowly egg.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In June, I had
an AhHa moment. It took about two dozen eggs, a dozen trials and and 18
months, but I knew exactly what I had to do; I had to <b>up my game</b>. I assembled a
planter outside the kitchen door. Inside, I gently dug three holes, inserted
rosemary, sage and oregano, and fed them aggressively with Miracle Gro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
This morning was the herbs appointment with destiny. They have had all summer to grow in
preparation for the sacrifice they would make on behalf of Kay’s Baked Eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If successful, there were likely going to be many
more herbaceous sacrifices in the name of Kay’s Baked Eggs before the first
frost settles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Today was the Golden Moment</b>. I greased
and preheated. I broke shells and drizzled cream. I scattered salt and tweaked
pepper. I minced oregano and rosemary, I rolled and diced sage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I distributed herbs generously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into the preheated oven, the ramekins sat for
a mere thirteen minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using an oven
mitt, I retrieved the four dishes. The eggs slid from the ramekins onto two
plates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t, couldn’t, wait for
toast. The eggs had the exact shade of golden brown that I remembered from
Kay’s Holiday baked eggs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using my fork,
I cut one egg in quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each bite delighted
my palette with its perfection of flavors including the verboten creamy
richness of heavy cream and the smooth fattiness of yolk that was slick upon my
palate. I was delighted with the exploding flavors of fresh farm to table
robustness of rosemary, thyme and sage accentuated by the most common of
cohorts, salt and pepper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kay’s
Eggcellent Eggs required unexpected effort and were a long-time coming, but
perhaps the waiting made them all the more pleasurable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Kay’s Baked Eggs </span>serve two. You will need coconut oil spray, 4 eggs, 1/4 tsp. salt</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/4 tsp. pepper, 3 leaves sage extra for garnish, 1 sprig rosemary extra for garnish</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 sprigs thyme extra for garnish, 4 tsp. heavy cream.<br />
<br /></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Grease four small ramekins with coconut <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
spray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Break one egg
into each ramekin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salt and pepper each<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
egg. Pour 1 teaspoon of heavy cream over each egg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finely mince the<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
herbs together. For best results, roll the sage leaves,
slice, then dice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Distribute the minced herbs equally over each egg.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Pop the ramekins into the oven (or toaster oven) for 12-14
minutes. Just as the tops begin to bubble and turn golden, remove from
oven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may serve the<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
eggs from individual ramekins or slide them onto two serving
plates adorned with fresh herbs and buttered toast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kay’s breakfast would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always </i>include a breakfast<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
meat such as linguiça (true to her Portuguese heritage),
bacon, ham or sausage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidETbv1nwCZbxgsMxFTrLWnYoUbEmaVC9DPDBhXyudWFDCLctU6lRcokSSOfKuNBlbabw3-zuV2farMfCtBJUuaXz0HtOSFwWXHiP5dJic6stR32ZWnvvZ848WVOgENhWkPwE79J7r3SOL/s1600/IMG_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidETbv1nwCZbxgsMxFTrLWnYoUbEmaVC9DPDBhXyudWFDCLctU6lRcokSSOfKuNBlbabw3-zuV2farMfCtBJUuaXz0HtOSFwWXHiP5dJic6stR32ZWnvvZ848WVOgENhWkPwE79J7r3SOL/s320/IMG_0389.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kay’s Eggceptional Eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>*If so desired, you
may use a water bath by submerging the ramekins in<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>a glass or metal dish
that will hold volume of water that is equal to half <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>the height of the
ramekin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be exceptionally careful to
avoid burns.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>A final note: having
mastered this technique, there is no end to the <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>creative adventures
the adventuresome chef might pursue. Use a bed of <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>spinach and diced
tomatoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Layer salsa in the ramekin,
then the eggs, then<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>sprinkle with
parmesan cheese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kay’s breakfast meats
might as easily be <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>served in the baked
eggs as next to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fun is there
for the making.</i><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-9687808218108286442015-08-22T07:14:00.000-07:002015-08-22T07:36:53.713-07:00Which way to Upis Land?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9_072F6Dc0pKjiSpvO-XVhUI78BnjBwVC_mtgdaEDfiCcC9BSlEsqWSMScYEXyeL2g3y74rbGHhHeitmX8-zl5h0FzRBNXuRuU0MmkGFxROF1Vs2haTah3WxIRxbIZsnYnyodLa1da4t/s1600/DSC03463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9_072F6Dc0pKjiSpvO-XVhUI78BnjBwVC_mtgdaEDfiCcC9BSlEsqWSMScYEXyeL2g3y74rbGHhHeitmX8-zl5h0FzRBNXuRuU0MmkGFxROF1Vs2haTah3WxIRxbIZsnYnyodLa1da4t/s400/DSC03463.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up Island on Martha’s Vineyard Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to
town to get my mail and run a few errands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of which was to continue my search for a bumper sticker for my son’s
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sticker reads, “Which way to
Upis Land?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My son, quite possibly from
birth, is navigationally–impaired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> From the beginning, h</span>e
was inordinately reluctant to enter this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My theory was that he was not wired with bearings for North and South.
That would explain why, at birth, he seemed to be heading North when an anxious
room full of doctors, nurses and his parents were urging him to move South. I
have come to accept this particular quirk as part of what makes him
special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, why waste my breath
bemoaning that I have a child who can lose his car after parking it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His iPhone has remedied many of the everyday
challenges he used to face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As he says,
“These situations are exactly what the GPS on my phone is for, Mom.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that little back-story, you can better
appreciate what launched me in search of this particular bumper sticker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martha’s Vineyard
is divided in half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is Up Island,
consisting of: Aquinnah, Menemsha, Chilmark and West Tisbury. The down-Island towns
consist of Oak Bluffs, Tisbury (more commonly called Vineyard Haven) and Edgartown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
approved funding to standardize road signage across the state. This prompted
Island residents to write some irate letters to the Editor of the Vineyard
Gazette. People expressed their ire that the perfectly good and serviceable
signs that were in place had to be yanked and replaced with new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These letters were as effective as spitting
into the wind; the state prevailed and new signs went up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something about how the new typeface is set is
misleading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new signs can leave a
near-sighted person with the impression that, when contemplating what direction
he or she must go to reach the towns of Aquinnah, Menemsha, Chilmark and West Tisbury,
he should head to Upis Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read it out
loud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To regular visitors and Island
residents, the sign reads Up Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was brought to my attention when my daughter told me she had overheard
someone on a bicycle say, out loud, “Which way to Upis<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Land?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few months later, I saw a bumper sticker on a vintage Volvo; it read
Upis Land. I wanted one, no two, no five.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I thought my son might appreciate the humor of summer people looking for
a fictitious place that they will never find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I thought it might make him feel a little better about his own
navigational lapses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After visiting
numerous Island Gift Shops, I took my search for the Holy Grail of Bumper
Stickers to Oak Bluffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went into a
little tchotchke and gift shop in the building that houses the restaurant
called Sharky’s Cantina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people call Oak Bluffs the honky-tonk
town of Martha’s Vineyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has a
small year round population that swells dramatically in the summer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is true that, of all the Island towns, it
is the one most likely to draw party revelers. The Oak Bluffs harbor, formerly
called Lake Anthony, welcomes what seems like a fleet of boats – and their
thirsty owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The anchor hotel, the
Wesley House, is a three- story behemoth built in the 1800s. Whether it is full
of car aficionados or eager bass fishermen, the results are the same. The hotel
guests head to downtown Oak Bluffs – a one lane, one-way road called Circuit
Ave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stores on Circuit Ave stay open
late to capitalize on the summer visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
town’s unapologetic desire to cater toward being hospitable is why it earned it its reputation as a
party-happy, slightly unseemly, town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Flying Horses, the Ritz, the Lamp Post, the Lamp Post, the Game Room and Linda Jean’s are among the most popular places tourists to which visitors flock along Circuit Ave. A carousel, bars, a video game room and a restaurant ratchet up tourist</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">s’ impressions</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> of fun in Oak Bluffs. </span>However, having called it “home” for much of my life, I see something
else entirely. I was reminded of
this when I was on my quest for an Upis Land bumper sticker.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I turned to leave the cap store, one
of the men behind the counter extended a dollar to me and said, “Would you do
me a favor?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I laughed, hesitantly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He went on, “Would you buy a lemonade from the kids at the
lemonade stand outside the store.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
peaked out and saw that, indeed, there was a lemonade stand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfvp9AmeV8ziHSMCQrf9esDfEE2P1N5jLPkc3ZGcrSx5zI5qEZ7aHTvck9h1rD2A_Q0tjR323O7r81wwAiQ2quhr_I_GBaVFA3AsYcnP73r38auuzcZWC_lwykwbQ_CP142xja7p35PJe/s1600/IMG_0302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfvp9AmeV8ziHSMCQrf9esDfEE2P1N5jLPkc3ZGcrSx5zI5qEZ7aHTvck9h1rD2A_Q0tjR323O7r81wwAiQ2quhr_I_GBaVFA3AsYcnP73r38auuzcZWC_lwykwbQ_CP142xja7p35PJe/s320/IMG_0302.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemonade with Twirly Straw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sure,” I said, as I took his dollar. “I’ll be right back.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, no, you don’t understand. The lemonade is for you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s nice of you, but I don’t really want any,” I said.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He hurried to correct me. “They are my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kids </i>and
I want they them to have some business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Won’t you please help?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then, as an afterthought, he added, “But whatever you do,
don’t tell them that I asked you to do this!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Of course not,” I said indignantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m a Mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know better.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that, I exited and bought a surprisingly delicious
lemonade that included a special twirly straw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I walked back to my car, I took sip after sip of lemonade.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt a special kind of happy that I live on an Island where
kids are still kids and parents are still parents. Budding entrepreneurs and
their parents are part of the fabric from which the Island’s future is woven. It
is part of the Vineyard’s draw that, whether Upis Land or Down Island, there is
a place for all of us here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-33767530703161165382015-06-21T06:43:00.000-07:002015-06-21T06:43:05.033-07:00Mysteries, Rain and Roses -- Mercury in Retrograde<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6lA-2mWGIxp_4hp9T-56nS9OZhesXfW-WP-hsInMNllx0d9JeVBPTMQlrsfgGdy9xLpyHLTTfIjqS7VaX_qMRyA8AO5efDK3l9remLI_j6QlZieMBO_zEbUfADXYrGzvXefP6dEn3Q91/s1600/IMG_9901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6lA-2mWGIxp_4hp9T-56nS9OZhesXfW-WP-hsInMNllx0d9JeVBPTMQlrsfgGdy9xLpyHLTTfIjqS7VaX_qMRyA8AO5efDK3l9remLI_j6QlZieMBO_zEbUfADXYrGzvXefP6dEn3Q91/s320/IMG_9901.jpg" width="320" /></a> I woke up from a dream the other morning grasping to one shred of the dream. I managed to cling to it right through the first groggy moments of waking. It was nothing more than the phrase, “<b>As Above, so Goes Below</b>.” I couldn’t unwind the dream but I knew it was making reference to the heavens and earth. I wondered if it was also a statement that whatever our emotional states are, so go our physical states; the body being a mirror of our minds. Then I remembered that between May 18th and June 11th, Mercury was in retrograde. It was the last day of the Mercury’s influence.</div>
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Astrologer Susan Miller (<span style="font-size: x-small;">(http://www.astrologyzone.com/forecasts/mercury.htm)</span></div>
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writes, <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“’As above, so too below.’ By that we mean there is a fractal relationship between the orbits in the heavens and human activity down here on Earth...</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mercury rules anything that begins with “re”: redo, reassess, repair, repeat, redesign, or revisit.” </span></span> <i> </i> In other words, whatever I had been dreaming about was likely going to entail a “do over” ...or two.</div>
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Lying in bed, slowly reclaiming consciousness, I caught a glimpse of a harbinger of the day; the first thing
I saw that raised my curiosity and summoned some anxiety was that my bifold closet doors were open. I was
startled by this observation because, since childhood, I have had a phobia about leaving my closet
doors open at night (thanks to my sister’s vivid stories of the monsters that
lurked therein). Between the open doors
was a box neatly packed with all of my under-garments. Evidently, at some point during
the night, I had been at it again -- sleepwalking. Sleepwalking is an integral part of my life. It is a complicated, sometimes embarrassing
and often dangerous aspect of my night life I generally do not discuss. I
prefer to keep it folded up and put away on a shelf. Yes, I may take it down a few times per week,
but I choose a reality that supports the belief that my sleepwalking is
invisible to all but those who know me very well. This morning, the packed box didn’t overly
concern me. I did not delve into the mystery of what dream I had carefully
enacted by emptying my lingerie drawers into a Chanel No. #5 - scented collapsible fabric box. Instead, I transferred the numerous frilly
and sheer items to their rightful homes then shut my closet doors. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This morning, I
had as my goal, my one and only outstanding goal, to pick up a package that a
customer service rep from Target told me was waiting for me at the Oak Bluffs post
office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stood outside the back door of
the Oak Bluffs post office in the teeming rain waiting, well-trained and
politely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Post Master handed over a
package from the purveyors <i>Harry and David</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
confused. Where was the Target package?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I sat in my steamy, moist car and used my phone to track it down. My glasses were wet
and my vision blurry, but by enlarging the screen of my phone, it became
apparent that my package was delivered to the post office in Vineyard
Haven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I intended to address the matter
tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A relevant note: </span>I have not been
feeling well lately. My doctors laid out plans for how I can gain weight,
increase my blood sugar and raise my blood pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, if I am successful, my dizzy
spells, headaches and fainting will cease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Among the recommendations was the importance of daily perambulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rain or shine, my Vitbit and I go for a tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, I pulled up the hood on my raincoat
and tucked my iPhone in my pocket and the ear buds in my ears. I streamed a radio
station fashioned on Ingrid Michaelson’s music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was barely raining as I walked along the
Oak Bluffs Harbor then up to the East Chop Beach Club on East Chop Drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before long however, the gentle mist was a
heavy drizzle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rain steadily dripped
off my nose. Soon cool water was pouring down the hem of my raincoat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hand that gripped my cane had seized up
in a grasping position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I pulled
the cane out of my hand, my fingers remained fashioned as if for the handle,
curved and ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the
malformation, I was still able to photograph the spectacle of the harbor boats
moored in strict alignment with one another. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my delight, I found what I sought; along
the fences and walls of the homes encircling the harbor, there were a profusion of roses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My deformed hand was able to focus and</span> shoot images of the glorious, show-stopping flowers. These particular roses have seduced me for my
whole life. They start blooming in June and some bloom right through to
September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The words to a song I sang in
a Madrigal group over 40 years ago still plays in refrain in my head,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa8BweTEtyQhjLKrpqMm09TDYZ4HRsJmlnuD2RXE3WwKQzOUGtm49SlW4UaGhg2k6zVnBijNYwlQUzT4ktjSlKCkYsGKp3tFI7dcbG-C_P9HaSA_wCMUxeCilYklcl8xG7tVJ0e9XOUhT/s1600/IMG_9897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqa8BweTEtyQhjLKrpqMm09TDYZ4HRsJmlnuD2RXE3WwKQzOUGtm49SlW4UaGhg2k6zVnBijNYwlQUzT4ktjSlKCkYsGKp3tFI7dcbG-C_P9HaSA_wCMUxeCilYklcl8xG7tVJ0e9XOUhT/s320/IMG_9897.jpg" width="240" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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“Now May has passed and here at last, we greet the time of
roses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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They bud and bloom in all their pride along the emerald
countryside. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Scents of flowers and dewy hours from every garden rise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Morning and night, crimson and white, <o:p></o:p></div>
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They make, of earth, a paradise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (author unknown)</span></o:p></div>
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These familiar words seemed to fade from memory with each
step I took away from the fences that were so heavily laden with blooming
roses. I headed back to my car and pulled off my glasses. My hair was drenched. Somehow, the rain had managed to reinvigorate
me. Despite doctor’s orders, I decided to head three miles west toward Vineyard
Haven Post office. Perhaps it was the pull of Mercury in retrograde that compelled me to revisit the matter. I found myself
waiting in a long line for the privilege of straightening out my problem. Apparently, the United States Postal Service
has placed my new home in Vineyard Haven. Thus, UPS delivers my package to the
Vineyard Haven Post Office despite the address I had provided Target. The Post Master in Vineyard Haven has added
me as a rural delivery customer. Thus, I receive my mail in Oak Bluffs and my
packages in Vineyard Haven. Go Figure.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of this
nonsense was simply not in accord with my doctor’s stern reprimand that I need
to rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sleep. Let things go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My engines are running on fumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I started up my car with every
intention of driving straight home. Like a junkie, I saw an opportunity to get
done just one more thing…..Hinckley’s Lumberyard!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped to pick up a sample of granite for
my kitchen counter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I left
Hinckley’s. I was feeling rather dizzy and wobbly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was enormously relieved to get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lugged in the mail and my two packages. The
packages consisted of a treat from <i>Harry and David</i> (by way of my dear friend,
Elizabeth) and the other from Target.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i>Harry and David</i> (and Elizabeth) sent me a large and sumptuous assortment
of mouth-wateringly delicious cookies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Target sent me bath bubbles (I ordered), sheets (I ordered), a clock (I
ordered) and baby clothes (I did not order).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlHHO8VWYSGXm7BXCIMR6zVeoy_PL4obyr2cSH1PYYde1Q5KFZp0HzJRDUNLHu-hdos49Lshaiq6ZIRM05sxuib5Y5xFiYtLFtaaBjtNn28WcCbRRFt0FbXSzS2eWQ5FEDKov2KKjOKDy/s1600/IMG_9895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlHHO8VWYSGXm7BXCIMR6zVeoy_PL4obyr2cSH1PYYde1Q5KFZp0HzJRDUNLHu-hdos49Lshaiq6ZIRM05sxuib5Y5xFiYtLFtaaBjtNn28WcCbRRFt0FbXSzS2eWQ5FEDKov2KKjOKDy/s320/IMG_9895.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be returning
the malfunctioning clock and the baby clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Hmmm, I wonder if I return the UPS package to the USPS post
office in Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven? Or will UPS do home pick-up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is the real possibility they might not
find me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-3794022062110998762015-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:002015-01-25T07:46:01.202-08:00 Anniversaries and Holiday Memories <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There are all kinds of anniversaries. I have developed an uncanny ability to remember the anniversaries of some of the most mundane things. For instance, it was three years ago today, that I started to work on a needlepoint project of a bird perched on a branch. Or it was eighteen years ago on March 9th that I started using Main Street Dry Cleaners. “Hey, don’t you remember......” people will ask me. I am the repository of memories arcane and unimportant. Oddly, there are times I forget the specific date family members died, but I will remember the dates of the events circumscribing the loss. What kind of brain does that?<br />
Thanksgivings and Christmases are a melange of memories. In early childhood, we shared them with my mother’s sister and brother-in-law and their three children. My mother’s youngest sister (12 years her junior) lived with my immediate family of four, and my grandmother was always there. (My grandfather, having died at age 47) didn’t make it. My aunt and uncle on my father’s side would entertain my paternal grandparents, her immediate family and us on alternate Thanksgivings. This was arranged so that we could share Christmases with my mother’s birth family. It was an even exchange. My father, mother, sister, young aunt and I did not host Thanksgivings at home. My father’s job prompted us to relocate every year or two. We were not ideal hosts for those special days. My mother’s mother worked as a bookkeeper; her modest income and living arrangements would not allow her to entertain all of us, but she was ever-present for all holidays.<br />
By high school, the timbre of Thanksgivings had changed. One was spent on Martha’s Vineyard; it was when we discovered that our Campground Cottage that was supposedly a three-weather Cottage was nothing of the sort. The oven heat-o-lator and electric heaters made it just bearable. We always puffed fogs of breath when we spoke. The plumber turned off the water to protect the pipes from freezing just as we drove away. Thereafter, we had small holiday gatherings in Rumford, Rhode Island at my parents’ home. Just the four of us, my mother, father, sister and I. By then, my resident aunt had married and moved away. Gradually, our gathering of four changed, too, because my sister would bring home college strays to join us. Then it was my turn.<br />
I fell in love with an Islander. He became my housemate and we lived in Amherst, MA. The trek down to Providence on the Wednesday nights before Thanksgiving always included a massive gorging session at an Asian Restaurant in Monson or Palmer -- just before the Pike, because my mother NEVER had enough food. Finally, it dawned on my fiancé and me that we should IMPORT the meals. We brought with us most of the makings for Thanksgiving dinner, stopping at a grocer at 8:30p.m. on the night before Thanksgiving to buy one of the last turkeys in the store’s cooler. We hi-jacked my mother’s kitchen and took over making Thanksgiving dinners. We brought along my fiancé’s younger brother (almost twelve years his junior) from his foster home so he could be with us. My sister and her beau contributed pies (which she repeatedly cautioned were not her thing and wine -- which she said was) and my mother seemed nothing but relieved.<br />
One of my favorite Thanksgivings was set back here on the Island the first year after I graduated college. My best friend’s grandmother, who was also our Vineyard next door neighbor (she sold us our house) offered us her winterized house to use because she planned to be in Florida. I can recall this because I wore the same brown, corduroy skirt suit I wore for my first job interview. There is, catalogued in a photo album in western Massachusetts, a group picture of my sister and her husband and me with my fiancé sitting on a sofa. My legs crossed gracefully at the ankles. I loved my hair cut. Such moments linger in the mind.<br />
Within three years of graduating college, my husband and I began to invite family and unattached strays to join us on Thanksgiving. Whoever came, we served. It was how we did it.<br />
Fast forward through twelve years of Thanksgivings. Sometimes my parents and sibling came, sometimes not. My brother-in-law was often there - a great boon since my husband and his brother cook surprisingly well together. We welcomed Russians, mechanics, and dentists. We served Asians and French countrymen and African musicians. We offered up meals to the near homeless and the very wealthy. Our table, sometimes tables, were an open feast because that was how we wanted it. We wanted our home to welcome all. We wanted our children to celebrate and be grateful for our prosperity - whatever that was, however we measured it, we had each other, and we were thankful.<br />
One Thanksgiving, while the turkey roasted, I hiked up Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield. Another, I hiked through a wildlife preserve where I saw something I have seen only one time in my life; the ponds and water ways were the consistency of jello. They had frozen into slush, a frosty freeze of nature’s making.<br />
When finally, we owned a home in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, Thanksgivings migrated back to the Island. Our first Thanksgiving here, we put the bird in to roast, and the ten pounds of potatoes on an infinitesimally low simmer. Then, our family of five, loaded up and drove from our home in Dodger’s Hole in Edgartown out to Katama. My husband let the air out of the tires so we could drive down the beach in the jeep. Forty minutes later, we found ourselves in an unthinkable position.. The car was nosed toward the oncoming surf, but the tires were stuck in the sand. My husband, whose tenacity and car handling skills are epic, could not beat the clench of the sand and the onslaught of the sea. I was kvetching about the turkey needing basting and the potatoes boiling over, when I heard this loud whack, whack sound seeming to be growing closer. Suddenly, the humph, humph was too loud for us to talk. lt overrode the steady sound of the three to four foot seas growing ever closer to the jeep. Why were we playing chicken with the waves, anyway? Wasn’t the outcome of such stupidity fixed? The house always wins.<br />
The kids rolled down their windows and I stuck my head out mine. What we saw surpassed our expectations. A coast guard helicopter somehow communicated that they had a report of a stranded vehicle on South Beach. It was all the incentive my husband needed. He refused to suffer the indignation of a Coast Guard rescue. With a combination of foot work and body English, he wrestled us free. We stopped at the Shell Gas Station on the way home to reinflate the tires. I was the first one to rush into the house. Immediately, I knew something was seriously wrong. We had been gone for over two hours. We should have been greeted with the heady scent of a turkey simmering in its own juices, but instead, there was nothing. I opened the oven and saw a sad, pale, buttered turkey, not cooking. I lifted the potato pot lid and realized instantly that the pot was filled with cold water. We were out of gas. Apparently, the propane company did not deliver our gas on the automatic refill schedule. It never occurred to me to go outside to look at the meter before I started to cook. They made an emergency delivery (with a considerable surcharge, of course). We ate a very late meal on November 26, 1998.<br />
<br />
It is always helpful to have access to a perpetual calendar so that you, too, can surprise and delight your friends with your crystalline memories of innocuous events! <a href="http://vpcalendar.net/4_Columns/Calendar_2.html" target="_blank">http://vpcalendar.net/4_Columns/Calendar_2.html</a></div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-59820019337045562542015-01-24T17:36:00.001-08:002015-01-25T06:35:14.563-08:00The Day an MRI Technician Introduced Me to Sleeping Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The day before yesterday, I had an MRI
taken of my right shoulder. It has been a problem for years, but the time had
come to learn why. While being led back to the dressing room by an attractive,
young, blond woman named Ashley, we joked because I am such a frequent visitor
to the MRI department of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This young woman is bright, ambitious, in
fabulous shape, and quite attractive. I asked if she had a beau. I learned a
lot about the difficulties of meeting people if you are not part of the bar
scene. She was reluctant to use the Internet to sort the field, preferring to
meet on a personal level.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I told her how
pretty and smart she was and that I imagined that her ”someone” was out there –
in the great big world – doing his thing, while she was doing </span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">hers. I told her I was confident
that time would bring them together. Then she said something completely
unexpected, unsolicited and definitely unsettling. She told me I was
pretty.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here is the thing, there have been people in my life who have told me I
was pretty – even beautiful – but I always assigned them as belonging in one
of two categories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first group:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are my family and close friends who
would say that I was beautiful even if I had moles on my nose and three eyes
because they see me through their eyes of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They see me as a whole entity including personality, physique and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and visage. To them, I am an animated whole. These
wonderful people do see my beauty and remind me of it in all sincerity, but
their opinions are jaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The second group:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Members of this ilk tell me I am pretty
because they want something and have long ago discovered that flattery is a
valuable bargaining chip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet on Wednesday, there was this young woman -- with absolutely no
investment in me –emotionally, physically or financially -- she was not seeking
an outcome of any sort, by telling me I was pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It caused me to think, “My goodness, what if she
is actually right!?“ Can you imagine the Richter scale earthquake this thought
precipitated in me? Could I have been pretty my entire life and been so dubious
of others and blind to it myself that I missed this vital fact?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The odd thing was that just a couple of months ago, I met a gentleman
who apologized if he was staring at me. I hadn’t noticed, actually. He hastened
to add that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he couldn’t stop looking at
me because I was so beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He talked
about my cheekbones and my eyes and my wide, bright smile. I laughed, delighted
at his joke and changed the subject. So you see, even then, a small crack had
started to threaten my understanding of who I am. Naïve of me, maybe, but it
did not feel like a pickup line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
seemed too embarrassed for that to be all it was. I filed the incident away
under <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Interesting Factoids</i> until the
day before yesterday, when I was forced to reconsider the possibility that it might be true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of us <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>carry the definitions
of ourselves just as our families ascribed them to us unless we work to change them.
My grandmother often told me that I would never be pretty, but I certainly was
a “handsome” girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother told me I
was pretty and smart just the same way as she said, “Good job on your grades,
dear, would you please feed the cat?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was little or no substance behind her words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I understand better now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my entire life, I have looked very much
like my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was self-effacing
and would never sing her own praises – even if it was by inference. Later in
life, when I was a mother myself, she told me I made a beautiful mother. I took
that to mean something entirely different than a comment on my looks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father’s approach was to group me in with
other family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, “Look
how pretty the girls look tonight!” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he might
say of my mother, my sister and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
husband, in our days of courting, told me I was beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">him in both categories; he was at once kind
of required to say that -- and he also knew that, in all likelihood, his avowal of
my beauty would stimulate and improve my amorous nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The young MRI technician named Ashley, really started me off on a new
line of inquiry altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let’s try
on for size the idea that I am a beautiful woman. I mean the kind of
easy-on-your-eyes beautiful. Exactly how had I missed that for 56 years, and
what’s more, what else have I been missing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Over my lifetime, people have told me I am strong, I am smart, I am
brave, I am wise, I am kind, I am generous. I want you to picture bulbs
flashing – like the camera lights that left you seeing white dots dancing in
front of your eyes for five minutes after the bulb had stopped flashing. What
if, at birth, the same fairy godmothers that visited Sleeping Beauty visited
me? What if I, too, was instilled with the special gifts bestowed upon Sleeping
Beauty – but I never realized it until January 21, 2015 when I was 56 years,
four months and sixteen days old?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess the only possible way to test the hypothesis is to start
believing. Start believing that I am beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And believing that I am strong, I am smart, I am brave, I am wise, I am
kind and I am generous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And perhaps, of
most importance, that I am grateful. I know, that whether or not I
really am pretty, strong, smart, brave, wise, kind and generous, there are
people in my life who love me and that very love allows them to believe these
things to be not only possible, but true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidence!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I say, there must be evidence some of these qualities exist..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the bubble in a level, I roll back and
forth with my thoughts until they settle in 1997.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some of the golden jewels of my memories
took place during the year my son was three-years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have been harried, sleep-deprived,
and, in all probability, quite disheveled as well. As a stay-at-home Mom
raising three children between the ages of three and seven, there were moments
I couldn’t summon the wherewithal to remember my name. I moved on autopilot,
feeding, clothing, and caring for these three small creatures. On the otherwise
empty refrigerator door, I carefully placed a biblical verse to inspire
me,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Give me a child until he is seven
and I will show you the man.” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">So far as
I could tell, my work was cut out for me, but at least I had my marching
orders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The job as a mother consumed me. It was an all-hands on deck situation.
I was grateful my husband was there to share the responsibilities with me. Our
partnership was a good one. When we reached the conclusion that our children
would benefit from having a stay-at-home parent, I was the one to give my
notice and adapt my corporate skills to running a household and raising a young
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed my paycheck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I admit that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That paycheck gave me a form of independence I haven’t enjoyed since. In
addition, I missed receiving performance reviews. At work, when reviews were
delivered by people whom I respected, I found them tremendously helpful; little
did I know that my own children would become both my mentors and critics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of formal, quarterly reviews, my new
job provided daily, sometimes hourly, feedback on how I was doing as the mother
of Hannah, Kay and Charles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Surprisingly, it was not all bad! There would be unexpected moments of
splendor that would carry me for weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was when the children found a way to let me see myself through the lenses of
their eyes that I received the greatest and most useful gifts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember how I would genuflect before three-year
old Charles every morning to help zipper his jacket or tie his shoes before we
left for preschool. Balancing on one knee, I kneel before him, just
about to scoop him up and hustle him to the car and into his car seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those brief moments, we found ourselves
eye-to-eye. That’s all it took. At the most unexpected, heartbreaking moments,
he would cup my face in his little chubby hands. My son would hold me there
until I looked right at him, then say in his sweet little, high voice, “Mommy,
you so bootiful.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That phrase, “Mommy,
you so bootiful,,” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>still rings in my
ears today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kay let me know how I was faring as her
mother every step of the way. I clearly recall the day midway through
adolescence when I realized I simply didn’t have the skills she needed from a
mother. I was failing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
irritable, unreasonable and disrespectful. I could find no way to reach her.
After weeks of that behavior, I went in to her room to talk to her after the
heat from our most recent dispute had cooled down. I had taken her cell phone
and hid in the porcelain Easter Bunny we keep out of sight most of the year. I
sat on the edge of her bed, desperately trying not to cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said, “Kay, I am not sure I am equipped to
give you the guidance and mothering you need. I am thinking it might be a good
idea if I went away for a week so we can both reflect on how we can move
forward.” By then tears were flowing freely down my face and I could do nothing
about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She looked at me, dry-eyed and
stern-faced and said, “Why do you have to be so dramatic?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got up and walked out of the room, carefully
shutting the door. I wondered exactly who was this young woman?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was she really mine?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast forward two years. Both of my parents
were very ill. I couldn’t get to them right away because of other commitments
at home. Kay offered to go help them until I could join her. My parents called
her their “Angel of Mercy.” She stood alongside me caring for both my parents
where they shared a hospital room. (That they could do so is one of the very
special perks of living on a small Island).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During my mother’s last weeks, Kay barely left her. She massaged her
legs, brought her ice, adjusted her pillow, and she sat. Intuitively, Kay knew
that being present, simply being there, is one of the greatest gifts you can
give a dying person. When my mother died around three in the morning, she was
in my arms and Kay lay draped right alongside us both:. three generations, one
bed. It was a vignette that we will remember and cherish for our
lifetimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> When Kay went to Thailand, she brought me back a small bell used by the monks at one of the temples she visited. Some days, I tap the bell from where it hangs in my bathroom. The high-pitched sonorous ring always centers me. It reminds me that out of brass, something unyielding and hard, comes something of great beauty is created and it reaches far beyond its perimeter to touch many hearts. The bell brings me to Kay, </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5007434815597700986" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5007434815597700986" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Hannah is studying for her doctorate in
psychology focusing on children with anxiety disorders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, she asked me, “How did you know
what you were doing when you raised us, Mom?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I asked, “What
do you mean?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5007434815597700986" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">She said, “Well,
I don’t know if you realize this, but you did everything right.” “Right?” I
said. “I was flying by the seat of my pants, Hannah. I did what my mother did
with me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guessed a lot and I used the
book,</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> ‘Raising Your
Spirited Child’ by Mary Sheeda Kurcinka as my bible.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Somehow, against all odds, your father and I managed
to produce not one, but </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">three </i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">spirited
children. And now I say, <b>thank goodness</b>!”</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It was astonishingly nice to hear that, in Hannah’s opinion, I did okay.</span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which brings me
back full circle. Children have a way of letting us know exactly how we are
doing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">As I move forward with the task of
reinventing my life, I carry with me the knowledge that, YES, my goodness, I am
beautiful. I may even be strong, smart,
brave, wise, kind, generous and most certainly, grateful. I am going to look for these qualities in others and try to acknowledge these gifts in myself. That which we reinforce in others we make blossom in ourselves. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">And you can quote me on that.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
</div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-85665697918083543062015-01-02T15:45:00.000-08:002015-01-02T15:45:44.868-08:00Welcoming in 2015 with Holiday Cards<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJCPiOPhE4gcxpy3EO9XvZFLWw96hOTNQlAyEBaIuUN9cR8iWs5mGCkUSQGlzzaYotMy0AXcvH2rNUlm8S9GnbtmAAt36sXsg0z7klVqmYBjHvQ-ReaQZjstC3vKWAANay2AkpCf0wE47/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJCPiOPhE4gcxpy3EO9XvZFLWw96hOTNQlAyEBaIuUN9cR8iWs5mGCkUSQGlzzaYotMy0AXcvH2rNUlm8S9GnbtmAAt36sXsg0z7klVqmYBjHvQ-ReaQZjstC3vKWAANay2AkpCf0wE47/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Holiday Cards dee 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every holiday as I was growing up, I
would wait until New Year’s Day to read all the Christmas cards that trickled
in between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. I started this practice when I was
about ten-years old, and have continued it right through the present. I discovered
the heady joy of hearing from family, friends, acquaintances and wanna-be
friends in one stampede of correspondence. It was like having everyone
important in my life in the same room at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I also delighted in imagining that all these people cared enough about
my family and me to choose a card, write a note – brief or long- address the
envelope, stamp the envelope and find a mailbox. The whole time, I was, for
just a little bit, on their minds. In the hey-day of the United States Postal
Service (pre Facebook, Linked-in and iMessage), it was not unusual to receive
75 cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On New Year’s Day, I was
punch-drunk on greeting cards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I struck out on my own, had a
legitimate address with my boyfriend – later to be my husband – we began to grow
a list of card senders of our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between
my husband’s business connections and my communicative family and friends, our basket of
cards grew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a few years, I abandoned
my habit of waiting to open them, but I missed the rush of having so many loved
ones converge in that one magical hour. It made sense to revert to a habit that
worked for me. I spent the time carefully -- reading quickly scrawled regards –
then rereading them closely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could be
found moving a lamp closer so I could hold a magnifying glass to a photo postcard
to better assess the expressions on my friend’s children’s faces. The magnifying
glass would float over those near and dear to me and I would wonder had I aged
equally? I would note that my cousin’s family had grown from five to six, or was
it seven? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was one category of card that had,
traditionally, received some ridicule in my family, but, truthfully, provided
us all with untold pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the
card that, when opened, included <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Holiday Letter</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The letter was devoted
entirely to recounting all of the remarkable events in a family’s life during
the previous year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the ten or twelve
we received every year, there would be one, just one, that would cause us all
to wonder what potion of homeopathic, black-market pharmaceutical or serum of
grandiosity the scribe had ingested before the annual account was written. It
was unkind and petty of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
read the winner’s essay aloud and howl at the unheard perfection of life
that luck and tunnel vision had visited upon them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Emergency gall bladder
surgery? They had the best surgeon in the Northeast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980? Why
the National Guard escorted them to safety. Johnny was attending Wesleyan? Don’t
forget he is a legacy student and his grandfather donated the new library.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am uncomfortable when I confess I was so
catty that I would laugh and laugh. My parents reassured me that I was not
laughing “at these happy boasters,” but rather “with them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am pretty sure that is not true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letters</i> describe the trips, the graduations, the career
moves, the changes in residence, the hospital trips for anxiety attacks, the
sad and moving news that a beloved family member has been laid to rest, the
trials of college applications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other
words, most <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letters</i> describe
the stuff of life, with a bit of a positive spin, but rooted in reality and offering
a strong focus on the successes with a minimization of the failures,
disappointments and struggles. It is only that one rare, boastful exception of the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letter</i> each year, the one
overflowing with hyperbole and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bordering
on being comically braggadocio that fell outside the norm. My parents had
friends from the 50’s that reliably sent such a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letter.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then
their cards ceased all together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
lives took a 90 degree turn and things went sideways. There were no more cards.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a category entirely of its own is
a card from my closest college friend. Usually, sometime in January, I receive
an elaborate, multi-folded card that has been designed, directed and produced
by a N.Y. ad agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Built around a
theme (i.e. Pirates of the Caribbean) every generation of the family is
captured in an elaborate storybook pose. Addresses to match their images (all
54 or so) are catalogued on the back of the card. I wait for that card like a
wine connoisseur awaits the snifter of after-dinner port.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a rare and special treasure that brings
to a close that year’s greeting cards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have received some cards this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are from my closest family
and friends who have succeeded in keeping up with my address and location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is that, to the best of my
knowledge (and God, if you are up in the ether somewhere, I am not taunting
you, and please don’t laugh at such presumption on my behalf) my mailing address
is fixed. Two days ago, I met the man who has the post office box next to mine. I said,
“Can you imagine, my family has had this box for 50 years, and I have never met
you?” His crusty retort? “Well, I have had this box for 87 years, and I have
never met you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I surely hope my family has the
same box for another 50 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hesitate to launch a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letter </i>of my own. 2014 has been
a year of trials and triumphs. My progeny have surprised and surpassed my
expectations of them in their pursuits in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, of more importance, each, in their own way, have demonstrated
character, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">compassion and integrity. In
my mind, there are no awards, career-paths or achievements that can outshine the
importance of character, compassion and integrity. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">2014
has granted me a renewed appreciation of the value of family and
friendships.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They have kept me aloft
when I nearly lost my way. My father’s death and a series of relocations left
me rudderless and adrift. Yet, when I needed help, it was there. Always.
Inexplicably. I am left with profound gratitude for the blessings that seem to
populate my life, even in those darkest moments. I believe there is a
mathematical formula that can reduce this phenomenon to something we can all
understand; the absolute value in any moment of despair, loss or sorrow is
love.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> This year, I
was in receipt of fewer-than-ever Christmas cards, photos cards and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holiday Letters.</i> However, I was more than ready to
break them open and see just what kind of year 2014 delivered to those about
whom I care…..and better yet, I looked forward to reading what hopes my
friends and family held for 2015. I was delighted. Meanwhile, I am still waiting for that one card
that always closes the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope my
friend has my address…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wishing good health, hope and
effervescent light – d.</span></div>
</div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-89117236557386508642014-12-13T07:05:00.000-08:002014-12-13T07:05:38.580-08:00The Easter Bunny Meets Santa Claus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kv8GVb_JrcqaOphq4kaq372gDM3vGS-Q2TE9MfuaB62gOHSTQT8kLeUMUvTYV-kcNIJHGcVVasfpU19gyU2EuPHjBobPVbVTz-jO4VHXATCpAG47SkZt2ycurfsscmb9fpZ4ELbzoLvt/s1600/IMG_7836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kv8GVb_JrcqaOphq4kaq372gDM3vGS-Q2TE9MfuaB62gOHSTQT8kLeUMUvTYV-kcNIJHGcVVasfpU19gyU2EuPHjBobPVbVTz-jO4VHXATCpAG47SkZt2ycurfsscmb9fpZ4ELbzoLvt/s1600/IMG_7836.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Vineyard Blizzard ’13 dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"> It was the Easter of second
grade that I did the calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
family lived in a quirky house on River Road in Piscataway, New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all the festivities of Easter – the
baskets (with gifts of every nature, but limited candy. My mother didn’t
approve of sugar.) our new dresses with white patent leather shoes and bobby
socks, the church service during which I inevitably fell asleep on my mother’s
lap (embarrassing my father with my indelicate snoring) and the enormous ham
dinner with all the trimmings that I gave voice to my growing suspicion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mother and I were tidying up the living
room at the end of that long Easter day when I finally summoned my courage to
broach the subject. With pounding heart (after all, I knew what was at stake if
I was right), I spoke with trepidation, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mom, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I
just can’t see how the Easter bunny gets into the house to fill our baskets.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“That’s why we leave the
front door unlocked,” was her breezy response. I clearly remember my gaze passing
over my sister, already in sixth grade, who, while remaining silent, had a bit
of a smirk on her face. I read her like a book and knew immediately that there
was more to the story than my mother was telling me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">I persisted, “I saw Dad lock
up the house last night, though.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">At that point, my mother
called for my father,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Ken, can you come in here
for a moment, please?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he arrived,
my mother instructed me to restate my suspicions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat on the edge of a small cream and gold
love seat with my hands pressed together between my knees. Haltingly, I asked
the question that was at the heart of it. “There is no Easter Bunny, is there?
It’s just you and Mom, right?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Well, dear, it’s Mom’s and
my job to help keep the spirit of the Easter Bunny alive. Even your sister
helps.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister’s face was serious and
even appeared a bit concerned now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
her reaction, I knew I was getting the news straight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">With lightning recognition,
it struck me, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“That means there is no Santa
Claus either, right? I mean, we don’t even have a fireplace in this house and
how could he be at so many places at once? If there is no Easter Bunny, there
can’t be a Santa Claus.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">My mother said, “This is
about keeping the spirit of these characters alive.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> That’s our job. It’s not that they aren’t
real; they just are not real in the way you thought they were.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> And they are still real for other children who still believe.</span><span style="font-size: 21px;">”</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“Does that mean God is not
real, either?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">”The Easter Bunny, Santa
Claus and God are all ideas we carry in our hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We believe in them because they are about renewal
and giving and love.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">My father said, “I have
something I would like to share with you, I’ll be right back.” I heard him go
into my parents’ room, open a small door that was in his bureau. He kept
special papers and mementoes there; I knew because I peeked when I was putting
away his laundry on occasion. I had certainly missed this little piece. My
questions triggered an impromptu family gathering in the living room on the
evening of Easter Sunday in 1965. I sat leaning close to my mother. My sister sat
on the other side of her. My father, thespian that he was, stood, holding a paper in his hand, and
began to speak in a deep and sonorous voice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My father read this to me when I was about
your age, Dawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in 1897, a little
girl named Virginia was trying to figure out if Santa Claus was real. In
September, 1897, her father told her to write to the newspaper to find
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The response to Virginia’s question
appeared on Sept. 21, 1897 in an editorial called </span><b><i><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Is There a Santa Claus?</span></i></b><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">My father read,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">'Dear Editor -- I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says ''If you see
it in The Sun it's so.'' Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">--Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West 95th
Street</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Virginia, your little friends are
wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do
not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not
comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be
men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about
him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and
knowledge.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and
you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be
as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith
then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no
enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood
fills the world would be extinguished.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Not believe in Santa Claus! You
might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to
watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if
they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees
Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real
things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you
ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that
they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and unseeable in the world.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">You tear apart the baby's rattle
and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen
world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the
strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry,
love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal
beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there
is nothing else real and abiding.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">No Santa Claus! Thank God! he
lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten
times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of
childhood.</span><span style="font-size: 20px;">’ </span><span style="font-size: 15pt;">”</span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15pt;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;">Authored by Francis
Pharcellus Church, New York Sun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"> That Sunday, when I was seven-years
old, was the first time I can remember crying tears of joy and sorrow
simultaneously. One thing was abundantly clear. I had a job to do for the rest
of my life. I had to ensure that I kept </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">alive the spirit of Santa.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">So, when my five year old daughter
came home from Kindergarten upset because one of the children had used her sharing
time to tell the other children Santa was not real, I was prepared. I started with a little girl named Virginia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">For that, I thank Mr.
Church, my parents, the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and God.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">source of quote was Wikipedia.com </span></span><!--EndFragment--></div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-29220838626930504802014-12-04T11:14:00.005-08:002014-12-04T13:27:00.145-08:00Humor 101<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZG8DKvvte_MIcjghPTGgWXqQQl1oPHhdHjUuDrQ7KzUCwamI5Hq-cy9zSmx7EmJGymkeSPUYOw_QNlTJWKGMNcBOL1XB4ZC2A44ZTbV8Oq8gGhfr60sHjxl_16Q3CKnpeZtS7sEWHrWb/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZG8DKvvte_MIcjghPTGgWXqQQl1oPHhdHjUuDrQ7KzUCwamI5Hq-cy9zSmx7EmJGymkeSPUYOw_QNlTJWKGMNcBOL1XB4ZC2A44ZTbV8Oq8gGhfr60sHjxl_16Q3CKnpeZtS7sEWHrWb/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darkness and Light d. 12.14</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, a
close friend of mine told me that I had to stop writing such somber<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and grim posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
that did, in fact, was lead me to wonder if I had actually been converted to a
somber and grim person. Can you change affiliations that easily? I certainly
would not have said so a couple of years ago. Now, I wonder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to laugh. I love the
laugh-until-your-eyes-run and you stand in a pretzel twist to avoid having an
accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Almost any woman over fifty
with several children can attest to this form of laughter – as can any observant
male, for that matter).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to laugh
at things that may not always be funny to everyone else. Thank heavens my
children get my humor or what a befuddled mess our lives might have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dearest friends, those new to the fold,
and those who helped build the fold, have seen my laughter roll out of me at
the least provocation. And, what’s more, we can get ourselves worked up to
rollicking hilarity by reliving whatever the precipitating factor had been, simply
by remembering it years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also
seem to forget what started us on our laughing fit in the first place. That,
alone, can leave us gasping for air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanksgiving
offered a discussion that could never be transcribed in such a way that it
could deliver the same comic effect as it did when my three children were
batting around an idea casually, as if playing catch. We did laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became raucous laughter when my son, in a
style I can only describe as Billy Crystalesque, wrote a clever little jingle
to further advance the topic into our Thanksgiving hilarity. Their father was
puzzled, then frustrated, and finally (I surmised) angry because, admittedly, the
theme under scrutiny — which was death -- was probably not common fare for
conversation during Thanksgiving dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But after all, even the Baird had quite a lot to say about death, and
comically at that. Laughter prevailed at our Thanksgiving table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While some may have found it maudlin or ghoulish
to shine a light of comedy on death, why not? The more we fear something, the
more power it holds over us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
times my daughters and son seem fearless as they navigate through their lives.
I admire that. I also respect that they seem to understand that death is the
other side of the coin of life and to find humor <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in unexpected places is not necessarily
bizarre, but liberating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> The last couple of years have been
unusually trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plans and dreams
seemed to have taken a detour I least expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I feel like I have been bringing my humor with me as I
recalibrate my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example comes to
mind immediately. A few years ago, when I was in Spaulding Rehab (after two hip
replacements), I felt a keen kinship with one of my nurses in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her, name, Amanda Darling, seemed remarkably
fitting for a young woman who was as kind as she was smart. Amanda had the
ability to take a moment that may have seemed distressing and even agonizing
to make a small joke or offer a quick smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was the nurse that found me upon admittance with a pair of ice-water
soaked underpants on my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(An
aside: the ambulance crew pretty much dropped me off on the transport from
Newton-Wellesley Hospital to Spaulding. I am not sure if they actually stopped
the ambulance. I was beyond miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could do nothing about my hip or my back, but my head! It was my MacGyver-like
solution at the time to slide my hand into the bedside table drawer so I
wouldn’t have to move any part of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
pulled out whatever I felt first, dropped whatever it was into the ice water on
my tray, squeezed it out, then placed it on my head. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized that by adjusting the cloth just
so, the damnable light was dimmed). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was under these conditions that I heard a sweet
empathetic voice, “So, I hear you have a little headache,” she said.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The ambulance drive and drug schedule had
resulted in one of the worst migraines of my life. It hurt too much to vomit. I
was sure I had entered some kind of hell. But Amanda, with her gentle gibe,
almost made me laugh. She handed me a little white cup filled with pills and down
they went. They even stayed down. She came back in about twenty minutes and I
let her take my underpants away to dry. I still laugh at the image. The ability
to find humor in the unexpected is, perhaps the key to survival.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My parents advice to me about longevity in a
marriage had always been patience, forgiveness, and, of most importance,<i> humor</i>.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite frankly, I do not think I could have
weathered some of life’s recent trials<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">without mystery books, hot baths, large cups of peppermint tea,
vistas of ocean against canvases of sky, unwavering friends holding my hand, my children, chocolate,
and, of course, <i>humor</i> as a tool in my toolkit .</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-59345154671702359182014-11-08T17:41:00.000-08:002014-11-08T17:43:51.505-08:00Another Election Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times;"> Robert Frost wrote, “</span><b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">TWO roads diverged</span></b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;"> in a yellow wood. And
sorry I could not travel both.”</span> <span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">His words came to mind this week on </span>Election
Day. <span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every
Election Day leaves me with a particularly sharp sense of awareness that I have
the privilege of making choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
participate in the giant mechanism of democracy that makes our country
unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel honored to be held within
the grip of a political model that instills patriotism. I feel blessed that at
the broad level, overlooking the stutters and missteps we take as individuals
and, sometimes, as a nation, one legacy reigns; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one person, one vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our forefathers created a country that
supports freedom for individuals while balancing that gift with maintaining a vision
that encourages the greater good for us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Often, I disagree with the mind of the electorate. It is not unusual for
my choices to be found sitting on the losing side of the aisle. However, I
understand what a privilege it is that there is room enough for my voice
whether it is a winning or losing choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I continue to keep cynicism at bay, distrust at a distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America, our great nation, continues to be an
experiment in democracy, and I am honored to be part of that experiment. Locke, Rousseau and Jefferson would take great pride in seeing their model unfurl as it has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
walked out of the Town Library on the first Tuesday of November
at 1:05pm, I was proud to be the 684<sup>th</sup> person to cast a ballot in my small
town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-89905942819471912522014-11-04T03:33:00.000-08:002014-11-08T13:33:57.624-08:00A Woman’s Notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g-h3wGwcPaq_1gw8uyRQdVoswb6aEkgzHtzSSSELBdRPc6pZ0oXhjOEpvDVPbTXdGQqwVThm-pvwxWrm07xpKx7xtpklK4I0amJLPY7k8C3YPUI4JkbnSZ2xH54sNpUFizf7fpMcXUQl/s1600/IMG_8076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g-h3wGwcPaq_1gw8uyRQdVoswb6aEkgzHtzSSSELBdRPc6pZ0oXhjOEpvDVPbTXdGQqwVThm-pvwxWrm07xpKx7xtpklK4I0amJLPY7k8C3YPUI4JkbnSZ2xH54sNpUFizf7fpMcXUQl/s1600/IMG_8076.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Little Scribbles</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Woman’s Notes</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Running
Press<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philadelphia, London<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in the
process of setting up a brand, new office space in my Vineyard condo,</div>
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various surprises surfaced<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>- missing bills materialized, a favorite pen –one I believed lost in my
numerous shufflings this past year suddenly manifested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best among the treasures was a 2” by 3”
notebook that my daughter, Kay, gave me in 1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I unwrapped it on Christmas morning, she
instructed me to keep it in my purse so that I could write down ideas for my
book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kay, never a shrinking violet,
included a picture of herself on the cover as a source of inspiration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She assured me that, if I were to have a
“stuck” moment, I could dig into my purse and jot down a few words generated by
her smile alone! It was a thoughtful gift. It fit readily in all of my purses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happily for me, years later, Kay’s present
keeps on giving; it serves as an inadvertent, but excellent, time machine.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time I
received the Little Scribbles notebook, my family lived in a newly renovated
house in Sunderland, MA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The children
were all at the Bement School in neighboring Deerfield, MA – Hannah was nine,
Kay was eight, and Charles was five. We had celebrated the completion of a
house that we had designed and built with close friends on Martha’s Vineyard .
Life had a shimmery quality of happiness, fullness and joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was writing for the Hampshire Gazette
regularly. It was against this backdrop that I regularly jotted down thoughts,
partial sentences and nearly indecipherable phrases. I managed to string these
thoughts together like imperfect seed pearls. I devoted myself to polishing
them, and then selling my observations to various magazines that featured
essays about family life and spirituality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes, I would pull out my little notebook, dig up a pen from the
bottom of my pocketbook, and had them over to my restless children in
restaurants and in church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is only
now that I discovered occasionally, my children made a few entries of their
own.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Dated 12.24.99<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dawn
wrote a phrase:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“a benefactor assigned duly and
without duress”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ensuing pages : phone numbers and Scrabble scores<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Vino
Veritas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: Snow and sorrow defined my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
April 30, 2000<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Innocence
lost, knowledge gained<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ours was no Eden, but just the
same…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: God gave us the ribbon, but didn’t tie the bow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: Music by Anne Cochran<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: Snackwell’s Coconut Cremes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: 3 Chimneys Inn in Durham, N.H. Dale?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Charles drew a dog bone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hannah wrote: Hi Mom, Bye Mom, Hannah<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ps Hi Mom<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>pps. An Actual Artpiece (Triple A)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Charles drew a compass rose.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> “ </span>So many
stories begin with a crossing. Crossing a city,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
bridge, or an ocean. For me, it began as simply as crossing a room.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12.31.00<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Charles wondered the difference between the Civil War and
the Silver War.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn notes: Satin Basecoat with semigloss topcoat with
appleseed sponge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book: Soul’s Code by James Hillman<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Healing
Grief: Reclaiming Life After Any Loss<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>James Van Praagh<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sigiornella Wine ‘87<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dawn wrote: Isolated, the most common views become
spectacular – this one tree,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>separated from its brethren, shows its outstretched branches and<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>its shining glory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carly Simon: Death is just the limit of our sight line<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>adapted from,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #131313; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">“Life is eternal, and love
is immortal, and death only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit
of our sight.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rossiter Worthington
Raymond<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #131313;"> Dates, dollar amounts, To Do lists, scribbles and doodles.</span><span style="color: #131313;"> </span><span style="color: #131313;">A crypt of sorts; warehousing the Dawn I was
then, a paler reflection of whom I am bowMy little scribbles added up to
something, someone.</span><span style="color: #131313;"> </span><span style="color: #131313;">I have used my
writing to lend transparency to who I am.</span><span style="color: #131313;">
</span><span style="color: #131313;">The opposite might be said of my mother. She was a woman of notes.</span><span style="color: #131313;"> </span><span style="color: #131313;">Layered below the instructional notes she left
on most all appliances and on doors, drawers and tools<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #131313; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">were notes she wrote for her eyes only.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Among my mother’s effects when I was emptying her office, I
found several stenographer’s pads filled with her sketches and poems and
unfinished essays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #131313; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She has been gone nearly four years, but there are times that
her loss cuts as keenly as the day she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On those occasions, I glance at<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the pads she left behind. I have taken a shiny ribbon (some may suggest
it was provided by God, and he left me to tie the bow) to bind her notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am waiting for the time that I am brave
enough, open enough, loving enough, forgiving enough to see an entirely new
dimension of my mother; one she kept scrupulously hidden from my father, my
sister and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I wend my way through
uncharted territory of my own life, my curiosity about her path has grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wouldn’t be surprised if, one day in the
very near future, I pull the ribbon, allowing it to flutter to the floor. I can
imagine flipping the first page of the first steno pad and finding myself
introduced to a woman I never really knew at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-76768375899255144552014-11-01T17:19:00.000-07:002014-11-01T17:19:05.743-07:00Calm before the Storm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcr8n9Fw0XY2LXve2jj_rxxGMi4sTLOacE1y9w2w576wZQ8EcY_nJcWXaIXkDSbToI9e7vr6CWkxA1QIIclqKsoTY_GrPngp6ZjSW2GWosBnkUv5J3zXQ4pnuQI5GLoxrvhpI9mYYhdhi/s1600/IMG_8036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcr8n9Fw0XY2LXve2jj_rxxGMi4sTLOacE1y9w2w576wZQ8EcY_nJcWXaIXkDSbToI9e7vr6CWkxA1QIIclqKsoTY_GrPngp6ZjSW2GWosBnkUv5J3zXQ4pnuQI5GLoxrvhpI9mYYhdhi/s1600/IMG_8036.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-10899731125725030162014-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:002014-11-01T17:14:36.131-07:00Marijhuana, Newton’s Third Law, Redemption, Remorse, and Child-rearing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fgGO1FbBopXh-6c2e5UpB0wgmLRF-rWuP_I15sRz65Di2AUiLx-Lug1iKDOfTH47p21bHUflpQDXw9AlVUkJTbIVzYgRewHAtIEvQBTq-qGcK8hbq8uW11oOBaiRhjiPqWHei6Y7yavq/s1600/IMG_8012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fgGO1FbBopXh-6c2e5UpB0wgmLRF-rWuP_I15sRz65Di2AUiLx-Lug1iKDOfTH47p21bHUflpQDXw9AlVUkJTbIVzYgRewHAtIEvQBTq-qGcK8hbq8uW11oOBaiRhjiPqWHei6Y7yavq/s1600/IMG_8012.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds of a feather tend to flock together.<br />
How can we help them to stretch their wings and fly?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 21px;">The daughter of a close friend of mine was found with marihuana in the glove compartment of her car on school property recently. This was a serious violation of state law as well as school code. State Police remanded her to school for discipline because of the amount and it was her first offense. She was placed on a ten-day suspension until her hearing with the school was scheduled.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 21px;">In preparation for that meeting, my friend asked if I would write a character recommendation for her daughter. I agreed, but asked permission to share her story (maintaining anonymity, of course). It was a wake-up call for the everyone involved. Both my friend and her daughter wanted to do anything they could to help steer any other family from this emotional and destructive experience.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 21px;">The hearing was this morning. The outcome involves counseling, abstinence from drug use (random drug-testing) and the loss of the use of her car on campus. Her family is devising a few of their own rules, I suspect.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">School Administrator</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hearing Affidavit </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 9;"> </span>Oct.
28, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To Whom It May Concern:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am writing on behalf of Ellen Rose, a
young woman whom I have known for her entire life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has come to my attention that she has made
some disappointing choices concerning drug use and the friends with whom she
has been associating. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not withstanding some
of her recent behaviors, I can attest to Ellen’s character; she comes from a responsible
family and was raised within an exemplary code of honor and values. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From an early age, Ellen was taught the
importance of responsibility, of work and of fiscal independence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her parents fostered her initiative when she
started a pet-care business at the age of nine. She still has clients to this
day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When both Ellen and her parents
agreed she was ready to babysit, she took the Babysitting Course offered
through the Red Cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ellen’s nurturing nature was
put to good use, not only doing weekend sitting jobs. At thirteen, she had
inspired enough confidence in several local families that, during the summer,
they entrusted the care of their children to Ellen during the workday. (Delia, Ellen’s mother, was always on call
for any emergencies). Ellen has had a
singular goal for years; she has wanted to be the owner of her own salon. She was excited to be accepted into a technical high school program because she hoped to learn the skills she would need to work in,
and manage, her own business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
present, it appears Ellen’s moral compass seems to have faltered. Perhaps Ellen has been doing some behavioral experimenting as she steps out from the shadow
of her two older, and successful, sisters. Over the past four years, Ellen has
sought to understand who she is relative to her family, her friends and her
community. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been a difficult road
for her, culminating in this eye-opening crash with reality. Ellen is
devastated to have let down her parents, her siblings, her grandparents, and,
of course, the people that believed in and trusted her at theTechnical Program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is at this moment she needs us
most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we believe that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellen has the potential to contribute to
society in a meaningful way, we need to help her find her way back –teach her
to use this experience as a springboard to maturity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Napoleon Hill, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Think and Grow Rich</i> wrote, “Every adversity , every failure, every
heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” What can we
do to nurture that seed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A close friend of mine has
worked for Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom for decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sumner came from nothing, and now, in his
nineties, is worth $6.2 billion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sumner
says that, “Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built
on frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, it’s built on
catastrophe.” This is a unique opportunity for Ellen to experience failure and
reshape it into success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that to
happen, we have to believe in her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I am a strict adherent of</span><span style="font-size: large;">Newton’s Third Law… that with every action
there is an equal and opposite reaction.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">With every mistake, there must be consequences.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">However, the consequences must be thoughtful
and measured when they come to altering the life path of a young woman.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">This is a unique opportunity for school administrators to preserve Ellen’s fragile spirit and nurture it so that she
can grow into her personal definition of greatness. Let’s not make the mistake
of allowing what could be no more than a footnote in her life-story to become
the overarching theme of a lifetime. She need not be condemned to repeat a
cycle of behaviors that are destructive and borne out of low self-esteem. We
can see Ellen struggling to gain attention from her family and her peers.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">To get the most out of our children, we need
to expect more, believe more and remind them more that they are capable of more
than they believe possible.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s teach Ellen how to earn our respect and gain self-respect. I respectfully submit the
request that Ellen’s consequences be designed to teach her that the adults in
her life </span><span style="font-size: large;">see she has worth and that
redemption is possible in the presence of true remorse.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sincerely,</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dawn Elise Evans</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2185bnBAfUeMlk9Ax46Nd7I3os_IRYkyhQG8OrickpMNnCcwaElUbeiKL5ibF5RRs4FT-qMTG9Ov-ilFMPQW57Ww5jWmifmy733eVsxIBRrqi_tnIiW7NR2GENKSyHAhtSUjeJI6ofba/s1600/IMG_8029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2185bnBAfUeMlk9Ax46Nd7I3os_IRYkyhQG8OrickpMNnCcwaElUbeiKL5ibF5RRs4FT-qMTG9Ov-ilFMPQW57Ww5jWmifmy733eVsxIBRrqi_tnIiW7NR2GENKSyHAhtSUjeJI6ofba/s1600/IMG_8029.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
</div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-80285857870809075552014-10-18T17:56:00.000-07:002014-10-18T17:59:40.924-07:00Look What Washed In With the Tide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkbqJI14SYK2mvgkNsY5OoM37awd8xk_M8vtNDfln5jVA-NgXXU5dPflH8NLloib67O0niUW5qUkG5GA8ROoKiyz3LpH-rTnZdwsFBqaaIJo446GCzySf9dNX5f_k_37tC1c2kVSnNdZw/s1600/IMG_7917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkbqJI14SYK2mvgkNsY5OoM37awd8xk_M8vtNDfln5jVA-NgXXU5dPflH8NLloib67O0niUW5qUkG5GA8ROoKiyz3LpH-rTnZdwsFBqaaIJo446GCzySf9dNX5f_k_37tC1c2kVSnNdZw/s1600/IMG_7917.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selfie of the author in two wetsuits and her pink bathing cap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">The
tide was racing in this morning, the undertow was stronger than I ever remember
it at Town Beach. I felt myself swept off my feet and pulled out in seconds.
Town Beach is generally tame enough for little children. The thermometer that I placed in the water read
61degrees this morning, the 18</span><sup style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">th</sup><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> of October; the ocean is cooling
down </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">several degrees every few days.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">Just three days ago it was 64 degrees.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">I keep a close eye on how low can I go. I try to get out the water for as
many mornings as possible. It seduces me to do my own variety of aerobics - an odd combination
of swimming, jogging and stroking. I like walking into the ocean without
hesitation or stutter. I like pretending I cannot feel the icy grip of it at my
ankles or the rising chill of it as it glides between my wetsuit and my
skin.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">I started wearing two wet suits in
the beginning of October.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;">The double
insulation makes the time I spend submersed more bearable.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be remiss if I did not
mention the lingering members of the Polar Bear Club congregate outside my
window at Inkwell Beach, often they are out when I am. During weekday mornings
they range from three to eight in number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Polar Bear Club grew to 83 strong last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this time of year, there are just a few die-hard women who are right
outside the window of my condo. It seems that people dedicated to exercise, water, and the
satisfaction of working out with friends gravitate toward the Polar Bear Club.
Did I mention they sing for the thirty to forty minutes they are in the ocean
doing aerobics? Jacob’s Ladder, and other traditional songs start them off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Counting, scales, anything to distract them
from the seriously cold water. They have repeatedly invited me I join
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am intimidated and uncharacteristically shy. I do my own
little thing for twenty minutes and I am out. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was in the grocery store this
afternoon, I overheard two women talking. One of the women swims over at the
East Chop Beach Club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stick to my
stretch along Town Beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I walk,
with the water up to my chest, I keep a keen eye out for what moves below. I
see a landscape as beautiful as any I have seen. The sand forms perfect moguls,
rippling for as far as I can see. The sand arranges itself in the perfect
inverse of the waves above it. I like to watch the sunlight pierce the waves as
clouds race across the palette of the sky above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a sandbar, that, when I time the
wind and the tides just right, I can step up and suddenly be knee deep, no more
pushing forward to press through the water at chest height. A reprieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then back to the hard work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find my mark on land – I go from the
landmarks of the jetty to the Ocean Park bandstand then turn back again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, that turn is back into the waves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Helvetica Neue;"> I persist. It is cold. The waves slap
down the front of my wetsuits. I make it a habit of wearing a pink or white
bathing cap – something anyone walking above me on the sidewalk might see if I were to come under
attack by seagulls, Canadian geese or ensnared in seaweed. My most fervent hope would be that, were I swept out to sea, someone, anyone, on the shore might catch
a glimpse of my white or pink cap and call for reinforcements.</span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-15973156478395987252014-10-16T12:45:00.001-07:002014-10-16T12:45:26.178-07:00Keeping An Eye on Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Keeping an Eye on Things.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNobzFRfk8K4294JizQyeHMDvUUIrbCPck-XdfGCDX-zNthS_s_KBDkcfIqlOwdJkpucRGFPMoDbL3xluB7pRQOwUj7aLGfTqLUVKiVa-OaGRDyVB0lJ_l9nHDfuSEbt2hCVnylAtE2X1B/s1600/IMG_7952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNobzFRfk8K4294JizQyeHMDvUUIrbCPck-XdfGCDX-zNthS_s_KBDkcfIqlOwdJkpucRGFPMoDbL3xluB7pRQOwUj7aLGfTqLUVKiVa-OaGRDyVB0lJ_l9nHDfuSEbt2hCVnylAtE2X1B/s1600/IMG_7952.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glasses, glasses everywhere.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">I have now convinced myself that I need to have my eyes
checked.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">It’s not just the food I ordered that was never delivered -- that came about because I read my credit card incorrectly. Matters were complicated when the restaurant
tried to reach me and they, on their end, had written down my phone number incorrectly. By the
time we sorted it all out, it was after 9pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had a bowl of cereal and went to bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nor is it the messages that I have left on the wrong phones (this I know
because some people have been kind enough to call and tell me.) I have been able to live
with being unable to read cooking instructions on boxes, cans and cookbooks
because I keep a pair of glasses from 1995 in the kitchen drawer -- and who knew strangers would be so kind and read them for me in the store?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I try to forgo my glasses, mistakes happen. I doubled the water in a rice mix,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>misread how many dish cubes were required to use in a new dishwasher, and have
carefully transcribed receipt totals into my checkbook only to discover the
bank had a different amount for the transaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus far, in such matters, the bank has been
correct. On at least two occasions, I have entered my doctors’ appointments in
my phone calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I arrived
promptly for my appointment, the receptionist would be left scratching her
head because she couldn’t find me on the books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Turns out I outright missed an appointment in one instance. In the
other, I arrived exactly ten days too early – but at the right time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restaurant menus are elusive without the
benefit of a pair of cheaters, often borrowed – or, if I am lucky, I may have
tossed my own glasses into my handbag. When I had dinner with my husband, and
then, a week later, a friend, I watched as each of them put on their
readers…..then, out of nowhere, little flashlights appeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were an essential addition to their
glasses<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in order to decipher the menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will that be me next?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">I know the time has drawn near to see Dr. Santos, my much-beloved
Vineyard optometrist for two reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">First, he told me when (not if ) I start to see double at
night, it would be time to have my lenses changed in my “regular glasses with
progressive lenses.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are my
everyday glasses meant for driving, movies and seeing, in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I forestalled that expense a year ago by replacing only my reading glasses. (Those were a cool $425 because they have prisms in the lenses.) Dr. Santos</span> proposed I wear my “old” progressive glasses more
often. According to him, my eyes would get the point that they
would be working too hard to focus. The doubling effect would occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, so I have reached that portal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki47NROKEAIQXUMsdOoPgKIL430JOB2H5XM8Z7_N8R3SoMRqQyFHH2ffOUTUcO09GpwcPLVGwHmV0RTm-Q22LziDBxhVMzEdX8s55TOnwHPg24ltrOfHWauWOEVloJExFAkMNOaIsomZ5/s1600/IMG_7947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki47NROKEAIQXUMsdOoPgKIL430JOB2H5XM8Z7_N8R3SoMRqQyFHH2ffOUTUcO09GpwcPLVGwHmV0RTm-Q22LziDBxhVMzEdX8s55TOnwHPg24ltrOfHWauWOEVloJExFAkMNOaIsomZ5/s1600/IMG_7947.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“Perhaps it is darkest before dawn,” I ponder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The biggest reason to see Dr. Santos is that on more than
one occasion lately, I have woken up, checked the clock and moved into action as
quickly as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start the bath
water, do morning stretches, pour orange juice, pick out clothes, then go soak
in the tub for my morning aquatic therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within half an hour hour, I am dressed and ready for the day. I make my
bed, pull back my heavy black-out curtains and..wait...I become disoriented and confused. It is pitch black with just a smudge of gray light on the horizon When I look at my phone, I discover it is only<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>6:07 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was aiming to start my
day at 7a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That lost hour makes a
surprising difference in how alert I am throughout the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to use the hour to meditate, go for a
walk, write, read, or simply reflect…. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">However, I desperately guard
my sleep. I believe in the value of plenty of restorative sleep. It was for this reason that at 6:10 a.m. this morning, l was googling
Dr. Santos’s phone number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to be
ready to dial his office at 8:30 a.m. when his office opens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I will be sure to wear my reading glasses when I
dial. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-7716641452322695292014-10-15T18:23:00.001-07:002014-10-15T18:26:40.878-07:00Columbus Day Reflections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9PeOzPUH-6UZab_deVHDSSRyIjhDWTWLFsrNy-0vWMeRiT_1ksLEWOtRkDZ1YIDhdz4bz-mahxI9XYkV6T2OLbZfa2GgP0o24bQo4WO7XKAmcDLL7lwXSV9dHq7YzosKhDgAiz6LS9pC/s1600/IMG_6127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9PeOzPUH-6UZab_deVHDSSRyIjhDWTWLFsrNy-0vWMeRiT_1ksLEWOtRkDZ1YIDhdz4bz-mahxI9XYkV6T2OLbZfa2GgP0o24bQo4WO7XKAmcDLL7lwXSV9dHq7YzosKhDgAiz6LS9pC/s1600/IMG_6127.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbus Day path</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Yesterday was </span>Columbus Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe not on the Holidays-for-Convenience calendar, but I still think of October 14<sup>th</sup> as
Columbus Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a day that holds a
lot of tradition for me. It means uncharted, winding rides on the back roads of
Vermont, following the hairpin curves of Route 2 in Massachusetts and stealing long
weekends on Martha’s Vineyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Traditionally, it is the beginning of the peak of leaf season in New
England. The colors remain vivid and brilliant, perennially seared somewhere on
the lobes of my brain. Even at this moment, when I close my eyes, I see golden yellow
and crimson red. I smell the crumbly, slightly moldy scent of the fallen leaves
and the glorious and satisfying crunch of walking on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may have complained some about raking them
but it was a part of the ritual of putting the yard to bed for the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the first house that my husband and I
owned, we would often fire up the wood stove on Columbus Day for its maiden run
on a job it would do for the remainder of the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Island autumns are muted in many ways t</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">he leaves change on Martha’s Vineyard
but in a muted, water-color sort of way.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I watch the scrub oaks as the colors leech from green to rust.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The sea grasses go from to tan. The Manuel F .Correllus
State is impressive from air or ground. At first approach it appears to be a
deep-green forest -- </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">stocked with pines
and oaks. Following the trails, you can find grasslands, pine barrens and
woodlands.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">There is an ever-changing palette
of greens and browns. Along Beach Road, bordered by State Beach and
Sengakontaket Pond, there are heathlands juxtaposed against the slate blue of
the ocean, the tan of the sand and the gunmetal gray of the sky. I am, by my caluculations,
spending my 21</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">st</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Columbus Day on Martha’s Vineyard.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I long for the vistas, the drives through
ever-bigger mountains and the riotous colors I came to love in western
Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Things are more staid and understated here.</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">But knowing the Island, and its people,</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Columbus Day, whether the skies are blue or
gray, is exactly the way it should be. The glory and beauty of this place is - most often - understated.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a></div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-60395167639410825952014-09-10T09:03:00.002-07:002014-09-10T09:03:54.777-07:00Character Building Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKFN8knE_A2NXUx-tOxjyqUZAX6MaXwn5ZT8YvDykfMZd-wFiJfgICsjh-UbXyEW8LZRjgkRRULTrKXvNKe4UvwOVgZT4uwOYSfx5n2bvJYUFlKOb0Dvofikhtx9q0FUXOjQYtupqxKJA/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKFN8knE_A2NXUx-tOxjyqUZAX6MaXwn5ZT8YvDykfMZd-wFiJfgICsjh-UbXyEW8LZRjgkRRULTrKXvNKe4UvwOVgZT4uwOYSfx5n2bvJYUFlKOb0Dvofikhtx9q0FUXOjQYtupqxKJA/s1600/photo-8.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> From days of wearing dress up shoes for a Banking Career dee 14<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: left;">A memory clip was excavated from the archives of
my mind the other morning when I opened an email from a friend and colleague
named Gladys Diaz.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: left;">In particular, the
following two paragraphs appeared in her blog that were uncommonly familiar to
me.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Avenir Black"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>“Your thoughts affect your beliefs and your beliefs affect your
perception of the world, men, relationships, and even yourself. The more
you focus on your fears, disappointments, what you don’t have yet, and anything
else that reaffirms those disempowering thoughts, the less likely you
are to experience what it is you truly desire.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Avenir Black"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>You are 100% responsible for creating both the life and love your heart
desires. The more you focus on what you want, without driving yourself
crazy thinking about how it must or should look and what needs to happen for it
to come about, the more likely you are to attract and draw those things
into your life.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gladys
Diaz<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2014</i><i> </i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1149312072"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.heartsdesireintl.com/what-are-you-hopefully-anticipating/">http://www.heartsdesireintl.com/what-are-you-hopefully-anticipating/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Spring,1984, I addressed a roomful of
people with nearly the same words. Many of them were offended they had been
asked to attend a leadership training session; it implied they needed
“flixing.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others were convinced that
their offices couldn’t withstand their absences for three hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a room of 24 trainees, some were delighted
with what I overheard them call the training program as a “paid vacation.” To
be fair, there were at least three participants that came with a sense of
curiosity and interest. It was the first leadership training programs I had run
since I started to work for Shawmut Bank. In retrospect, I realized that by
starting with that message, it was as if I came in the middle of the story for
many of the trainees. At the end of the session, I asked the participants to
complete evaluations on my performance. I did well. They liked me. I was clear,
organized, entertaining. I was neatly dressed and professional. The problem was
that about half of them had no idea what I was talking about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I reported to my boss, Ken Seyffer,
with the feedback, I felt beaten up. How could half of them not understand the
basic tenets espoused by Wayne Dyer, Napoleon Hill, and Robert Schuller?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a consistency to the messages. Maybe
I just didn’t say them in a way to which they could relate?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">“Evans,” he
said, “Don’t take it so harshly. Consider it all part of Character Building.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">My path into training in the financial industry was a
loosely woven cloth that came together most unexpectedly. Previously, I worked
for Amherst Associates; a financial consulting firm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The company specialized in using computer
models to design insurance reimbursement models in hospitals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, I worked for Human Factors East.
It was the hardest, most life-changing career move I ever made. The company was
dedicated to building leadership skills at all levels within organizations. In
particular, we focused on senior management – C.E.O., C.F.O. levels whenever
possible. I was responsible for marketing and some training. It was there I
first started to learn how to design and deliver training programs. A thimbleful
description of what Human Factors offered would be that we were teaching people
to look within themselves to find the answers they needed to be better leaders.
We made it fun, but it was still work. It required being open to seeing
familiar things in an entirely new way. There were three day, or intensive
ten-day sessions. While the programs were exceptionally well-received in the
San Rafael, CA location where our headquarters were based, it was a harder sell in
conservative New England. I was fortunate to be on board for the experiment
that came from opening an East Coast office. After a few years, the eastern
offices closed; by that time, my life was forever changed. I had learned
fundamental ways of questioning, thinking, and simply being in a relationship
with a Higher Source. As I like to say,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">“You can’t unring the bell.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">With those two jobs and a belief system to shore me up, I felt
that I was uniquely prepared to apply for my next job. I submitted an
application to work in a bank in Amherst, MA. in September, 1983. There were no
openings at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Human
Resources person interviewed me briefly and said she would keep my résumé on
file.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shocked when, one week
before Christmas, I received a call from a woman in Human Resources in the Main
Branch of the Shawmut Bank in Springfield, MA<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was about a thirty-minute ride from where I lived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My interview fell on December 23.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As luck had it, the appointment fell on the
first snow storm of the season. I was worried about the drive because my car
was without snow tires. I was anxious about where to park. I didn’t have boots
that went well with my one wool suit. In addition, if I changed my suit, I
would have to change my handbag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
grateful I had pulled my hair back in a tight knot; the falling snow was doing
its best to turn my hair into a ball of frizz and loosened tendrils. The snowflakes
melted as I raced into the bank. It was a building designed during the Art Deco
era. I was a bit too self-absorbed to take in the entirety of the massive gilded
mural inside, but it was a splendid and regal interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ushered upstairs to a small, windowless
room. A human resources employee left me there with a cup of water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I was interviewed by a very
conservatively dressed man with a dry sense of humor, whose intelligence
radiated from his eyes. I was told this is Mr. Burr, Assistant Vice President
of Marketing. He was quick with repartees and humor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt an inexplicable rapport with him. When
the interview was concluded, I thought the process was concluded. But no, a man
in a diminutive shape and a powerhouse of energy nearly jumped into the
room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was older, clearly Mr. Burr’s
boss, Vice President of Retail Banking. He firmly pumped my hand in greeting as
he said, “Ken Seyffer.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which actually
confused me because that was not my name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was anawkward moment, but I played with it, “Ohhhh, you are Ken
Seyffer, I was thinking you thought <i>I </i>was Ken Seyffer.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a sinking second when I believed my joke fell flat. Then, his head tipped
back and he bellowed with a barking laugh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">”So
you come with a sense of humor,” he said as he pulled out a chair. Mr. Seyffer
indicated that I should do the same. Sitting across from each other we talked
briefly about nothing to do with banking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Abruptly, he stood up and left the room. I didn’t have a clue what to
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was the interview over? I waited.
And waited. Just as I decided that the interview was a bust and had gathered my
purse, brief case and nerve to walk out, he returned with Mr. Burr. We sat down
at the table again. Mr. Seyffer asked me if I had any unanswered questions at
that point. When I denied having any loose ends, he said, “It was truly a
pleasure to meet you. I am sure that, whatever you do, you will go far. And
remember, when you make mistakes in life – and you will – they are nothing more
than Character Building.” He offered another handshake, then he was gone. My
heart sank. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">I
thought, “I have to rework my resume. That sure sounded pretty much like a
brush-off.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">When
we were alone again, Mr. Burr said, “Don’t mind him, he is a bit tightly
strung. Now--returning to the business at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We would like to hire you as Director of Training. You would come in as
an Officer. While the salary is not commensurate with what you were earning,
you will have more stability, good benefits and more vacation days here. There
are annual bonuses and cost of living increases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have room to go up in your pay grade. There
is every reason to believe you will be back at your former salary within a year,
perhaps with a promotion to Assistant Vice President, if you do a stellar job.
We would expect you to basically set up the training department from the ground
up. How does that sound to you?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">“I
am flattered and thrilled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exactly to whom
would I report?” Honestly, I was slightly intimidated by the Director of
Retail. He was charming, but he had street smarts. He was very sharp and often faster
on the uptake than I allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">“On
a day to day basis, bring your questions to me. Ultimately, Mr.
Seyffer is both of our bosses. When do you think you might be able to start?
Would January 2, 1984 fit your schedule?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt;">It
was about six months later, when I ran that first leadership training program at
the bank. It was then that I came face to face with my first <i>Character Building
</i>opportunity. Since then, life has delivered more character building
opportunities than I can count. What I can say with absolute certainty is that the
voices of Wayne Dyer, Napoleon Hill, Robert Schuller, Ken Seyffer, and Gladys
Diaz and hundreds of others have all contributed to my Character Building
Project. It’s definitely a work in progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 261px; line-height: 0; min-height: 20px; min-width: 40px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 24px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/" style="background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 261px; line-height: 0; min-height: 20px; min-width: 40px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 24px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a></div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-82393681586581065122014-09-08T18:13:00.001-07:002014-09-08T18:13:16.942-07:00My Noah Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe-F65360-FqDrCpu0LA7yyG8nf8URse8-B8k82hJ9iRpj2bcWv10k6uVWiK56IxdvwPJuH9GUw2LkrfLbKNbHAxzZVPpaIxe2MtVuyPALwTJh3krRNRLq61ita4L_Xwj7wdqcwF7VMLy/s1600/CIMG2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe-F65360-FqDrCpu0LA7yyG8nf8URse8-B8k82hJ9iRpj2bcWv10k6uVWiK56IxdvwPJuH9GUw2LkrfLbKNbHAxzZVPpaIxe2MtVuyPALwTJh3krRNRLq61ita4L_Xwj7wdqcwF7VMLy/s1600/CIMG2044.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah’s Boat dee ‘12</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
readily label 2013-2014 as the worst year of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And frankly, I have had some pretty bad ones.
If I had a vintage wine created for each year I have been alive, the 2013-2014
varietal would have consisted of barrels and barrels of vinegar. On a personal
level, I felt like my world imploded as a result of dramatic and long-term
health concerns, devastating relationship issues in which I lost the friendship
of my lifelong best-friend and partner, the deaths of two dear, but aged, mentors
as well as my own father’s passing. To add to those Job-like tests, I faced the
challenge of living alone as an independent adult for the first time in 38
years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">It has been one year since my life seemed to come
unglued and I moved to Martha’s Vineyard. The Island has been a place of
recovery for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told by a member
of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head that parts of the Island have healing powers
described by his Indian tribe as going back 500 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At a time when I found myself feeling
seriously untethered, maybe even in free fall, I knew the Island was where I
needed to be. Thankfully, by some inexplicable psychic communication, almost
every day, one of my children would call, or I would have a text from a friend,
or a package at the Post office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
reminded that I still had rope, carabineers and yes, belaying devices to slow
my descent when I (occasionally) found myself slipping. The pivotal discovery
was that much of what happens in our lives is outside of our control. The real
power is what we do with that in our heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">When I arrived on Martha’s Vineyard, ready to shift
my residential status from part-time to full-time, I started from scratch in
building a new life. New friends, new volunteer work, new hobbies and I spent a
lot of time working on making my body and my mind as strong as I could with the
components I had available. It was kind of a MacGyver thing; make due with what
was at hand. And use a lot of duct tape. Every one of the things I did required
people to help me. In the middle of my worst year ever, I found myself the most
grateful ever. So many people were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">invested</b>
in me. My friend, Elizabeth, called me every morning from New Hampshire for
nine months (except when she was in Germany on business) to make sure I was up
and moving. I did not take that level of commitment and love lightly. She
laughs and says, “Just paying it forward, Dawn.” Another friend sent me regular
supplies of books. There were texts and calls and lots and lots of caring
people who showed up unexpectedly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Recently, those of my friends and family who are closest to me have
heard me talking (they might say babbling) about my “Noah Moment.” I
call it my “Noah Moment” because I imagine Noah’s family was probably as
skeptical as mine when he randomly announced one morning that God had a task
for him. As the story goes, it was on Noah’s word alone that the ark and the preservation
of the animal kingdom took place. I like to imagine <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>old Noah (he was said to be centuries old when
he had this challenge put before him) waking up one morning and announcing
that, “Oh-by-the-way, there’s going to be a flood. What’s more, it’s my job to
build an ark and gather up mates for all the animals so that the animal world
and humanity can continue to exist after God’s complete and utter devastation
of what he built.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t
you suppose Noah’s family and loved ones --<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>never mind the nosy neighbors --- might have said, “What’s up with Noah?
He sure seems to be getting a God complex lately!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> In my case, there were no
cherubs and cherubims involved. I simply woke up on August 18,
2014 with an inexplicable clarity that all that I have been through
-- the physical and emotional trials that have taken me right to the edge
-- were all for my enrichment and are, somehow - inexplicably - meant to temper
me for my upcoming work. My friend, Elizabeth, likes to describe me as a
phoenix rising from smoking embers. In her poetic imagery, I am still strengthening
my wings. On that morning of August 18th, I woke up knowing that the sense of
grief, loss and mourning that has nearly engulfed me at times, has not ended.
It may, in fact, never really end, but it has transformed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will carry it, but it will propel me
forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> I imagine I sound pretty much
as lunatic as Noah sounded when I say that I have a deep <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knowing</i> that I am being called to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something greater</i>. What’s problematic is that I have no ark in the
works. My charter is not clear. And while I am not exactly
talking about a religious calling, there is a strong spiritual element to all
of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have conviction that, soon, I
will have a clear sense of direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbE_RkpgqrjRoRgbQCAP3yclu2uA6yFm_fp3IzW21Zf1isjgs56pMr4wy0Dzb58eCeQma162M8AFx4DZ8cA3_VzIfT8qgDSbR-xCXWHlL_aEFgOwv7illhgtD-JiwOEUKrGCjo-4Am3z6/s1600/IMG_7300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbE_RkpgqrjRoRgbQCAP3yclu2uA6yFm_fp3IzW21Zf1isjgs56pMr4wy0Dzb58eCeQma162M8AFx4DZ8cA3_VzIfT8qgDSbR-xCXWHlL_aEFgOwv7illhgtD-JiwOEUKrGCjo-4Am3z6/s1600/IMG_7300.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Omni Tower or True North dee ’14</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>When I
first moved to Providence for the “Vineyard shuffle,” (whereby Islanders vacate
affordable housing for the summer, and return when the prices return to,
well..sort of reasonable levels) my daughter and I overlapped in Providence by
two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sublet her Providence apartment
from her, and she moved on to Philadelphia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In terms of helping orient me to downtown Providence, she had
advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said, “I always use the Omni
Tower as my True North.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I see the
Omni, I can work out my direction from just about anywhere.” It seems to me
that my “Noah Moment” comes with its own “True North” built in. Somehow, this
year of introspection and reflection has offered me a keen understanding of my
values and priorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever it is
that I do will be consistent with them. I don’t even need the Omni to guide me!
In these early days since my “Noah Moment,” I truly feel that I have been
stripped down to my essence, seen my core, looked at the “what” of who I am,
and I am ready to put that to use. I find myself thinking, "If I can get
through this past year, I can live through anything.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only
other time in my life when I felt this absolute and utter certainty was when I
knew I wanted children. After four miscarriages, including one in the
second semester, my doctors told me that I should stop trying. They felt it unlikely
that I would bear children of my own and that I should consider adoption. The
minute I walked out of the office, I threw away the informational brochure on
the adoption process. I respect and encourage adoption as an option, but for
me, I never doubted the outcome. I was unwavering in my certainty that my
husband and I would parent our own offspring. Ultimately, we were blessed with
three children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I am
telling my friends something pretty much as preposterous as Noah’s claim. I
keep repeating, “I have a calling. I am going to help many people with the
skills I have as a result of the unique experiences of my life. I feel like I
have walked through fire and have come through the other side, knowing I am
stronger and even more grateful for my blessings. When the time is right, I
will know just how that will look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
need to stay open to the possibility that my work could show up at any time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As proof
that the Universe is determined to do its thing, with or without our help,
there is a tangential footnote to this story. I was telling my
friend, Kate, about my “Noah Moment.” Kate has cheered me on every step of the
way since I moved to Martha’s Vineyard. “You went to the grocery store
and the bank today, Dawn? Why that is fantastic.!” Or, “You worked on
your photos for four hours this afternoon? I can’t wait to see the best of
them.” She didn’t seem the least bit flummoxed by my assertion I had this
new clarity and an unshakeable calling to do something over the next 25 years
or so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Instead, she said, “Dawn, you know how I listen to
these inspirational Ted Talks? You have to listen to the one I heard today. I
think you are going to be blown away.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">It was delivered by a game maker named Jane McGonigal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had a traumatic head injury and was
unable to use her computer for a year. She devised a game that ultimately
engaged her family and then her friends, allowing her world to grow. A
surprising side effect and a quantifiable result started to occur, Jane began
to feel better. In her Ted-talk-twenty-minutes of speaking at breakneck speed,
I learned something particularly germane to what I call my “Noah Moment.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="http://www.victorycoaches.com/2014/07/27/the-game-that-can-give-you-10-extra-years-of-life/"><span style="color: #103cc0; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13.0pt;">http://www.victorycoaches.com/2014/07/27/the-game-that-can-give-you-10-extra-years-of-life/</span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> link
to Jane’s talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">As it turns out, the media tends to focus almost
exclusively on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. There is a flip side to that
coin for some people. Many studies are being done to understand the whys of the
phenomenon, but the deal is, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">some
people, when they hit rock bottom, will rise up stronger, more directed, more
connected, more giving and more grateful than previously</b>. According to
Jane, there are two distinct added bonuses, first, these people tend to adopt
behaviors that correlate with a longer and happier life and second, they have
fewer death-bed regrets. They feel they have used their lives to the fullest
possible measure. I was hooked on what she was saying, I caught a reflection of
my head nodding excitedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes! That’s
what I was talking about. I began winding and rewinding her delivery on my iPad
as Jane McGonigal described <b>the characteristics of Post Traumatic
Growth. </b>After profound events, severe or even life-ending illnesses, and
after bone-deep traumas, a certain group of people emerge in their own way, and
at their own rate with a sense that there may be a new, and conceivably,
better path available to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The Five Characteristics of Post Traumatic Growth</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> that
show up repeatedly are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> 1. A deeper commitment to
relationships and family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> 2. A belief that “if I lived
through that, I can face anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> 3. A sense that new
opportunities and people will appear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>4. A greater appreciation for life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> 5. A shift or
deepening of spiritual awareness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">The ability to experience growth is greatly
affected by having a support system. Some kind of spiritual core seems to be a
critical element to the growth, and finally, the ability to grieve and
gradually accept loss plays a part of the conversion of trauma to growth, in
the ability to move from tragedy to possibility in a healthy way. Humans, by
nature, are story-tellers. We use narratives to interpret our pasts and
to invent our futures. As I started reading up on this, I discovered that
</span><i style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;">the way </i><span style="font-size: 16pt;">that survivors invent and
tell the narratives about their life events was key to their ability to move
past the trauma or grow from it. Those individuals who could develop life
stories that confront the pain and sorrow and then convert it into a way to
cope are more likely to find a way to turn their most severe of life</span><span style="font-size: 21px;">’s</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> trials
into an avenue of growth. Individuals with a strong support system
consisting of people willing to buoy and, sometimes, gently bully, their loved
ones into taking just-one-more</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;">-step fare better than those without those
connections. Interestingly enough, it is more likely that slightly more
extraverted individuals will find their way to a path toward their personal True
North. There is still a large school of research being done to study this
entire subject. Maybe that is how I am supposed to help?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">An hour later..... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I tried to sign up to participate in a study that
is evaluating the cognitive response of individuals after trauma. It is
being run by the University of North Carolina. Unfortunately, the project was
closed when I tried to enroll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">For the time being I will try to remain open to the
possibilities coming my way, with my eye set on my True North. I will work on practicing the
values I hold most dear to the best of my ability. I will thank the friends and
family who have held my hand, brought me food, run errands, listened to me
repeat myself like a broken V8 tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will continue to spend a part of each of every day in meditation, connected to
the Greater One. I will be ready to step forth onto the path that is right for
me when that opportunity appears. Meanwhile, I will do the work I know how to
do. Write essays, treasure other people’s life stories, appreciate the
blessings in my life and always, remember the glory of the firmament. If I stay
true to My True North, it will lead me where I am called. Note to the
Universe: I am listening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">A few references</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="https://ptgi.uncc.edu/what-is-ptg/"><span style="color: #0000e9; font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">https://ptgi.uncc.edu/what-is-ptg/</span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_growth"><span style="color: #0000e9; font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_growth</span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">https://ptgi.uncc.edu/participate-in-ptg-research-online/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">http://www.posttraumaticgrowth.com/what-is-ptg/</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-20212404992183216382014-09-05T14:05:00.002-07:002014-09-05T14:05:57.082-07:00Happy Birthday from the Outermost Inn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj03AfwAOgF0OuXaVqtph-ErTSMJnmb67a5yJ8FM8TM6SPhVdYs6DcLX3VRudtHxaqu4iGmtBt7KFGmq-G4aqUpfji1UDxyQbQPbLjad6pynfF9nad7r8cpWEOzCh4fh7Ye8uyBAdibA6C/s1600/DSC02902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj03AfwAOgF0OuXaVqtph-ErTSMJnmb67a5yJ8FM8TM6SPhVdYs6DcLX3VRudtHxaqu4iGmtBt7KFGmq-G4aqUpfji1UDxyQbQPbLjad6pynfF9nad7r8cpWEOzCh4fh7Ye8uyBAdibA6C/s1600/DSC02902.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Daytime view from Aquinnah dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Today
is my birthday. I have a peculiar sense of detachment about it. I feel proud to
be able to claim another year of knowledge, discovery and survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never been a person that demands a lot
of public recognition, with streamers and party hats on the anniversary of my
birth; I do not expect a status elevating the date to the prominence of a
National Holiday. I have known people who are actually offended when their entire
birthday is not spent in tribute to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They schedule vacation days because, “they deserve them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no such sense of entitlement. On the
other end of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the spectrum, I have a
friend whose husband comes from a family of Friends that did not acknowledge
birthdays in any way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even with a
simple card or casual morning greeting kiss and a “ Happy Birthday.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My friend stood her ground when they had
children; their children had birthday celebrations, a gift or two and yes,
sometimes birthday parties. I respected her going toe to toe with him on that
score.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I
have been blessed with a rich library of birthday memories. As it turns out, the birthdays
that mean the most to me are my children’s. The days of their births are what imbued the most meaning in my life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My own date of birth became special
on my fifth birthday. My mother, father and sister, my aunt and my grandmother
were all there for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received
several books I had wanted. There was a cake with candles and I blew them all
out in one long breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surrounded
by those who loved me most, and they each had a gift for me. It was exactly
that feeling that has served as a benchmark for Happy Birthdays ever since.
When I was growing up, the birthday ritual included choosing the dinner menu
for that night. (I inevitably chose fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and a
vanilla cake with vanilla frosting).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After dinner, there were cards and a couple of modest gifts such as a
book or a dress my mother sewn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There was always talk about the year to come.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Scanning
through remarkable birthdays, the next one that jumps out at me was when my
lifetime friend threw a surprise birthday party for me on the Vineyard.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">It was the summer that I turned twelve. I had
never imagined such a thing, so my surprise was complete and utterly sincere. I
recall my initial confusion about why all these people I knew somehow appeared in her
house.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">I am embarrassed to admit that I didn</span><span style="font-size: 19px;">’t even understand it was for me until she told me! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For about
thirty-five years, my husband and I observed the tradition of a few exchanged nonsense
words that we repeated instead of Happy Birthday at the beginning of the day. At
breakfast, I opened any cards from family or friends that might have come on
the days leading up to my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Throughout the day, my parents, my sister, and my friends would often
give me call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cherished those moments
more than I can measure. It felt good to be remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After work, my husband and I – and later, our
children, -- often went out to dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would give me his card (I received a ratio of funny cards to sentimental ones 8 out of 10 years) along with a thoughtful gift of jewelry or some form of technology or maybe a gift card for clothes that I always felt was too
extravagant. My children would make me heart-rending drawings or “projects,”
many I still have. Later, when they had control of their own money, the three
of kids would, individually, or, on occasion, together, chip in, to find some ideal
gift, an object I might have oft-handedly admired during the past month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The girls seem to have a second-sense about such things. </span>My son has been particularly keen on gift
cards granting me access to his technological prowess. Truthfully, what the
children probably never know is that the biggest gift is in their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">remembering</i>. My closest friends and I
never worried much about gift exchanges being on the specific birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was never, ever, convinced that I deserved
them. They would surprise me with functional (an electric tea kettle),
extravagant (a peignoir set), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and exotic
(Italian hand-blown glass necklace).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I treasure the thought and the effort put into making a selection
it is the idea that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone thought about
me</i> that means so very much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
past few years have followed different patterns of celebration. In fact, I have
had to work a little harder than usual to celebrate. Not so much because I am
growing older, more so because my life is not unfolding in the way I had
envisioned it might. However, on each of my birthdays over the past four years,
my friends and my children have found ways to delight me and restore in me that
feeling of joyful pleasure I remember so well from my fifth birthday. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As it turns out, today has been no exception. It is a day for each of us to be reminded that we matter to others. That what we do and who we are makes a difference in their lives. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In
my lifetime, I have met several people who share my birthday. I have read
extensive mathematical models that can be used to calculate the odds of a roomful of people
sharing the same birthday. I believe that, in a room of 23 people, the odds are
better than 50% that two of them share the same birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Among my friends, there are three of us; in addition to me, there is</span> my mother’s best friend, Nan, and my best friend’s
neighbor, Michelle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Michelle called me earlier
this week to say she was thinking about our birthdays. I asked her if this was
“the big one?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Sixty!” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“What do you have planned?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“A couple of friends are
joining me for dinner. I made reservations in Aquinnah at the Outermost Inn.
Sunset is at 7:09 p.m..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will have drinks
on the lawn, then dinner at 8p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can’t think of a place I would rather be than on the furthest tip of the Island
watching the sunset on my birthday.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Aquinnah is an Island
treasure. Located near the Vineyard’s famous clay cliffs. Aquinnah is bordered
by the Vineyard Sound</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> to the north and northwest and the Atlantic Ocean to
the south and west. Sunsets are a marvel to behold from that vantage point on
the Island. The Outermost Inn serves superb meals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it is the only restaurant for fine
dining in the smallest town on the Vineyard, it rivals any three star
restaurant in New York City. Dinner is by </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">reservation
only.</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When I hung up with Michelle,
I googled the phone number for the Outermost Inn and dialed them immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reception was spotty. When I got through with
my conversation, I had given myself a birthday gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJat6RjGzZq3qz0SVdunZhpmvwgVQQMSccIad_axa1ouDSJXqu_RVMHkgoQ8AM39g1VCsgAO0UHvIyKlgVm4vh5Jwg0sK6otq9UsRSjcsDimy6QTMp0-E64Au31ATYF_lK2LYL726vGfaZ/s1600/CIMG1558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJat6RjGzZq3qz0SVdunZhpmvwgVQQMSccIad_axa1ouDSJXqu_RVMHkgoQ8AM39g1VCsgAO0UHvIyKlgVm4vh5Jwg0sK6otq9UsRSjcsDimy6QTMp0-E64Au31ATYF_lK2LYL726vGfaZ/s1600/CIMG1558.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Sunset over the Atlantic dee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When
Michelle and her guests settle into the lounge chairs for the sunset display
tonight, they will be served a bottle of Veuve Cliquot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can toast her sixty years, and,
together, keep their chairs turned westward to watch the sun slip below the
horizon. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The sweet satisfaction of having
made those arrangements was multiplied a few days ago when Michelle
called. Knowing I wouldn’t be back on
the Island for another 25 days, she offered me a room in her house for the
weekend. She wondered if I would like to
join her and her friends at the Outermost on our birthdays. Regrettably, I had
to decline because I am going to visit my daughter in Philadelphia at her new
abode. However, if astral projection is all
that it is supposed to be, I will be with them tonight. Around seven o’clock, I will plug my
headphones in and use </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt;">Hypnosis for Deep Trance Mind Travel (Healing Astral Imagery) </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsrhpqiibNAd">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsrhpqiibNAd</a> </span><span style="font-size: 19px;">to settle in beside them on an Adirondack chair. After a while, </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I expect to find myself
hovering somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean in a time continuum in which all my
birthday celebrations from the past, and and present and all the joyful
possibilities of the future exist simultaneously in one space and time continuum. Ultimately, t</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">he date and time of my birth
are not what matter, the love I hold in my heart as the sun settles below the
horizon are all that I will carry as I step boldly into a new year, no matter
the astral plane on which I find myself.</span></div>
</div>
DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-83232531184543320962014-08-30T08:44:00.000-07:002014-08-30T08:44:04.634-07:00Security is in the Mind of the Beholder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locked</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI16Vng3K3rB0W3taaevOBUdTu51Ro_Bf18CL8eYSr3bOKTabF07KOTttarmGDY4mBpw6zUxyXHEAZhUMoBluG_DeFeAtP_T4KT55oDLM10fuWhxwWgGmg62QcL77QCrtrmVGmb5AgERJt/s1600/IMG_7022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI16Vng3K3rB0W3taaevOBUdTu51Ro_Bf18CL8eYSr3bOKTabF07KOTttarmGDY4mBpw6zUxyXHEAZhUMoBluG_DeFeAtP_T4KT55oDLM10fuWhxwWgGmg62QcL77QCrtrmVGmb5AgERJt/s1600/IMG_7022.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unolcked</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I have a dear
friend who takes security of his household very seriously. Every night, since I
have known him, he would make the rounds of his considerably large house to
insure the doors were locked and the windows secured. It was a task he took
seriously. Once that was accomplished, he set the perimeter security alarm and
went to bed confident that he and his family were safe from intruders. About
two years ago, my friend had a stroke that caused his life to be turned upside
down and inside out in more ways than can be imagined. Yet, with the regularity
of the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, he persists in this
important duty, albeit from a wheelchair. He does it frequently throughout the
day as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have come to appreciate
his careful routine.</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">When I first
started living alone in my seaside condo, I was particularly conscious of
security. I intended to purchase a fire escape ladder that I might hurl off my third
floor front porch; the porch is the only form of egress other than the front
door. On the other hand, it would be difficult for intruders to invade my space
unless they entered through the front door. In terms of security risk, the
front door was fit. It consisted of a lock on the doorknob as well as a
deadbolt lock. Every night, sometime between 9:30 and 11:30pm, I would rattle
the porch handle with its frail doorknob lock. In the winter, the bedroom slider
out to the porch was particularly safe because it was encased in plastic to
preserve heat; truthfully, I neglected it. Before I vacuum-sealed the slider
behind plastic, I should have cut a wood pole to further impede any possible
intruder. I will have to do so this winter. Finally, I would turn on the hall
light, walk the eighteen feet <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or so down
the corridor to the front door, check the position of the doorknob lock - which
matched that of the porch's. If the doorknob latch bolt was laying down, it was
locked. easy to remember. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, I
engaged the deadbolt by using the thumb turn to position the bolt into the
strike on the doorframe. Such an action left me feeling safe. And secure.</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I would turn off the hall light, make my way
back to the living room, turn off the living room light and feel ready to tuck
into bed. I thought of my friend making his (much grander) evening rounds
almost every single night. It was a way to keep him in my thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">As I was moving
out of my apartment, I was fortunate to have the help of a man who was
well-versed in the mechanics of my apartment. He had taken care of similar ones
in the building when working on the property maintenance crew. I enjoyed
talking to him when our paths crossed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
knew he was from Jamaica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, I
asked him to explain something to me. We were both loaded to capacity. He had a
handcart to haul boxes to storage and I had put my more delicate things in my
wheelchair to get them from the apartment to the elevator to his truck. As we
were leaving to bring the truckload to storage, I used my keys to lock up. He
commented, ever so politely, that I was unlocking the deadbolt. The simple door
latch lock was secure, but so far as the dead bolt, with a simple twist of the
wrist, I was, apparently, unlocking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I said to him, “Are you sure I am not locking it?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In his pleasant lilting voice, he said, “Sorry,
no Mam, you’re unlocking it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I said, "No way!!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">His eyes twinkled and I could see him
struggling not to laugh. If his laughter was introduced into that moment, I
just might have cried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, his very
white teeth front and center with his beaming Jamaican smile stretching broadly
across his face. It was one of those moments that will stay with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“Are you telling me that every night, when I, a
middle-aged woman who lives alone believed that I was locking myself behind a
fortress, protected from all harm for the past year, I was unlocking the door…..in
effect, inviting anyone, EVERYONE in?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">He said, “This is the Vineyard. No Problem.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We both cracked up laughing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-31415916234558422602014-08-15T16:19:00.003-07:002014-08-15T16:25:12.650-07:00Discovering PROVIDENCE part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVzNBO3Jq7t-yw4JYMJ8KLGwambZNQPtuOGKSaTJH-98MXFvG13p_FBUC3R9yi2vfSema7K9IjbbjBpo0MWUcx1SDvb2ZfdZd0WbtGUUM-Vrq63v-Ha0vt1UNOXw71CNhV5gaMLArcMUP/s1600/IMG_7607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVzNBO3Jq7t-yw4JYMJ8KLGwambZNQPtuOGKSaTJH-98MXFvG13p_FBUC3R9yi2vfSema7K9IjbbjBpo0MWUcx1SDvb2ZfdZd0WbtGUUM-Vrq63v-Ha0vt1UNOXw71CNhV5gaMLArcMUP/s1600/IMG_7607.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Capitol View</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I had mixed emotions when I chose to relocate to
Providence for the summer.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I made the
decision because it was prudent. I am beginning to suspect that I am quite
often </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">too </i><span style="font-family: Arial;">prudent.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">However, in the interest of saving vast amounts
of money, I sublet my daughter’s studio apartment when she moved out -- and
prepared to make Providence my home for three months.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">As it turned out, it will be closer to
four.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have tried to see this as a
positive opportunity to meet new people. I have unrestricted access to theatre
and can frequent restaurants that are without compare on the Vineyard.
Providence has offered me more adventures, insights and lessons than I could
have ever have imagined.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I often recite
Robert Frost’s line that “The way out is through.” It may not be a matter of getting through my “sentence.” I am, quite literally, moving through Providence. I am getting to know the place and having fantastic experiences. Instead of despairing that I am not on my beloved Island, for the time being, I am reaping all the rewards of life in a small, New England city.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonaOqqpr88PPmqpt_v635QWQ8sTqb0CvY74XxrKBioitW4llQQOojuBXuHy4eKe8eA5N1cSN4UzlCYBF0DmKeIQjnei8HZBUxxy3opwLi-69PuEe5vIwx8GbYvq2gKsqimp3odiSA4ZED/s1600/IMG_7608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonaOqqpr88PPmqpt_v635QWQ8sTqb0CvY74XxrKBioitW4llQQOojuBXuHy4eKe8eA5N1cSN4UzlCYBF0DmKeIQjnei8HZBUxxy3opwLi-69PuEe5vIwx8GbYvq2gKsqimp3odiSA4ZED/s1600/IMG_7608.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An elaborate gargoyle in the financial district.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I first lived in Providence forty years ago.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I attended the Mary C. Wheeler School for
Girls.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was a decidedly formative
aspect in building my character.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I have
not set foot on the campus (now co-ed and called the Wheeler School) since my
return as the prodigal daughter. For reasons I cannot define, I have been
reluctant to do so. I am hoping to have a tour with a former classmate in coming weeks.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">As I reacquaint myself with the Providence I
see today, it is almost as if another city has been overlaid on the one of my
memories.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">But not quite!! As I was
meandering down one street, high above me, I caught sight of a sign with the words “THE
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL” etched into a block-size building. I stopped short and took a photo. In some inexplicable way, I felt </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">reassured. It’s kind of like going to college and coming home and finding, phew, my room is still there. All is not lost!</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is the same building, and same newspaper
that I recall. Last week, I walked by one of many indistinct downtown
fortresses that seem to just hunker down as bricks and mortar. I was
thrilled to discover a plaque affixed to the outside stating of one of these buildings that it was designed by Daniel Chester French. Daniel Chester French!! In case his work
his new to you, he is famous, among other things, for designing the Lincoln
Memorial.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I felt a particular kinship
with Mr. French because I once had quite a fabulous visit at his home and
studio, Chesterwood, in Stockbridge,MA.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard
many rumors about the budget issues here in Providence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not engage in politics here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have grown accustomed to the condition of
the side roads, the on- ramps to I-95, the many untended municipal gardens and
the incessant work that causes bogged traffic and near traffic accident misses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Providence is, as is the rest of the state, going
through some difficult times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is evident
they are working hard to restore her to her glory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Providence skyline was one of the most
recognized in early television; it was made famous by Superman.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJffSPS6DehbO3rFt-6rX_xRNidXE-8xvMSM7Pb_79osU2JMJjzgKQbawKkl7m1LcjBKihVg0agt4XJfQCbE9QlXQqoKlAPk_VSNYGNatIK-V9zd46iYhCvLGWYfUMLqiKQNCcf5_ty-w/s1600/IMG_7661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJffSPS6DehbO3rFt-6rX_xRNidXE-8xvMSM7Pb_79osU2JMJjzgKQbawKkl7m1LcjBKihVg0agt4XJfQCbE9QlXQqoKlAPk_VSNYGNatIK-V9zd46iYhCvLGWYfUMLqiKQNCcf5_ty-w/s1600/IMG_7661.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look for it...the Superman Building!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In
1941,</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">when the nation needed a hero,
Superman fit the bill. He “was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful
that a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. “Superman
appeared to leap over what residents call</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">the Super Man building; 111 Westminster Street. The Super Man Building was
constructed in 1872. Despite housing many tenants over the past 140 years, it
is virtually vacant today.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wikipedia
boasts that this 26-story building remains the 28</span><sup style="font-family: Arial;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial;"> tallest in New
England.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The vision of it on
Providence’s skyline has been a beacon reflecting the strength and vitality of
the city for as long as anyone can remember. Yet today, rumors have it that the electric service was discontinued
service because there were no tenants to pay the bills. Local leaders and
businesses took umbrage at the notion that the summit of the Superman Building
was not being illuminated. The proverbial hat was passed to to raise enough
money to pay for the iconic building to have its evening lights switched “ON.” The Super Man
Building may be more façade than substance in Providence these days, but it
still projects an image of strength and steadfast hope. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Since
I have moved to Providence, every single time I walk out of the lobby of my
building, I find myself stepping into some kind of adventure. Without exception, these
adventures, have lifted my spirits and imbued me with renewed interest in this city that I had filed in the back recesses of my memories. For instance, a few weeks
ago, </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was among the mall-shoppers who
were asked to leave the Providence Place Mall due to a possible bomb threat.
That was a new one for me! Actually, I was able to witness just how alarmingly poorly
the mall personnel and security guards were prepared if that had been a real emergency. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">After a 45 minute wait,
people had their wallets at the ready and the doors were reopened. Word on the street was that Nordstrom did not allow their employees to evacuate because there had been an alarm the prior week when a vehicle caught on fire in the parking garage. Personally, I was tired from the commotion and walked home.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdKY4nXKrlmkmuWKc7EkTfbGWC9FJFS9mP6ZLN6_ZCFb9mM82rXNgMVi70NRPURa9CV8gblZvMHo2zTHBzdcNO5gs7FDS21TP0Nrjgdd4p4mIEzOZDZMumurhAlfdrEgqNWp5Jyrdikci/s1600/IMG_7619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdKY4nXKrlmkmuWKc7EkTfbGWC9FJFS9mP6ZLN6_ZCFb9mM82rXNgMVi70NRPURa9CV8gblZvMHo2zTHBzdcNO5gs7FDS21TP0Nrjgdd4p4mIEzOZDZMumurhAlfdrEgqNWp5Jyrdikci/s1600/IMG_7619.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seekonk River</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I
have spent hours walking along the canals, poking sticks and skipping
stones on the Seekonk River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
mystified how a city this small can have so many unheralded treasures and small troves
of pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, I am not looking for
them. Just a couple of weeks ago, I hoped to buy a used book from the Providence
Library that is next door to my apartment complex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I inadvertently wandered into the
Rhode Island Independent Expo in Publishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I stepped inside of the vestibule and out of the drizzling rain, I
was oddly disoriented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four polite young
men were seated at a long table on folding chairs, handing out brochures and
accepting donations. I was utterly confused why there was a marble lobby <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- from which I could glimpse a large marble
room -- filled with people sporting colorfully decorated hair in red, purple, orange, gold
and black. Their hair, in fact, seemed to serve as an accessory to their
tattoos and expressive clothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
than 75 artisans of comics and cartoons and manga hawked their wares. . (Trust
me, I had to go to <a href="http://www.mangapanda.com/">www.mangapanda.com</a>
to unearth the meaning and market of manga. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6UkdsytK7vU2NtRtCwj5l12TfycE1UxasRMEzS1BbAIZ_AOkvUnN9YtRx7C3HcTPLT7BlhjS1BYzsx1Bry1M2J0yFP4xB-6GTSF5g7ODtRjjKVgdI0hyphenhyphenrYfIPAFmuDwzqswseHN1oYpI/s1600/IMG_7551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6UkdsytK7vU2NtRtCwj5l12TfycE1UxasRMEzS1BbAIZ_AOkvUnN9YtRx7C3HcTPLT7BlhjS1BYzsx1Bry1M2J0yFP4xB-6GTSF5g7ODtRjjKVgdI0hyphenhyphenrYfIPAFmuDwzqswseHN1oYpI/s1600/IMG_7551.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I missed the signage upon entering the Providence Public Library.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">“<b>Manga</b> is the
Japanese comics with a unique story line and style. In Japan, people of all
ages <b>read manga</b>; <b>manga</b> does not target younger audiences like
american comics”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Apparently I looked
sufficiently out of place in my black raincoat, black slacks and red rain boots
that I might have needed help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually, I found an elevator to the first floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, I found myself wending through the
stacks. A sense of déjà vu stopped me in my tracks because I had been equally
as lost in the Providence Library stacks when I was seventeen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to abandon my idea of buying some
used books. (My own stack of books continue to suffer the sad effects of being dropped too frequently
in bath water as my nighttime muscle spasms subside only when I am immersed in nearly scalding water. At last, sleep tickles me, my hand drops and dip, there goes another book. That is a topic for another posting.) Back to the Providence Library....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When I located a wide,
winding staircase, I descended feeling a bit like Charlotte in </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Gone with the Wind</i><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I headed toward a sign for </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Reference</i><span style="font-family: Arial;">. I thought I saw motion. As in a person? “Excuse me,” I called out as I kept an eye on the slippery marble floor; it is difficult to appear</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">graceful though clinging to the hand
rail. My cane slid every time I planted it on the marble floor. I was awestruck
by what seemed to be a set of helix stairs, but I didn’t dare look up to take it all in. Falling would not be cool. I saw a bookish woman, but I didn’t want to frighten her where she stood at the Reference desk.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Excuse me?” I
repeated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bookish woman, my age, jumped slightly. I could see doing that myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“I seem to be lost?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With a perfectly balanced
tone of irritation and distrust, she asked, “Where did you come from?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">That particular question
always throws me for a loop.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was
sputtering something about the apartments next door, Martha’s Vineyard, Broad
Street, an elevator and my parents’ love for each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“I don’t know if you realize
it, but we are closed.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I apologized
profusely for disturbing her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
explained I was simply in search of used books for sale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Before she could further
castigate me for my marked ignorance, we heard the voice of a man as he came
from somewhere behind me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">“It’s all right, I will see
her out. ”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling a little like I was
taking the walk of shame, I followed him to an elevator that took me straight
back up to the manga artists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was
leaving, the newest crop of volunteers that were installed at the welcome desk
wished me a good day and said they hoped I had enjoyed myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqs19DtUGQKUnJk7zIXth-GRb6dzfsmHe63UWbMzftSHw5KOkEh4jsyhRrTV867O_8TeLlrYh3Hc6noFXBBTdQgH7KYbaN2QWWJJP6IYJhYKyOqNxAi-YZDpmk-AtP6NFtnh5o-J5oLn1/s1600/IMG_7536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqs19DtUGQKUnJk7zIXth-GRb6dzfsmHe63UWbMzftSHw5KOkEh4jsyhRrTV867O_8TeLlrYh3Hc6noFXBBTdQgH7KYbaN2QWWJJP6IYJhYKyOqNxAi-YZDpmk-AtP6NFtnh5o-J5oLn1/s1600/IMG_7536.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unexpected parade with Celtic band.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> Barely having recovered from that diversion, I
stepped outside into a parade of about 800 people. The men wore charcoal
slacks, white shirts and blue blazers with a tie of their own choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most women were dressed in beautiful salwar
kameez; the likes of which I have never seen except in a museum or in a
Bollywood movie. An important spiritual leader for the group was being welcomed
and his followers were having a parade in his honor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It took me thirty minutes to figure it out. Sort of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMG32HALJvjoiwiwc0V2-Q9WKU5jB3nMXmZzOiRCXoqFU7WI5t9xj8wLghctaQMsw2ekjd8Pvq6S_cmna9e3FOa383z48foom3uJF2ydE5hsxzXG999PCxTe9qGpr3ouCCYphd6BpuCQQ/s1600/IMG_7543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMG32HALJvjoiwiwc0V2-Q9WKU5jB3nMXmZzOiRCXoqFU7WI5t9xj8wLghctaQMsw2ekjd8Pvq6S_cmna9e3FOa383z48foom3uJF2ydE5hsxzXG999PCxTe9qGpr3ouCCYphd6BpuCQQ/s1600/IMG_7543.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flag reads, “Harmony in Oneness.”</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I thought it was something
of a musical malaprop that a small Celtic bagpipe band led the Eastern practitioners’ parade
down the street. (check out a really fun version, thought totally different, on YouTube <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_702022094"> </a></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVc2s0_68c">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eVc2s0_68c</a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> ) </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The people were so kind
and harmonious toward me and each other, it felt a little otherworldly.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">At one point, I noticed there seemed to be a
lot of balloons. Suddenly, the sky was thick with them.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Political correctness, pigeons and jet
engines be damned, these balloon were going to take flight. Hundreds of balloons were
released. It was only when I was at some distance from the entire parade that I
could discern that the balloons were fashioned as doves of peace, rising en masse,
over the city of Providence.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Up, up, and
over the tallest buildings…..bearing the promise of harmony.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It’s true; hope floats.</td></tr>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5007434815597700986.post-77498094092630105292014-08-10T17:54:00.001-07:002014-08-10T17:54:13.300-07:00Downsizing 101: Skills Inventory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Downsizing 101: A Self-Inventory of Skills<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk98Yr0OHtUzDqXCg7RVBx0MMiy-qeQUzjKP8Sd3g9-quH6wAdnf13e9MMRO5JlWo4VnAM8ijT8XdUVbxnqUsJERvctz0Qxzq42uJuQe8Fhg6G2kwwAPLcJjNu1bkpD_8KOsG4mp4_uVe7/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk98Yr0OHtUzDqXCg7RVBx0MMiy-qeQUzjKP8Sd3g9-quH6wAdnf13e9MMRO5JlWo4VnAM8ijT8XdUVbxnqUsJERvctz0Qxzq42uJuQe8Fhg6G2kwwAPLcJjNu1bkpD_8KOsG4mp4_uVe7/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new job?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the
past ten years or so, I have had numerous friends who have been caught in
corporate downsizing, reconfiguration and possibly, wrongful termination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have all been over the age of 50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part, their former employers
made available to them outplacement services that included an office to go to
each morning, secretarial help for all those letters and resumes, and important
messages swamping their voice mailboxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For six months or one year, their jobs are to find a new employer. Then
their clients had better have found a job, started a business or opened a
little B & B somewhere in the Caribbean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The golden parachute was neatly folded up and put away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of the work the placement firm does on
behalf of the severed employee is an extensive skills inventory. Counseling is
available as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I
started thinking about it. In May, 2013, my youngest child graduated from high
school and headed for places rich in possibility and promise. In May, 2014, my
youngest daughter graduated from college; in less than three weeks, she had a
desk on Madison Ave. working in her chosen profession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In June, 2014, my oldest daughter relocated
to Philadelphia to begin work on her doctorate in Psychology. The fact is my
job has been down-sized. My career for twenty-four years has been to raise three
children who are independent, self-reliant and invested in pursuing dreams
consistent with their unique skills. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
believe that has been accomplished. My children let me know how much they
appreciate what I have done for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
tell me weekly, in fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, they
all agree that it’s time for me to work strictly as a consultant in that capacity – at least,
for the time being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of them has
inventoried my various skills and encouraged me to work on my resume because it
holds such promise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In their own ways,
they urged me to overlook the obvious limitations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
downside: I am not the most energetic, mobile or predictable worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not travel without some careful planning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doctor’s appointments take precedence over
most other meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitting and pain
are synonymous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Moving and pain are synonymous. </span>I am extremely impaired
when it comes to making multiple copies on a copier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I actually have a certain Fed. Ex. employee
that would be willing to attest to this!) Okay, so much for full disclosure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">On the upside:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I make really <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">good
chocolate chip cookies</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">organized</b>
and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">diligent</b> about completing a
task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have reawakened my dormant “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Relocation Goddess</b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved
11 times in 13 years when I was growing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since October, I will have moved four times in one year. A not-too-minor
subset of that skill is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">resiliency.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">au courant on
media</b> drivel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, I am a
skilled surfer on most of what NetFlix offers. I am not parochial about
television. How can I be a snob and still love “Orange is the New Black?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> loyal</b> to a
fault.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I seem to maintain a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sense
of humor</b> in the face of unlikely odds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am exceptionally <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">good
at removing stains </b>of all sorts. Including, gum, grease and blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">care deeply</b>
about people and their lives. They matter. Every single one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">see magic</b> in
everyday moments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">creative</b>
across many mediums. Who would have thunk? Sing-along anyone?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I can <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">write</b> in a
way that represents my thoughts fairly well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I can <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">frame</b> a
photo and have the patience to wait to shoot it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">good at managing
a reality</b> that includes persistent physical pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">dedicated
student</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of life and of love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have learned to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">use
the computer</b> to my best interest. Doing so has given me new freedom. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I have
become something of a <b>techno-geek</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
leaned back and looked at my self-inventory, it struck me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently, entering this next phase of life,
unbridled to my children’s daily needs has not led to my downsizing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, it has provided me with a magnificent
opportunity to spread my wings. It is as if I am standing on the edge of the
Grand Canyon. It stretches out before me in all of its glory. I am coiled, at the exact
moment <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">before</i> taking the leap. I am
poised, filled with intention, certain of the knowledge that I have all that I
need to do to step off and begin my flight.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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DawnEliseEvanshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13553564242388403505noreply@blogger.com2