Saturday, October 19, 2013

Moved to a new blog address!


If you haven't listened to the radio spot yet, it is actually a pretty awesome show. Beth (the creator of the original idea - Living Chapters) is interviewed on Baltimore's The Signal. I am featured in the last 2 1/2 minutes.

Changed up the blog as Beth agreed it could now be public. It's much prettier and I think easier to navigate for a reader. Also, if you hit the follow button at the end of page (for real this time), it will email you whenever someone writes on the page. Making it easier to keep up, if you so desire.

 

Love and Dancing for Me Always Go Together


As I ponder Love this month via Paige, Bob, and myself,  I am really feeling a shift of what Love is for me and its void in the way of a partner for so many years. But I also feel how big my love is for so many other people: my family, my dear friends - KC, Balt, NY, and more, my students, my coworkers, and more. I also have felt my love of things I enjoy so much: dance, biking, reading, exploring via orienteering and anthropologizing, meeting new people, water, and ice cream and Beyonce - see the travel entry :)
Well, I have found a new love these past 6 months and that is my niece Lily. I have two other lovelies - one nephew Ben and one niece/godchild Maggie-who is on fire! Lily was born with Down syndrome and because of that has provided so much opportunity and love for our family, along with some new unexpected challenges. This month is Down syndrome awareness month and my sister is anti-posting photos of her beloved on social media, which I respect. But this arrived today in my inbox, and boy did it cry out love.  I hope you enjoy.
http://5boysand1girlmake6.com/down-syndrome/the-little-dancer/

Travel Inspiration and Suggestions-Travel Visionary: Kristina


Anyone who has been lucky enough to know Shannon, loves Shannon. She is a kind soul, has a tremendous heart, and is one of the most passionate people I know. So in honor of Shannon, I have planned a year of (hopefully fun) activities to pay homage to her being, to challenge herself, and to help regain trust in herself and the larger process.

I propose a year of travel, adventure, creativity, discovery (and of course ice cream!). While it is no secret that education is not the most lucrative career, I maintain visiting and experiencing at least one new and different landmark per month. I have purposefully made this itinerary budget-friendly. Some items are vague and up for interpretation and exploration while others are purposefully specific. This “itinerary” should be viewed as a guide, rather than a regimented schedule.

I encourage those living near and far to accompany Shannon in her year of travel and discovery. And I (perhaps selfishly) hope this journey will lead her back to Baltimore for a visit. Embrace the present, your surroundings, and your being to the fullest. Enjoy the process and good luck!

OCTOBER
Location: Boise
Mission: To seek out beauty in a new destination

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind (Seneca). Shannon and I have been discussing the idea of travelling this December. She had suggested the idea of taking a big trip – something international – and I couldn’t be more delighted when she proposed Italy (although I have not yet been, I have read Eat, Pray, Love, which clearly makes me a resident expert in the subject). After all, who does not like wine, art, architecture, and gorgeous men?

While planning a trip to a beautiful country, with a beautiful culture, and beautiful people, I suggest musing over the escape in a similarly beautiful place. Find a field of sunflowers. Witness the beauty. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale slowly. Envision three to five people who you would enjoy accompanying you on the trip. (Suggestion: These are people who you could spend ten hours on a train with without having to fight the urge to throw yourself from the moving vehicle.) By the October 20th, contact these friends and gauge their interest and ability to embark in an Italian getaway in December (here forth known as the Big Italian Adventure or BIA). By the end of the month, you should have at least one person committed to the BIA and begin preliminary research to narrow down your departure date and arrival location as well as your return flight.

Due Dates:
·       By October 20th, ensure that your passport is up to date
·       By October 20th, contact three to five friends who may be interested in the BIA
·       By October 31st, have one person committed to BIA
By October 31st, narrow flight details and begin to plan itinerary

NOVEMBER
Location: Maryland
Mission: To reflect upon and embrace your past

November is the month of giving thanks and remembering and appreciating those things we so often take for granted in our daily lives. It is also a time to spend the holiday with those we love. This month, I encourage you to reflect daily on those items that you are thankful for. You can write out this list, create a journal entry, post it on Facebook, or even just say it aloud. The list may include such things as: Fat Tire, Yoga, Laughter, Friends and Family, Books, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Kermit… (If these sound familiar, it’s because I stole them from Shannon’s 2012 list!)




This season of giving thanks, we Baltimoreans are grateful and lucky enough to have Shannon spend the holiday in Maryland. (I look forward to catch uping over beer and a dimly-lit dive bar!)


Ice Cream Stop: While you are in town, be sure to stop along the Historic National Road at year-old You Scream Ice Cream in Catonsville and indulge in an old-fashioned banana split and soda pop. Alternatively (or in addition), you might pit stop at Broom’s Bloom Dairy in Bel Air.

Due Dates:
·       By November 10th, book flight to Baltimore
·       By November 15th, contact and confirm plans with Baltimorean friends
·       By November 30th, read and reflect on Watermark by Joseph Brodsky (a prose about Venice in winter) that will hopefully inspire and excite your about your upcoming trip
Continue to work on the BIA itinerary throughout November

DECEMBER
Location: Italy (2 Weeks)
Mission: To embark on a new journey in a new country (and meet handsome strangers)




This month is all about learning, indulging, and experiencing. This month, you will travel to … (Drum roll, please!) … Venice, Italy! Conratulations, you will be receiving a brand-new passport cover in the mail to begin your journey. This is your trip to get exactly what you from it. I have created a vague, work-in-process “to do” list. (Note Kristina’s caveat: I have not been to Italy so I am basing my recommendations from the trusty internet. You can always believe what you read online, right?)
1.     Drink copious amounts of wine al fresco.
2.     Eat enough mozzarella and freshly baked bread for the year.
3.     Flirt shamelessly with strangers you will never see again (this is where your Italian will come in handy!) ;)
4.     Be serenaded on a gondola ride.
5.     Take a vaporetto to the Island of Murano (historic glass making) and Burano (colorful painted homes).
6.     Have coffee in Piazza San Marco.
7.     Cross the Bridge of Sighs at the Doge Palace.
8.     Pause at the top of the Rialto Bridge and admire the turquoise water of the Grand Canal.
9.     Avoid pickpocketers.
10.  Keep a journal and write in it every day while traveling. Your entries need not to be lengthy, it could be a lyric from a new song you discovered or a quote on a coffeehouse wall.

I encourage friends and family to chime in with suggestions!

Ice Cream Stop:
According to trusty Trip Advisor, most Venetians agree that some of the city’s best gelato is served in Boutique del Gelato, a tiny outlet on busy salizzada San Lio. Apparently you must be patient though because there’s always a huge crowd waiting to be served. Alternatively, you can stop in at Alaska Gelateria-Sorbetteria where they are passionate about making ice-cream and experimenting with new, exotic flavours such as artichoke, fennel, asparagus or ginger.

Due Dates:
·       By December 5th, check out a book on Italian from your local library and attempt to learn basic Italian phrases in preparation for the BIA
·       By December 5th, download to Rick Steve’s free audio on your smart phone
By December 31st, share stories of your BIA with your friends on Open Book and beyond (be sure to include photos!) 

JANUARY
Location: Idaho
Mission: Explore your adventurous side, your way!

Choose your adventure! Activity suggestions include:
·       Hit the slopes at Sun Valley, Grand Targhee or Schweitzer
·       Host and participate for a Polar Bear Plunge-esque  in the Lake Cascade (pending you do not develop hypothermia)
·       Challenge your friends to a snow ball fight (can defer to February should there be no snow yet)
·       Partake in a flashmob (particularly if you can manage to videotape and share with friends!)
·       Do yoga in a public space and offer passerbyers a to join you

Due Dates:
By January 1st, choose a New Year, New Destination for August. Can be a new town, city, state. Pick a place or activity you have been itching to try. Put it on the calendar for August and stick to it.

FEBRUARY
Location: TBD
Mission: Discover a place to create, be inspired, and to trust your being

Trust your instincts. Find a place where you are at peace with your mind and heart. Choose your instrument: paint, collage, journal, pencil… Then create. Make something beautiful and true. Enjoy the process. Believe in it.

Due Dates:
By February 20th, purchase flight to return to Missouri (if you are not planning to drive) 

MARCH
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Mission: Embrace and find comfort in family, past, learn to let go

Over Spring Break, return home to Kansas City and spend time with your family. Enjoy your time with your sister and niece Lily in particular. Offer to babysit so your sister can take the evening off. Introduce your niece to the best ice cream that Missouri has to offer: Ted Drewes. Buy a frozen custard milkshake. (Sharing is not required.) Spoil Lily rotten. Become Lily’s favorite auntie.

Ice Cream Stop:
Ted Drewes for their infamous “concrete” frozen custard milkshake. Sharing not required.

Due Dates:
By the end of the month, begin planning trip to Seattle to visit friends.

APRIL
Location: Idaho
Mission: Celebrate April weirdness!

April is known for a lot of random, amazing, and largely unknown things. So for this month, I challenge you to celebrate at least one that excites your spirit:
·       National Poety Month
·       April Fool’s Day
·       Earth Day
·       Record Store Day
·       Jazz Appreciation Month

Celebrate however you would like, with whomever you would like. Don’t think too much – just be present and enjoy!

Due Dates:
By April 10th, book flight to Seattle (or investigate driving directions if you plan to drive)

MAY
Location: Seattle
Mission: Embrace and love your friends

Enjoy life on the West Coast. Go for a hike. Go kayaking. Meditate. Do yoga. Drink lots of coffee. Go to Pike’s Place. Visit a museum or two. Be a Rockstar at Experience Music Project. Make friends with strangers. Dance in the rain (even if it’s not raining).

Due Dates:
·       By May 15th, recruit friends to go on Road Trip
By May 31st, begin to plan itinerary for Road Trip

JUNE
Location: TBD
Mission: To let your hair down, dance with no regard, and sing your favorite Beyoncé songs

School’s officially out! It is time to celebrate! I propose a Road Trip of some sort. The destination is up to you. Plan it out or, alternatively, just grab a bag of clothes and see where the road takes you. And since we all know you are a bit Beyoncé-challenged (and because we love you), we will allow you to indulge in your peculiar, border-line obsession with her. Therefore, this Road Trip requires hours of Beyoncé karaoke in the car (my apologies in advance to those who join her on the Road Trip).  A little Who Run the World? I think so. If you have a friend with a convertible, I suggest you invite them along (if you do not, try to make a friend with a convertible prior to the trip.) Decorating the car in brightly colored window markers is mandatory. I recommend writing at least one “Honk if you love [fill in the blank]!”

Due Dates:
By June 5th, create several Road Trip 2014 Mix CDs (lots of Beyoncé required)

JULY
Location: Boise, Idaho
Mission: To enjoy new friends, new music, and your (somewhat) new city

Take all your new (and perhaps not-so-new) Boise-an friends to the Boise Music Festival and enjoy the sun, music, food, and people. Dance. Laugh. Be.

Ice Cream Stop: Perhaps a new (or existing) favorite: Delsa's Homemade Ice Cream in Boise. Try the unusual flavors such as huckleberry and Swiss orange chip.

Due Dates:
·       No homework!
 

AUGUST
Location: Idaho or TBD
Mission: To do something for you and to be at peace with your mind, heart, and spirit

Rewind to January. Did your resolution include a new desination for August? If so, make it happen. If you have not nailed down a plan, then do it now. Want to take Kermit for a day-long kayak trip? Feel the itch to (temporarily) go off the grid? Do you have the desire to sign up for a triathlon? Lay in a field of sunflowers? Whatever the urge is, do it! Make the last month of summer about you and love the time you spend alone as well with friends. Make it count.

Due Dates:
By the end of the month, figure out if you are able to make the trip to Telluride in September. If so, determine logistics of transportation and lodging.

SEPTEMBER
Location: Telluride, Colorado
Mission: End the Year of Travel and Discovery with as much beer-drinking and fun-having as you can

Embrace your inner hippie (throw back to Candice) and the spirit of music and soul at the Telluride Brews and Blues Festival. Eat a bunch of granola. Dance wildly. Wear tie-dye and hemp. Add wildflowers to your hair. Recite some Allen Ginsberg. Reread your favorite Kerouac book. Put down Beyonce (for the day) and listen to Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Cream, The Beatles, The Stones, The Doors, The Dead, Arlo Guthrie, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Floyd…  Use the terms “far out,” “you dig?” and “total bummer.” Should you need more help to embrace the hippiedom experience, look no farther than Wikihow. Let your freak flag fly!



Due Dates:
It is your turn. Begin planning your next big trip. Good luck! 

Friday, October 18, 2013

Where there is love, there is music.

Our Maestro brings us back to music to soothe and inspire the soul...and the heart. My heart is lucky.

OCTOBER's Soundtrack - In hopes to make Open Book more interactive, feel free to share if any of these songs help you remember and embrace the glory of love. Isn't music's power amazing? As Bob, our wild card has me pondering: the thought of the void of love reminds you of its existing presence. The gift of these songs is an example for me, as well as my chapter writer, wild card, and travel visionary's entries.

"I Found a Reason"-Velvet Underground  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2_2Z2u74Tk
"If Not For You"-Bob Dylan  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ryp7QcJ5oA
"California Stars"-Wilco and Billy Bragg (Woody Gutherie)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxzMbAMO73k
"Ginger Snaps"-Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb88fAHuI58
"Polyester Bride"-Liz Phair  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CztbGlpPizs
"Walls"-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM34We1Xkk0
"How We Love"-Ingrid Michaelson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6DSMnnAJXE


"Mad Mission"- Patty Griffin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihF8rpeJAQ4
"All I Want"- Joni Mitchell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq2jhs19_V8
"Murder in the City" - The Avett Brothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbW08aKDoQ4
"Passionate Kisses" - Lucinda Williams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXDntCyj7xs
"Last Night of the World" - Bruce Cockburn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02TUsZzF6es
"Emmylou" - First Aid Kit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC57z-oDPLs
"Open Window" - Sarah Harmer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWCRnoXmykc
"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" - Talking Headshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HldHtBxNK6k
"Such Great Heights" - Postal Service http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wrsZog8qXg
"At My Most Beautiful" - REM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXs66BPooY
"The Only Story I Tell" - The Silos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkJHb-YT1E
"Northern Sky" - Nick Drake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3jCFeCtSjk
"Eyes So Strong and Clean" - Caleb Stine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LIDQzdQA94
"Heart of the Matter" - India Arie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJb_Sq7_jjo
"Are You Tired of Me My Darling?" - Nancy Griffithhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDzvcuqzpus
"Joy to You Baby" - Josh Ritter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV7mki8GhYA