My Namesake

Today is Emily Dickinson's birthday. My namesake.  There's a pair of us, you know, as we are both children of December and kindred spirits to boot. She was a homebody that was full of a fiery, crazy passion pent up and only unleashed on the page.  Not unlike myself. Well, with the exception that I have yet to write/publish poetry that will be published posthumously and become world renown. There is, however, still time.


Image found here.

Harry

As a freshman in high school, I was having a difficult time in my Physics class. And then, to top it off, the only extra credit questions on our tests were based on a new book series about witches and wizards and a school with a disgusting-sounding name - Hogwarts?! I resented my teacher putting these questions on the test because it was unfair advantage. So I protested for the first two tests. But I needed those extra credit points. So one Saturday, I went to Bookland (a now closed independent bookstore in Brunswick, Maine) and picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  I'll never forget the feeling of reading that first chapter. It grabbed me. Hook, line, and sinker. It was like when Harry was sucked into Tom Riddle's diary. Only this kind of literary gravity was good.

High school was not an easy time for me (as I am sure it was not for many) and the Harry Potter series became a place of escape.  A safe, accepting haven. The characters felt like friends, family even. And I, as I am sure many girls did, identified with Hermione Granger, from the bushy brown hair to her affinity for books and scholastic excellence.  For every book launch (except the last one), I dressed up as Hermione for the release party at a local independent bookstore where I worked during high school and college. For The Order of the Phoenix, we even created a sorting hat and made House badges for kids (and adults) to be sorted into Houses.  For The Half Blood Prince, my coworker, Jim, the spitting image of Ollivander, dressed up like the wandmaker and whittled wands for all the bookstore staff. Mine was cherry and filled with sand from Egypt. I still have it to this day.

The first film came out during my junior year in high school. I remember the thrill of hearing those first notes of John Williams' classic soundtrack (hands down the superior composer of the series). I had friends who refused, still refuse, to see the movies because they wanted to preserve their original image of the characters. I was worried about that myself, but have long learned to separate them.  I thought the films were impeccably made and the three of them - Dan, Emma, and Rupert - I've loved watching them grow up.

I saw the fourth film in England. The coolest. I brushed by Rupert Grint at customs in Heathrow. I visited many of the locations across England (including Oxford University) used for the films.

I kept every ticket stub from every film.

I planned my latest Maine trip around the fact that I wanted to see the final film with my family. It's tradition. Seeing this last film (yes, I saw it twice last week), I found myself choked with the sentiment of how much this story - books and films - has meant to my life. And as for the final scene, with the return of John Williams' music, forget it. I was a goner. Tears, choked up, wrought with the shear power of this world and the indelible mark it has had on my experience.

So as others have lately written, thank you, Ms. Rowling, for delivering such magic and the belief in ourselves to express the worlds we create every day in our minds. And for allowing us to believe that these worlds are indeed real and valuable and might be enjoyed by millions if we only take that first step of putting pen to paper.

Woman Making the World Better

This week, TED put together a collection of their talks revolving around women's roles in the world.  I love the idea of TED - some of the smartest, most compassionate people spreading their message in 20 minute videos.  My mind is on somewhat of a rampage these days as it tries to figure out its purpose in the hopes that the final result will be meaningful to something bigger than myself. Below are some of my favorite talks, given by passionate women who are making the world a better place.





Sheryl WuDunn, co-author of Half the Sky (with husband Nicholas Kristof), takes about how half the world's women are missing due to discrimination in many cultures. She cites examples of how several women have overcome the prejudice of their society to see success and happiness. She also points out the importance of giving to something bigger than yourself - the responsibility to think in a global context.




Emily Pilloton is a graphic designer who founded Project H Design, a nonprofit design firm that helps people who might not normally have access to design services. Since becoming more involved in the design world, through blogging, I have often wondered how to mesh the beauty of a design technique with a humanitarian cause. Emily has done just this in the North Carolina. In impoverished, fading Bertie County, Emily and her partner Matt incorporated design elements into languishing schools, which has produced happier, more successful students. They have also worked with the county to design a message and look that will engage the community more and hopefully boost productivity and development in the area. She's doing good work and seeing the benefits as the result of her labors. An intriguing case study for the creative, compassionate soul.



Kavita Ramdas of The Global Fund for Women talks about providing aid to women, while also keeping in mind the traditions of their culture. This is crucial to any aid or humanitarian intervention. Paul Farmer knows this. James Orbinski (author of An Imperfect Offering - such a good read about humanitarian intervention) understands. And yet, so many aid organizations offer without any consideration of the cultural context. Ramdas does a good job of touching on this and sharing some poignant stories.



And then there's Jane Goodall. The woman was a secretary in England who was always passionate about chimpanzees. So, on the advice of a friend, she telephoned the Kenyon paleontologist Louis Leakey to set up an appointment to discuss his research.  Leakey was planning to study chimpanzees and great apes so he hired Jane as a secretary and later sent her to Tanzania. The rest is history. Jane is just charming in this video - intelligent, humble, and informative. A must-watch.

Adjusting Her Sails

"She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, which it certainly did not, she adjusted her sails." 


~ Elizabeth Edwards

Happy Days

I am sure that many people experienced the glory that was the latest Glee episode, "Duets." The show is so surprising because it can be offtrack (no more theme episodes, please) and then all of the sudden turn up a slam dunk like the past two episodes, "Grilled Cheezus" and "Duets." What makes them so inspiring and endearingly watchable is that Glee has become an important television show in terms of its message that it is okay to sing your heart out and praise who you are (read: follow your passions). Most people watch television and relate to what happens on the screen, so why not have a show to which kids and individuals struggling with their identity can relate?

As Entertainment Weekly's Tim Stack said, Kurt is the most important character on television right now because people can see him struggling against the prejudice and overcoming the bigotry and ignorance the sadly exists in our culture. Bullying is a huge topic in our national debate right now and rightly so. As a fellow victim of bullying, I know what it's like to feel completely wrong and worthless due to peer taunting. So I applaud the writers of Glee for taking on the topic of bullying and showing the triumphant resilience of Kurt (and to a lesser extent, the other characters in New Directions).

The good news is that darker times lead to light and when in the light, one appreciates it all the more for the knowledge of the dark. I must admit to tearing up with the last duet of the recent episode - the cover of Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland's rendition of Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again. I could not find the Glee version to post, but I did locate the original, which is pretty darn good. If you are struggling, happy days are around the corner, my friends. Take heart.

A Woman's View of Afghanistan

The evening before the ninth anniversary of September 11th,  I attended a talk given by American photojournalist, Paula Lerner, who discussed the lives of Afghan women today. Lerner has collaborated with The Globe and Mail's (an excellent news source) Jessica Leeder to produce a series of multimedia presentations called Behind the Veil, a look into the experience of being a women in Afghanistan.  I highly recommend checking out all the website has to offer: vibrant interviews and on-the-ground knowledge of the current Afghan situation from the view of the women, who I believe are the most affected by the strife currently plaguing a country that has so captivated the Western world.

During her talk, Lerner spoke about her travels to Afghanistan and what it is like to be an American female freelance journalist reporting from one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Things I learned/realized from this talk:

• Due to Islamic customs, Afghan women are not allowed to be in the presence of men who are not their family members, therefore male journalists cannot report the stories of these women. Therefore, it is only the female journalist who can tell the story of the Afghan woman, which signifies the incredible importance of training intelligent, compassionate female journalists and sending them safely to places such as Afghanistan to tell the underreported stories of groups whose story might be missed due to local laws and mores.
• Security is at an all-time low in Afghanistan - the epicenter of danger residing in Kandahar. Kabul is relatively safer place, so Lerner has done most of her reporting there. The fact that the Behind the Veil takes place in Kandahar makes it all the more fascinating that a Western female journalist was able to report these stories of women who were brave enough to risk their lives for the interview.
• Despite the strict Sharia customs, Afghan women have found ways to make a living, mostly by sewing or beekeeping, both of which can be done at home and do not cut into the industries of men. An example of this is Kandahar Treasure, a soon-to-be online marketplace that sells the wares of Afghan women working to support their families. Their income means protection for themselves and also for their daughters. Young girls are married off when their family needs money. Additional income earned by Afghan women mean that Afghan daughters may have more time to be little girls. 

Much of the conversation after Lerner's talk centered around gender issues, and many people decried the chauvinistic, oppressive nature of Afghan men. On this point, I take issue about the often superficial level of criticism. I do not believe that berating the male gender will solve any problem (in fact, it may exacerbate the issue). Most areas in Afghanistan where Sharia law is strictly enforced are controlled by the Taliban, a select group of male extremists who instill fear through display of menace and force. An entire group should not be condemned for the actions of a few members. In fact, many Afghan men support the liberation and rights of women but might be killed if they voiced/showed their opinions too loudly. The situation for Afghan women is not black and white but rather a rare grey color not unlike the veil worn by a Kandahari woman as she discreetly makes her way down the street.

Photo credit: Paula Lerner 

A Capitol Life

Pounding the pavement in Washington, DC meant a lot of knocking on doors, meetings and greetings with friends of friends, and toting my life around a sultry city for nine days. I have never been so glad for free wireless and an glass of iced tea. I rode all the lines of the Metro, spreading my wings and experiencing the city from all points (and by city, I also mean Maryland and Virginia as well). I end this journey with a few possible leads and the chance that I could be returning in about a week to live permanently.

Living in this city has been on my mind for the past three years, and now it could actually happen. A surreal thought. When a dream crosses over to a probable reality, you almost don't know what to do. And I think about missing my family and so many of my Boston friends, but I also have many friends in DC and the chance to pursue a career that I have always wanted. And so I jump. And hope that I can finally catch that brass ring.

In the midst of this job business, I found some lovely aspects to the city, which made me want to move all the more.

The first lady of song's dress at the Smithsonian

Children from all over the world playing under immortal words

One of many stately homes in Capitol Hill (near Eastern Market)

A "tree" in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art

Our bill at Firefly, a delightful brunch place in the heart of bustling Dupont Circle

All images taken by my iPhone camera and processed through the application, ShakeItPhoto.

Character Icon: Madeleine Albright

So I find myself in Washington trying to figure out how to make a career work down here. It certainly is anything but easy. It seems to end up being all about who you know and whose campaign you worked on. That's fine. I am making in-roads as I can. In the process, I have been listening to people's stories of success here and trying to figure out how I can write my own story.

I was strolling through the Smithsonian Museum yesterday when I came upon an exhibit of Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's pins, or rather, brooches. Each pin represents a significant time in her career and a particular diplomatic message: the large, glittering American flag she wore to visit Kim Jong-Il in North Korea, the dazzling bumblebee to negotiate with Yassar Arafat, or the gold snake pin she wore after Saddam Hussein's government called her "a serpent." Details of each pin are depicted in Albright's book, Read My Pins.

I found this use of pins fascinating, and stopped by a nearby bookstore to browse her biography. Not only was she the first female secretary of state in the United States, but she was the first female to hold that high of an office in this country.

Albright was born in Czech Republic (she became a naturalized citizen, but was never part of the nuclear contingency plans for the president), and moved to the U.S with her family when she was in her teens after living all over Europe. Her father, a diplomat, eventually received a teaching position at the University of Denver. Albright attended Wellesley College on a full scholarship, and after graduation, moved back to Denver and worked as an intern at The Denver Post, where she met her husband, Joseph Albright, part of a major newspaper legacy. After they married, the couple moved to Chicago, where they both continued to work in the media, which later took them to New York City.

After the birth of their twin daughters, Albright enrolled in Russian language and international studies courses at a local university. After having a third daughter, she eventually earned her Master's and doctorate from Columbia University (after moving between NYC and Washington in the 1960s).

Um, she had three kids and earned a doctorate degree...there are no words for my admiration.

After to moving to Washington, DC with her family, Albright made a broader foray into politics by fundraising for Senator Ed Muskie (of Maine) presidential campaign, and she later earned a staff appointment with his team. Her career then moved swiftly from congressional liaison with the National Security Council to working on a research project of Polish dissidents with the Smithsonian Institution (during which her husband divorced her for another woman).

In the early 80s, she taught at Georgetown University and became a foreign policy advisor for the Democratic Party. In January 1993, President Clinton nominated her to be the Ambassador to the United Nations (during this post, she was criticized for her language around recognizing the 1994 Rwandan genocide and supporting the UN sanctions of Iraq during the Gulf War). In 1997, she received the nomination to be secretary of state with the Clinton administration.

I go into such detail about her biography because I am so impressed. She began her professional career at 39, raising three girls and weathering a divorce. It proves that it is never too late to educate oneself, make career moves, and follow a dream that could make a huge difference in this world.

She also guest starred on Gilmore Girls. She pretty much had the ideal career.

Image found here.

Character Icon: Giada de Laurentiis

She offers some of the most delectable Italian recipes in the world and flashes one of the most brilliant smiles on television every week for her Food Network show, "Everyday Italian." She's Giada de Laurentiis and she's my Character Icon for this week!

I chose Giada because of a conversation I had with my mom a few weeks ago. My mom had mentioned that she always observes different people - some she knows personally and some public figures - and tries to emulate aspects of their personality that she admires. During this same conversation, she suggested that I look at Giada - someone who exudes such enthusiasm for what she does.

If you read the preface of her cookbooks, Giada talks volumes about her supportive family and their encouraging her to follow her passion: cooking. Her happiness holds authenticity because she has followed her heart and does what she loves. Hers is an enviable position. In looking at pictures of her in her cookbooks, she appears so ignited.

In that moment, I realized that I wish to emulate this same energy and joy. I set a personal goal to smile more in the hopes that my face will one day be primarily constructed by a smile large enough to showcase my whole life's happiness.

Not only is Giada enviable for her vivacious personality, but also her awe-inspiring repertoire of Italian recipes. I have been pouring through Giada's cookbooks this week and think I may try my hand at the Saffron Orzo with Shrimp from "Everyday Italian," a variation of which can be found here.

Image found here.

Music Love: Texas Music Matters

I love NPR. I love Austin, Texas. I love new, independent music artists. Put all three together and you get: Texas Music Matters, a wonderful program produced by broadcast journalism veteran and renaissance man, David Brown for KUT (Austin's local NPR station based at the University of Texas). I like the program because of the eclectic mix of old and new artists as well as full recordings of live performances. Enjoy!

Imagined Possibility

My dear friend Susie suggested that I watch Actress Meryl Streep's commencement address to Barnard College's Class of 2010. I am so glad that I did.

Streep's smart, empathetic words meant so much to me. What a light that shines through that woman.

Here are some highlights that meant the most:

"Pretending is imagined possibility."

"Your calm focus can pull people in."

"Empathy is at the heart of an actor's art."

Streep talks about changing her appearance, her "giggle", her mannerism to please men when she was younger. During this portion, I kept nodding my head. Oh, yes. That was me. I think that was all of us.

And finally,

"Pay attention to the cracks because that is where the light gets in." A quote Streep used by Leonard Cohen.

Tears, Fears, and Passions (not the soap opera kind)

Yesterday I watched the Six Feet Under series finale, which brought me to tears. In the last 10 minutes of the show, Claire Fisher balls her eyes out as she embraces her family before jetting off to start her new life in NYC. As she whines about not wanting to go, I see myself in the same place: torn between getting out into the world to follow my passions and remaining in a familiar place, close to family and friends. I feel like I am fighting for two things that are somewhat contradictory: the life that I have known and the life that I want.

In her latest post, Emily from wide open spaces mused on two kinds of people: those that crave safety and those that crave meaning. Up until now, I have been a person who chose safety but longed for meaning. But I have never really felt proud of how I have been living my life during these past few years. The comforts of my current lifestyle no longer afford the same value. My intellect lacks the kind of stimulation I so enjoyed during my college years. So I am trying to reverse things to own a life that fulfills the person I wish to be and one that I can proudly share with others. Having a life of meaning requires a constant and conscious effort. And it also means sacrificing certain things that I worked carefully to preserve. Like living in a place where it was always easy to go home or have my parents come visit.

In the end of the show, Claire drives away, though her face is ravaged with tear stains and expressions of a loneliness already felt. I know this is going to be me. And now I want it to be me. This transition to a new life doesn't kill Claire and it won't kill me either. If anything, this decision makes her stronger and better as she moves on.

Just Coco

I am watching Coco Avant Chanel. What I think I love most about this movie is that she is completely herself. No apologies. She's smart and comfortable in her own style of clothing. Sometimes I feel like I forget my own true style in the face of all the latest "trends." I intend to remedy that this week.

Image found here.

Running

I want to be this girl in the photograph! I love the pairing of this light, feminine dress with the sturdy green rain boots. Also, there are few things in life that I love more than running through the woods on a sunny summer's day!

Image found here.

Tag, You're It!

I am so excited! Gabby of gabby she wrote has tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger awards (thank you so so much, Gabby!)! gabby, she wrote is blog-tastic and one of my daily must-reads, so check out her fun and clever posts! I think this process is so neat because I've discovered more lovely blogs to brighten my day!


Here are the rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4) Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.
5) Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6) Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7) Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

My Seven

1) I have hated zucchinis with a fiery passion since I was four years old (no joke, I remember being sent to bed without supper after refusing to eat zucchinis in stewed tomatoes - I mean really, that is SO gross).

2) While I love most kinds of music, movie and musical soundtracks reign supreme on all my track lists. In particular, I will always have a place in my heart for John Williams (the score composer of the Star Wars movies, E.T., Seven Years In Tibet, Memoirs of a Geisha).

3) I will always wish that I had pursued a career in voice performance to be either a Broadway or opera singer like Renee Fleming

4) When I was eight, my mom and I moved to Maine by ourselves (my dad stayed behind in upstate New York to finish out his job). The two of us lived in an old house in a tiny fishing village on the Maine coast. This wonderful and scary experience brought us even closer than we already were, and continues to every time recollect that year.

5) I stayed on an island in Maine by myself for three days and two nights with only a sleeping bag, a jug of water, and a handful of trail mix (I was on an Outward Bound trip).

6) I studied abroad for a year in England. One day while I was walking down the street in Oxford, I ran into Mr. Bean (aka Rowan Atkinson), who, bespectacled and sporting a perfectly grey and black argyle sweater, nodded to me in a most Bean-like manner and continued down the street, leaving me in a fit of giggles.

7) I learn things the hard way.

And there you have it!

Now I tag the following blog-tastic writers who I admire greatly:

1) Ingrid of The Scenic Route
2) Danielle of Sticky Candy
3) erin of reading my tealeaves
4) Pearl of MAYA & RUHI
5) Emily of wide open spaces
6) Julia of The Red Otter Shop
7) Anne of The City Sage

Happy Thursday!

Main Squeeze

It's been one no good, really bad day, but I am throwing away all my cares because The Office is new tonight and I get to hang with the cutest guy ever, my main squeeze, Jim Halpert. Okay, so I know he is Pam's and they are going to have the cutest baby together, but I take such comfort knowing that there's a cutie like him out there! Happy watching!

Image here. P.S. I love that I found this image on a blog called I Heart [Fake] Guys -- so perfect!

Simplicity

"The epitome of sophistication is utter simplicity." I came across this line last night while reading Maya Angelou's Letters to My Daughter. The line stopped me in my tracks for its truth. The volume is a beautiful collection of thoughts on life written by Ms. Angelou to the daughter she never had. My wonderful mother stuck it in my suitcase during my recent visit to Maine and she included a loving inscription, penned in her illustrious cursive. There is so much wisdom in this book about getting the most meaning out of life and realizing that each and every one of us has a value in this world and the right to a joyful life. I implore you, all my friends, to read this book, especially if you are going through troubling times. It will shine light onto the blessings you already have and those that are within your reach.

Image found here.

A Woman Can Do Anything

{Saima Muhammad and her daughters | Lahore, Pakistan}

"A woman can do whatever she attempts...But she needs skills, she needs effort and learning...A woman should have self-confidence and she should trust in herself that she can do anything."

~ Mohammed Daoud, a teacher at the Mirwas Mena School, Mirwas Mena, Afghanistan.

An excerpt from Dexter Filkin's "A School Bus for Shamsia," The New York Times Magazine, August 23, 2009.

Image found here.

The Right Kind of Journalism

In a 2008 Vogue interview, Nicole Kidman said, "I don't believe in flittering around the edges of things. You're either going to walk through life and experience it fully or you're going to be a voyeur. And I'm not a voyeur."

Her comment pinpoints one of the biggest problems that I have with myself, media outlets, and sometimes, our society. I fear that we've become a nation of voyeurs rather than doers. Today's media spends an excess amount of time covering celebrity and trivial human interest stories, whose ubiquity encourages voyeurism. We know intimate details about people we don't even know. We are accustomed to watching this glitz and glamour, expecting it, and even craving it. I myself am guilty of being tempted by the brain candy of People and PopSugar. It's escapism during a monotonous work day. Lately, however, it's worn on me. I know entirely too much about the Jon and Kate Plus Eight drama and not enough about how women are being treated in Afghanistan.

We need a re-prioritization of US media values. So much of today's media coverage focuses on trashy, low quality stories like the Levi Johnston's opinion of the Palins or dare, I say, "My husband caught crabs. Is he cheating?"(no joke, a featured story on The Today Show). The frequency of airtime and amount of media resources dedicated to "celebrity reporting" is too much.

Through this celebrity reporting, we become addicted, idolizing the lives of high-profile people - actors, actresses, athletes, musicians. If we spent less time reading Us Weekly, more time learning about and acting to provide educational opportunities for Afghan women or refugee children in Bosnia, the world just might be a better place. I'm thinking of the phrase many hands make light work. Not many readers of OK! magazine make light work.

My main question here (to myself and to others) us: why are we spending so much time observing other people's lives instead of focusing on improving our own and that of others?

I think that the mainstream media misses out on so many wonderful stories that educate people on the larger issues of immigration policy, women's rights, education, health care, poverty and homelessness. Journalism is meant to tell the larger, world-affecting headlines of the day, but also the small, untold stories of human struggles and triumphs in such a way that will inspire readers to affect change where it's needed. In their first written piece after their release from captivity in North Korea, journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee cite their understanding of a journalist's role in society: "[W]e believe that journalists have a responsibility to shine light in dark places, to give voice to those who are too often silenced and ignored." This is the essence and duty of every journalist and the main reason why I wanted to enter that profession.

{Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee return to
US soil after their North Korean imprisonment}

Another excellent example of media covering the often untold but culturally and politically-significant story is the NPR/American Public Media program, The Story, hosted by Dick Gordon. Gordon used to host The Connection for Boston's NPR station, WBUR. He understands ow to mix the interesting with the serious. He's a wonderful interview - kind, gentle, intelligent. He asks the tough questions while keeping his interviewees at ease. To broach the subject of US immigration policy, he interviewed two families: a construction worker in Florida and the undocumented Mexican family that she employs. His reporting humanizes the important issues that should be on American minds.

{Dick Gordon, host of APM's The Story}

Image can be found here and here.

Bring On the Happy

{Kindred spirits by the Duck Pond in Boston}

Having soul-inspiring people in your life is one of the most important gifts you can receive. This past weekend, one of my very best friends, Jenn, visited from Washington D.C. Jenn is one of the kindest, most soulful and intelligent people that I have the privilege to know. Some people bring out the brightest, happiest sides of me and Jenn is at the very top of that list!

Her Boston visit saw a sultry couple of days in the city, but we had a grand time strolling around, checking out the Fanueil Hall area, the Boston Commons, the South End, and also, many of the area universities including Boston College (my Alma Mater), Boston University, and Harvard University. Jenn works in higher education and is looking all over the eastern seaboard for possible job opportunities after she graduates from her masters' program. We also saw 500 Days of Summer, which I highly recommend if you like indie romantic comedies along the lines of Juno or Away We Go. It was a relief to sit in the cool air conditioning and watch a simple, yet provocative mediation on love, relationships, and reading the signs of both. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so cute and I adore Zooey Deschannel's outfits in this film!

On Monday, I rented a ZipCar (a Volvo S40 - a fun, fuel-efficient car that is one of the smoothest rides I've ever experienced) and we drove out to the little village of Concord, MA, which is one of my favorite places to visit! It was home to philosophers, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, as well as authors, Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter) and Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women). We got some delicious pastries at Sally Ann's Bakery and then walked around the village area, looking at the pretty historic homes and enjoying the nice sunshine.

We grabbed lunch to go at the yummy Main Street Cafe and then drove to Walden Pond to enjoy a nice picnic while dipping our toes in the warm lake water. After lunch, we decided that we couldn't visit Walden Pond without taking a dip, so we did! It was so refreshing and peaceful to swim in the same pond on which Henry David Thoreau contemplated his greatest treatise and where the fictional character, Josephine March, once skated with her bosom friend, Laurie. It was a perfect summer moment, allowing my body to gently float along as a fresh summer breeze brushed over me. I had a wonderful long weekend full of good friendship, fun activities, and inspiring conversations. I feel blessed to have such amazing friends!

{Dipping toes in Walden Pond}