We had two canoes – the boys in one, girls in the other [...]]]> J and I took the kids canoeing yesterday - something we’d talked about doing since we moved to this area three years ago.  It’s fun to be a tourist in your own town, and to enjoy things that other people travel distances to do.

We had two canoes – the boys in one, girls in the other – and paddled just 1 1/2 miles downstream to the Old North Bridge. We were limited to two paddles per canoe, so J, the older two kids, and I paddled and LW8 and LM5 were our “nature spotters”.   On the way we saw lots of turtles, Canada geese, and ducks with ducklings.  

About halfway to our destination, where the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers merge to form the Concord, is Egg Rock.  People may think Egg Rock is significant because Emerson, Thoreau, etc. are said to have hiked or canoed here to discuss deep philosophical thoughts, but, really, it’s significant because they recognized the importance of the rivers and were respectful of the memories of the Native Americans that white settlers had displaced. 

This plaque, erected at the 250th anniversary of Concord’s founding, says:

The simple words inscribed on the rugged face of the rock, where the rivers meet, will serve to remind us and succeeding generations of a people who have vanished from the face of the earth, leaving scarcely a trace of themselves, except a few arrow-heads and stone pestles, and, here and there, a mound or a heap of clam shells.

We continued downstream, now on the Concord River.  Once at the Old North Bridge we pulled ashore to exchange prisoners … I mean, the boys rode with me on the way back to South Bridge, and the girls were with J.  Despite a few sprinkles and the threat of a storm, and having to work a bit harder going upstream, the trip back was uneventful.  Well, my canoe seemed to want to travel in a Z pattern, back and forth, instead of straight down the river; I have to attribute that to weak arms and lack of technique.

Weak arms.  That brings me to the next part of this post (and a hope to tie in more of a literary reference … not that Emerson and Thoreau aren’t enough!).  I’ve noticed how untone my arms have gotten since I stopped swimming (untone? not tone? atonal? flabby?!?).  Yes, I could (and should) start swimming again, but I have another plan.  I’m painting most of the second floor this summer, and am working that roller like it’s a piece of fancy gym equipment.  Just wait – between canoeing, painting, and the occasional swim, my arms will look like Michelle Obama’s by September … or, I’ll just wear long-sleeved shirts!

I’ve been listening to The Time Traveler’s Wife on audiobook while I paint.  While it doesn’t keep the paint off my face and arms (ceilings are a bear to paint!), it sure helps to pass the time.  I’m just about done with the audio (and don’t want it to end), and wonder what to listen to next.  Options include:

• Backseat Saints
• The Wife’s Tale
• The Swan Thieves

I’ve also thought about picking up To Kill a Mockingbird, which Sandy from You’ve GOTTA Read This says is FANTASTIC on audio (Sissy Spacek narrates).  Cast your vote for one of these, or give me another suggestion (I have a lot of ceilings and walls to cover; it’s a great summer for audiobooks!)

Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, named the house for the 12 acres of apple orchards on their [...]]]> When out-of-town friends come to visit for the first time, one of the places on the “must see” list is Orchard House.  This is where Louisa May Alcott’s family lived for about 20 years in the mid- to late-1800s.

Her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, named the house for the 12 acres of apple orchards on their property.  It was at Orchard House that LMA wrote Little Women.  The house is, in fact, the setting for the story, and will be recognized by readers of the novel.

Guided tours are given daily (except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the first two weeks in January).  Tour guides are very knowledgeable about the Alcott family and their friends, the transcendental movement, and the written work of LMA.

About 75% of the furnishings in the house are original to the Alcott family.  Visitors can see art made by LMA’s sister, May Alcott.  May was an early teacher of Daniel Chester French, who went on to create the Minute Man statue which stands near the North Bridge in Concord; he is perhaps more well-known  as the sculptor of Abraham Lincoln we see at the Lincoln Memorial. 

Back to the Orchard House … another building on the grounds is the School of Philosophy, which operated as a lyceum of sorts for about 10 years from 1879 – 1888.  Activities centered around the Transcendental movement and discussions about philosophy. 

In addition to regular guided tours, Orchard House offers special events throughout the year.  There are programs tailored to Scouts and school groups of all ages, programs for parents and children, and continuing education for teachers.  During school breaks and summer vacation, there are half-day programs for drama, writing workshops, and other “living history” opportunities.

I often tell my kids, as we walk through the town woods, that “Louisa May Alcott walked this land!  And Emerson!  And Thoreau!  And Hawthorne!”  If you’re in the area, take a trip to Orchard House and you can walk in their footsteps, too!

Like many of you, I planned my day yesterday around watching the inauguration activities.  I flipped the TV on around 10:30 and took it all in for over three hours, then switched to radio for the sake of my young son’s sanity.

True confession time:  LM4 was not content to sit next to me on the [...]]]>

Like many of you, I planned my day yesterday around watching the inauguration activities.  I flipped the TV on around 10:30 and took it all in for over three hours, then switched to radio for the sake of my young son’s sanity.

True confession time:  LM4 was not content to sit next to me on the sofa and watch this historic event; nor was he happy with the Play-Doh or Legos I offered him … I let him play with his brother’s Nintendo DS for THREE HOURS.  He was happy, I was happy; it was an exception to the way we usually do things around here, I’m moving on …

After President Obama took the Oath of Office I listened intently to his Inaugural Address.  I won’t reproduce it in its entirety here, I just want to draw your attention to one section:

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

Concord?!?  That’s where we live!  Our town, already known for its literary history and its role in the American Revolution, was cited in President Obama’s speech!  We were held up as an example of what people have done in the past to affect change.

“Little Man, did you hear that?!?  He mentioned Concord!”  I didn’t get the reaction I was hoping for, as he was intent on getting to the next level in the game he was playing.  It was more satisfying to talk to my other kids when they came home from school.  All three (starting with the youngest, in First Grade) had assemblies to watch part of the ceremonies, the swearing in, and the President’s address.  They reported that there were shouts and cheers in their auditoriums when Concord was mentioned … it’s good to know they were paying attention!

An article in today’s Boston Globe, titled Shelf Life, expounds on the treasure trove of artifacts to be found in local libraries.  Aside from the possibility of rare books and historic documents, many libraries house other significant items in their special collections.

Our local library, the Concord Free Public Library, sits on the site of the [...]]]>

An article in today’s Boston Globe, titled Shelf Life, expounds on the treasure trove of artifacts to be found in local libraries.  Aside from the possibility of rare books and historic documents, many libraries house other significant items in their special collections.

Our local library, the Concord Free Public Library, sits on the site of the Mary Merrick Brooks home.  Brooks was “a radical abolitionist and associate of William Lloyd Garrison.”  The house was part of the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s.

Today’s library building boasts  paintings of N. C. Wyeth as part of its extensive art collection.    The surveying compass and tripod used by Henry David Thoreau is stored there; many people don’t realize that the well-known writer and naturalist made his living as a surveyor for the town.  Original manuscripts of Emerson and Thoreau are in the climate-controlled safe, along with other documents of historic and literary significance.

Many libraries have extensive art collections and items of interest to a genealogist or biographer, such as grave records and family histories.  Even written records that may seem mundane today, such as town archives and scrapbooks, are preserved for the reference of future researchers.

What significant items does your local library house?  You may be surprised at the treasures lurking there!