• raven and books stamp

    A letterboxing adventure, part 2

    July 5, 2014 / 1 Comment

    In an effort to dare myself to experiment more, I’ve set about about following Lu Ann Cahn’s example of engaging in fun and daring “firsts.” This is my list.

    One of these planned firsts involved going letterboxing, which, according to Atlas Quest “is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with delightful treasure-hunts in beautiful, scenic places.” You can learn more about it here.

    Last weekend, I put together a small bag of supplies (a rubber stamp, ink pad, letterboxing notebook, my cellphone) and piled into the car with M and our dog Duncan. The first park we visited turned out to be the wrong one, but after looking on the map for the actual location, we drove outside of town and parked next to a picnic pavillion. Then, the three of us trekked into the woods in search of the mysterious letterbox.

    Following the clues left on Atlas Quest, we climbed over trees, pushed aside leaves, stumbled over rocks, swatted away a million bugs and sweated buckets. Unfortunately, after about an hour of searching, M and I had reached the proverbial X on the map, but there was no treasure to be found.

    That’s right, our first letterboxing adventure was a total bust.

    I know there are people reading this who will say: “It wasn’t a bust. It’s the journey that matters, not the destination.”

    To those kind but delusional folks, I say PISH. If I could have teleported to the exact location and found the treasure, trust me, I would have. And I would have ended up a lot less hot, sweaty and annoyed.

    The only good thing about the whole experience was the end, in which we left the park and drove straight to Fast Eddie’s, one of our favorite ice cream stands. M and I both indulged in double scoops and Duncan cooled off with a small soft-serve vanilla in a cup.

    Despite this minor setback, I will not be deterred. Although our misadventure technically counts as a “first” and thus deserves to be crossed off my list, I plan to try again, because damn it, I must obtain at least one stamp!

  • Orange flowers from yard

    A short-term attempt at positivity

    April 13, 2014 / No Comments

    “Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Francesca Reigler

    In an effort to be more positive, I added this item to my “Year of Firsts” list: Avoid saying anything negative for a whole day.

    Generally I’m not a negative person. I revel in the daily joys and fly high whenever fate throws grand moments my way. When difficulties occur, I do my level best to weather them, though not always as gracefully as I would like.

    I’m also trained to be an unbiased observer, taking in details and conversations and actions without judging the environs or participants involved. It is only later, after the event is over and after the story is written that I really take the time to process what happened. In the past, I would lose myself in the dark of a movie theater and decompress while praying to the gods of cinema, or wander the stacks of a used book store or library, searching for answers and adventure. Now, I generally turn to my animals for a few moments of affection, and to M for feedback, insight and consolation.

    Despite my nature, training and coping mechanisms, completing this “first” was no easy task. For on the night I decided to launch the experiment, so many people and events tried my patience. When these moments irked me to the point of exasperation, I remembered the goal and bit my tongue. In my head, however, I was engaging in a full-on Yosemite Sam tantrum.

    So what did I learn about myself at the end of the night? Two things:

    A) No matter how much you try to control things, the world will occasionally throw a wrench in your plans, anger you to the point of white hot fury and leave you disappointed. How you deal with these situations is what matters (and what others will remember).

    2) I must make time every day to count my blessings. Even just for 60 seconds. Doing so helps keep me centered and focused.

  • A letterboxing adventure, part 1

    March 9, 2014 / 1 Comment

    Most of my adventures take place inside my house, my office, my books, my laptop or my mind. But I’m told there’s a whole wide world out there, and in order to stay healthy, I’m supposed to spend more time in it (if only to get the daily recommended dose of vitamin D). To accomplish this — and to experience another “first” — I’ve decided to try letterboxing.

    What is letterboxing? This is the official definition from letterboxing community Atlas Quest:

    “Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with delightful treasure-hunts in beautiful, scenic places.”

    Here’s the gist: Someone places a rubber-stamp and a journal inside a box and hides it somewhere in the world. Then, they post clues/directions to that box online, either on Atlas Quest or Letterboxing North America.

    Participants look up the clues and embark on a real world search for the box. Once a box is found, participants use the stamp inside to add the box owner’s mark to their journal. They also imprint their own unique stamp in the enclosed journal.

    Basically it’s a way to explore the world, find treasure and share art.

    Experienced letterboxers apparently create their own rubber stamps. But since I’m a newbie, I decided to purchase a few and choose one as my sigil. I ordered three that were custom-made on Etsy.

    This one represents my love of books.

    raven and books stamp

    This one represents my love of obits.

    skull and crossbones stamp

    This one represents my love of cemeteries.

    winged skull stamp

    Which one should I use? Vote in this poll:

    [socialpoll id=”2190781″]

  • The year of firsts: My list

    March 8, 2014 / 4 Comments

    So, if you missed this blog post, you may not know about Jade’s Daring Plan To Experiment.

    Experiment with what, you may ask? Well, you could just click on that link and read the journal entry explaining the plan’s purpose and inspiration. However, if you’re one of those strange people who follow the philosophy of “2l:dr,” let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

    I read a cool book and now I’m trying new things (“firsts”).

    My “first” goal was to create a list of “firsts” to try. Activities must either be ones I’ve never tried, or haven’t done in more than a decade. After about a week of brainstorming, here’s what I came up with:

    * Avoid saying anything negative for a whole day.
    * Become a patron of the arts.
    * Build a snowman.
    * Block the sense of hearing with noise-canceling headphones.
    * Build a sand castle.
    * Buy a house.
    * Buy a rubber stamp that symbolizes me.
    * Create a geocache treasure box.
    * Create a list of firsts.
    * Figure out a way to eat brussels sprouts.
    * Fly a kite.
    * Get chased by zombies.
    * Get free passes from the library to visit a museum.
    * Get a henna tattoo.
    * Get a massage.
    * Go geocaching.
    * Go jetskiing.
    * Go letterboxing.
    * Go on a picnic.
    * Go on a roller coaster.
    * Go vegetarian for a day.
    * Go whale-watching.
    * Launch a talk show.
    * Learn French.
    * Learn German.
    * Learn Italian.
    * Learn how to make fresh pasta.
    * Learn how to make gnocchi.
    * Learn how to play the piano.
    * Learn sign language.
    * Learn to drive a motorcycle.
    * Make a pie in my own kitchen.
    * Make chalk art.
    * Make a sour dough starter.
    * Move out of the country.
    * Open a bookstore.
    * Pay for a stranger’s toll.
    * Pay for a stranger’s coffee.
    * Plant and single-handedly maintain an outside garden.
    * Play in a drum circle.
    * Play laser tag.
    * Put a quarter in 100 parking meters.
    * Publish a novel.
    * Read 50 books in a year.
    * Read a novel that’s more than 100 years old.
    * Rent a boat for the day.
    * Rent a scooter.
    * Ride go-karts.
    * Roast marshmallows over a fire.
    * Share a migraine photo.
    * Share Oscar predictions.
    * Sing on Broadway.
    * Sound a barbaric yawp.
    * Spend several hours blindfolded.
    * Spent a whole day without looking in a mirror.
    * Stand up for a cause I believe in.
    * Take a class about the nature of terrorism.
    * Take a class in astrobiology.
    * Take a class to improve my social media skills.
    * Take a class in archaeology.
    * Take a cooking class at King Arthur Flour.
    * Take a cruise of the Mediterranean.
    * Take a dance class.
    * Take a drum lesson.
    * Take a hot air balloon ride.
    * Take a sleigh ride.
    * Taking care of someone after surgery.
    * Throw a dinner party at midnight.
    * Try a chef’s tasting menu.
    * Try a fondue dinner.
    * Use a Youtube video to learn a new skill.
    * Visit an aquarium.
    * Visit a butterfly museum.
    * Walk 15,000 steps in a single day (previous record is about 13,000)
    * Write a biography.

    Have any additional suggestions for interesting “firsts”? Feel free to share ‘em in comments.

  • migraine

    Just a headache? Hardly

    March 3, 2014 / 2 Comments

    For those lucky folks who’ve never experienced a migraine, you may think it’s just a “bad headache.” But it is so much more. A bad headache can be beaten by extra-strength aspirin. A migraine is a debilitating experience that leaves you in pain, in tears, exhausted and struggling for hours, and sometimes days on end.

    Since I cannot physically transfer the many symptoms of a migraine and give you a sense of what it’s like, I thought I’d show you. Picture #1 is me on a normal day. When I took this photo, I was wearing comfy clothes and no make-up. It is me, ordinary me.

    jade walker

    Picture 2 is me after nearly 18 hours of pain, nausea, exhaustion, muscle-tightness, crying and light-sensitivity. It is the migraine version of me.

    migraine jade

    Sunday’s migraine lasted for no less than 32 hours. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t read. All I could do was suffer and sleep.

    Today, the migraine diminished, but it is still not gone. As you can imagine, fighting the pain has left me utterly drained. But as one of my “firsts,” I vowed to share this side of my life. And so now I have.