M and I went a little crazy at Green Mountain Orchards in Putney, Vt., this morning. We ate half a dozen delicious apple cider donuts, drank freshly pressed warm apple cider and brought home both a bushel of apples (we picked ourselves) and two monster-sized pumpkins (one was 31 pounds, the other 35 pounds).
I definitely see some baking in my future.
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!
It’s Friday. Time for some fascinating factoids about the world:
* 41% percent of all Vermont lawmakers are women; that’s the highest percentage in the nation. (VPR)
* 12 humans have walked on the moon. Neil Armstrong was the first, in 1969. (The Weather Channel)
* If you lined up all the M&Ms made in 1 year, they would encircle the earth 48 times. (The Daily Click)
* Jimmy Carter was the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. (The History Channel)
* I am right-handed, but I never wear a watch on my left wrist. When I wear a watch, it goes on my right wrist.
At the end of the year, I always take a moment to examine the ups and downs I experienced, both personally and professionally. What follows is my accounting of 2013:
* Produced hundreds of breaking news stories, including the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the intensive manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers and countless mass shootings.
* Blogged for The Obituary Forum, The Blog of Death, Hooked From The First Page and Afterthoughts.
* Passed the 29,000th tweet mark on my personal Twitter account (@jadewalker) and received the “I’m real” checkmark of verification.
* Penned 60 journal entries.
* Worked on my novel.
* Purchased a Fitbit, increased my daily steps/stairs and cut back on my sleep debt. Also started using FitBolt to decrease time spent sitting.
* Subscribed to the HelloFresh and Plated food services, then cooked a ton of delicious dishes.
* Read 38 books and countless magazines.
* Watched more than 30 films.
* Took classes in archaeology, disaster preparedness, health/nutrition, literature and photography.
* Launched The 10th Muse, a mailing list of writing prompts.
* Updated The Written Word.
* Participated in the New York City Writers Group, the South Florida Freelancers Group and the Journalism & Women Symposium.
* Attended The Society of Professional Obituary Writers (SPOW) conference in Canada and launched the group’s private Facebook page.
* Created a YouTube video about the future of obituaries.
* Featured in a CNN article about obituaries.
* Profiled on JobShadow.
* Built websites for my husband and grandfather.
* Redesigned The SPOW website as well as my own.
* Went house-hunting in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
* Dyed my hair red.
* Traveled to Burlington Vt., New York City, Toronto and Scotland.
* Visited the monument to Phineas Gage.
* Tended a garden of basil, oregano, catnip, romaine lettuce, mint, thyme and flowers.
* Dealt with the libelous rantings of a couple of cyber-trolls (yes, lawyers were involved).
* Saw Stephen King, Sting and Stuart McLean in person.
* Leased a new car.
* Perfected my versions of fudge, chocolate drop cookies, carrot cake, chicken pilaf and lasagna.
* Celebrated my 4th wedding anniversary.
* Turned 40.
Plans/goals for 2014
* Save up enough money for a down payment on a house.
* Write more snail mail letters.
* Work on my books.
* Write more obits.
* Write more poetry/short stories.
* Experience fewer migraines.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables.
* Exercise.
* Win the lottery.
I looked at the beautiful leaves:
I carved pumpkins with M:
My jack o’lantern is the impishly evil one on the left. M’s is Mr. Grumpy:
I finished reading a wonderful book:
And I leased a new car. Her name is Esmeralda:
What did you do this weekend? Feel free to share in the comments. If nothing interesting happened, why don’t you do something fun now? Try typing the words “scotland’s national animal” into Google. You can thank me later.
