I was honored to be interviewed, recently, by Maplewood maven, Jamie Ross, who runs the local Maplewood online website, a great service to the community. We sat down for two sessions, talking about my book, Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy?, my philosophy of travel, and some of my recent trips.
HERE and HERE are links to the interview!
Part 1 of the interview
Part 2 of the interview
I’m in the planning stages for another long trip to Asia—Sikkim (northern India), Myanmar, and the Tibetan community in and around Dharamsala—so I’m particularly sensitive to the news bombarding us daily, about the plight of the flood victims in Pakistan and Ladakh, as well as the disturbing information that many of the products we consume, like SUV’s, mobile phones, play stations, and laptops, add to the destruction of the rain forest or the continuation of terror in such countries as the Congo. And most of us are unaware of this.
I just watched the excellent new PBS program, Need To Know, last Friday night, the 24th, and was stunned by the segment documenting the horrendous use of rape, torture, and murder as a weapon of war in the Congo. What further appalled me was the connection between these rampaging soldiers and the United States. These groups fund their weapons and, thus, continue to subjugate and terrorize women and girls, by selling a variety of precious minerals to companies in the United States (and elsewhere) for components in the above-mentioned products. Not all these minerals come from the Congo, but a large percentage does.
President Obama touched on this in his speech to the United Nations, but we need to examine our part in buying the products containing the minerals, and to insist on transparency by the U.S. companies as to where they buy these components. Make sure that they have a supply chain that guarantees conflict-free minerals. They may be reluctant to give out such information, but by keeping the pressure up we can help eradicate the atrocities going on in this war-torn country.
I suggest that you look at this report on PBS.org and make your senators and representatives aware of how pervasive the problem is (just this past summer the number of rapes in a few isolated villages topped 500), and the urgent need to write legislation prohibiting U.S. companies from doing business with Congolese warlords and rebel groups. I may sound naïve, but pressure does work.
I plan to return to Myanmar in mid-January for a month, and this time I shall write the stories of some of the people I met on my first trip, and what has happened to them in the interim. The news out of Myanmar has been grim, and I have not dared make any overt contact, myself, for fear of endangering those I met. But I think it’s time to take my own advice and stand up and be counted. I will not use names, but I will tell it as I see it. No holds barred.
The news from the Plainfield Symphony about last night’s concert is great! It was one of the most enjoyable concerts I’ve played, largely because of our new conductor, Charles Prince, and Leonard Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie, who presided over a concert of Aaron Copeland’s Billy the Kid, Leonard Bernstein’s Suite from On The Waterfront, and Charles Ives’ Symphonuy #2. All these pieces were challenging, with six tympani and assorted percussion, an amazing brass and woodwind section, and strings that played faster than seemed possible. Jamie showed the many ways that these composers “shared” each other’s compositions, and, using song and placards to the audience’s delight, traced the use of American folk music by the inimitable Ives.
but so is the heat and humidity. I must admit that it was difficult to drag myself out of the White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee this year. I wanted to stay all September and just float in the water, but the Plainfield Symphony was calling as well as the bills and all the minutiae that make up our post-vacation reality. But I’m grateful for a summer of almost no computer, no television, no newspapers, and no loud political discourse. Naturally, I was made aware of the catastrophic floods in my beloved Ladakh in August as well as the plight of millions of flood victims in Pakistan. Who can be immune to that? And I am prepared to come face to face with some of the suffering during my upcoming four months in India. But, then, there are numerous people who are trying to help and actually making a difference, so that’s encouraging. My friend, Tamara Blesh, who just returned from Ladakh, has related her first-hand experience of this crisis. I will write more about her work in a subsequent blog, but do check out her excellent website at: http://www.travelinglibrarian.org/
This summer was a time for family and friends at the cottage….
Leah, John, & Sarah Kelly
Leah and Judy Wyman Kelly
Tom...Shall I? It's pretty cold
Carmen, Tom's girlfriend, experiencing the Peterson family for the first time
….and it was also a time for work, as we repaired the road (thank you, Peterson muscle), stained the dock, and tried to ameliorate the damage caused by Old Man Winter.
Tom starting on 14 tons of fill
Nobody one-ups Martha!
Or me....
A partial view of the results, and there's more to go....for the remaining relatives
There were also some great mountain trips, the most outstanding being a hike up to Greenleaf Hut on Mt. Lafayette in Franconia Notch. It was son Tom’s treat, but he forgot to check with God about the weather. It was the only three rainy days of the month, which provided a very challenging slog up the Old Bridle Path, perilous even in dry weather. But you can see by the smiles that we had a great time. Unfortunately, we had to scratch the hike over the Franconia Ridge and down Falling Water Trail because of the fierce weather. But wait another year…we’ll be there.
Yours truly heading up the Old Bridle Path to Greenleaf Hut in the rain
Son-in-law Gary, Martha, Carmen, and Tom just after coming down the Greenleaf Trail, and preparing for a 4-mile hike to the car
My addiction to sunsets is almost as serious as my addiction to theater, so bear with me as I post a variety of scenes of the water and islands of Lake Winnie that we see every evening from our cottage. There’s no way I will ever be able to capture the soul-soothing images that bombard me each summer, but I keep trying.
The woods at sunset
Cottage in the evening glow
Evening shadows
The beginning of a three-day blow
Now the Day if Over
Really over....
“What’s the matter, Meg?” you say. “Are you obsessed with summer heat?” Well, maybe just a tad. I’ve recently returned from a glorious month in Seattle, Whidbey Island, and Vancouver Island. I grooved on wearing polar fleece in the morning and evening and not having to apply sunscreen…even in midday. I curled up in my sleeping bag under a clear starry sky, surrounded by tall fir and cedar trees, in the depths of the Canadian forests. I climbed past glacial pools and over roaring waterfalls in the mountains rising at the center of the island.
And then I returned to New Jersey! Need I say more? I have no air conditioning and am wondering if the Brownie points I gain from being “green “ are worth the suffering in 100-degree weather. Then I think of those poor people in Russia with their heat and fires, and know that I can stick it out until my time comes to be in New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, which starts this Sunday. And don’t try to get me out of the water!
I’ve vowed to keep my entries short, so here is a pictorial recap of some of the highlights of my trip. It’s not easy to select from 500 photos, but I’ll do my best.
My first two days were spent in Kirkland, WA, visiting two old friends, Nancy and Bob Quickstad. Here’s Nancy standing by Snoqualmie Falls east of Redmond, WA.
For almost two weeks, I worked in the Good Cheer Food Bank Garden and the Whidbey Institute at Chinook Westgarden with my daughter, Cary Peterson, and once again gained new respect for those hardy souls who work as itinerant farm laborers. I also ate some amazing veggies right off the land. As I did last year, I observed the work being done with young people at risk, who, instead of being sent to detention, are given a chance to experience work in a garden and get positive feedback from adults who really care. These gardens supply quality organic food to over 800 families on the island who could not afford supermarket prices. This is a group of people who really care about the welfare of its citizens…with no strings attached. The aim is a hunger-free community for all.
Anne Zontine, world traveler, helps with a work party of volunteers every Wednesday.
Here's how seeds are planted. Looks like baking brownies to me....
Me, the beet-picker…
Volunteers of all ages work at the Good Cheer Garden
Every year I go camping and hiking with Jon Pollack, whom I met while climbing the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal in 1999. This year we took a day to roam around pristine Vancouver—Stanley Park and Grenville Island—before taking the ferry across the Straits of Georgia from West Vancouver to Nanaimo, and heading for campsites on Buttle Lake in Strathcona, and the Greenpoint Campground on Long Beach, part of the Pacific Rim National Park system. These parks, both national and provincial, are clean and beautifully maintained, with large wooded sites, some on the ocean and others on inlets. We stopped for a day at two other campgrounds as well—Miracle Beach and English Falls River. Our two major climbs were Bedwell Trail to little Bedwell Lake and Crest Mountain, both steep and challenging. The most difficult part of Bedwell Trail was the steep road leading to the trailhead. A dried riverbed would have been easier!
A little aside that tickled me about the crossing from Vancouver to Nanaimo. There is a favorite Canadian confection that is called a Nanaimo Bar–a no-bake, three layered bar that is incredibly delicious, which I tasted during the trip. You can get the recipe on line and I strongly recommend it. Get this…you start with a crumb base (can include nuts and coconut), followed by a layer of light custard buttercream, topped with a smooth glossy layer of semi-sweet chocolate. Eat one…you’ll think you died and went to heaven!
Canada abounds in woodland walks, bogs, and an especially lush rain forest. Photos will include the Wild Pacific Trail and such beaches as Half Moon and Florencia. These are reached by wooden staircases that blend into the wild, tangled forest.
Lionsgate, the great suspension bridge in Vancouver
Our first swinging bridge on the Bedwell trail
One last word to the intrepid traveler. This was the first time Jon and I had ever been stopped at the border as we were crossing back into the United States (going to Canada was a matter of 18 minutes). It was a very uncomfortable and infuriating experience. First we were an hour in line in our car and then we were selected for a spot check and our car examined thoroughly, along with our papers. Fortunately, we had been very careful not to carry any food or plant material, but it was not pleasant to spend another hour in a crowded room waiting to answer all manner of personal questions. I suppose we were lucky. Some people were being finger-printed. It’s sad to think of yet another impact of 911 on our borders. A word to the wise. Work on your patience!
Having just returned from the cool woods and even cooler waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, I’m about to join with fellow Maplewoodians to experience the magic of this year’s Maplewoodstock , a panoply of bands and entertainers from rock to folk and pop to funk, performing to eager listeners dotting the grassy park in the center of town. It’s a lovely two days of fun for the whole family, produced by my son-in-law, Gary Shippy, whose band, Walk the Dog, will also perform. There’s a colorful bazaar of goodies to tempt the artistic and the hungry, and a fellowship of kindred souls who just love being surrounded by good music. Now, if only the predicted thundershowers will hold off it will be perfect.
To prove that there are still pristine, unspoiled places on this earth, I’m possting a few sunset shots from the Noble Cottage on good old Lake Winnie, the largest lake in New England, still clear and sandy-bottomed as in my childhood days.
Before going to New Hampshire I attended the annual Mt. Laurel Autoharp Gathering held in late June at Little Buffalo State Campground in Newport, PA. This was the celebration of twenty years of gatherings, and organized by the dynamic duo, Coleen and Neal Walters, themselves members of Doofus, a lively old-time band using guitar, autoharp, mountain and hammered dulcimer, fiddle, banjo, and acoustic bass. This gives you an idea of the versatility of the music presented and played from morning ‘til night (try 3 AM). I have some neat videos of the proceedings, which I still don’t know how to mount on this blog, but I also have a few pictures taken toward the end of the festival, showing friends and performers. For an extensive coverage of the Autoharp Hall of Fame presentation (this year going to the fabulous John Hollandsworth) and the contest of champions, won, again, by Lucille Reilly, on her diatonic autoharp, visit the Mt. Laurel website.
Lucille Reilly
A list of performers includes Hello Stranger (Dale &Teresa Jett and Oscar Harris). Dale is the grandson of country legends A.P and Sara Carter, with roots in the Carter family tradition; Julie & Carol Pagter with Country Ham, an old-time, bluegrass and gospel band; Ivan Stiles, an award-winning autoharpist whom I met many years ago while I was writing my autoharp method books; Rick Fitzgerald, last year’s autoharp champion; and Lindsay Haisley, a premier musician who has set the Texas music world and every autoharp gathering in the country on fire with his stunning performances. He always plays my favorite Willie Nelson hit, Crazy, on his chromatic autoharp. There aint’ nothin’ like it! Trust me.
Lindsay Haisley
...with his wife, Cheryl DeHut
Who says married couples don't have fun?
Mike Fenton from England, autoharper extraordinaire, who taught the pre-festival workshop
Mike with wife, Rachel, on the mountain dulcimer
Once again, I stayed with my friends, Carole and Fisk Outwater in their RV. This year we were joined by the expert mountain dulcimer performer and author, Lois Hornbostel, who joined Carol, Fisk, Nadine Shah-White, and the well known rock singer from England, Bob Fish, in a rousing and hysterical presentation of the late ’50’s, early ’60’s tune, Teenager in Love. Take a look.
Nadine, Lois, Bob, Carole, and Fisk
Ian and Nadine Shah-White performing at their workshop
Carole Outwater and Michael Poole jamming in the yard
Jamming with the dog
Heather Smith Farrell-Roberts. These English sure love long names! Heather plays a sweet autoharp
Dale Jett and Oscar Harris on stage...great country sound!
June Maugery, 1996 champion
Mike Herr, 1998 & 2004 champion, still going strong
Jammin' at Mike's
On Monday I leave for my yearly visit to Seattle and Whidbey Island, where my daughter, Cary, lives…and for a new adventure with Jon Pollack, my Himalayan buddy. It’s back to Canada, again, this time to explore and climb on Vancouver Island. There will be plenty of stories and plenty of pictures. So keep tuned all you mountaineers. After that, it’s the Whites.
I have always traveled spontaneously and, as my children like to say, “by the seat of my pants.” That’s all well and good, going from place to place with my nose in a guide book as I try to figure out where to stay and what points of interest to visit, but more and more I find that my travel experience is richer when I delve into the culture and history of an area before arriving. Obvious, you say. Not so for the majority of travelers. They get so caught up in the details of what to take and how much—plus shots, money, visas–that they lose sight of the fact that they will be faced with a new culture, a new set of rules, and very likely—if they go off the beaten track—with the need to know the rudiments of a new language. And, folks, that’s the real fun of it! I found a rather obscure book about Burma, or Myanmar, before visiting that country in 2007. I ended up with a respect for its rich and troubling history that no guidebook could possibly convey. It talked about the democracy movement and the years of upheaval under British rule, and the conditions leading to the present repressive government. It made me eager to talk with the people, and gave me some knowledge of their struggle far above the tourist sampling of temples and monuments. I’ve been doing the same for my upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon and adjacent national parks with my two grandsons this June. They’re young and eager to know about the geological and early American history of these rugged lands loaded with Native American history and the amazing adventures of the first settlers. It will not be the pristine experience so beautifully documented by Ken Burns, for it’s summer and the whole world heads West to our national monuments. But it will be more than just pretty pictures of rock formations. It will be the unfolding of a special place in this great land that is unique in our history and worth our reverence and respect.
So my simple rule #6 is to spend some time at your local bookstore or library and steep yourself in whatever place you’re visiting. Don’t try to cover the waterfront…take one country at a time and dig deep. Know something about their leaders, their writers, their customs. You will be rewarded by a new appreciation of your fellow human beings, wherever they live, and your eagerness and willingness to learn about them will be met with open arms. Trust me.
A word to the wise to young women, especially, who have come of age in an American society where just about anything goes, including exposed belly buttons, mini-skirts, and skin tight T’s and jeans. This applies as well to young men who like to hang their baggy pants halfway to their knees, caused, they say, by forgetting to put on a belt. Not only is that sloppy, but it gives a vulgar impression of America, which may seem an old-fashioned thing to say, but take it from a world traveler, it doesn’t help you if you want to win friends and get to know another country. And those low-cut T’s are especially inappropriate in countries like India, where most of the men are trying to “make you happy” anyway. Don’t make it worse, especially if you’re a single woman. They’re fair game, as I’ve said many times before from personal experience. And age makes no difference. In Asia, older is better. That’s nice, but it can have its drawbacks.
I’m going mad with preparations for an exciting and challenging summer in New Hampshire, Whidbey Island, and Vancouver Island, but I did manage to see a few of Broadway’s best. Top of the list, and a birthday present from Paul Sharar, is Red, the new play about the painter, Mark Rothko, starring the superb Alfred Molina and newcomer Eddie Redmayne. Don’t miss it. It was also a treat to visit with my former daughter-in-law, Andrea Giammattei, with whom I saw White”s Lies, not the greatest drama, but it starred Andrea’s old teacher, Betty Buckley, who is always a delight to see. Once again I saw God of Carnage, and enjoyed the new cast: Janet McTeer, who was so powerful in the classic Mary Stuart last season, Jeff Daniels, who played a different role this time around, Lucy Liu, and Dylan Baker. This time I took Judy Wyman and grandson Thomas Bixler. If I really like a show, I want to share it. It’s my weakness and my joy.
Just for fun I’m posting some photos of my grandson, Thomas Bixler, who has spent the last few days sealing my back deck, pulling weeds, and refurbishing the wrought-iron railing in front of the house. After all, what are grandchildren for? It’s quite an experience supervising a close relative, especially one who sees no reason why drops of brown primer are unattractive on cement pedestals and sidewalks. So much easier than fiddling with drop clothes. It was fiery at times, but fussy grandmothers usually win, and it’s nice that children are so forgiving. I’ve decided to trade perfection for good company.
m
Can anything be accomplished without an iPod?
Christopher’s ferns
I missed photographing the rhododendrons because of rain, but there
are always coriopsis, spirea, salvia, and a host of geraniums.
This is the time of year when I don’t want to leave my home state. It’s just too beautiful, and the breezes are gentle and temperate as if teasing me into believing that Jersey heat and humidity are not just around the corner. Live in the moment is my motto. And this moment is divine!
May also brought the cancellation of two of my favorite Friday night television shows—the incomparable Bill Moyers Journal and David Brancaccio’s NOW. I can understand that Moyers wants to retire after years of investigative journalism, but I cannot understand why NOW is not continuing. Its carefully-researched exposes went deep into uncharted waters and uncovered problems that were dealt with nowhere else on television. And it showed some very innovative solutions from concerned individuals around the world. This, of course, is not always popular, but, for me, has been eye-opening. I’ve often mentioned some of the unusual programs presented by NOW and here’s another—a recent discussion with Josh Fox, an ordinary citizen turned documentary filmmaker, who won a special jury prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival for his film, Gasland, inspired when the gas company came to his hometown in Pennsylvania and offered him an exorbitant amount of money for his land.
This started Fox on a search throughout rural America to explore the effects of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) thousands of feet underground that, he discovered, endangers the purity of our water supply. Shockingly, there are plans underway which, if implemented, could severely compromise one of the purest of our water systems, that of New York City.
During his travels, documented in the film, Fox discovered these results of fracking: toxic streams, ruined aquifers, dying livestock, brutal illnesses, disastrous explosions, and kitchen sinks where water from the spigot burst into flames. Go to PBS.org and see for yourself how the oil and gas companies are causing the irreversible pollution of our drinking water.
The season ended for the Plainfield Symphony with a stunning performance of Verdi’s Requiem, conducted by Charles Prince, in conjunction with the Crescent Choral Society led by Ron Thayer. This will be my 50th season playing violin with the orchestra, but it takes a lot more practice these days to keep up with the demanding schedule. Thus, such activities as blogging are put on hold during the intense build up to each concert.
It has also been a great month for theater and opera. Some of the highlights are Shaw’s Candida at the Irish Repertory, Enron with the talented Norbert Leo Butz, Next Fall, a marvelously acted tragicomedy on Broadway, Strindberg’s searing drama, Creditors, directed by Alan Rickman at BAM, and Martin McDonagh’s wickedly funny Behanding in Spokane with the deadpan, super-funny, and brilliant Christopher Walken. I have to be honest and say that I was disappointed in Family Week by Beth Henley.
Opera included Rossini’s Armida with the flawless Renee Fleming, Der Fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman) with the powerful Deborah Voigt, and a concert by the incomparable Shanghai Quartet in residence at Montclair State University.
Now, I’ve used up all my superlatives, except to say that I wish you all a glorious spring and a not-too-hot summer.
You may remember that I took a trip into the heart of Tibet with my eldest daughter, Cary, in the spring of 2004. After visiting Lhasa and various monasteries in the area, we drove inland and camped, mixed with nomads, and circumambulated sacred Lake Mansarovar, across the great plain of Barga at the base of the majestic Mount Gurla Mandhata. This and Lake Rakshas Tal are the highest bodies of fresh water in the world.
After attending the famous Saga Dawa Festival in Tarboche on June 3, my birthday, we headed up the holiest mountain in the Himalayas, Mt. Kailash (22,028 ft.) and over the 18,046 ft Dolma La, a difficult, but very satisfying trek to the rock-strewn and prayer flag-adorned top of the pass. There we placed remembrances of Christopher at the Bardo and the Tara rock. Circumambulating this mountain is an important pilgrimage for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. It was bitter cold as we climbed, and we set up tents along the way. But what amazed me was the number of Tibetan pilgrims who simply put down their blankets near the trail and slept out in the subzero weather.
M.P. and Cary on the shore of Lake Manasarovar
M.P. on top of the Dolma La (18,046 ft.)
Sacred Mt. Kailash
Leaving the Mt. Kailash area
A very powerful, distant memory
Moving onto the Tibetan plain
Typical landscape above tree line
M.P.. with playful monks at Sakya Monastery
Nomad selling cheese
One of many clear aqua lakes on our high altitude journey
Monks debating Buddhist scripture at Sera Monastery
M.P. and Cary on the roof of the Jokhang Temple, built in 647 AD
Tibetan woman in Lhasa
Selling wares in Lhasa
Transportation in a rural village
I’ve written a lot about the Tibetan people and their courage. I’ve visited and supported students at the schools in Dharamsala and Suja, India, where children, many of them orphans who escaped over the mountains to freedom, find a new beginning. And I’ve attended two weeks of the Dalai Lama’s lectures at the Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala. And now, once again, tragedy has struck the Tibetans, this time in the form of a devastating earthquake which leveled the city of Kyeku on the Chinese/Tibetan border. Although reports are that it is in northern China, it is really in the Tibetan region of Kham, which my daughter, Cary, visited in 2007.
The earthquake was 100 miles from the monastery of her Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Kilung Rinpoche. Monks from the Kilung Monastery are now in Kyeku with Tibetan food for those who have lost everything in the quake. This is direct aid being brought straight to those in the greatest need.
http://www.kilung.org/pages/projects/disaster-relief.htm
I imagine that most of you know of this disaster, but please spread the word. If people want to help, this is as immediate and direct as it gets, organized by people Cary and I know personally.
Since I wrote the above, there is even more information about the wonderful work being done for the survivors in Kyeku. I’ve been getting emails about a new program of providing yaks to the families who have lost everything. It was just launched a few days ago and is explained on the Kilung Foundation website. www.kilung.org Individuals and groups are encouraged to purchase these animals, which also saves the animals from slaughter and provides the families with nutritious milk products so necessary for their diet. For more information about this YAKS FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF program, write to: Rigdzin Chodron at [email protected], located in Langley, Washington. This is a dedicated friend who can give you a chance to participate in this practical program of lasting and sustainable help for these families.
For those of you who want to see more photos of the campaign to help the people of Kyegu, visit Kilung’s flickr sites below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kilung/sets/72157623795609117/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kilung/sets/72157623822601097/
Most of my photographs from this 2004 trek were taken before I had a digital camera, but there are a few from friends and from Cary that I would like to share with you. We visited many more temples and monasteries than are pictured here and we were careful not to photograph the people who indicated that it was a breach of their privacy. This is totally understandable, but limits our description of the richness of the experience.
Nomads tending their fields
The boy and the yak
Plowing the fields
The octagonal Kumbum Stupa, which houses 70 chapels and has six levels, and is part of the Palkhor Chode Monastery in Gyantse
Sermon Square, Tashilhumpo Monastery, Shigatse
Monk fetching water
Every temple has many levels. M.P. emerging from a meditation room
Decorate rocks near Drepung Monastery, Lhasa
Courtyard of the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa
The thirteen-story Potala Palace, Lhasa, complete with tourists
The road winding through the mountains to the Nepalese/Tibetan border
One day after saying goodbye to winter at Harriman State Park, I awoke to a paradise of flowering trees and bushes. And this is just the beginning! The maples, dogwood, and azaleas are right behind. Too bad there were so many telephone and electric wires spoiling some of these views, but we’re still lucky to have so much beauty lining our city streets.
Forsythia flanking the golf course
Those gorgeous magnolias! Here today, gone tomorrow….
As we move into a new season, here is a theater update for all my like-minded addicts around the world.
To celebrate this season of renewal, I enjoyed a stunning production of Hamlet at the Met, an opera by Ambroise Thomas, the 19th century French composer. Outstanding performances were given by the English baritone, Simon Keenlyside, and the Canadian soprano, Jane Archibald.
At the end of February I played in an all-Russian concert with The Plainfield Symphony, featuring music by Prokofiev and Shostakovich, playing his 5th symphony, my favorite.
Yes, I was able to get tickets for the last two segments of Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Cycle at the Signature Theater. This was theater at its very best and I hated to see it end. After the first segment I had an interesting exchange with the actress, Sarah Jessica Parker, who stopped me as I was leaving, having mistaken me for one of the actors (surely not the ingénue, I quipped).
Another fine play by Susan -Lori Parks was The Book of Grace at the Public Theater. We were treated to an hour-long discussion with her and several cast members after the performance. I had been lucky enough to see her Pulitzer price winning hit, Topdog/ Underdog several years ago.
The Pearl Theater at the City Center presented a fabulous adaptation of Hard Times by Charles Dickens. It always amazes me when six people can play a plethora of characters, changing on a dime right in front of you.
Another excellelnt production at the Minetta Lane Theatre was 4Play, The Flying Karamazov Brothers, doing their usual hilarious, off-the-wall juggling, dancing, miming, and singing. I don’t know when I’ve laughed so much.
And finally, I was blown away by the richness and versatility of the Broadway musical, Fela!, conceived and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, and based on the life of the Nigerian singer from the late ‘70’s, Fela Kuti.
Keep tuned. There’s more just around the corner and yes, there are those travel rules. I haven’t forgotten. They’re compounding!
One final note: People ask me how I keep climbing and traveling without the usual aches and pains of age. I’ll tell you how. First of all, it’s that three-mile walk everyday, but more than that, I do Hanna Somatic exercises, taught to me by several practitioners, including my daughter, Martha Peterson. I’m so lucky to have her close by for sessions and classes. For those who are having knee, back, neck, or shoulder problems (too much computer?), I suggest that you visit her blog, which is full of great tips, videos, and photos to help keep you strong, playful, and on-the-go. What more can you ask? Just go to the website and see for yourself. www.essentialsomatics.com
And while you’re at it, do sign up for my RSS feed at the top of the page. Then you’ll automatically get my blog.
I want to share with you the last day of winter climbing as the temperatures unexpectedly soared to 80 degrees, catching these winter tableaus unaware. In just one day the laurel is starting to blossom and the maple and dogwood buds have appeared. But you can see by the following pictures that the woods of New York State were still transparent, mysterious, and barren, and the slabs of granite free of foliage. I can’t wait to return and show the unfolding of spring.
We trudged through numerous swollen streams
The rocks on the Red Dot trail
One of the many abandoned iron mines from the Revolutionary War
A lone survivor of the harsh winter storms
Nature's haunting designs
With Bernard, the photographer, at Harriman's answer to Times Square, a confluence of trails
Water, water everywhere....
© 2024 Meg Noble Peterson
