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Showing posts from August, 2009

A Place for All Seasons- Mt Ascutney

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My special location is Mount Ascutney in Vermont, about seven miles from my home in Claremont, New Hampshire. Why is it special to me? Because this is where I went for physical healing after an accident forced me to have a total knee replacement a year ago. There I also found spiritual and emotional comfort, as well inspiration for new hobbies I’d like to pursue --- such as nature photography and animal track identification. In short, Mount Ascutney gave my life a whole new start. I’d like to quote two people who have also found Mount Ascutney a place of special meaning and joy: Maxfield Parrish, who lived and worked much of his life in Cornish, New Hampshire, in full view of Mount Ascutney, is quoted in Fables of Abundance: A Cultural History of Advertising in America by Jackson Lears: After years of producing enormously successful calendars for General Electric, Parrish finally announced, “It’s an awful thing to be a rubber stamp. I’m quitting my rut now while I’m still able.” He de

Hiking Pregnant

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I love to hike. my partner and i spent endless days and weeks hiking and backpacking when we first met and still with our young daughter strapped to our backs after she was born. so it was a commonly enjoyable suggestion when last weekend we decided to hike Mt. Worcester. being new to the area we thought it would be great to explore our nearby forests. friends heard i was to do this ahead of time and said..."wow...really, you are nearly 8 months pregnant!!" but i said of course i could do this. certainly i did make the hike!! such a beautiful hike it was over streams and through beautiful woods along the brook. My 3 year old daughter hiked on her own for quite a distance, maybe even a mile, jumping over streams and balancing on rocks. then came the scramble. she went up on daddy's back and i began huffing and puffing. what a climb. the weight of my belly and my balance questionable as i waddled up the large boulders. my daughter calling out to me wondering why, just why,