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truths89 · 7 years

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A Gem of the Pleiades

I am walking to the F train in Brooklyn, to head home from the 4th ave train station, while I smoke a spliff and recollect my raw appetite from the late hours of the 29th night of February. She is face down, ass up and my fingers are curled around her g-spot, as I bite chunks of her ass. Her moaning is so gratifying, like a seamless orchestra to a conductor. Her body is richly melanated, her thighs are thick, her belly soft and round. I am intent on devouring her at this moment. So tight, so moist, the aroma. Just a lick, a sip of a clit. The thirst was real. For a taste of her lips, all of her lips.

Kole, unlike my numerous Tinder dates, is a person with whom I attended Smith College. She was a senior, when I was a first-year. We both resided in Lamont house, on the 4th floor during the mid-2000′s. We were cordial during that single overlapping year of study; however, hadn’t established a relationship outside of smithiehood. While residing in Manhattan over the past seven years, Kole and I have run into each other at Union Square twice, and once at the Schomburg Museum in Harlem. We were always polite and graceful, but never made an attempt to meet up intentionally. Since graduating in 2011, I hadn't attended a single Smith event. It wasn’t until Winter of 2019, when I received a Facebook invitation to the New York Chapter Smith Holiday Party from Kole, that we became reacquainted again. The small talk was pleasant, her presence was enchanting. We exchanged numbers and she was convinced she could link me with a friend of hers, who she believed, I’d take a liking to.

I can’t precisely pinpoint when the mutual attraction was realized, but there has always been a sense of humor and sensuality that I associate with Kole. About a week after the Holiday party, Kole invited me to Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem, for a Jazz performance and a salmon entree. The venue was so beautiful and rather romantic. Our conversation was substantial and we broached the topic of dating. She shared a little bit about the matter, and my curiosity grew. Before me, was a beautifully black, assertive and accomplished woman, how could she not be dating? The next hurdle was to learn her sexual orientation. Typically, she responded with, “I like people.” As a very fluid person, this was alluring to me. Naturally, I shared with her a little of my dating experiences. We walked separate ways at 125th St. and Malcolm X Blvd. I wanted so badly to invite her over, but knew she was an aged wine, not a wine cooler.

There may have been a text message correspondence, I truly couldn’t recall. But Kole sent out an email invitation for showings of Black Women in Film Festival, with dates in January. One happened to be on my birthday, the 30th, and I hadn’t made any plans to celebrate. I thought little of reaching out to spend my birthday evening with her. Serendipitously, her late father and I share a birthday. We decided to meet up at 6 pm, at a bar near West 4th to make a toast to her father. She was about forty minutes late, due to her train being stuck underground. Even so, I was still thrilled to share time with her. The bar was packed. She had a single drink on the rocks; I declined to join in, as I was already overly intoxicated from a sushi lunch with my best friend. We made it to the Film Forum and saw a clip that starred Eartha Kitt. It was beautiful. Afterward, we took a couple of pictures, walked to the train and gave each other a rich embrace.

Some time had passed, when I was walking along Riverside Park one morning, on February 14th, and received a text message from Kole about the upcoming potluck she was organizing. Because I have numerous email accounts, and communicate over several text phone app platforms, I can easily lose track of a correspondence or invitation. In my defense, there were two events, a potluck and a karaoke event, a week apart. After going back and forth with her via text message, on where her invitation might be located on my phone, I immediately RSVP’d for the 22nd at 5 pm. I decided to also RSVP for the Smith Karaoke for the 29th at 3 pm. I arrived at a quarter to 6 to the potluck, bearing half a loaf of bread and two flavors of hummus. I didn’t immediately find myself conversing with Kole, as she was the host. The night was rich in food, dialogue and community. By the end of the evening, Kole was hugging me goodbye, in such a way that I began to feel sexually aware of my body. I felt safe and liked it, but was unclear on her intentions. She gave me two twirls before sharing that her friend could drive me uptown from the Queens home we were in. I was grateful, as I had a 6 am flight to New Mexico the next morning.

I visited a ranch in Sapello, New Mexico for a week. There was not a day in which Kole and I did not communicate. I told her that I liked her touch and felt safe, but giddy. I had sent her a short erotica story that I had written my senior year, while attending Smith College. I also shared with her some articles I had written for a niche newspaper on being a Peer Specialist. Something was happening, and we were just flowing. The pictures she would send, and then my versions that I would send in return. I was in the hot tub when we had a video call, which was seductive. We were both eager to gain clarity on what it was we were feeling and doing. I expressed my interest and her rebuttal was promising. By the time I boarded my return flight to New York on February 28th, Friday evening, I knew I’d see her the following day for Karaoke.

While on the plane, the more I thought of Kole, the more I felt butterflies in my tummy. This was such a new and strange experience. A woman I met 14 years ago, who I barely communicated with during all this time; and suddenly, I can’t help but yearn for her touch. Karaoke was a cute event to host. The song selection was not quite for my palate, but I appreciated watching Kole have fun. There was one smithie who both Kole and I were acquainted with, as we all lived in Lamont House on the 4th floor. The last time I saw Abby was at the Smith Holiday Party. Now, at the karaoke venue, we’re playing musical chairs around Kole. I was thirsty to have her body beside my own. Frankly, I had bravely sent her some visually seductive material and did not want to overstep my reach. I wanted her to initiate physical contact. And did she. She guided my hand to her lower back. I commenced with rubbing her back in circular motions, amid the Karaoke selections being played. Abby seemed very confused. I was gleefully avoidant of eye-contact.

While in New Mexico, Kole shared with me a house party that was being thrown after the karaoke event by a fellow smithie. From midtown, we took a taxi to the house party in Brooklyn. At this point, the sexual tension was palatable. Honestly, I have deeply desired black and thick love, it’s been a source of grief. Although Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge have been excellent in facilitating my connection to potential lovers and friends; the women whom I‘ve met are slender, and not brown or black. It’s been challenging and complicated. So during the ride to the house party, I was in awe of the universe’s uncanny orchestration of timing. We arrived at the party, and upon our arrival, we saw a familiar smithie at the entryway; we entered the apartment together. The space was lovely and the display of food was so appetizing; an array of cheese, meats, crackers, wines, etc. It was very laid back and I was feeling very much at ease.

Like magnets attracting an electrical charge, our proximity was very close. The conversation was intimate and felt like necessary emotional labor. It was vulnerable and transparent. Although we were in a room with other folks filled with chatter and drinks, we were much absorbed in our own bubble. I had to say, “I want to kiss you.” “Why don’t you,” she asked. I admitted to some shyness around the space we were in. As a gathering, we began to play What Do You Meme. Perhaps over a dozen rounds, in the midst of such, Kole and I were twisting our fingers together, holding hands, and playing footsie. There were a couple of moments when we left the living room to get more food or drinks from the kitchen. Two bodies passing, she reached for my waist, and I hers. We exchanged two brief soft wet kisses. I may have been exhausted from my return from New Mexico that morning, but her essence was caffeinated sensuality.

We met up in the kitchen about two more times that evening, before deciding to take a taxi to her home. It was a short ride. She initiated the kissing and hand holding along the ride. I enthusiastically reciprocated the affection. She resides on the second floor of an apartment building. Her roommate wasn’t there, gratefully. The clothes came off with such grace. While her body rested upon mine, with my arms embracing her being, eyes locked, I felt a sacred energy between us. Because I don’t recall what persona I portrayed while at Smith College, I have felt very uneasy and anxious with that social network. But with my head between her bosoms, as she caresses my forehead, I felt her nurturing touch.

I woke up around 7:46 am, in bed by myself. I lingered for a little, but went searching for Kole. She was comfortably lounging on the couch in the living room, while consuming some cold cereal. She was wearing a robe and her glasses. After I brushed my teeth, I joined her on the couch. The morning small talk was polite. Dating varies by person, but I chose to tell her that my male booty calls can stay on KIK. Because at age thirty-one, I am committed to manifesting a healthy black lesbian love relationship. I was preparing to leave, when she decided to sit on my lap. Her curves, her softness, her eyes, and her full lips. I’m weak. But literally, we both have orthopedic limitations, bad knees; it was fucking endearing and romantic to navigate our bodies with such gentleness and humor.

I don’t know what this is. I don’t know what this will be. But I have already soaked up so much healing and pleasure. I am grateful to the magic of the universe. To her black pussy and its wetness. May I drink her like a lily does the sun? We are black star seeds in the garden of passion and creation. What can two wombs create in the absence of sperm? A Star System.

#smith college #smithie #'07 #black love #blackqueer #blackweirdo #blackgirlmagic #lesbianism #new york city #serendipity #uncertainty #excitment #healing #romance #harlem #brooklyn #2020

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sjecblogarchive · 7 years

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BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR SUPPER CLUBS ARE BACK!

09/09/2017

BY SJECWARRENTON

BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR SUPPER CLUBS ARE BACK!

Back by popular demand the “Brunch, Lunch, and Supper Club” will be in full swing once again at Saint James’ starting this fall.

Have you ever wondered about the person sitting next to you in Church? Now is your time to find out more about that person!

We will be organizing groups of 8 people to meet and either have Brunch, Lunch or Supper together. “BLS” will be the choice of the host or the group will decide. It may be potluck, meet at a restaurant or maybe a picnic. Everyone will have an opportunity to host and it is flexible as to what the group would like to do.

There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board that will be there for 3 weeks starting August 27, 2017.

I hope you all decide to break bread with your neighbors! More details to follow. Any questions please contact either Jennifer Taylor or Patti Reid.

#Connect #Breakfast #Lunch #Supper #Breakfast Lunch Supper Club

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yourautomaticbouquetsweetsposts · 4 years

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Consider the thought of the renaissance-themed wedding ceremony. Both wedding couple, for example, is going to be putting on moving materials as well as distinctive headpieces, as the amusement might feasibly end up being much more enjoyable. Partners possess employed 'court jesters, a 'jugglers, a as well as 'dancers' in order to lighten up the actual feeling, keep on the actual renaissance style, as well as customize their own wedding ceremony inside a distinctive method. Nevertheless, what ever your own wedding ceremony style might be, keep in mind in order to discover all of the distinctive wedding ceremony suggestions as well as options open to a person. Whether it's historic within character, seek information! Whether it's hobby-themed, request your pals to talk about their own suggestions. Not just may effort upon distinctive wedding ceremony suggestions enable you to picture a much better wedding ceremony, you will also possess the assistance of the buddies. 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itsyourchoicedevotionals · 4 years

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Unity

“And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,” Acts 5:14

Have you ever wondered what the early church must've been like? Obviously not dull, boring and lifeless. Acts 2:42, 46NLT tells us the new believers "...devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals… worshiped together at the Temple EACH DAY, met in homes for The Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy..." (Emphasis mine.) “... All the believers were united in heart and mind…” Acts 4:32NLT

Average people would run either away or towards Acts church, if they crossed a time warp. ***Sermons in the early church brought in salvations by the thousands. ***Preaching could last all night long. (Acts 20:9) ***Worship service in ‘church’ aka Temple— followed with preaching and eating in homes. ***People once content to follow the Pharisaical rules, exercised freedom in their Savior. ***Dramatic changes occurred in new believers’ lives stirring up extreme hostility in the religious sector.

Persecution arose against every group of worshippers gathered in Jesus’ name. Rather than having overwhelming fear, these new believers prayed for boldness, (Acts 4:24-31). Astounding boldness came upon them.

How did these new believers find the time to sit at the apostles feet every day? No electricity, modern conveniences for laundry, cooking, bathing, still they found time to meet daily, worship together, and prepare meals. The time came from no forty to sixty hour workweeks, media distractions, sports, or shopping malls. Unity created a fluid movement of love, where their work load together gave everyone surplus time.

What would Christianity be like, if we Christians became united in Christ Jesus? What would our actions be like?

Our lives, families and churches are all run so differently today, from the early church. Each family member runs off to do their own thing, for their private media experience. Family members may be in one building, but lonesome in a house full of people. The same goes for Christians. Hymnals and Bibles aren’t needed at church —replaced by screens and media. Christians are becoming disconnected from handling God’s Word, Bible studying, discussions about the Word and unity with their brothers.

From my early Christian memories— church had all ages in the sanctuary. Kids and adults carried Bibles and paper tablets for taking notes. Meeting at one another’s houses after service, we enjoyed good food, fellowship, and discussion about the scriptures and sermon. Then prayer for each other in our little group.

Do you see how the first church had it right? They fell deeply in love with Jesus at the apostles’ feet. Their love for Jesus spilled over into loving everyone else. Love drew in volumes of new believers with passion for Christ and fellowship.

I’ve often wondered, what would happen, if church did potlucks with home prayer meetings— getting together multiple times during the week, doing serious Bible studies. Would unity be born there? Unity would demand drawing in other denominations, because unity isn’t isolation. Could the church family become more important than sports? You think about it and decide. It's your choice. You choose.

PRAYER: Father we need to fall head over heels in love not with Jesus one, but with each other. Help us to give up the unnecessary and find unity with each other and You, in Jesus’ name I pray.

#Jesus Christ #lord of lords #Word of God #Holy Spirit #God #it's your choice #devotional #unity #fellowship #media #lonesome #full house #make time #love #hope #faith

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johnmikeperth-blog · 5 years

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Throw a Christmas Party on your Budget

Christmas parties are one of the most energizing pieces of the Christmas season. Not exclusively would you be able to get together with companions, yet you can appreciate merry music, nourishment, and the sky is the limit from there. Christmas parties, however, can be over the top expensive issues. Fortunately, there are approaches to toss extraordinary Christmas parties on little spending plans. By being inventive with how you supply nourishment and beverages, not going over the edge with your area or diversion, and getting a good deal with payday loans, you'll have the option to set up an extraordinary Christmas party.

Dealing with the Logistics of the Party

Set a budget. Before doing whatever else, you have to make a financial limit with payday loans in Australia for your gathering. To begin with, decide how a lot of cash you have. Ask any individual who is adding to the gathering the amount they can promise and include it up. At that point, list the significant segments of the gathering and designate cash to various classifications. Your significant costs will include:

Invitations. Make an effort not to spend over 5%.

Decorations. Contingent upon what you as of now have, you may need to spend up to 10%.

The cost of diversion. This ought to be insignificant, however not over 5%.

Party supplies. While you may as of now have paper plates and napkins lying around, consider setting aside 10% for this expense.

Food and beverages. This could take up to or considerably over 60% of your spending limit.

Also Read: Budget-Friendly Christmas Vacations in Australia

Miscellaneous. Consider designating 10% for unforeseen expenses.

Hold the gathering at your home. The best and least expensive spot for your Christmas party is likely your home. Not exclusively would you be able to utilize your home for nothing out of pocket, yet you'll have the option to cook your gathering, and have a lot of time to set up adornments with fast loan cash. Also, you'll have the option to exploit any Christmas embellishments you previously set up.

Dedicate a piece of your home, similar to a family room, sunroom, or lounge area, to your gathering. Close off the remainder of your home to guests.

2. Decorating

Reuse your old decorations. To meet your spending limit, reuse designs from earlier years. What's more, inquire as to whether they have old embellishments you can use for your Christmas party. Concentrate on:

Ornaments

Garland

Christmas lights

Pinecones

Holiday-themed serving plates

Bows and ribbons

Purchase enrichments at a carport sale. If you're arranging your Christmas party ahead of time, set aside an effort to visit carport deals in the weeks or months prior. You'll likely discover each kind of improvement you could need.

Buy designs in the offseason. Christmas enrichments are generally costly in the months paving the way to the occasion. To keep away from this cost, prepare and purchase enrichments in the offseason. While you might have the option to discover embellishments available to be purchased for inexpensively the spring or summer, the best time to purchase is the week or two after Christmas when stores are attempting to get free any Christmas beautifications they have left.

You might have the option to purchase enrichments for as much as 90% off during the weeks following Christmas.

Make your own decorations. In expansion to reusing old adornments, you can make your very own from things you have lying around the house or from reasonable things you can buy at a specialty store.

Make your very own tree ornaments. Use pinecones or old bits of metal to make new and energizing adornments.

Wrap candles with occasion strips or fall leaves. Take green and red bits of lace and enclose standard candles by them.

Decorate a wreath. Use old trimmings, strips, and different Christmas enrichments to transform a drilling wreath into an energizing one.

3. Providing Food and Drinks

Serve modest food. Food is probably the costliest component of setting up a Christmas party. Accordingly, the center on modest nourishment that is proper for the season. Some season-proper modest nourishments are:

Turkey

Stuffing/dressing

Green beans

Cornbread

Apples

Use coupons. Go through your Sunday paper and different advertisements for any coupons you could use to purchase nourishment for your Christmas party. On the off chance that you have specific nourishment or item as a primary concern, run a web search to check whether there is a maker coupon accessible. You'll be shocked about the great arrangements you'll end up with.

Use cell phone applications like Wal-Mart’s "Reserve funds Catcher" or Target's "Cartwheel." furthermore, local markets like Publix have Facebook pages and uses of their own.

Purchase in bulk. Buying in mass is probably the most straightforward approaches to bring down the expense of your nourishment. To purchase in mass, either visit stores like Costco or Sam's Club or purchase the biggest pack of whatever item you need. At last, you'll end up sparing per unit or per ounce.

Don't purchase something you don't require in light of the fact that it appears to be a decent arrangement.

After you make sense of what you need, think about the costs of like things. You may find that it’s not worth you getting a 30 pack versus simply getting the 10 you really need.

Make you're gathering a potluck. Think about transforming your Christmas party into a potluck where everybody brings a dish. This won't just spare you a great deal of cash, yet you'll get individuals put resources into the gathering itself.

Coordinate what your visitors are bringing. You can either begin a rundown that individuals can access on the web, appoint individuals dishes, or make a rundown of recommended nourishments and enable individuals to pick what they need to bring.

Some things to propose include: pumpkin pie, Christmas bean plate of mixed greens, Christmas cake, cranberry sauce, pureed potatoes, snickerdoodles, supper rolls, and Swedish meatballs.

Supply things that others didn't give. At last, you may discover your visitors didn't supply the entirety of the basics – like the plunge to go with chips.

Purchase drinks in bulk. Along with nourishment, drinks – particularly mixed beverages – are the biggest cost of Christmas parties. To settle this cost, offer just a couple of drink alternatives and get them in mass. Consider:

Serving just a single mark mixed beverage. For instance, serve eggnog with rum, bourbon, or cognac. In case you're having many individuals at your gathering, purchase the biggest measured containers you can at your nearby alcohol store. Figure that visitors will have 2 or 3 beverages each, and compute the amount you will require.

Buying two liters of pop, gallons of tea, or purchase a punch blend. Stay away from singular servings like jars of soda.

4. Providing Entertainment

Do a present exchange. Gift trades are a fun movement for Christmas parties that shouldn't cost you much by any stretch of the imagination. To do a blessing trade, teach the entirety of your visitors to bring a little blessing that expense somewhere in the range of $5 and $20. At that point, there are various ways you can trade the blessings.

Guests can trade the endowments with one another.

Guests can put the things under a tree and afterward pick an alternate blessing. In the event that you pick this, you can transform it into a "white elephant game," where visitors end up taking endowments from one another.

You can make a "Mystery Santa" list where individuals are doled out someone else to purchase a present for.

Play karaoke. An extremely fun and modest approach to give excitement is to have an occasion karaoke challenge. To do this, utilization a karaoke machine or set YouTube up on your TV. At that point, welcome individuals to contend to see who can sing the best Christmas tune. Consider utilizing melodies like:

"Jingle Bells"

"Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree"

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

"Santa Baby"

"Jingle Bell Rock"

Utilize free music. Don't pay for a band, purchase occasion music, or generally pay for amusement. Rather, depend on free music benefits on the web or from different sources like your link supplier's music channels. At last, you'll have the option to appreciate a large portion of your Christmas top picks without spending a time.

Conclusion

Christmas Parties are the best during Christmas, friends & family can gather together where they eat, laugh & have fun together & at the same time they can thank God for this moment. If the Christmas Party is in your budget then it’s like the dream comes true. Above mentioned points will help you to arrange the best Christmas Party & that too in your budget.

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#payday loans #payday loan #payday loans in Australia #payday loans Australia #fast loan cash

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maternityeveningdresses3 · 5 years

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with the regular 'meet as well as welcome long sleeve formal dresses cheap（）*YTG

A marriage to consider: Distinctive Wedding ceremony Suggestions They will Always remember -------------------- Whenever numerous wedding brides choose to customize their own wedding ceremony, this generally entails some thing less complicated, like the mementos, songs, clothing, or even drinks. You will find absolutely no guidelines occur rock that you need to adhere to with regards to planning for a wedding ceremony nevertheless. Utilizing a small resourcefulness (and planning), you are able to produce a wedding that is enjoyable as well as unforgettable for everybody! Think about these types of distinctive wedding ceremony tips to obtain motivation for your own personel special day. You will find not many as soon as inside a life time occasions that can compare with your own wedding ceremony day time. In the blossoms as well as gown towards the taste from the dessert, the possibility in order to strategy as well as customize your own wedding ceremony with your personal distinctive wedding ceremony suggestions is really inside your courtroom. As well as we have just about all visited a large number of wedding ceremonies which adhere to the conventional structure -- the actual testing as well as following supper, the actual marriage ceremony in which the bridesmaids, groomsmen, as well as few strolled officially lower the actual section, as well as, lastly, the actual wedding reception, exactly where dance as well as supper will adhere to. As well as indeed, factors receive towards the partners which take time to customize their own wedding ceremony along with enjoyable mementos, uncommon drinks, adornments, along with other distinctive wedding ceremony suggestions. However maybe you have believed regarding trembling upward your personal wedding ceremony, maybe even altering the framework from it? Having a small resourcefulness (and planning), you are able to customize your own wedding ceremony in ways that is enjoyable for everybody! My personal favorite Unforgettable Suggestions with regard to Distinctive Wedding ceremonies Think about the testing supper. While the majority of partners choose to operate with the regular 'meet as well as welcome long sleeve formal dresses cheap, a exercise their own stroll lower the actual section to eliminate individuals pre-ceremony jitters, after which take a seat to some gentle repast, a few wedding brides as well as grooms decide to infuse this particular collecting along with their unique distinctive wedding ceremony suggestions. One of these I have heard about is actually getting rid of the actual take a seat supper completely, that is generally much more official within character anyhow. 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headingnobowhiteblazes · 7 years

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Looking Back On 2,200 Miles

It has been over five months since I have finished my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. I bring it up every opportunity I have and love sharing my stories, memories, and experiences. I started my journey to find the breaking point of my body and mind. The average thru hike takes 6 to 8 months, and I completed my hike in 3 months 29 days. When I speak of my trek to others, I feel that I have earned the right to be cocky, to have a little swagger. During my entire hike I remained humble. I always said was attempting to thru hike, and stayed humble to the trail. But now that I look back on my journey, I have joined the exclusive group that call themselves thru hikers. Since 1937, only 15,000 people on the planet have done what I have done. I am now Guac, Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker, GA to ME - NOBO 2017.

Did the AT break me? Did I find the mental and physical breaking point of my body?

This one is hard to answer… I do not think it broke me, and the only reason I say that is because I finished. If it had broken me I do not think I would have made it to the end. But how can I truly say the trail did not break me? It did break me down physically, emotionally, and mentally on a regular basis. It brought me to tears countless times and I had to dig deep to continue to walk. My trail families said “Guac is having a bad day” too many times for me to say I was not broken. When I speak of the trail, I say: “It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life”. I mean every word of that statement. The AT was the hardest, most grueling, difficult thing I have done up to this point in my life. But I do not regret it. I honestly believe that we grow as people when we break out of our comfort zones. When we force ourselves to do something new and out of the ordinary. “Guac” may no longer be hiking but there will always be a part of Guac in me forever.

Did I gain that independence I was looking for?

NOT AT ALL! There isn’t one part of me that is upset about this. I had this perception of the trail that I would be alone all the time. That I would be walking alone, eating alone, and sleeping alone. That was not the case. Laura best described it by saying it was “one big continuous sleepover”. There were moments I would walk alone. In some cases there was no around around and others I choose to be alone. But the trail was extremely social and I loved it. It is what I kept falling back to on the long days. After a miserable day of walking, it was my trail families that kept me smiling, enjoying, and loving the journey. When I look back on the trip, I miss it a lot. I think about it all the time. I can’t help but smile when I think of what I did. But do I really miss the endless walking, countless miles, blisters, sore feet, lost toe nails, wet socks and shoes? No, not at all. I miss the smiles, laughter and bonds that I made with my trail families. I miss Scrip, Pacer, Cyrilia, Pete’s Dragon, Downwind, Tree Walker, Lone Ranger, Uncle Heather, Sprout, and Root.

There is a bond that grows and develops on the trail that you cannot replicate. It is more than a friendship. The best way I can describe is, it is just “surviving”. I will never forget the moments when I would run out of water and we would all stop for a water break and Scrip, Tree Walker, or Pacer would give me some of their water. Why!? They did not have to do that. I was the one that ran out of water and didn’t have any left. They were the ones that carried it all those miles for me to just take it from them.

There were countless times when we would be at camp and I would get water for the entire group while they all set up. Or it was me that would relax while Scrip or Downwind got the water. We were all fighting for the same goal, an outrageous goal of 2,200 miles. We all helped each other along the way and made sure we all made it. You truly love those you hike with. You laugh, cry, bleed, and hurt with each other. You become emotionally attached to those you are around. They truly become your family.

I miss “supper time”. We made sure none of us ever ate alone. It still makes me smile thinking of when I first started to hike with Pacer and Downwind and I yelled at them to wait until we all got to camp for “family supper”. Whenever Scrip and I reunited after being apart for a few days, he always told me that the thing he missed most was dinner. We would all set up camp, gather around, and share treats and food if anyone of us was ever running low. I still remember our potluck dinners of hot dogs, Knorr Sides, Mountain Houses, tortillas, salad, crackers, and anything else we could pull out of our food bags. We would eat like kings and every day we all knew no matter how miserable and terrible the day was, there would always be a warm meal at the end of the day with your trail family.

I did inspire, but you all inspired me.

I want all of you that are reading this to know that I was, and still am truly moved by how many of you followed along. It is still amazing to run into people and have them mention that they read every single one of my posts. People that I haven’t seen in years reading my blog. I am shocked and honored that you all followed along. There are plenty of other things to read or watch on the internet but you chose to read this blog. I was an honor to know so many were following. It was a huge motivating factor during my hike. If I failed, I wouldn’t just be letting myself down, I would be letting every single one of you down. I hope one of you, just one, is moved and inspired by my blog and journey and do something with it. Take that jump off the deep end and see what happens, see where life takes you.

I have been contacted by a few people about my thru hike and they have mentioned that they would like to start their own journey on the Appalachian Trail. It makes me emotional thinking about it. When this idea about thru hiking first crossed my mind, I was reading countless blogs and articles online. I was reading about previous hikers like Rabbit and Biz. They were a major inspiration for me and I hope that one of you out there decides to pack what you think it takes in a backpack and start following those white blazes. Trust me, you will not regret it.

I can’t help but smile and cry at the same time when I think about what I did. I actually did the entire thing. I made it from Georgia to Maine, on foot, hiking 2,200 miles. It is still remarkable to me and doesn’t feel real. I am asked all the time what the trail was like, and would I do it again.

The trail was everything…

The trail was hard, difficult, brutal, sucked, terrible, wet, cold, muddy, buggy, and just plain horrible at times. But at the same time it was AMAZING, beautiful, rewarding, unforgettable and truly life changing. I thought about the yo-yo hiker, Skippyjon Jones, that turned right around at Katahdin and headed back to Springer. I can see why. I miss it, and yes I would do it all again. I do not regret being out there. Even as I sit here writing this post still letting my feet and body recover, I can’t help but smile and cry thinking about being back on trail with the Savages, Just the Boys, and The Deli Boys. I have been out on the trail every chance I’ve had since being back. I have told everyone I can that I am a thru hiker. I loved my journey.

Am I different?

Yes, I think I have changed. I feel that my relationship with Laura is a lot stronger now. I learned how much I needed her and loved her while being apart from her.

I learned that I can walk anywhere. There is no where that is not within walking distance to me now.

I am more confident in myself. I know that I can do anything I set my mind to. Nothing is impossible to me. I am stronger mentally and physically.

Dream big, dream even bigger, and swing for the fences. Guac on! I have learned to never stop dreaming. Dream crazy, stupid, and ridiculous. Have dreams and go after them. Chase them down and fulfill those big dreams.

Thank you.

I want to thank my wife, Laura. I wouldn’t have made it without her. She may not have walked the miles but she was there every step of the way. She let me go, she supported me along the way, she mailed me the food that kept me going. Since my hike, I have been getting all the congratulations. Laura has only been told three times that her journey was just as amazing and received congratulations. She sacrificed a lot so that I could walk. She is a remarkable person for letting me take on the AT.

I want to thank my family for all the love and support along the way. The support from family and friends was empowering and amazing. All the cards, care packages, text messages. Thank you, all of you!

I want to give a big and special thank you to Nicko Nagel. I called you multiple times while I was on trail and every call I was tears. I was broken down and didn’t want to continue when I called. No matter what you were doing or what meeting you were in, you dropped everything to talk to me. Nicko, thank you for listening to me. Thank you for telling me exactly what I needed to hear at those moments. You kept me going and for that I love you and will never forget what you did.

Scrip… Do I even need to say anything? I have been fortunate enough to see you since we have both finished. We walked a long time together brother and it was amazing. Thank you for everything.

Happy Trails,

Guac - GA to ME 2017 - NOBO '17

#ATThruHike0217

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sfawc · 7 years

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PROGRAMS 2017 - 18

September 13 : Potluck Supper, 6:00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall/The Grange, Shelburne Center (Little Mohawk Road)

Please come and bring a friend! If your name begins with the letter:

A-G Bring a main dish

H-M Bring a salad

N-Z Bring a dessert

Program:

THE ART OF ANIMATION

AYA YAMASAKI & JASON BROWN

Opertura is the exciting collaboration of artists Aya Yamasaki and Jason Brown. Although their work enjoys an international following, they maintain a studio in Shelburne Falls, where they create their unique hand-drawn animations, illustrations, comics, and installations – inspired by both the natural and magical realms as well as folk storytelling. In their talk, they will explain their creative process and illustrate it with a sampling of delightful short films. To learn more about Opertura: www.opertura.org/

Aya Yamasaki and Jason Brown have received a 2017 Mass Cultural Council Grant for their work in animation.

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October 11, 7:00 p.m.

The Shakers of Shelburne

David Newell

The Shakers enjoy a coveted place in American culture for their contributions to architecture, craftsmanship, music, agriculture, and furniture. One of the best-known and best-preserved settlements of the Shakers is located in the village of Hancock. Newell’s well-documented power point presentation will take us back into the 18th century lives of the Shakers of Hancock and reveal some surprising and little-known evidence of their settlement in other locations - including our own village of Shelburne.

David Newell is a biblographer and rare book dealer specializing in Shaker editions. He is a member of the editorial board of American Communal Societies at the Hamilton College Library.

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November 8, 7:00 p.m.

Handmade Thanksgiving

Jane Beatrice Wegscheider

Back by popular demand is this hands-on, mixed-media, card-making workshop led by artist Jane Wegscheider, founder and director of The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls. Since November is the month of Thanksgiving, she has chosen ‘Gratitude’ as a theme – giving thanks for what we have. Jane will supply assorted materials - papers, objects, glue, scissors, - plus her lively spirit- to help us unleash our creativity! More about The Art Garden: www.theartgarden.wordpress.com

Jane Beatrice Wegscheider, a visual artist and teacher, earned an MFA in painting from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has taught art in public and private schools and community art centers for over 20 years.

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December 13, 7:00 p.m.

Making Merry with Music

The Mohawk Trail Regional High School Chorus returns once again to offer a medley of old and new seasonal favorites. So mark your calendars for this listen and sing-along evening designed to put everyone in a holiday mood as audience members join the chorus in making merry with music that reflects a range of traditions that intersect with the winter solstice. Come for the music, stay for the holiday cookies and a cheer-filled meet and greet.

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March 14, 7:00 p.m.

Getting to Know Them: The Immigrants Among Us

Laurie Millman

For 25 years, the Center for New Americans has been welcoming and serving the many immigrants who have come to make their home here in Western Massachusetts, offering classes in English, computer skills, and literacy, as well as assistance with career planning, legal aid, and applications for citizenship, all free of charge. Millman will furnish an overview of the great diversity of people and cultures that populate our region and share stories about their needs and successes.

Laurie Millman has been with the Center for New Americans for 8 years. She has a Master’s degree from the School for International Training’s Graduate Institute and a TESOL certificate from the International Language Institute.

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April 11, 7:00 p.m.

“Fake Facts” versus Real News: Discerning the Difference

Steve Fox

With the proliferation of information sources online, including comic parody news sites as well as blatant propaganda sites that intentionally dispense “fake facts,” it has become harder to sort fact from fake in the news realm. Experienced journalist Steve Fox will discuss current trends in news media and suggest how to discern legitimate news providers from all the pretenders.

UMass Amherst professor of journalism Steve Fox has more than 25 years of experience as an editor and reporter for print and online publications, including The Washington Post. He played a crucial role on the Post’s online political team, reporting on the much-contested presidential election of 2000 and subsequently on the 9/11 terror attacks.

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May 9 Banquet, 6:00 p.m.

Mary Lyon Church, Upper Buckland Center

(for reservations contact Karen Dobosz (413) 625 6825 or [email protected])

Real Tall River Tales and other Stories

David Arfa, Maggid

Did you know that Paul Bunyan spent time right here by the Deerfield River? Well he did. He liked to sit up on the High Ledges in the afternoons and dangle his feet halfway down the mountainside. It was so peaceful, until the Deerfield River decided to play its tricks. Come hear all about Tall Paul, his beloved Babe the Blue Ox, and his showdown with the mighty Deerfield. David will also share examples of ReStorying that grow from Judaism’s storytelling traditions.

David Arfa, Director of Education at Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, also carries the title of Maggid (Mah-geed/Storyteller). He has produced several award-winning CD’s and storytelling performances, which can be viewed at www.maggiddavid.net

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aliceviceroy · 5 years

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There’s a moment I keep returning to, from the first episode of the new season of Fargo. There’s a triple homicide at a 24-hour diner, and Minnesota state trooper Lou Solverson responds to the crime. A truck driver meets him in the parking lot, and they walk toward one of the victims: a waitress who tried to flee the scene only to be gunned down in the cold expanse of a Minnesota night.

“I left my rig there, I hope that’s OK,” the truck driver says, motioning to the 18-wheeler behind him, at the edge of the lot.

Solverson says nothing, but keeps eyeing the victim in the snow.

“I’m the one that called it in, see?” the driver continues. “Stopped for waffles. With the blueberries -- they come frozen this time of year, I know, but…”

Solverson pinches the corner of a large jacket draped over the waitress, picks it up and peeks underneath.

“I put my coat on her. It seemed only right.”

I love this scene because even though it’s meant to drive the narrative ahead, its obsessive attention to the just-right details also works outside the episode, revealing, in just a few words, the very essence of my people: the corn-eating flatlanders of The Great Middle. There’s the deferential greeting (“I left my rig there, I hope that’s OK.”); the need to fill all moments, even grisly ones, with small talk (“Stopped for waffles...”); and at last the embarrassment and shame over anything unseemly and the compulsion to cloak it (“I put my coat on her. It seemed only right.”).

What Fargo nails, in other words, is Midwestern Nice, the idiosyncrasies of a steadfast populace that appear banal and maybe even bovine to the uninitiated, but in truth constitute the most sincere, malicious, enriching, and suffocating set of behaviors found in the English-speaking world. As a good son of the Upper Plains, I’ll tell you what I mean.

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What is Midwestern Nice?

We should start with what it isn’t. It isn’t the feigned kindness of the South, where people sipping bourbons at cocktail hour reserve the right to boot-heel you when you turn your back. It’s not the abrasive honesty of the Northeast, where everyone speaks, as Don DeLillo once put it, in the same nasally, knowing cynicism. It is genuine, Midwestern Nice.

I grew up in Iowa but I’ve heard the same line repeated of people from Minnesota or Wisconsin or Nebraska, and always with the unfussy grammar of the plain-spoken: “The Midwest is a great place to be from.” It is nurturing and civic-minded, maybe due to the Scandinavian and German Protestants who settled the land, living by the Golden Rule, and its history is a continuity of compassion: the territory of Iowa in the Antebellum Era refusing to segregate schools, an idea that even Ulysses S. Grant called radical; a president from Illinois who ended slavery; Wisconsin laborers, in the early 20th century, receiving workers' compensation and unemployment insurance decades ahead of the New Deal; Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois, in the modern age, allowing gay marriage years before the progressive movements in New York and California could do the same. The Midwest takes pride in all this; it would just rather not talk about it, you see, because that would be boasting, and boasting is not nice.

That humility permeates everything, helping to create the most remarkable facet of Midwestern Nice: the restraint from speaking ill of others, even if others should probably be ill-spoken of. I remember sitting at my grandmother’s table, in the hour before supper on a summer afternoon, watching her read the newspaper. I must have been 10 or so, in the last years before I learned to fully appreciate her -- a woman who grew up in the Depression, survived TB, raised six daughters alongside her farming husband, collected eggs from the chicken coop every morning, and read voraciously each night. She was always cheerful, which isn’t remarkable in the Midwest, but it is worth mentioning because reading one article that afternoon, I remember her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing themselves into an ugly knot that I never saw. She was upset, so upset that she soon read aloud that there had been, if memory serves, a murder in a nearby town. Police had arrested a suspect. She walked over to a dining room window and seemed to almost shake; she occasionally shopped in the town. Staring out at the bright afternoon, she looked in a trance, and even I could see the thoughts racing through her mind. But she just turned back to the dining room, and the one thing she said she half-muttered to the floor, in that flattened-vowel lilt of hers:

“And on a day like this.”

I scoffed, and for a while the afternoon stayed with me, as one more example of Grandma’s earnest, almost Old World simplicity. But as I got older I began to see it differently. Her reaction was about mastering fear, about stoicism and restraint, about not saying something caustic simply because you can, even if it’s about a person who has literally just murdered someone. Grandma’s six words, I discovered, were an anthem of sorts for Midwestern Nice.

And yet...

Of course, the duty to be nice and consider the feelings of others has a downside: the whole universe of things we have to repress. As a kid, there was an almost tactile pressure hovering around the Christmases, Thanksgivings, and birthday parties at Grandma’s house -- so much stuff we maybe wanted to say but couldn’t, even though we were family. The tension beneath the vanilla chitchat exhausted me, and I often left her home relieved that I could relax and be myself.

Here again, though, I was wrong, or at least only half right, and as an adult I discovered the fun of old-fashioned Midwestern innuendo: the way my aunts, say, could achieve the perfect degree of half-smile when extending their barely dead-toned goodbyes to my sister’s boyfriend, which told her how very much they disliked him. In fact, people from outside the Plains think they can mimic us by elongating some O's, but in truth we communicate far more in what we half-say, or fail to say entirely. To live in the Midwest is to experience two realities: the first, all sunshine and bland pleasantries among other potluck-suppering churchgoers; the other, a red-lit underworld where people relay vulgarities through the learned second language of euphemism, eye rolls and loaded silence.

We are the alpha and omega of passive-aggressiveness. It is, like the corn we plant, our contribution to society, and our art. In his hilarious book, The Midwest: God’s Gift to Planet Earth!, Mike Draper, a Des Moines-based retailer who writes under his company’s pseudonym, Raygun, shows how no form of passive-aggression is as finely honed as our own:

"The Northeast Jewish mother takes the most direct approach to her passive aggressiveness: 'Oh, you’re going out tonight, even though you’re only home three nights from school? No, I understand, you’re Mr. Popular. So if you want to leave your poor mother, that’s fine…'"

"The Southern Baptist mother brings Jesus in for backup: 'Going out tonight with those boys? Do you really think that’s what an upstanding young Christian man should be seen doing?...'”

"A Midwestern mom plays it very passive: 'Going out? You sure?'”

Every Midwestern mother is like this. During my junior year of college I decided to grow my hair out. When I called my mom with the news, she said, simply, “Oh.” But the word carried a lot of tones, a note of surprise and then a second beat, which sustained the first while she parsed the news, followed at last by a slight dip and then a leveling out in a lower register, so the "Oh" ended in more a statement than a question: Ooouuwwaah. That one word showed how she both processed my decision and rendered her verdict on it. She was not pleased with me. And she didn’t say anything else.

Two things explain that kind of subtlety. The first is a guilt over our lame attempts at bluntness; even our passivity pains us. Midwesterners never want to be malicious, and so we swallow our great loogies of venom, until the whole viscous thing gags us and forces from our lips, like a reflex, tiny spittles of displeasure, whose trajectory we struggle to control. I saw this most recently when Jonathan Franzen, a product of St. Louis’ suburbs, was asked how Midwestern virtues shape his life and writing. Skip ahead to roughly 3:15 and watch till the end:

The dramatic silences, false starts, and in particular the “Midwestern values” repetition: oh my God does Franzen despise these questions. But the good Missouri boy never says that -- can’t bring himself to, even 30 years after he left St. Louis. Instead he sputters through a state of near verbal paralysis until he finally lands on something that seems bland, but is actually loaded: “It’s no different than anywhere else,” he says. “And yet we all feel that there is something there.” And then, mercifully, the video ends.

Which leads us to the terrible beauty of Midwestern Rage

The thoughts about how our thoughts will be perceived lead me to the second point about our repressed anger: the refinement of its eventual expression. Not for us, the gauche heavy-handedness of Long Island mothers. No, our patois is about saying only what is necessary, and actually even less than that. The Midwestern dialect is so subtle that people not immersed in it for decades can’t hear it. I’ve lived outside Iowa for 12 years now, and two weeks ago, though I felt guilty as I said it, I insulted one of my Connecticut neighbors. I got tired of her preening about her oh-so unique life and job, and I told her -- again, against my better judgment -- that not everyone can make it as a snowflake. She thanked me for the kind words.

This happens a lot, which is ironic because the people who miss the subtlety often consider themselves far sharper than big, dull, flown-over pig-eaters like me. In his book, Draper describes how the Midwestern phone etiquette of, “Well, I better let you go,” a euphemism for “Leave me alone now,” is consistently misread by people outside the region as a way to beg more time out of the conversation. David Letterman, a gap-toothed kid from Indiana, dined out for years on a post-modern comedy that mocked comedy itself, but only became famous when East Coasters picked up on the joke.

Hollywood, it almost goes without saying, almost always misses the duplicity built into our pleasantries and the guilt we feel over our ever-so-slight slights. The one movie that captures it all, of course, is Fargo -- and a single scene in particular, with an emotional range so full and yet so very understated that even the late, great Chicagoans Siskel and Ebert questioned why the Coen brothers included it, though they loved it anyway.

I just never get tired of it. The nervous earnestness of “Ya, you know it's a Radisson so it's pretty good.” How Sheriff Gunderson’s brief moment of displeasure -- “Why don’t you sit over there? I'd prefer that” -- is apologized for in code: “Just so I can see ya, ya know. Don't have to turn my neck.” And then as Mike Yanagita begins to atone explicitly, her “Nooo, noo, that’s fine,” shows that it is anything but.

I could go on -- the way Gunderson reveals her shock over Linda’s death and then immediately masks it because the waitress is there; or the breakdown of Mike Yanagita itself, a gross violation of the tenets of Midwestern Nice, which makes the scene both hilarious and mortifyingly hard to watch. But the point is, with that scene, the Coen brothers, products of the Twin Cities, give away the Midwest’s secret -- something President Obama, of Kansas and Chicago, knows, too, and something that Johnny Carson, of Norfolk, Nebraska, knew every night the stage lights shone on him, and what David Foster Wallace, of Urbana, Illinois, knew in each of his “maximalist” stories, capturing all the conflicting truths of any moment, and then the infinite iterations beyond that: we may seem slow, or at least intellectually sated, but we live on a heightened plane of consciousness that few of you can comprehend. To be from here is, quite simply, to read a room better than fucking anyone.

And also, yes, to be nice.

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goodnewsepc · 4 years

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Church Ladies With typewriters... They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services: The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. -------------------------- The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.' -------------------------- Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. -------------------------- Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you -------------------------- Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help. -------------------------- Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. -------------------------- For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. -------------------------- Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. -------------------------- Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. -------------------------- A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.. -------------------------- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice. -------------------------- Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones. -------------------------- Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. -------------------------- Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.. -------------------------- The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. -------------------------- Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow. -------------------------- The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. -------------------------- This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. -------------------------- Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM . All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. Is done. -------------------------- The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday. -------------------------- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door. -------------------------- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM . The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy. -------------------------- Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance. -------------------------- The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours

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sjecblogarchive · 8 years

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“BLS” (BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR SUPPER) CLUBS RETURN THIS FALL!

09/08/2016

BY SJECWARRENTON

“BLS” (BREAKFAST, LUNCH OR SUPPER) CLUBS RETURN THIS FALL!

Back by popular demand the “Brunch, Lunch, and Supper Club” will be in full swing once again at Saint James’ starting this fall!

Have you ever wondered about the person sitting next to you in church? Now is your time to find out more about that person!

Meals in the dining hall were one of the highlights of our Parish Retreat at Shrine Mont Camps this summer. Let’s continue to connect with each other this ministry year!

We will be organizing groups of 8 people to meet and either have Brunch, Lunch or Supper together. The choice of “B”, “L” or “S” may be made by the host or the group. It may be potluck, meet at a restaurant or maybe a picnic. Everyone will have an opportunity to host and it is flexible as to what the group would like to do.

There is a sign up sheet by the bulletin board outside the Parish Hall. I hope you all decide to break bread with your neighbors! More details to follow.

Questions? Please contact either Nancy Duggan or Patti Reid.

Please sign up by September 25th.

CATEGORIES CONNECT

TAGS BLS CLUBS, CONNECT

#Connect #BLS Clubs

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sailing-nomad · 6 years

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The last legs

Thursday, July 19, we motored out in good time from the Cobourg harbour, shortly after sunrise. We wanted to get a jump start on the weather, and avoid really lumpy conditions. The wind was from the south/east, giving us opportunity to sail, once the wind filled in. At the mid way point, I recall there was 17 miles to go either way, and the water was pretty choppy, to the point that it would not have been fun, had it continued that way. The water however, seemed to settle, and it was a rather comfortable sail across.

We speculated about where our fellow cruising boats might be, as we had lost direct contact with them (Jeff did see some updates on FB that suggested they too were headed to Oak Orchard, but we didn’t know if they might already be there or whether they were still in Rochester or Sodus Bay) About 3 miles out, I overheard on channel 78, the tail end of a conversation between See the Wind & Celtic Know, making reference to Nomad’s position, and how we must have left very early to have made it as far as we did, and some reference to being farmers, that are used to getting up early. I tried to respond to them on the hand held radio, but they were still out of range, so were not aware that I heard their chatter. We did arrive at Oak Orchard or Point Breeze in good time and were welcomed by the folks at Point Breeze Yacht Club. Although their harbour master would not arrive until 4 pm, they told us we were welcome in the transient slip until at least that time. Meanwhile, our fellow FBYC cruisers started to arrive, and proceeded on to Oak Orchard Yacht Club, where they had planned to meet. The only obstacle in our way of joining them was a large bridge with only 54’ clearance. It looked as though we might fit, but after doing a google search to confirm the ‘air draft’ of Nomad (53’4”) we decided to stay where we were. We took our dinghy over to the other club to meet up with our friends for a potluck supper and beverages. (It was a very warm, muggy hot day, and we were disappointed to find that the little ice-cream spot no longer serves ice-cream)

The next morning (Friday), Santana headed out extra early, for Frenchman’s Bay. The rest of us left after breakfast heading west, for Wilson, New York. The wind was south east, and not very strong. We flew the asymmetrical for a while, until the wind died off completely, allowing us to have some swim time, alongside of See the Wind. Shortly after, the wind shifted and picked up, giving us a lively entrance to Wilson Harbour. We were lucky enough to get a slip at Tuscarora Yacht Club. Their docks have all been replaced since last year’s high water flooding. Once all settled in, most of us walked up to town for ice-cream at Brownies’, while a certain lactose intolerant skipper, waited for Summerset Sails to bring a replacement main sail, that had been torn in previous passage. (that’s another story, that Nomad was not part of)

(photo taken from part way up the mast of Celtic Knot - who needed some minor repair)

Has it would happen, this was also the weekend for the town-wide yard sale, so we checked out a few yards as well. No one bought anything, but it was interesting to see the pelts the one vendor was offering. Who knew!! (coyote, mink, possum, and fox) Apparently, hunting is still alive and well in upstate New York.

For supper we walked up to the Sunset Grill, which has a very nice view of the river, good food and live music. It was a great last evening together.

Knowing that the winds were going to pick up for our 30 mile cross back home, we agreed to set out early the next morning. Early means different things to each person, so 7:30 was the negotiated time.

Saturday - When we left the harbour, the wind was from the south east, 8-10 knots initially, but we expected the following: soon building to 15 and shifting to east by noon, 20 kts. Nomad being a light boat for the sail area that she carries, we decided to reef the main, (easier to shake it out later if not needed, than to put it in) We actually starting out motor sailing, because the waves were such that they knocked the head sail, and the prop just gave that extra push to keep out course more steady. (maybe the full main would have done the same….) Nomad was following the other boats, and observing their progress. It was an enjoyable sail, but took 100% focus on the part of the helmsman, due to the rolling seas/waves. For the most part I would estimate the waves were 4-6 feet, although we did see some 6-8’ seas, as we made it to the second half of the lake. Nomad did a great job, and we were glad for the reefed main, which kept us comfortable, although we probably would have gone faster with full sails. (furled in the jib part way when the wind was a solid 20+knots) We were very grateful to have left when we did, as the winds/water were continuing to build.

It was great to pull into our slip, and be welcomed by a finger full of friends to catch us, even though it marked the end of our vacation with Nomad.

On our way across - adding a courtesy flag for entry into the Unites States waters. (new app worked very well, now that the video phones on land have been decommissioned)

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bathauntedme-blog · 6 years

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30 Fun Things To Do With Friends Without Spending Much

#Go to Haunted Places...

https://pandareviewz.com/haunted-places-in-delhi/

1. A potluck supper party. Host a supper party and request that everybody convey a dish to share. In the event that you are not happy with cooking, possibly attempt and figure out how to cook another dish together with your companions.

2. Host a spa day. Give each different nail treatments. Experiment with new hairdos. Make some facial covers or peels utilizing normal, at-home fixings. At that point drink mimosas.

3. Film marathon. Sign into Netflix and watch each scene of "Orange is the New Black." Or complete a '80s film marathon, viewing "Beautiful in Pink," "The Breakfast Club" and the majority of our old top choices. Try not to have a Netflix enrollment? Get the free trial only for the marathon!

4. Pinterest party! You know those cool Pinterest makes you say you will do? Do them. At home one night with companions. At that point make up a portion of those bacon-wrapped whatevers you've been biting the dust to attempt!

5. Go to the recreation center. Pack an excursion. Hang out. Watch individuals. Play on the swings.

6. Host an association gathering. Set up a day of each end of the week where you go to every one of your companions' homes and enable them to get out a storeroom, a room, a carport, whatever. Serve beverages and sustenance and exchange stuff among yourselves.

7. Hold a yard deal. After the majority of that cleaning, for what reason not hang out together and make some additional money as well?

8. Shows in the recreation center. Throughout the entire summer, numerous parks have free shows. Run with your companions. Hang out, bring a cookout supper. This is an extremely unwinding approach to relax on a sweltering summer night after work.

9. Volunteer together. Offer to do the yard work for the nearby senior focus or hang out with the children at the YMCA. Following a couple of hours of volunteering together, you will have new regard for each other and something new to visit about.

10. Play table games. Drag out the Scrabble or the Yahtzee. You can hang out and play a wide range of amusements with vast gatherings or little ones. Hold a competition and contend with each other.

11. Computer game competition. Not into tabletop games? Alright. All things considered, what about a computer game competition? Regardless of whether it's the most recent moving diversion or "Honorable obligation," play against each other and honor prizes (or nourishment) to the champs.

12. Snatch a ball and a bat and go play baseball at the neighborhood stop. Get a ball or a tennis racket. Most stops have courts and fields you can use for nothing insofar as there isn't a sorted out occasion going on.

13. Go to the school play. This may cost a little for confirmation, yet it's an incredible method to help your group and have a ton of fun time.

14. Press Chef night. Bring your companions over and have an Iron Chef night where you cook supper out of just the things in your wash room. No purchasing anything!

15. Go dumpster jumping. Correct. I said it. Look at the dumpsters in your general vicinity and see what you can discover. You may even discover supper! Here are a few hints for conscious jumping.

16. Go to yard deals. Take all that cash you made at your yard deal and journey around your town together searching for cool stuff. Perhaps you could even repair something and exchange it.

17. Go angling.

18. Go outdoors.

19. Locate some cool trails around your town and go climbing.

20. Get out the bicycles and bicycle wherever for an end of the week.

21. Uncover the old croquet set — or obtain your Mom's — and play croquet. Do it! Absolutely fun.

22. Swap films and music. Have everybody bring over a crate of old motion pictures and CDs they don't need any longer — or don't observe any longer. At that point swap with surrender.

23. Go on a mobile voyage through your town. Most towns or urban areas have a historically significant area. See whether there is a mobile visit accessible. If not, influence one to up!

24. Scrounger chase. Put your companions under a magnifying glass — yes, this is for adults — to discover distinctive things in your city… like a specific bicycle rack, a vintage sign, that kind of thing. The champ gets a supper cooked by the washouts.

25. Discover when the free days are at your neighborhood exhibition hall or zoo. Most have them and they can be awesome enjoyable to visit with companions.

26. Hold a knitting honey bee. No, you don't need to be extravagant — or old — for this. Snatch some old T-shirts that you cherish, old pants, whatever. Cut them into squares and sew them together. Who knows? Perhaps it will end up being a customary thing?

27. Go to Open Mic night. Your town is likely harboring some extraordinary ability at an open mic night that has no cover and shoddy beverages!

28. Go to a religious administration. Regardless of whether you're not religious, heading off to an administration in a new religion can be illuminating and an extraordinary method to meet new individuals.

29. Locate a swimming opening. Make a beeline for the old town swimming gap — or locate another one. What an awesome method to go through a lethargic evening with companions.

30. Begin a book club, card club (canasta anybody?), sewing club or scrapbooking club. Something you and your companions like. My folks used to have a place with a cooking club where once per month the majority of their companions accumulated at one house and the receiving family cooked a dinner from an alternate nation. I took in a ton about sustenance that year.

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