With Halloween quickly creeping up on us, I'm sending out my round-up of "Joyful Reads & Finds" a couple of days before the weekend. That should give you plenty of time to get ghoulish (and greener) for your Halloween festivities!
To be honest, I was never much of a "Halloween person" -- all of that pesky begging for candy, and toilet tissue in trees, made me into an October version of the Grinch. So why the change of heart? Well, it's pretty easy to get in the holiday spirit once your kids reach a certain age (somewhere above two and under twelve) and want to wear their Halloween costumes from early September through (oh, let me see...) late March? Anyway, some Halloween treats for you--enjoy!
I dare you to find cuter snacks for your party (and how funny are those mummies?!): Healthy Halloween Treats
Seems like you could work out some "healthy aggression" with this event: Host a Pumpkin Smash
When the first chill of fall is in the air, it's off to the apple orchard to pick fresh fruit from the trees. Simply because it's fall and this is what we do.
This is "our" orchard. The one we return to, year after year. It has the most charming farm; we've grown fond of the animals who live there. We "check in" with them before we begin our search for the "perfect" apples.
The goats are still bold and friendly, clamoring to say hello (and to see if we have anything good to eat).
The rabbits are still shy and tentative, probably asking themselves, "Who are these big, nosy creatures, and why are they peering into our humble little homes?"
The horses are still handsome and graceful.
There's a certain soul-soothing comfort in going back to a certain place at a certain time of year. Seeing that no matter how many inches the children have grown since last fall, or how much the world has loudly changed around us, there are some things that stay beautifully the same.
Autumn is not just about the changing leaves, it's about the reassuring ritual of visiting the orchard. And gratitude that not all things must change.
* * * * * * *
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to Joyfully Green via email or RSS reader: just click here.
I just celebrated one of those "big" birthdays--you know, one with a zero at the end of it.
Thankfully, I still feel like I'm 32 (I think I've felt 32 since senior year of high school!), so it wasn't all that traumatic. It was exactly my kind of birthday because I spent it doing all kinds of my favorite things, without even one dreary chore or one ounce of guilt mixed in. Just pure, simple pleasures. If that sounds like your kind of birthday, too, help yourself to this recipe for celebrating. (Feel free to make your own substitutions, according to taste.)
1. Head outdoors first thing in the morning, camera in hand. (If you know me, you already know I'm fascinated by bugs, so it was an extra bonus for me to capture a company of ants having a meeting deep within the petals of a Rose of Sharon blossom.)
2. When somebody (for instance, your eight-year-old daughter) asks you what you'd like for your birthday, answer "Just a hug, please." Melt with love when she brings you a surprise homemade breakfast of three pieces of toast cut out into the letters H-U-G, decorated with wild blueberry preserves (my favorite!) and fresh blueberries. (Seriously, how cute is that?!)
3. After breakfast, read a good book on the porch. (A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield is chock-full of wisdom for living a more meaningful and mindful life. I'm underlining like crazy!)
4. If you're not much of a cake person, have ice cream cones instead. Preferably, with lots of sprinkles (or jimmies, or shots, or whatever you call those little candy toppings in your neck of the woods).
6. Take one of your favorite people with you to one of those little shops where you can paint your own pottery while chatting and listening to more good music.
7. End the day eating dinner with your favorite people in the world, (which is hopefully your family), preferably at a Mexican restaurant (which always feels like a fiesta). Get just a little bit tipsy on frozen strawberry margaritas, so that you can't take a proper photograph of the event. Pretend you were aiming for "an artsy shot" instead.
8. Tuck into bed, completely grateful for the day and all of the simple but wonderful things it held out to you.
How 'bout you? How do you celebrate your big birthdays? I'd love to hear!
If you had told me that this self-proclaimed "green girl" would be heading to the Mall of America (of all places) during my family vacation, I wouldn't have believed it if you paid me. But that was one of the first places we stopped this past week while visiting my sister-in-law and her family in Minnesota. Sure, my green credibility took a hit, but when you've got two teenage girls in your group (my very cool nieces), shopping is usually on the agenda!
What do you do at the biggest mall in the country when you're not a shopper? My children (who are not teenagers) and my husband (definitely not a shopper) hit the amusement park in the mall. That's right, people: There's an amusement park in the middle of the Mall of America. (There's also an aquarium and a movie theater.)
Although I'm not a mall maven, I can see how having everything under one roof is a smart idea if you live in a state where they actually cancel school for "cold days" (not just "snow days"), when it's unsafe to venture outdoors without chipping your face. We didn't have the cold weather excuse (it was hotter in Minnesota than it was back east), but as long as I've got a camera with me (in other words: always), I'm good to go.
That's my running theme: Every place you go is an opportunity to take amazing pictures.
We also visited the Minnesota Zoo. We arrived on the later side of the day, and within an hour of closing-time on a hot afternoon, we felt like we had the zoo all to ourselves. Without the crowds, the animals looked downright relaxed and relieved. (Understandable. I wouldn't exactly love it if hundreds of people were gawking at my every move either.)
Often, I think there's something vaguely sad about zoos. Wild animals in very "un-wild" conditions. But I will give the Minnesota Zoo a whole boatload of credit for spreading the conservation message. We saw a number of animals nursing their babies, so they're definitely on the right track.
So, while we might have started off in the urban jungle, by the end of the vacation, my green cred was climbing back up again.
How 'bout you? Have you ever been to Minnesota? I'd love to hear!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
P.S. My next online photography course starts this Monday, July 6, 2015. It's already a wonderful group of students from around the world--join us and sharpen your photography skills! More details and registration here: How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You
Well, here we go again: The weathermen all predicted a veritable doomsday of a blizzard, so school was cancelled the night before, morning came and...there was barely any new snow! Somehow, this always happens on the days when I have the most to do. (Funny how that works, huh?) But I wouldn't let the snow day get the upper hand--here's how I kept the kids happily occupied, while keeping my own sanity...
1. Cooking up a creative meal together. The kids are slightly obsessed with the show "Master Chef Junior" (which I fully endorse, since it has the double-benefit of making them more helpful in the kitchen and more willing to try new foods), so we whipped up a french toast breakfast buffet, complete with pomegranates, clementines, powdered sugar, chocolate coins, and syrup. (Mornings are the one time when I don't mind if the kids eat some chocolate because it gives them a little wake-up boost but won't keep them up when it's bedtime. I just pretend that we're French, eating pain au chocolat!)
2. My son asked for a "proper camera" for his recent birthday, and we were happy to oblige! So, activity #2 involved a photo shoot of our breakfast. If your kids don't have cameras, why not lend them your phone to take some snaps?
3. Swimsuits on, bath-time for the dog! Delilah hates bath-time...
...but she loves it when we dry her off!
4. My daughter had the idea to make paper dolls. For added sturdiness, we pasted them onto cereal boxes before cutting them out, and then backed them with pretty decorative paper.
5. Legos! Need I say more?
6. Dress-up time with the grown-ups' stuff: Hats, jewelry, scarves, boots...the works!
7. Write and illustrate a book.
8. Musical instrument practice time!
9. This one involves pre-planning: When you hear forecasts for snow, make sure to hit the library for a new stash of books!
10. And finally...get out there in the snow and go wild!
Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to Joyfully Green via email or RSS reader: just click here.
I just got back from a lovely ski weekend in Great Barrington, MA with my family. (Well, to be technical, my husband and daughter went skiing, my son went snowboarding, and I went photographing!) While I'd love to show you some pictures from the ski trip, I thought you might like a little break from all of the snow and ice lately...to take a little vicarious vacation to Hawaii!
Aside from a couple of posts featuring the work of my photography students, I've featured other photographers here only twicebefore. But I'm making an exception again, for one of my nearest and dearest friends, Michael Graziano, whom I've known since we were 16 years old, when we met at a summer arts program for high school students at Wesleyan University.
Michael and I are birds of a feather. We both grew up in Connecticut; we both lived in New York City for many years, where we were both in creative fields; and we're both crazy about the music of Neil Finn and Liam Finn (but oddly, not Tim Finn). He's one of those friends that no matter how much time passes between get-togethers, we start right up where we left off. (I love that kind of friendship, don't you?)
For the past twenty years, Michael worked at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and as its Producing Director, he helped raise millions of dollars for its charitable efforts. Last August, he decided to step down from his high-profile job and step out into the Great Unknown. I've been thoroughly enjoying his Facebook updates (let's be honest: how many friends can you say that about?), and I'm betting you'll enjoy this armchair trip, too.
The following quotes are Michael's updates from Facebook, and all of the photographs in this post are his, taken with his iPhone (all used with his permission, of course!).
* * * * * * * *
September 23, 2014: "An adventure begins this week. I am off to live in Hawaii for 4 months, volunteering at Kalani retreat on the Big Island. I'll be living in a tent, which I bought from an Italian gal who is leaving for Costa Rica. I am bringing few possessions--clothes, some good books, a journal, my good-luck necklace that I bought in Amsterdam when I was 20 years old. I will be living in the shadow of the Kilauea volcano, nature's reminder of its own awesome power. How will I be touched, humbled and changed by dangerous Pele, the ancient Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes?"
October 15, 2014: "I am making friends with some new members of the animal kingdom here in Hawaii such as this gecko. There are also the feral cats that live on the property and are very sweet. Less friendly are the wild pigs that roam around my tent at night but they scare easily. I am trying to avoid the dreaded fire ants which pack quite a sting. Sea turtles can be seen in the ocean nearby but so far they have only poked their heads and shells out of the water and not ventured onto the land. So many living things to encounter!"
October 26, 2014: "The lava approaches. We shall see what Madame Pele has in store for us this week. The closest town may have to evacuate but we are not currently in the lava path. It will likely cross the highway, though, so we will be cut off from civilization as new roads are made. The lava changes its path and rate of flow all the time so nothing is certain."
November 15, 2014: "This guy has been living in the shower stall for a few days now. Seems to be friendly so far."
December 10, 2014: "When I arrived in Puna in October, it was hot, humid and rained every day. Now that we are in the 'rainy season' of December, it is glorious with the sun shining, lower humidity, cooler nights and no rain for days. Perfect holiday weather."
December 24, 2014: "These palm trees looked to me like snowflakes against the sky. Happy Christmas Eve from Hawaii!"
January 12, 2015: "Night falls over my tent."
January 13, 2015: "Cats. There must be close to 100 feral cats on property, fed by animal-loving volunteers and whatever they can find in the jungle. These cats act like dogs, begging for food or attention. This is Wilbur."
January 17, 2015: "Sunset at Mauna Kea into the clouds at almost 14,000 feet."
January 18, 2015: "Goodbye Kalani! I depart today after 3 and a half months filled with laughter, challenge and creativity. I shaved off my beard and hair yesterday in prep for the next leg of the trip. Time for new growth. I'll be exploring the islands for the rest of the month and head to New Zealand in February. Aloha Kalani friends!"
* * * * * * * *
Safe travels, Michael, and thanks for letting me share a little part of your Hawaiian adventure here! I hope New Zealand is EVEN BETTER! xox Joy
* * * * * * * *
I now return you to your regularly scheduled weather. (How GORGEOUS were those pics?!)
I've lost count of how many times I've visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York, but I can tell you this: It never gets old for me.
There's something equally comforting and eerily magical about visiting the Hall of African Mammals and seeing the wise, old face of the lion--again. He's my favorite animal in the whole museum (with a respectful nod to the 94-foot-long, 21,000-pound Blue Whale that somehow hovers weightlessly above us).
The museum itself is a study in opposites. It alternates between darkness and golden light. (If I had to pick one color for it, I'd pick cinnamon.) It's crowded--always!--but as you study the tiniest details of the exquisite dioramas, a part of you fades into them and it feels like you're the only person in the world.
I visited the museum this past Saturday with my children--not for the first time. I think I've lost count of their visits as well. As they dashed from one diorama to another, they were mesmerized, balanced in a place of peacefulness and wonder. I felt it, too. It's a warm feeling that washes over me every time I walk through the doors.
I hope the week ahead is full of peaceful wonder for you.
Start off the new year with a new skill: My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" will be running again this January! Save $15 with the Early Bird Discount if you enroll before Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. (If giving the course as a gift, please let me know the name and email of the student in the PayPal comment section at checkout.)Click here for details and registration.
Since all eyes are on the super-spectacular fall foliage right now (at least in this neck of the woods), I thought it would be the perfect time for a little pop quiz, to see if you can identify trees by their leaves. Think you really know your stuff? Ready...set...name that leaf!
Match the following letters to the numbers on the photos:
A. Silver Maple
B. Sassafras
C. Japanese Maple
D. White Oak
E. Black Tupelo
F. Red Oak
G. Bigleaf Linden (Lime in the U.K.)
H. Sawtooth Oak
I. Yellow Birch
J. Red Maple
Clue for #3: These yellow leaves are VERY large--about 8-10 inches long!
Okay, let's hear it! How did you do? 'Fess up in the comment section below!
P.S. If you'd like to learn more about the leaves where you are, I used the following resources to check and double-check this post: Forestry.about.com; leaf-id.com; arborday.org; and the Leafsnap app for iPads and iPhones. (I wrote about Leafsnap a while back, along with some other fun apps for nature-lovers.)
For my "Week in 5 Photos" posts, I usually try to spread out the photos over a few days, but I recently spent one fascinating day at theBruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, and I wanted to share it with you here. No, it's not a museum dedicated to Mr. Springsteen. It's one of my favorite types of museums--a well-curatedcollection of nature, art, science, history, anthropology, and random oddities. Another bonus: It's not so large that you become one of those "Museum Zombies" shuffling along endless corridors!
We were drawn to the Bruce Museum for theirRoz Chast exhibit, titled "Being, Nothingness, and Much, Much More" (open through October 19, 2014), a collection beyond what's been famously featured in The New Yorker. We had a lot of laughs looking around the exhibit, but my favorite cartoon was How Grandma Sees the Remote, which included buttons ranging from "Utter Mystery" to "Cause Nationwide Blackout." (I just finished reading Chast's new book, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? It's about the last years of her parents' lives--I laughed, I cried, I nodded in recognition. It must be the ultimate form of therapy to be able to draw--in intricate detail--the most painful scenes of your life and find the glimmers of humor in them. Roz Chast is an absolute master at it.)
Here's what else we saw at the museum...
I always have mixed feelings about real animals that have been stuffed for museum displays, but on the good side of the mix, I'll grant that they do help us learn more about the animals, simply by observing them much closer than we could in the wild.
This fox above, with her paws crossed oh-so-daintily, seemed to be saying, "Well, I do declare...!" (Channeling Scarlett O'Hara.)
I loved the look of this vintage typewriter, especially with its caption, billing it as a lightweight travel typewriter for outdoor use, "to be enrolled as an assistant in nearness to nature." (The precursor to the iPad Mini!)
Other than the Roz Chast exhibit, my favorite was "Extreme Habitats: Into the Deep Sea" (open through November 9, 2014). I'd seen a "Nova"-style documentary on ocean life a while back and was completely awestruck by the many deep-sea creatures that never see light, so they create their own light with their bodies to protect themselves and to capture prey--it's called bioluminescence. (So cool!) Unfortunately, it was too dark to shoot anything at that exhibit, so I took a picture of the cute little hermit crabs scrambling along in the touch-tank for kids (photo at the top).
On our way out, my son was mesmerized by the warrior statues. So much to see, for every age. We'll be back!
This post contains an affiliate link to Amazon.com, which means that if you decide to buy the book, I'll get some spare change, at no extra cost to you. But by all means, check your local library!
One of our favorite summer traditions is taking the kids to The Land of Make Believe, an old-timey amusement park in the town of Hope, New Jersey. Even with the water park, the rickety roller coasters, and cherry-flavored ices on a hot summer day, the kids' favorite thing to do is participate in the play at the outdoor theater. They're never sure what parts they'll get, or what costumes they'll wear, or who will be the Bad Guys and who will be the Good Guys, but it's always a story that ends with "happily ever after."
