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ON THE ROAD FOR THE SPONTANEOUS UNREALISTIC
BOOK TOUR
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STILL ON THE ROAD...SCENES FROM THE EAST COAST
Dear Friends and Family, Old and New, Near and Far,
It's been a lovely summer full of art, nature, and reconnection with people I care about: cousins, nephews and their families, artists, long unseen friends, tango dancers, and more cousins. Indigo Girl and I have travelled from Indiana to Pennsylvania, and on to New Jersey, upstate New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, ending up at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC. Organized by the Library of Congress, 45,000 people filled the convention center, giving me hope that literature and culture are still alive in this country.
Note: credit for the above photo goes to Evelyn Hiatt, the youngest budding artist in the family.
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AN UNREALISTIC LIFE AT MIDDLE HADDAM LIBRARY
There's quite a complex system for getting your book into a library especially if it is independently published. However, my friend in Connecticut, sculptor David Madacsi, bypassed this and donated a copy to the local library. It's rewarding that now my book will be available to a wider audience.
I'm so impressed with the public libraries both large and small that I've encountered in my travels. In a time when small-minded people are banning books, these libraries continue to offer free classes and community programs on everything from knitting to language learning to maritime history. We went to a singer/songwriter concert here in July, and the audience even spilled out onto the new porch where delicious pastries were available.
I'm honored to have been invited to do a presentation there next spring by the librarian, Janet McDonald, and the program director, Melissa Pionzio. June 2027, TBD.
The photo below is of my talk at the Blue Hill Library up in Maine in August.
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OUR LADY OF GOOD VOYAGE
Driving up and down the seacoast I encountered numerous boats and evidence of the fishing and shipping industries. This sculpture of the Virgin Mary blessing the sailors was originally atop the church of Our Lady of Good Voyage in Gloucester, MA. The parish was formed by Portuguese families who came from the Azores to work in the fisheries of New England.
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HARBOR IN STONINGTON, DEER ISLE, MAINE
So far, the Lady of Good Voyage is blessing Stonington where 200-300 lobster boats are bringing in over $45 million worth of lobster each year, making it the largest lobster producing area in the country.
Below, a giant lobster claw whimsically appears in the garden across from the port.
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NURTURED BY NATURE
Deer Isle, Maine, the farthest point in my travels, holds a special place in my heart for the light, the continual views of sea around every bend, the dark bowl of sky studded with stars, and for it's magical forests. Large stones are pillowed with moss and feathery lichens adorn trees and branches. It's no wonder that so many artists are drawn here. A walk in these woods is solace for the soul.
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INDIGO GIRL AND THE CASE OF THE LOST HUBCAPS!
After an oil change in Connecticut, Indigo Girl lost a hubcap. I bought 4 new ones in Massachusetts because I didn't want to look shabby on the Unrealistic Book Tour. I waited until I got to Maine where a burly guy at a filling station grudgingly snapped them on. It's not as easy as you think, and you really need a rubber mallet. He didn't use one. So after the winding and sometimes bumpy roads on Deer Isle, I discovered that two of them had fallen off and careened into the bushes. Or maybe into the ocean, who knows?? A slow circuit around the island did not reveal them.
So here I am, back in Gloucester, Massachusetts. If I have a maniacal grimace here, it's because I'm attaching another new set of hubcaps...this time with said rubber mallet provided by cousin Margo, plus zip ties to keep them on.
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Who could remain frustrated for long, when you can have breakfast over-looking this peaceful quarry?
What is now a tranquil forested area dotted with numerous green-blue "lakes" was once a clanging, banging mining area for the granite used to pave roads and build skyscrapers from the mid-1800's to the early 1900's. Cape Ann granite was used for the base of the Statue of Liberty, the Philadelphia City Hall and the Mellon National Bank Building in Pittsburgh. The narrow paths between quarries are laden with stones so large that it looks like a giant casually tossed them there.
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It's impossible to tell how deep these quarries are. I perched on the ledge outside Margo's house to see if I could get an idea. It might be 30 feet down to the water here, and the depth to the bottom is a mystery. Around almost any curve in the trail, a hiker can come across a striking view of shimmering water reflecting trees and sunlight. It's a photographer's wonderland.
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By now, you know I love sunsets. After a beach concert in Old Saybrook, CT, the conditions were perfect at low tide to capture this joyful reflection of my young friend Christia doing a cartwheel!
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And could I omit this stunning sunset over the Connecticut River? A gift of beauty to warm our hearts when skies turn gray.
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Please absorb, Dear Reader, that adding to the continual joy in my life are all of YOU, whether you are close enough for a spontaneous dinner, or whether I see you only once a year as I wander. I am warmed and enriched by your messages if you are distant, and by your presence if you are near. Know that I am keeping you close in my heart.
I hope this finds you joyful wherever you are in the world, exercising your creativity, and surrounded by loved ones. Once again, remember to take care of your special selves, follow your dreams, and express your love fully to those around you. We are more perishable than we think.
Abrazos y besos,
Elena
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CONNECTING AND RE-CONNECTING
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You are receiving this email because I met you somewhere in my travels and wanted to stay in touch. Dancing tango in DC or Buenos Aires perhaps? A Fair in the Park in Pittsburgh? At a riad in Marrakech? A party in San Miguel de Allende? You may have forgotten me, but I have not forgotten you. If the tales of my travels don't spark your interest, just hit unsubscribe. Or, if this has been forwarded to you, you can subscribe here. There's a bonus gift of the first 2 chapters of my book, An Unrealistic Life, for new subscribers! Merci mille fois! Y muchas gracias!
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