Is There a Dragon in the House?

This is a repeat of something I wrote in 2009.  I find it a bit funny that many of us tend to revisit writings that touch a spot in our lives and sometimes and find it still very appropriate for the time times today as well.  


A couple of weeks a go I finally capped the Potter book series with seeing the final movie with a friend.  Good movie!

Dragons and castles. They really only live in fairy tales and stories from the European Middle Ages or tales that come out of early China or Japan, right? Most of the time they do, but when the days get tough and things get really hard those stories have often drawn many in our country to those great escapes where the world in those books, comics, and video games becomes different, intriguing, and on the whole a wonderfully different place to live - if only in our minds!

For me imagination is a way to find an out - an escape from the reality of our world to a place where we can all have those private dreams that really take us out of this world. There are of course other genres that fits a fantasy escape people often take advantage of, and they are found in the many of the games (computer or otherwise) that help many create those other worlds just for the fun of it!

So what drives the change for more and more people to those imaginary worlds, the economy,loss of jobs, fear or all of the above? In my world it is all of them and the need to have an escape that is right there if I turn the page is what drives my reading at the moment.

My personal escapes at the moment happens to be Harry Potter (both the books and the movies), and time period mysteries as well, books like any Miss Marple, by Agatha Christie and of course my favorite monk, Cadfael, by Ellis Peters. Are there some others I rely on for that escapism that sends me flying into outer space, or back to a time to paint the world in a vastly different hues? Of course!  Discovering and creating new towns or times gives me a sense of real excitement.  Constructing those imaginary worlds where that getting away from my life can be a real release valve these days.

Another great book series is the ones by Christopher Paolini which begins with Eargon, and ends with Brisingr (Thus far!). Though considered a young people's series, this group of books creates a fascinating totally new world filled some of the very best places and characters to take a little literary vacation in, and for me that kind of holiday from the world can always be found between the covers of a good book.

Art Prize and a Fantastic Museum - All on My Front Porch!

My personal front porch went to the big city today! Our biggest neighboring city is Grand Rapids and the city and its people have spent from September 23rd to October 10th surrounded by some really grand art created just for this incredible competition! From sculptures, to paintings of all kinds, the pieces of art took over walking bridges, sidewalks, indoor spaces throughout the city, and even the river that splits the city.

My husband and I decided to take in the city's museum, but got waylaid by the many pieces of art that were found all around the museum itself. Some were in the river, on a nearby bridge and all were being enjoyed by people and and crowds of students on the river paths and the museum front yard.

My personal favorite of the pieces of art we saw was the piece that was also drawing the attention of many young students from the surrounding area as well. The Nessie Project (including sound!) was Loch Ness on the Grand River and the kids flocked to see and hear this amazing sculpture.

From there we wandered inside and through much of the museum. The main exhibit dealt with an interesting view of Leonardo Da Vinci and his machines found in his manuscripts. The exhibit had both text, and hands on examples of the artist's many visions of working machines in wood that were really fun to play with - despite the fact that we were adults! The machines were intricately designed to assist and make easy all kinds of menial labors common during this century.

While we were in the exhibit the docents, who were waiting patiently for a group of students to guide through the exhibition descended on us and we were shown an above and beyond tour of each display - we really got the best of what the exhibit had to offer! (Talk about a fun time!)

When you think of time on the front porch you certainly do not expect an "away game," type of experience. Front porches are normally where you see neighbors, and friends while sitting and enjoy your yard. But a front porch experience can also be getting away from the labors of the day while enjoying all there is to see all around us. This day was that, and I got to share the fun which is also what the concept of the front porch is suppose to be - a small escape and a place for time with family, friends, and neighbors.

In Winter, Thoughts of....

Travel is a passion of mine. I love to discover the places that maybe others wouldn't go to or even want to explore. Like my family, I love to see the hiking places, and those of natural beauty but sometimes those places aren't very easily accessed.


When I traveled to Florida recently to visit our youngest son he shared with me some beautiful spots that were a major part of his life on Amelia Island. The vistas I came to treasure from this special place were not ones out a window in one of the many elegant condos but rather ones that walked the paths that meander through beautiful tree lined rivers and swampy areas that really glow in the early evening almost every day. The algae, the small ponds, and those moss covered trees gave an almost other worldly sight to those many spots we explored.

That walk through this part of Florida wasn't one through fancy stores with all kinds of trinkets - instead it was one of those special scenes that really creates those wonderful, perfect, Polaroid memories that make truly vacations special.


So what is your favorite spot in your community? Yup, in your own community! You know, those little out of the way places that showcases your area at its best. For my own home region there are just too many to count! Like the places I was able to ferret out in Florida all it takes is a little research and a day or two to explore.

One that was really over the top small, county park along one of the many rivers in our area that is a well hidden secret and is filled with nature walks that covers meadow and forested areas all along and through an area that can take your breath away and give a real answer to why West Michigan is so diverse in its landscapes that go from fabulous beaches, to great hiking and camping spots, to so much more scenery, scenery, scenery!

What's your special spot, that escape place where you can lose that stress from the office or classroom? Is it a beach filled with huge trees of driftwood, or a river walk where the kingfishers rule? Mine are all of the above, and more! Take a walk on that wild side in your own life and discover a new passion...the lovely places right where you live!

Between the Covers of a Book...Loving to Read

Reading has always been an escape from my every day world. When I was young it was that mysterious destination to escape to when my learning disabilities made me feel like the class joke in elementary school. I always picked books that were from a different time period and learned through them to enjoy history and different and more exotic worlds from my own simple Midwest surroundings.

After fifth grade the world and the different cultural worlds began to fascinate me, and from then on I was more into biographies and stories of Europe, the Middle East and far East. It took many years to find my way back to fiction and mysteries, but when I rediscover them in high school I couldn't get enough of it! From Sherlock Holmes to Anne of Green Gables I rediscovered worlds that were sometimes similar, and sometimes foreign to my own American experience. I really enjoyed the world, the people, and the many places I found between the covers of my books.

As a young mother I was often confined at home with sick children a book became my only escape during a busy day, and I began reading more, and later in the evenings so as not to be disturbed. But I also read with my toddlers, and as they grew we started sharing books at the dinner table. I would quickly devour my own meal, and then read a chapter or maybe two from books I thought my boys might enjoy. From Gary Paulson to Arthur Conan Doyle we discovered together the wilds of a northern forest, or the smoggy streets in a London of the 1800s.

As they grew we also discovered that they shared my difficulties with learning and began our cooperative struggle to a path through the maze that was the school year. Though they had some difficulties that carried on into their adult lives they also had a strong love for a good story which often helped them past some of adulthood's early frustrations. Don't get me wrong - for people who have reading problems, it isn't easy to like, or even enjoy reading but a love of a good tale often helped them climb that mountain toward cracking the code of letters, and the meanings of the written word.

Now we enjoy sharing favorite authors and different genres in the book world. We don't always agree on who we like to read, but we always revel in the discussions of the ones we do. Now I'm reading with my grandkids, and loving those discoveries all over again.

A Tree of Memories

A tree can be more that branches and green. It can be a tall ship with riggings to lean on, or a balloon that can take you anywhere you want to go. As a child there was a huge tree that when I close my eyes I can see so vividly that I want to climb even yet today. The tree was my hide away, my place to get away from family and to use my mind to fly away to far off places.

It was also my comfy couch to read after chores. I'd take the book I was reading and climb as high as I could go. There was a small nest of large branches where I could sit and escape to Prince Edward Island, or England - wherever my book would take me and be rocked in gentle breezes as I soared high with my imagination.

The tree is gone now, but it is still with me when I close my eyes and want to escape from the everyday world. I can even feel the bark and the strength that was that friend who gave me freedom in such a special way.

My tree was my dream home, and a safe haven during the many storms of childhood.

Vacations Instantly!

Times away from home are always lovely. They give time to look at where you are in life and sometimes how to make changes that are needed. But, it also is a time to escape the ordinary things of life and give a taste of something different.

If you are a history buff, you can visit a museum or local historical places. Places that take you back and help you learn something new are a great escape. If you're a gardener during the spring, summer and fall there are always gardens to explore, even garden centers are fun! Whatever turns you on is a way to have fun on that break from your normal week.

How about a weekly vacation, is that a possibility? You bet! An escape to a meal with friends, or a trip to the library can make personal time great. I am a library fanatic and enjoy wandering the rows of books looking at what is available to read. Taking time to read can be a vacation in itself! How many of you have gotten to read a book all night and finished it in the morning? That can be a real luxury. Anything can be that vacation for me. A walk along the woods with my dog or simply a little nap when you first get home from work can be an instant break from the world. You know something, I SIMPLY love vacations!