Squam Art Workshop: Fall 2024

I have wanted to attend the Squam Art Workshop for over a decade. With the kids a little older I finally took the plunge and signed up for the fall session last November. I won't lie, it's not cheap. You only live once though, right? With rental car prices in the "insane" category, I decided to drive from Maryland to New Hampshire rather than flying. Driving 11 hours is something that sounds fine in the abstract, but actually doing it is another story.

The first day I drove to Manchester, New Hampshire (ten hours) and spent the night so I could get up in the morning and tour two Frank Lloyd Wright houses before making the final hour-long drive to camp. (Huge thanks to Katie who tipped me off on these home tours!) You meet at the museum and are taken a short way down the street in a bus to visit both houses, which are on the same street in a residential neighborhood. If I lived on that street I would be so annoyed at the people traipsing down the street every day, but on the other hand, how cool would it be to live across the street from a Frank Lloyd Wright?

The Kalil House was very concrete-y and not very cozy. It was designed to be self-built, with standard size concrete blocks. Even the ceiling is made out of these blocks. It was interesting architecturally but I certainly wouldn't want to live there.

The Zimmerman House was more like what we normally associate with FLW, warm woods, low ceilings, and connection with the outdoors. The Zimmermans knew they wanted to preserve their house for the future, leaving all of the original furniture and their belonging in the home. Their clothes were still hanging in the closets! Either fascinating or creepy, depending on how you look at it. I thought this house was beautiful and could even see some similarities with our own house, which is probably why I was drawn to it when we bought it.

I ate my lunch near the river in Manchester, then drove an hour farther north to Rockywold-Deephaven Camps. This place is the embodiment of your nostalgic summer camp dreams. The cabins are uninsulated, which was fine when I was there in early September, but I can imagine them being super hot in high summer. The bedding was warm and I felt cozy during the night when the temperatures dropped. My room led out onto the screened porch, and I kept the doors open most of the time.

I think all of the cabins have their own docks. Walking down a short path to the lake and sitting on the dock was the highlight of this experience. A glance in either direction showed people chatting, knitting, and swimming. 

One really cool thing that the camp does is cut lake ice during the winter and store it in a legit ice house. All of the cabins have old iceboxes, and the staff replaces the ice every day. I was there at the end of the season and the ice house was almost empty. It's crazy to think that this old technology still works to keep ice for months and months all summer.

The first day I was there was only a half day, but I did go to a relaxing yoga class, followed by dinner. All of the meals were at set times in the dining hall with a buffet-style meal. The food was pretty good for being mass produced, but it was as loud as you can imagine. A few times I skipped meals or got my food to go because honestly it was a little too overstimulating with 200+ people in one room chatting away.

The next day was my first class, block printing on fabric. This class was so fun - we started with designing our pattern, carving our blocks, and then finally printing the design. Almost everyone was new to this technique, and yet everyone managed to produced beautiful, unique patterns. My design is the one you see at the front right of the photo below.

The line of printed towels drying overnight was a huge draw for everyone walking by. Some people even printed on their clothes!

The next day I had signed up for a paper cutting class, however by this time it had become clear that my Dad was not going to have many more days left. I had my phone by my side waiting for updates from my family. Emotionally I just couldn't handle being around a group of strangers all day, so instead I went for a hike up Rattlesnake Mountain. The view of the lake at the top was definitely worth it, but the particular trail I took was literally straight up. 

The next day was Saturday, a free day. In the morning I went to a Botanical Sketching thing, which I thought would be a class, but it was just some vignettes set up on tables that we were on our own to draw how we liked. I did a quick sketch and then headed out on my main event for the day, the Five Fingers Point trail. This trail skirted the edge of the lake along a point. The weather was great for hiking, and I spent some time just sitting at different points gazing at the beautiful surroundings.

When I got back, I decided to be brave and took a dip in the lake. It was frigid and probably took me 20 minutes to work up to fully submerging myself. There were some women who seemed to have more experience with cold-water swimming and were swimming longer distances, but it was all I could do to just bob around for a few minutes. The water must have had an effect because I wasn't sore from 2 consecutive days of hiking!

On Sunday morning it was time to return home. I originally planned to take a day to stop in Rhode Island on my way home, but I wanted to get home to hopefully see my Dad one last time. That 12 hour drive was brutal! My body was not happy being in the same position for an entire day. 

So, would I do it again? I'm not sure. The setting was absolutely beautiful, and I enjoyed being in such a peaceful place with no responsibilities for a few days. The class I took was really fun and inspirational. But, as you have figured out by now, I am an introvert, and being around so many new people for every meal and constant events was exhausting. I must have had the "Hi, I'm Sarah, where are you from?" conversation 40 times. I think I can cobble together a similar experience by booking my own cabins and art classes for less money. Still, I'm glad I went! I may have had a different experience if I had less going on in my personal life, and if I had a different group of cabin mates (I had one cabin mate who was very nice but who I only saw about twice.) Everyone there was super friendly and sweet, and the environment was so positive. I met a few women who were incredibly supportive when they heard about my Dad, and I am forever thankful to them. In all I totally recommend this workshop to anyone who is artsy/crafty and willing to meet new people (and can afford it!)

So, where should I go next?

My Dad

My Dad died on September 10, 2024 at the age of 77. Fourteen years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, likely from exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. A few years ago he was also diagnosed with dementia. Anyone who has known someone affected by these diseases knows the slow slide away from reality and the terrible disconnect between brain and body that completely changes the person. My Mom was his full-time caregiver for the past several years, a taxing role that consumed her life. It was not the retirement they both hoped for. 

We knew that he didn't have much time left, but it's always a surprise when the end really comes. Saying that it's a huge life adjustment for my Mom, and the rest of us, going from a family unit of 5 to 4, is an understatement.

That's me sitting on my Dad's lap! Can you tell it was the 80s?

My Dad had seven siblings, can you imagine? (Eight kids! Catholics, amirite?) He was always good with babies, raising me and my brother and sister, but also from growing up with abundant babies in the house. My grandparents owned a milk products business, making butter and cheese. This is how I learned that white cheddar and yellow cheddar are actually the same thing: yellow cheddar just has coloring in it. The building still exists and is run by the family as a deli; check out The Cheese Shop if you're ever in Ottawa, Illinois. (And if you are ever there and are not related to me... why?)

Dad and baby Cora

My Dad graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA) in a time when buffet art was a thing. Picture animals made out of meat, cheese and fruit fanned out in intricate patterns. Later, knowing he was likely to be drafted, he joined the Army and was sent to Vietnam. After a period of time clearing the jungle, some higher-ups got wind that they had a verified CIA graduate on their hands, and a helicopter landed one day, whisking him away to a much better job as a chef.

Dad and Mary

For the majority of his career, he worked as an Executive Chef at large hotels. I remember Easters and Thanksgivings when I was a kid spent in hotel dining rooms; my Mom would bring us all there when he was working on big holidays. When people hear about his culinary training and career, they always make a comment like, "Wow, you must have eaten well at home!" Well, no; my Mom cooked us most meals. I completely get not wanting to come home and continue to do your job! Sometimes he would make pizza dough or big batches of pasta sauce, but we certainly never got an artistic buffet spread.

Dad and baby Mary

After he retired, he finally had time to put his creativity into action, and took oil painting classes. He probably would have continued to paint had Parkinson's not taken away his hand-eye coordination. I'm so glad that I was the lucky recipient of his artistic gene. My Dad and I went to see the National Symphony Orchestra, and Sarah Brightman singing opera, when the rest of my family deemed classical music too boring (i.e., not a sport). He was a fan of Edith Piaf and history, when he could find time to read.

Dad and his mom, my grandma who died only 5 years ago at the age of 100

I grew up with both my Dad and Mom working in the yard. On the weekends he was often outside mowing the grass or planting flowers, trees, and shrubbery. (I just wanted to say "shrubbery.") He was always interested in my flower growing. One of the last times he visited our house and was able to confidently walk, I showed him around all my gardens, and he recognized most of the flower varieties.

I was there with my Mom when he died, and wow, let me tell you about something that can give you perspective. So here's a reminder that life doesn't always turn out the way we want. Take advantage of your abilities while you have them: make the art, hike the trail, visit that place you've always wanted to see but never could make the plans. And if you have a good relationship with your parents, give them a call. 

Checking In: Summer 2024

If you have young children, and it's summer, you know why I have been MIA for 2 months! This summer has been a blur of camp drop offs, pick ups, water days, wet towels, overnights, car rides, packing and unpacking, all while trying to retain our full-time jobs and not melt into a puddle of goo with 100+ degree temperatures and 90% humidity.

As usual, I have been seeking water. From creeks to lakes, if there is water, I want to be near it. (I'm not the biggest ocean fan, though, I prefer fresh water.) There is one more week until school starts, which we will be spending (surprise!) on a lake.

And if it's not water, it's flowers. You could say that this has been my most successful flower season ever in that I have sold nearly every stem coming out of my gardens. I have gone from five subscriptions in my first year to over 30, now in year three. I don't have a lot of space so this is pretty much the maximum I can handle, and it has been stressful at times to eek out the right number of bouquets each week. I have a lot of thinking to do this winter about what changes I want to make so that I don't get burnt out or resentful of my little side job.

I also finished a pair of socks; no pattern as usual, after knitting probably 50 pairs I have the process memorized and just make it up as I go along. This is 3x1 rib and the yarn is from Into the Whirled, which I got at Maryland Sheep and Wool a few years ago.

And that's my check in for now! In no time at all we'll be back to cooler temperatures, waiting for the school bus, and cleaning up our gardens for the winter.

Reading Lately: Women's Prize Longlist 2024

 

I've read half of the Women's Prize Longlist for 2024! That is probably going to be all I read, to be honest, as I only wanted to read the titles I initially found interesting. I watched several reaction videos when the longlist was first announced, with many readers expressing annoyance at how so many of these titles were unknown or seemingly came out of nowhere. But, I was happy to see so many less-famous titles and be introduced to new authors and settings. The winner has now been announced, and it is Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan. I wholeheartedly agree with this selection!

Here are my thoughts, from favorite to least favorite:

Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy: This is the most accurate portrayal of motherhood to a young child that I have ever read. The husband drove me nuts (which I think was the point). If you are a parent, read this to feel seen, and if you don't have kids, read this to know what parents are going through. Really, nothing has captured the conflict between the exhaustion of parenting, loss of self, and love for a child better.

Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan: This book takes place mostly during the 1980s when the Sri Lankan civil war began and intensified. Following Sashi and her family (she has four brothers, referenced in the title), we see the impact of the war on a Tamil family and read of their various levels of involvement. Sashi is pulled in two directions, wanting to continue her education to become a doctor, and her loyalty to her brothers and a cause she doesn't always support. I learned so much about this time and place; the writing is accessible and I think most every reader would get something out of this book.

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure: I write about this more in length in my last reading post; I really enjoyed this coming of age story that spanned generations in Shanghai.

Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan: This did not make the shortlist, but wish it had! After a horrific crime occurs, the family involved hides away in a hotel but is preyed upon by a tabloid journalist trying to get a scoop. We read about the family's history in Ireland and how that history impacts present-day events. I thought this was quite well written and I felt engaged with the characters. This was a perfect mix between slow family drama, and a plot that moves the book forward.

The Maiden by Kate Foster: This book falls lower on my list not because it wasn't a great read, but because I didn't think it was quite up to prize level. The story of a woman in the middle ages accused of killing her lover, this book was so much fun.

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville: While I found Dolly's story fascinating, I didn't enjoy the writing style. There is barely any dialogue in this book, and a lot of "and then they did this, and then they moved there." Dolly is a forceful woman in a time where women didn't have a lot of opportunities. Based on a real person, Dolly makes her own life in turn of the century Australia, succeeding in business and taking her family along for the ride. 

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad: The setting in Palestine makes this a very timely read, and I did think that the theme of belonging was carried out successfully. Sonia is Palestinian, but lives in Britain and has a Dutch mother. She returns for a visit to Palestine and ends up acting in a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. While I did find the examination of place to be interesting, ultimately I was bored by a lot of this book and didn't think any of the characters were developed besides Sonia and the play's director, Miriam.

The Wren, The Wren by Ann Enright: I know a lot of readers enjoyed this book, and even have it among their favorites, but I could not get into it. I didn't connect with either of the main characters, a mother and daughter. I would call this a "quiet book" where not a lot happens, and truthfully after reading it a month ago I have forgotten most of it. I thought the theme of family connections and the impact of older generations on the younger was very similar to the theme of Ordinary Human Failings, which in my opinion was much more successful.

This was the first time I attempted to read a prize list; would I do it again? I think the Women's Prize was the perfect selection for me, and I will potentially do it again next year depending on the longlist. It was a fun experience because it seemed like I was part of a huge book club and I had much more interest in the selection of the winner. If you haven't read a prize list before, I urge you to go for it!

The Great Big World

Right after I published my last post, I saw that Jeremy at Read More Books had written about two books that are probably a lot more articulate about the flattening of culture. Check out his post!

Sometimes I avoid starting a blog post because I think it has to be paragraphs and paragraphs with tons of photos. That amount of work is overwhelming - so I'm going to make this one a short one, and hopefully relieve some of that pressure and post more often!

About every 5 years I convince my employer to pay for me to attend a conference, and you better believe I choose that conference based entirely on where it is located. This year, I found one in Portland, Oregon, a city and state I have always wanted to visit. The conference itself was held in what I can only term the "dungeon" of a hotel, rooms with no windows, dim lighting, and visible air ducts. And they didn't even give us a free totebag! The Portland weather was typically rainy, which hardly mattered due to the lack of windows. 

I enjoyed the city but didn't see much of it, spending my time as a dungeon-dweller 9 hours a day. I visited Powells, the largest used bookstore in the world, but other than that, I missed many of the main attractions. I didn't mind because that's not what I was looking forward to; after the conference ended I headed out to see the more wild parts of the state (and neighboring Washington.)

I lucked out SO MUCH on the weather. For the remainder of the fun part of my vacation, the skies were clear and sunny. I visited Cape Disappointment in Washington, then drove down (over the extremely terrifying Astoria Bridge) to Cannon Beach in Oregon.

I was in awe of this beautiful place. Most of the time, I could hardly believe I was there. Pretty much all I did was walk around - over 90,000 steps over the course of the week! I'm not a big foodie (most of my meals came from Safeway) and I'm not a big shopper, so walking along trails and the beach was the best I could ask for.

Next I turned myself around and drove east, back through Portland to the Columbia River Gorge. As a waterfall lover, I was in heaven! My first stop was Multnomah Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in Oregon. From the bottom it was easy to look up and say, sure, I'll walk up to the top, but about switchback 11 of 17 (they were helpfully labeled) I was starting to regret my decision. I always finish what I start, though, and almost 1000 vertical feet later I was looking down at the falls from the top.

I also sampled Horsetail Falls, Wakena Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls, most of which also involved a great deal of up and downhill walking. The next day my calves froze and I hobbled around, but it was worth it.

On my final full day, I achieved a life-long goal of walking part of the Pacific Crest Trail! I have long been obsessed with long-distance hiking (mainly reading about other people doing it), and the PCT is the ultimate beautiful long trail at 2,650 miles. I hiked a connecting trail up to the PCT and hiked to Lake Gillette.

It was nearly 90 degrees that day, and a lot of the trail wasn't shaded, but I powered through because how often does one get to hike the PCT?? I sat by the cool stream above to have my lunch. When I finally returned to my car, I was completely sweat-soaked and dehydrated, but because I still had to return the rental car and take a shuttle to my airport hotel, I spent the next several hours very gross, and I'm sorry to everyone at Safeway who passed by me later that day!

This was an amazing trip that I will forever be thankful for. It seems like whenever I travel, something goes wrong - bad weather, long waits, delayed flights, weird noises in hotel rooms. On this trip, the forces of the universe must have aligned because nothing went wrong.

Oregon is now one of my favorite states, and I will definitely be back!