BY HEIDI O'DONNELL EASTMAN
It is already day four of 2018. I ended 2017 by sitting by the fire warming my bones after a beautiful, rather long (unexpectedly long) hike on New Year's Eve Day in single digit weather. Thor, aka Charles -the-Viking (my husband), led the adventure where we saw incredible wildlife and pristine views. Thanks to Charley's (my son) awesome Christmas presents we were well outfitted for the day. Lots of fluffy white-tailed deer and so much more. I ended the year with gratitude for my children, Charley and Madison, and my partner in crime, Charles and the rest of my beloved family and friends. I am thankful for great and supportive colleagues, a talented and hard-working intern, inspiring students and all of the venues near and far who have embraced Port to Port Connections. 2017 was a year filled with magic, learning, and discovery. Did I say discovery??? I am off to Scotland and the great port of Glasgow now. I am excited about the people, ideas and things that I will witness. And, of course, all of their stories. Read more....
Here's to the Scottish tradition of First Footing...fortunately I have the tall, dark-haired male on hand. “First footing” (or the “first foot” in the house after midnight) is still common across Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be a dark male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a wee dram of whiskey. #firstfooting #gettingreadyforscotland #viking #thor #westportwinter #newyearsevehike #winterwonderland #magicanddiscovery #nothinglikearoaringfire #scotlandsfirstfooting #weedramofwhiskey #gettingreadyforscotland Read more....
“The Road Not Taken (Poem By Robert Frost)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
”