Utilizing the Keuka Sneak...

Princess Leia's Great Escape

          With all of the rain this week, I decided to put our puppy, Princess Leia, out on the doggy run off of the parsonage front porch for the very first time.  I had no idea that the excitement from this would scar both of us forever.

      When I think back to where this simple situation went wrong, I remember just being excited to watch Leia on the run for the first time. Although I have had pups my whole life, each one's personality is so totally different from another that it is like experiencing everything for the first time.  Leia is a corker!  For as bold as she is, sometimes she becomes incredibly anxious.  It was this anxiety that got the best of her as I prepared to attach her for the very first time.  So as I walked bent over to grab the hook from the run to attach to her collar, she came to a dead stop.  I was propelled forward staggering alone with her collar, as she remained on the porch unaware of her new found freedom.  When this epiphany finally dawned on her, all of a sudden, a maniacal look filled her eyes (see below representation from google images). 

from leadchanges.net

She realized that from my prone position, she would have unrestricted freedom if she ran for it, for the first time in her young life...no leashes to stunt her adventures, no fences to reign in her quests.  She was free at last!  She decided to go for it, and go for it, she did bounding from the porch and heading for the hills!  

I felt like a linebacker for the first time in my life as I quickly recovered from my shock and panic.  Leia was dogging and weaving like any running back from the NFL, but this time, I feared, her life might be on the line if she made her way out toward Route 20.  (If you want to learn more about how to use your "fancy footwork" to perpetrate an awesome juke like Leia did, please go to http://www.wikihow.com/Juke-in-Football.)  Leia analyzed my body language to anticipate my next move, and that caesura was what gave me my advantage.  As she flashed right, I came around her back and tackled her with my arms wrapped around her back haunches.  She was a slippery little sucker, but I held on for a least five seconds as she dragged me across the poop infested front lawn and down the sidewalk.  I lost my grasp just before she catapulted over the retaining wall.  I was sobbing.  I was screaming (cue in the famous Stella scream from Streetcar Named Desire), "LEIA!  LEIA!"  She was gone.  Gone forever, and it would be on my watch. 

 I was inconsolable.  Inconsolable, that is, until I remembered an ancient move that my sister Pattie told me about back when she was an undergraduate at the lovely Keuka College on the Finger Lakes in New York State.  "The Keuka Sneak", as it would come to be known by future generations, came into being when late one night some unscrupulous interlopers were running away from the Keuka security guards-  security guards whose average age was reported to be around 90 years old.  As these future felons were making their great escape, one of the security guards allegedly fell to the ground, while grabbing his heart and moaning under the guise of being in tremendous, and quite lethal, pain.  With his freedom in precarious danger, this trespasser returned to where the security guide lay to make sure the guard was just injured not actually dying.  Therein was the perpetrator's downfall and capture!  "The Keuka Sneak's" success always mystified me, but now I was prepared to unleash its powerful punch.

This inspiration came to me as I contemplated on my imminent doom of returning home empty handed without Leia, the apple of my husband's eye. "That's it!  I'll get her back with the Ol' Keuka Sneak,"  I silently thought to myself.  Immediately, I began rolling back and forth on the ground nursing my bruises and contusions, which were real, not bogus, at this point.  "OHHHHHHH!"  I moaned as Leia made her way to Lincoln.  But just as she was about to turn the corner, she stopped and looked back at me.  It was like she was plaintively suggesting, "Get up, Mommy.  Lose that collar and come with me.  Come on, Girl!  Come on, Mommy!"  But I didn't.

boomerscruzin.com

And slowly my mischief began to work.  To quote  Ralphie from The Christmas Story,  I just "lay there like a slug.  It was my only defense."  Slowly Princess Leia inched her way back toward me with a confused and curious look in her big brown eyes.  When she came within arms' reach, I snapped up to grab her around her midsection, slapped her collar around her neck and limped my way, with her in tow, back to the porch.

Sometimes an old strategy can serve us well in a new battle.  Freedom, while appealing, can come at a very high cost to us all!

Pierce

At the Threshing Bee...

Westford, MA

With My Knight in Shining Armor (or shall I say amour?)

      When I talk about meeting my Westford, Massachusetts knight in shining armor, most people know that I am referring to my husband whom I actually met at Plymouth State University back on February 1st, 1985.

This summer, another knight from Westford, Massachusetts caught my attention.  On the 4th of July, my mother-in-law and I stopped to visit this other bad boy on our way back from dinner.  The clangunn.us website said this about my stoic friend (please see below).  In the meantime, I am sure that there are lots of video games that incorporate the Knight Life into their quests, but perhaps you would like to take a virtual Tour about a Day in the Life of a Knight (https://prezi.com/cwn1inkawah-/virtual-tour-of-the-life-of-a-knight/).  Get it?  A Day in the Life of a Knight?  How punny!

Effigy of Sir James Gunn About Clan Gunn Chiefship Membership Septs Tartan The Gunn Salute AGM Minutes Archive Officers, Commissioners & Genealogists Online Commissioner and Officer Resources The Storekeeper Clan Gunn And Its Country Email & Links By-laws

"The Westford Knight The following information is taken from the brochure "The Remarkable Prince Henry Sinclair". The brochure itself is based on an article entitled Was Glooscap a Scot? reprinted as Yours Aye, August 1988, giving credit to Atlantic Insight of June 1983. Born in Scotland in about 1345 A.D. Henry Sinclair became Earl of Rosslyn and the surrounding lands as well as Prince of Orkney, Duke of Oldenburg (Denmark), and Premier Earl of Norway. In 1398 he led an expedition to explore Nova Scotia and Massachusetts. This was 90 years before Columbus "discovered America"! Prince Henry Sinclair was the subject of historian Frederick J. Pohl's Atlantic Crossings Before Columbus, which was published in 1961. Not all historians agreed with Pohl, but he made a highly convincing case that this blond, sea-going Scot, born at Rosslyn Castle near Edinburgh in 1345, not only wandered about mainland Nova Scotia in 1398, but also lived among the Micmacs long enough to be remembered through centuries as the man-god "Glooscap". Henry Sinclair's ancestry was a mixture of Norman, French, Norwegian, and Scottish. The first Sinclair known in what is now the United Kingdom had arrived with William the Conqueror in 1066. Sinclair's grand-father, a friend of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, died fighting the Saracens in Spain in 1330. His father, Sir William Sinclair, also died in battle while fighting the Lithuanians from a base in Prussia in 1358. Henry was 13 at the time. He was trained in martial exercises with sword, spear, bow and arrow. He spoke Latin and French, and became a knight at the age of 21 years. His first wife, who died young, was the great-grand-daughter of King Magnus of Sweden and Norway. His second wife, Janet Holyburton of Direton Castle, bore him four children. Sinclair was installed as the Earl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland when he was only 24, and held his appointment at the pleasure of King Hakon VI ofNorway. As "jarl", he was next to royalty. He had authority to stamp coins, to make laws, remit crimes, wear a crown, and have a sword carried before him. He had already been rewarded by King David of Scotland for a successful raid into England, with the title of Lord Sinclair and the position of Lord Chief Justice of Scotland. Sinclair excelled in a furious time. Sinclair happened to be in the Faeroe Islands, which were part of his earldom in 1390, when he heard that a ship had been wrecked and, since shipwrecks were fair game for pillage at the time, the local fishermen were attacking the crew. Sinclair rescued the mariners, and discovered they were Venetians. Their commander, Nicolo Zeno, was a brother of the most famous admiral of the time, Carlo Zeno. Sinclair hoped to dominate the northern seas, and promptly appointed Nicolo commander of his fleet. After Nicolo's death, Sinclair appointed another Zeno brother, Antonio, as fleet commander. Nicolo and Antonio used to write to Carlo "The Lion" in Venice, and this correspondence was published in 1558 by a great-great-great-grandson of Antonio. Historians call it the Zeno Narrative, and it is a basic source for Pohl's intriguing account. This Zeno Narrative told about a survey to make a map of Greenland in about 1393; it was conducted by Nicolo Zeno, and later by Prince Henry's ships. This Zeno Map of the North proved to be the most accurate map in existence for the next 150 years! Not only did the Zeno Map chart the sea with uncanny precision, it also showed certain landmarks. For example, it illustrated two cities in Estotilanda (Nova Scotia), possibly founded by Sinclair at Louisburg Harbor and St. Peter's. A castle or fortification was shown. There is speculation that Zeno based his map upon a much more ancient map, coming from the Templars in the Middle East, carried in secrecy by them for safekeeping in Rosslyn Castle, until Price Henry commissioned its update by Zeno. The Zeno Narrative reported that as far back as 1371, four fishing boats (the fishermen were Sinclair's subjects) were blown so far out to sea that they eventually came ashore on land that was probably Newfoundland. They spent more than twenty years on the island, and apparently on the lands to the south, and then one of them made contact with some European fishermen and managed to return to the Faeroes. Sinclair decided to explore these new lands and set sail around April 1, 1398. His fleet consisted of 13 little vessels, two of them driven by oars. The Zeno Document suggests he tried to land at Newfoundland but was driven off by natives, and then sailed into Chedabucto Bay. It is believed he dropped anchor on the first of June in Guysborough Harbor. Sinclair then sent 100 soldiers to explore the source of smoke they saw swirling above a distant hill. The soldiers reported back that the smoke was a natural thing proceeding from a great fire in the bottom of a hill, where a spring, from which issued a certain substance like pitch, ran into the sea. Thereabouts dwelt a great many people, half-wild, and living in caves. They were of small stature and very timid. Geographical detective work, archaeology, modern science and various documents have pinpointed the burning hill as the asphalt area at Stellarton, about 50 miles direct from the head of Guysborough Harbor. The Scots liked the soil, the rivers, even the air, and wanted to establish a settlement. A portion of his party returned home, but he kept some men with him together with two oar-powered boats, which were good for exploring rivers and coasts. He took them through the Strait of Canso to meet the Indians at Pictou. Apparently he persuaded the Micmacs to act as guides in his exploration. Sinclair may have travelled to Annapolis Basin and across the Micmac canoe route to Liverpool. By October, he was back on Green Hill, southwest of Pictou harbor, to attend a gathering of the Micmacs. " 'Twas the time for holding the great and yearly feast with dancing and merry games" His winter campsite was on the high promontory of Cap d'Or, overlooking Advocate Harbor. During the winter, the expedition built a ship and, when spring arrived, Sinclair sailed away from Nova Scotia. They travelled southward, perhaps carried by a northeaster, to the New England Coast, just north of Boston. The party landed and spent the winter, living peacefully with the Indians. To the west they could see a hilltop from which the Indians frequently sent smoke signals. Accompanied by his 100 men, Henry marched inland to the summit of this hill, now called Prospect Hill, located in Westford, Massachusetts. It is 465 feet in altitude and afforded a good view in all directions. While at this area, one of Prince Henry's loyal attendants by the name of Sir James Gunn, also from Scotland, died. In memory of the lost companion, the party carved a marker on the face of a stone ledge. It consisted of various sizes of punched holes, which depicted a Scottish knight, with a 39 inch long sword and shield bearing the Gunn Clan insignia. The punch-hole method of carving involved making a series of small impressions with a sharp tool, driven by a mallet. Where glacial scratches or rock colorations existed, they were incorporated into the man-made design. Some holes were larger and deeper than others, probably due to the dulling of the carver's tool and centuries of weathering. In the words of Frederick Pohl, "the following are undeniably man-made workings: the pommel, handle, and guard of the sword; below the guard the break across the blade that is indicative of the death of the sword's owner; the crest above the pommel; a few holes at the sword's point; the punched-hole jess lines attached to the legs of the falcon; the bell-shaped hollows; the corner of the shield touching the pommel; the crescent on the shield; and the holes that form a decorative pattern on the pommel." Now weatherworn and faint, one can see just enough of the carving to visualize the rest of it.Of course, there have been many investigations to verify the authenticity of this carving. There remains little doubt that this memorial is not a hoax, nor some Indian marking, but rather, the true monument created by Prince Henry Sinclair, nearly 600 years ago!"

Grieving...

So Many Causes...

                                                                So Little Time...

(from webneel.com)

     This has been a heartrending week. 

So many losses at a time of year when I am already susceptible to being reminded of other ones.  They are sort of like my preexisting conditions because the ache of missing loved ones is like a constant dull, throbbing pain in my heart and a fog across my brain.  Despite my Faith, sometimes I am at a loss what to do, but I have amazing pillars surrounding me that I can lean on when my inspiration runs dry.  

Actions always speak louder than words, and I guess that is what I am thinking about tonight.  What can I possibly do, what acts of Mercy can I perpetrate to offset the overwhelming grief at loss and illness, violence and heartbreak?  

I am surrounded by answers, to name only a few, if my action can overcome my inertia...

• On this my cousin's birthday, her young life cut short from CMV, I support an organization that pledges to stop CMV through education, awareness and research...  Each year I try to get one of my speechers to take on this topic, and although my persuasive powers clearly have faltered, I end up explaining it to many students each year, praying that it never profoundly affects their family as it has mine.

• By participating in the Relay for Life, I not only honor the memory of each family member who fought against cancer, but honor those who still fight.

• Halestock... This was the first year I was able to attend Halestock.  This incredible day long celebration of good food, live bands and tie die actually raises money that my cousin, and her children, donates in memory of her husband.

• EJHS Class of '83 charities:  Every five years when my High School Class has its reunion, we raise money for charities that fight against causes that took our classmates.  So far we have contributed money from our silent auctions to fight diabetes, heart disease and domestic violence.  Women Helping Battered Women is also an organization that I have supported since one of my friends, and former school secretary, was murdered by her husband.   

•   And as I approach the anniversary of our Goddaughter's death by SIDS, I share the story of her life and her mother's indefatigable courage as I invite my students each year to share their own autobiographical narratives about turning points in their lives... And I guess that is all that matters, right- our stories and how they intersect with those around us in love or grief or whatever comes at us and how we move forward on the journey toward tomorrow. 

• This summer we went to a Horse Show to benefit our dear family friend as she battles cancer.  I learned so much about Horse Shows and had the chance to spend the day with my awesome Uncle. 

• Pizza Hut Coupon Card to benefit Paul Howey!   I walked into Pizza Hut after another late night during homecoming week, and what did I spy with my little eye??  $10 coupon cards and all of the proceeds go to Paul Howey's family.  Let me tell you... with Colin's wreck just over a year ago, I am happy to purchase one of these cards!  Won't you do the same?  Thanks, Pizza Hut!