I’m Celebrating My Birthday: Learning and Sharing With You

It’s my birthday, Sunday, September 16. I celebrate each year with friends and family, and have a little tradition of buying myself a gift, something special just for me. This year all I want for my birthday, and every day, is good health for everyone and especially my four-year-old granddaughter.

She was diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease in February 2018 following five months of extensive blood, saliva, and urine tests and a sedated MRI, which revealed a pituitary macroadenoma (tumor).

Cushing’s disease is a cortisol disorder due to a tumor on the pituitary gland. A pituitary macroadenoma is a benign tumor at the base of the brain. It discharges adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), stimulating the adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol. This hormone (cortisol) is normally made by the adrenal glands and supports life itself. It enables all of us to fight illness and impacts all body tissues. However, cortisol spikes wreak havoc on the entire body and are most frightening and dangerous.

According to the UCLA Pituitary Tumor Program (pituitary.ucla.edu/cushings-disease), “Cushing’s disease is rare, affecting 10 to 15 people per million each year, most commonly adults between 20 and 50 years of age. Women account for more than 70 percent of cases. Most patients with Cushing’s disease have small tumors (pituitary microadenomas).”

The Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases…/cushing-syndrome/symptoms…/syc-20351310) lists symptoms as rapid and extreme “weight gain and fatty tissue deposits, particularly around the midsection and upper back, in the face (moon or ‘Cushie’ face), and between the shoulders (buffalo hump), pink or purple stretch marks (striae) on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, breasts and arms, and thinning, fragile skin that bruises easily.”

This is a very rare disease and particularly rare in four-year-olds. Connecting with the most experienced team working with very young children to treat her illness has involved multiple out-of-state trips and consultations. We have most recently been referred to a team in New York City which is hopefully the right place with the right medical team.

My gift to myself, and to you, on this birthday is to learn everything I can to educate everyone about Cushing’s Disease. Our path has been difficult and long without a guiding light organization to help people find the medical help they need. My birthday wish is that through bringing attention to Cushing’s, more pediatricians and medical professionals will recognize and properly diagnose and treat the illness so that fewer people of all ages will suffer through years of searching for solutions.

https://www.facebook.com/Amazing-Amelia-Cushings-Disease-Journey-220476942139461/

 

https://www.facebook.com/donate/193052884894073/10217483157696775/

 

https://www.cafepress.com/amazingameliacushingsdiseaseawarenes

Internships Are Not Just for the Young Anymore

CBS Sunday Morning (Sunday, August 14, 2011) ran a piece titled “Internships:  A foot in the door? Is it something young people can take advantage of, or are they being taken advantage of?”

It was an interesting piece, but did not present the whole story. There’s more to internships than volunteering one’s skills and the money that is or isn’t received. One new innovation is that internships are no longer just for the young — many are open to all ages.  The Student Conservation Association, which provides stipends with internships, should change their name. Their programs are not just for students do not have age limitations.

Both of my travel guidebooks, Volunteer Vacations Across America and Immersion Travel USA,  have hundreds of opportunities to try out many different fields and positions through internships and other programs before deciding what you really want to do — if that’s in college or after retirement or in between. Explore a passion, plan a career move, or step right into a job by applying for an internship.

If the time commitment of an internship is not for you, consider a short-term volunteer experience. Here are a few featured in Volunteer Vacations Across America and Immersion Travel USA:

The Student Conservation Association
(SCA) is the nation’s largest and oldest provider of conservation service opportunities through a tuition-free summer volunteer program for high school or college students and a 3- to 12-month, expense-paid internship program
for people over 18. SCA’s mission is clear: “To build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of our environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.” http://www.thesca.org/

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY, offers a wide selection of residencies, classes, activities, scholarship
programs, and internships throughout the year. It is the world’s largest glass museum, featuring 35 centuries of
examples and styles. Instructors from all over the globe teach participants ranging from beginner to more advanced of all ages. http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=11976

Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT), San Francisco Bay Area, CA creates opportunities for at-risk and underprivileged youth in the San Francisco Bay area to get outdoors, explore the wilderness, and experience nature. BAWT offers six-monthinternships in four areas: Development, Program, Marketing, and Climbing for Kids. http://www.bawt.org/

The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Topsail Beach, NC has as its mission the conservation and preservation of all species of marine turtles. The center protects nests, nesting females, and hatchings, and is involved with the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick and injured turtles and with educating the public about sea turtles. Internships with housing provided are available year round for a minimum 12-week period.  http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/

Adventures in Preservation (AiP), Boulder, CO, is a non-profit organization offering volunteer vacations designed
as hands-on building conservation workshops, which are held at a variety of locations around the world. Their mission is to save the world’s architectural heritage by supporting community-driven preservation projects that seek to create economic and environmental sustainability.

Immersion Traveler: How I saved a Loggerhead sea turtle’s life

March 2011— There were over a hundred wooden stakes, some with red strips of plastic tied to the tops, some with yellow, dotting the approximately 6 mile stretch of Juno Beach (Florida) marking Loggerhead sea turtles’ nests. The females leave tracks, called crawls, from the water into the vegetation lines and dunes to create nests and lay their eggs. Signs warn visitors not to disturb the nests at risk of breaking the law. My friend Beverly and I arrived early at the beach to walk as the sun rose. Volunteers from the Loggerhead Marine Life Center rode along the beach in all terrain vehicles (ATV’s)documenting the newest crawls, and nests. About 60 days after the eggs are laid, baby turtles will hatch deep in the sand knowing their mission, to climb up toward the light to make their way directly to the water.We paused to photograph the turtle crawls and nests when suddenly Beverly grabbed my arm and pointed to where my foot was about to trample a struggling new baby.The tiniest of turtles, smaller than the length of my big toe, scurried across the sand when suddenly she was pushed back by a mighty wave. She came out of it to push forward again, thrown by another bigger wave which flipped her over right before our eyes. I leaned down to watch her struggle to right herself. We’d read all of the warning signs as we approached the beach. I repeated the words as I remembered them, “Endangered Species. Penalty of law to interfere with the sea turtles in any way.” “Can I touch her?” I asked my friend.“It’s that or watch it die,” Beverly responded. The tiny turtle had climbed its way out of the sand and down the 20 feet of beach to the edge of the water but was unable to flip herself over. I dropped to my knees in the wet sand and with my left pointer finger gently touched the left underside of her shell which was cold and sand covered. She easily flipped over to catch the next wave out.The survival rate of newborn turtles making it to adulthood is estimated by some to be as low as 1% but I knew my turtle would make it. She’ll return to this beach someday to make her own nest and all because I was there to flip her over and save her life.

Choosing your airport according to the food concessions

Airplane food used to give me something to complain about. The cold sandwiches were awful, the hot food trays were worse. The salads tasted like they’d been frozen and the rolls doubled as bouncing balls — but I have to admit, I miss that stuff. It was convenient and often entertaining.
Now that airplane food has disappeared in coach class on almost every domestic flight, and security mandates arriving hours ahead of scheduled flights, I have plenty of time to explore the airport’s food concessions for junk food and greasy goodies I don’t ordinarily eat.
There’s something about traveling that makes junk food more satisfying and appealing than ever. And there’s something about having big layovers, and time to explore food courts, that makes junk food more accessible than ever. Add to that combination traveling alone, and I turn into “obsessive feed me mode.”
Last Tuesday I made the trip from Connecticut to LaGuardia to board a 4:00 p.m. flight to Florida. The traffic was light and I had two hours to use before my flight. I’d only eaten one slice of toast at 10:00, so I headed for the lower level food court. Lack of food on flights has definitely increased the lines and selections.
I really wanted a salami sandwich at the New York Deli, but the waitress wasn’t sure if it was kosher or Italian salami. She refused to ask her manager if it was kosher, probably because she was embarrassed that she didn’t know everything she should about her job. On top of that, she refused to heat the sandwich for me.
Frustrated, and sandwich-less, I walked around until I found Famous Famiglia Pizzeria. Waiting in the cases before me were my two favorite pizzas: Thin-crusted spinach and mushrooms and regular crust with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. I would have been even happier with whole-wheat crusts. I bought one slice of each. My choices were so totally satisfying I smiled my way right through security. Nothing bothered me. My tummy was full.
My 4:00 flight left right on time. We arrived in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport two hours later at 5:00 central time zone. Believe it or not, I was on my way to West Palm Beach, Florida. Doesn’t everyone fly from New York to Chicago to Florida? Frequent flyer miles saved me money and gave me the twenty minutes I needed to make a few phone calls and a two-hour window for a taste of Chicago. I didn’t have time to leave the airport but I had plenty of time to eat.
I’d heard that Wolfgang Puck opened a restaurant on Concourse C with a wood-burning oven and leisurely dining, along with “Pack It to Fly” options. I didn’t want more pizza. I’d been sitting already for hours and had more of the same ahead of me.
I bumped right into a display of Puck’s packed salads. The greens looked delectable. The salad dressings looked delightful. The fresh tomatoes, sprouts and cucumbers were just what I would have been eating if I were traveling with my mother.
I needed something classically Chicago, like the Goose Island Brewery, Gold Coast Dogs, Edy’s chocolate malted, Eli’s classic cheesecake, Greek gyros or Chicago-style pizza. Suddenly the world came into focus.
I stood before the legendary Billy Goat and heard Sam Sianis’ memorable mantra from Saturday Night Live: “Cheeseboorger, Cheeseboorger, Cheesboorger! No fries N’cheeps. No Pepsi N’Coke.” Double, double cheeseburger, the ultimate in great and greasy.
My waiting time between flights was used effectively and completely. I didn’t need to eat the complimentary pretzels on board. My orange stayed in my bag.
Airline food has never been better, on the ground, with loads of choices. When the airlines fed me my problem was terrible food. Now that I’m feeding myself in the airport, on my way to or from the airline, my problem is too too much awesome bad food.

I Wish I Was on Maui

I don’t know about you, but living in the northeast, it is too cold for me to currently think about anything except Hawaii. All of Hawaii is great, but I’m particularly partial to Maui.
Rates have never been better. Hotels are offering 40 – 50 percent rate reductions over last year, and http://www.cheaptickets.com has some great airfares. A few years ago I lived on Maui. The best way to enjoy the weather, the people, place, history, and aloha is to get involved with the locals.
The Pacific Whale Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 with support from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and County of Maui Office of Economic Development, offers a “Volunteering on Vacation” program. This is a way to give back to the places you visit, meet people who share your interests, and learn about the local environment and culture. Combine a trip to Hawaii with volunteer work to help restore native plants, remove invasive species, protect cultural sites, and clean up the beaches.
Participants receive a free Volunteering-on-Vacation T-shirt, learn about the history of natural areas and meet local experts. This program is free and you will gain the satisfaction of having made a difference on behalf of Maui’s environment. If you volunteer in Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park or any venue that charges admission for visitors, your free admission is included in the program. Each Saturday there is a project in Honokawai Valley, an area closed to the public. Learn about this archeological site and Hawaiian culture and history, and remove invasive weeds and plant native species. On the third Sunday of the month there is a program in Haleakala National Park, led by a Pacific Whale Foundation group leader who teaches you about the wilderness area. This program includes three hours of work and a short hike and picnic.
Volunteer on Friday mornings with the Island Fish Pond Restoration project. A naturalist will talk about the coastal area and its history, birds, and some of the last sand dunes on Maui. Help maintain a new ocean side trail at Hoaloha’aina on Monday mornings, another great area for bird watching. Join the Kanaha Beach project on Tuesday mornings, removing invasive species, clearing marine debris, and planting native species at Kanaha Park, with time for a swim.
If the ongoing group projects do not fit your schedule, you can pick up a kit and plan your own activities. The Beach Clean-up kit includes directions to a local beach, rubber gloves, trash bags, and instructions on how to dispose of litter. This is a great activity for families with children who can learn to give back to the places they visit. The most phenomenal bonus is sitting on the shore watching the whales go by, or enjoying a trip out on a whale watching boat. My bags are packed. What about yours?

For Added Info: Protect the Environment, Maui, HI: Pacific Whale Foundation (300 Maalaea Rd., Suite 211, Wailuku, HI 96793; 1-800-WHALE-11; 808-249-8811; fax 808-243-9021; http://www.pacificwhale.org).
Condo rentals: http://www.aaoceanfront.com and http://www.mauicondo.com.

New Year’s Resolution to keep giving back

I’ve had it with the same old New Year’s Resolutions. There’s so much more that I want to do rather than becoming a member of the “I resolve to lose weight club!” Been there, done that. I already make my kids my priority, love my job, meditate daily, and I’m kind to animals. It’s time to make a resolution that will go way beyond me and help others. My New Year’s resolution is to volunteer with a different organization every month of 2010 — wow – I even love saying it — and to make volunteering more accessible to others. To achieve that goal, I’ve put together 12 organizations that are easy to consult with wherever you happen to be. Open the doors of possibility, and join me in helping others. Even if we achieve volunteering just one more time in 2010 than in 2009, that’s an accomplishment too! No matter what age or stage of life you happen to be, volunteering is a great way to expand your circle of friends of every age and gender.
Idealist (www.idealist.org) is an interactive site that “everyday helps 70,000 people around the world turn their good intentions into action.” To search for volunteer opportunities, fill in the online questionnaire, choosing from areas of interest according to your specific skills, time availability, and age with a wide range of resources available.
Singles for Service (www.singlesforservice.com) combines online dating with community service projects, “to help good people meet good people while doing good things.” This organization started in Atlanta, Georgia, but there are many others around the country. Research “single volunteer opportunities” online to find a time, place and activity that will introduce you to like-minded people.
Culinary Corp (www.culinarycorps.org) sponsored by Share Our Strength (www.strength.org), organizes outreach programs for culinary students and professionals. Referred to as the Peace Corps for cooks, team members travel to farmers’ markets, school gardens, crisis kitchens, and restaurants to donate their skills, talents, and time. Sample itineraries and volunteer information, including costs and upcoming trips, are available online.
Volunteer Match (www.VolunteerMatch.org) connects hundreds of nonprofit programs with thousands of people looking to help. Visit the search page and enter a city or zip code. Find an opportunity of interest, click on the title for more information, click “I want to help,” and a message will be sent to the organization notifying them of your interest.
1-800-Volunteer.org (www.1-800-volunteer.org) is a national database with a
search feature including areas of interest, location, and the distance from that location you are willing to consider. Opportunities range from one-day events to longer-term commitments.
Points of Light Institute (www.pointsoflight.org) includes the HandsOn Network (www.handsonnetwork.org), the largest volunteer and citizen action network in the country.
Volunteer opportunities are listed online by city and organization with links to contact information, Web sites, online volunteer matching, and volunteer management training.
National Wildlife Federation (www.nwf.org) opportunities include becoming a Habitat Ambassador, a Global Warming Ambassador, or a Wildlife Literacy Ambassador. Join a group to help restore wildlife habitats in Louisiana, participate in Frogwatch USA, or volunteer at NWF offices or from your home.
The Land Trust Alliance (www.landtrustalliance.org) includes 1,700 organizations conserving over 37 million acres, saving forests, farms, waterways, and natural areas. Contribute your time and skills in communities where you live, work, or travel by connecting online with nationwide, statewide, and local land trusts listed with links providing contact information, demographics, and acres conserved.
Passport in Time (www.passportintime.com) connects volunteers with professional archeologists and historians in national forests. Help survey for historic sites in remote areas, excavate archaeological sites, monitor the condition of rock art, conduct oral history interviews,
restore historic structures, or prepare artifacts for curation and research. Apply online.
Doing Good Together (612-822-6502; doinggoodtogether.org; mail@doinggoodtogether.org) is a local and national resource that focuses on family volunteering with young children. You can sign up for a newsletter and listing of volunteer activities, and find out how to initiate and participate in programs for families through school, work, or faith-based groups.
One Brick (www.onebrick.org) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit with chapters in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis–St. Paul. Each volunteer event, benefitting the environment, food banks, schools, and inner-city neighborhoods is followed by a gathering at a local restaurant so that participants get to know one another.
The United Way (www.liveunited.org) is in every community and there are many ways to help at special events, on a fundraising campaign, or serve on a committee. Wherever you’ll be traveling, consider contacting the local United Way to find out about volunteering opportunities at local events.
Happy Helping! And please let me know about your favorite volunteer activities!

An Alternative Spring Break Volunteer Vacation

The Tamarisk Stump

Here’s one of my favorite alternative spring vacation service learning and volunteer vacation trips have become so popular that many schools have huge waiting lists and use a lottery system to select participants. Here’s a great trip that students can raise the costs to cover their activities, room, board and participation before they go.
Plateau Restoration, a nonprofit organization since 1995, is a licensed guide and outfitter that offers land-based excursions, river journeys, and custom trips throughout southern Utah, western Colorado, and northern Arizona. They provide meaningful, fun-filled opportunities for people to participate in the preservation and rehabilitation of public lands through service-learning, volunteer vacations, and adventure education programs.
Service-learning is defined as educational enrichment programming integrated with active, hands-on community service. Plateau Restoration’s focus is on building a connection with nature and encouraging an active role in long-term conservation. Activities include trail building, fencing, planting, seed collection, controlling exotic species, research, and monitoring recreation impacts. Programs emphasize the interconnections between soil, vegetation, wildlife, humans, and the landscape. Interactive, multi-environment experiences encourage you to become better informed about desert ecosystems and the forces that give rise to the dramatic landscapes.
Plateau Restoration works with instructors and guides with over 20 years of field experience leading and instructing courses in the canyon country. University credit is available on many programs.

Brad’s Story, Plateau Restoration, Moab, Utah (also included in my book, VOLUNTEER VACATIONS ACROSS AMERICA)

“I had so much fun. I flew out to Moab, Utah, from
Johnson City, Tennessee, to volunteer with five groups
of college kids on service-learning vacations. It was
absolutely wonderful. That’s one of my favorite things
to do, and I’m very proud to be part of it.
We did projects in a number of locations around
Moab. We worked and stayed at Ken’s Lake, named for
a gentleman who was the mayor in Moab. My goodness,
we did trail maintenance and rerouting trails,
where we actually had to go in and create new trails,
building water breaks and cribbing high-erosion areas.
“The biggest project was at Arches National Park by
Delicate Arch. We were removing some vegetation,
digging out roots—holey moley, some were 3 to 4 feet
long. Hard work when it’s so hot out there; those kids
just ate it up.
“I go on a service-learning vacation every year. It’s
awesome, and the kids really benefited from it and
enjoyed themselves, and so did I. It was my vacation
time away from my job, and as always, it was time very
well spent. I returned home revved, revived, rejuvenated,
and looking forward to next year.”

Plateau Restoration: P.O. Box 1363, Moab UT 84532; 435-259-7733; http://www.plateaurestoration.org; info@plateaurestoration.org; daily rate ranges from $20 to $75 per person.

Learn How To Mush!

I’m yearning to take an all girls long weekend break. I admit, I’ve never done this before, but when I heard about Wintermoon Summersun Adventures in Brimson, Minnesota, I made it my goal to recruit three girlfriends and my two daughters and see if we could all agree on one weekend, not a small feat, where we would get together, have fun, and learn how to mush.
“I went on a weekend’s dogsledding adventure and fell in love with the dogs, the outdoors, and bonding with the women,” says sled dog breeder and trainer Kathleen Anderson. “That was 20 years ago and I was 37 and aware that I had slowly been changing my life, but I had no intention of owning 37 dogs and running trips for women!
“I think it’s important to try some activities that take us out of our comfort zone. I know I wasn’t encouraged to participate in sports growing up, but I really enjoy and benefit from physical activity that enables me to push myself and take risks in a safe and supported way,” continues Anderson. “When women take risks, the experience transfers into other parts of their lives.”
The 37 Alaskan huskies are part of a team working together and they respond to verbal commands, which I can’t say about many of the people I know. As you can imagine, guests develop an immediate bond and rapport with the dogs. It’s really neat to connect with another species and have that respect and total involvement with each other. Part of the experience at Wintermoon Summersun is learning how to mush but everyone also helps with the care of the dog team: watering, feeding, hooking the dogs up to the gangline, and driving the sled.
All guests stay in the home Anderson built herself, totally off the grid with solar power, wood heat, an organic garden, and a Finnish sauna for bathing. I thought the hardest part would be finding a weekend to fit everyone’s schedules and coordinating flights, arrivals and departures. I was surprised when my first girlfriend I invited said no, the trip didn’t appeal to her. My daughter lifted my spirits by responding to the invitation, “Way to go Mom! This sounds great!” I believe sharing this environment and the joy of mushing with my daughters and friends will be a fantastic winter weekend getaway and an experience none of us will ever forget.

Wintermoon Summersun Adventures (3388 Petrell Rd., Brimson, MN 55602; http://www.wintermoonsummersun.com; wintermoon@brimson.com;

Flabuless Travel

The greatest part of traveling is the people I meet. When I was in New York, I met Amy Pedersen, from Atlanta. She’s a writer, I’m a writer, she immediately started telling me all about her brand new product, Slimpressions®, which is underwear.
I guess I looked like I needed some help. I had just been in Atlanta, and was about to tell her about this phenomenal restaurant I found there, The Flying Biscuit. Their friend green tomatoes are almost as good as mine.
But no, Amy wanted me to know more about her premium line of everyday shapewear, for sizes 2 – 22, designed to reconfigure women’s figures, specifically aimed at jelly bellies, arm flab and back fat. Amy then gave me a demonstration. She held her arms out straight on either side of her body and did a little wave action that reminded me of the Queen in her motorcade. One of Amy’s under arms jiggled and one didn’t. The unjiggly arm was covered in a Slimpression sleeve and the exposed arm was, well, exposed.
Next Amy (partially) unbuttoned her shirt and showed me her undergarment.
Doesn’t everyone make friends like this? “Here, watch me jiggle and now I’ll show you my underwear?” Undergarments, with sleeves, are called “The Haves,” sleevage plus cleavage control top, or “The Have Nots,” sleevage control without cleavage control — an open-front torso with a little pushup effect.
I said I had to have one. Amy is tall and thin. I’m not. I needed to know if Slimpressions would work for me because I definitely have a jelly belly, and arm flab. Somehow I’ve escaped the trauma of back fat, not to be confused with fat back.
I ordered a Have Not, and a Tanks a lot, which fits like a tank top but with a lot more support. There’s also Tanks a Little, but I figured I’d be better off with more, not less, of whatever there was to get.
I wore my new Tanks a Lot under a really cute t-shirt that is ordinarily too snug. I met a friend for a walk on the beach. The first thing she said to me was, “That’s such a cute t-shirt. I remember when you bought it.”
“Yes,” I replied oh so smugly, “but until today, I never wore it without a jacket because the glub around my midriff made me look like I was carrying around my own personal spare tire.” But all was smooth and lovely over my Slimpression, and no, I chose not to be as forthcoming as Amy had been with me. I did not show my friend my before and after jiggles or jelly belly.
The super bonus was that it reduced my bulk all the way around. I have a black linen shirt that I wear open over multi-colored tanks because it won’t button up. However, thanks to my tanks a lot, my black linen shirt actually buttons without my going on a diet.
The worst part of wearing the garment is taking it off. I made the mistake of standing in front of my bedroom mirror as I disrobed. The directions are to step in, slide up, and slim down. To take off, just step out of it. As I pulled the garment down, inch by inch, side by side, it was like releasing the Pillsbury dough boy from a can of biscuits. When everything’s in place, it’s just flab-u-less. And it rolls into a ball for easy packing and traveling.

Close to Woodstock

Jay and Molly are the team behind the Ashokan Fiddlin’ & Dancin’ experience.

Ever get tired of the same old, same old? Stir things up with a visit to the Fiddle & Dance Camp in Saugerties, New York. It’s an amazing place.
During the summer you can go there for a one week of Camp for all ages: intense music-making, dancing, eating, talking, laughing, communing with nature, and listening to some of the finest music around (www.ashokan.org). An enthused participant says, “Dance Camp is essentially about becoming part of a community.”
I’ve been thinking about Ashokan a lot with the spotlight this year on the original Woodstock Festival, the new movie “Taking Woodstock,” and the recently held 40th Anniversary celebration. Woodstock was not only about the sensational music, it was also about people coming together, uniting in love, peace and hope. Those vibes are very much alive in the Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp, only about ten minutes from the town of Woodstock.
After interviewing Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, performers, composers, and teachers specializing in 19th- and 20th-century American folk songs and dance music, who have run the camp for over 20 years, and including their story in my book, IMMERSION TRAVEL USA, I knew I had to get there.
Always looking for a new way to enjoy New Year’s Eve, I attended New Year’s Eve in Ashokan, a yearly event, and literally danced the night away to Cajun, swing and country blues with the Red Stick Ramblers, Swingology Band, and Jay and Molly. I particularly liked the contra and square dancing, and watching the people who really knew how to dance! There were free dancing lessons after dinner and before the music started — good move! I needed the classes and learned a lot. Participation was intergenerational, from very young children to octogenarians, or possibly older. Luckily, you don’t need to wait for December 31 to visit – there are lots of activities between now and then.
During the summer you’ll find the perfect combination of summer canoeing and hiking on 300 acres in the Catskill Mountains and weeks of music and dancing programs. There’s eclectic western and swing, contra, Lindy, West Coast country & western, Cajun, barn dances, square dances, two-step partner dances, and much more. Classes are taught by experts from all over the country who enjoy teaching and jamming.
It’s common to see a young person sitting knee-to-knee playing tunes with someone decades older, and both absorbed and intent on music-making. From beginners to professionals, people learn new things and build strong connections with each other. Start planning your costume now for the Halloween Costume Ball at Ashokan
Saturday, October 31st. This is part of the Ashokan Center’s fabulous Fall Festival with daytime activities including nature hikes, mini-concerts, and more. Halloween Evening will begin at 6pm with dinner, Contras called by David Kaynor, a costume competition, and swing dancing and waltzes to the big band sounds of Swingology. The grounds are beautiful, the food is very good, the people are warm and lovely, and the shopping is great! Woodstock is definitely the place to go for extraordinary tie-dye wearable art.

For more information: Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camp (P.O. Box 49, Saugerties, NY 12477; 845-246-2121; http://www.ashokan.org; office@ashokan.org; about $800 per person for a full week includes bunkhouse or camping, all meals, classes, and workshops; work scholarships and trades of services are available. Weekend events are very modestly priced.
Visiting Woodstock, NY, don’t miss the Museum at Bethel Woods: The Story of the Sixties and the Woodstock Museum.
For great barbecue, stop by the Hickory Barbecue and Smokehouse, Route 28 between Kingston and Woodstock, for great BBQ salmon and brisket. Enjoy everything you do!
Jay Ungar and Molly Mason’s Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp is featured in IMMERSION TRAVEL USA: THE BEST AND MOST MEANINGFUL LIVING AND LEARNING EXCURSIONS (Countryman Press, 2009)