Beacon Bits -- Sunday Promenade

There are so many venues, events and activities along Main Street--something for everyone as they say. I thought I would share a few of my favorites over the last month of Sundays:

Taking an afternoon workshop about creating an Etsy site taught by Hudson Valley Crafters expert -- Karen of Karmabee -- offered at Nixie Sparrow, where every class is special and intimate and includes a cold drink :)

Stopping at the Howland Public Library and then visiting friends, Marcia and Vicky, at Beacon Reads, the used book store next door, which supports the Friends of the Howland Public Library with the funds raised from the sales.

Picking up a Farah Fawcett Vanilla paleta at Zora Dora and spending time with its owner, Steve, for a chat that last long enough to sometimes get a second pop to take home.

Checking out The Beacon Bite food truck (parked next to Ellas Bellas); an easy stop to pick up a casual lunch and make a new friend while dining al fresco.

Previewing the sculptures on display for this year's Beacon 3D project; I couldn't resist the virtual doughnut (just like the others who photographed this iconic image for the event.)

Doing many of the activities above with a service-dog-in-training as a volunteer with Puppies Behind Bars (PBB.) PBB works with inmates at Fishkill and Downstate Correctional Facilities in Beacon to be puppy raisers for service dogs for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. After all, everything is better with a puppy!

Food for thought: I have to laugh out loud when I remember one of my favorite, classic 1960's film, Never on a Sunday with Melina Mercori, that portrayed a Pygmalion-like character transformation. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that in my life, all things happen mostly every  Sunday! I often wonder what happened to the day of rest I was promised. But with simple chores and a walk down Main Street with its myriad permutations of things to browse, consider, visit, participate in, the act of ambling along provides rest and renewal in its own unique way. So take a stroll; saunter down Main Street on a Sunday afternoon on a no-rushing, slow-walking, community-focused promenade.

Beacon Bits -- Handmade--It's a Good Thing!

If you like Pinterest and if you are a Martha Stewart fan, then you will just love Nixie Sparrow!! New to Beacon and located on the first floor in BEAHIVE, on the first floor of  291 Main Street in the beautifully restored 1907 telephone building, you will have a chance to soon experience the fun of personally creating items to get you in the holiday spirit during the Second Saturday festivities on December 13. Even if you don't know about the social media site and are not a handcrafts maven or Martha-wannabee, you will be introduced to something deep within yourself with the help of a Nixie Sparrow experience.

I 'found' Nixie Sparrow during a Sunday afternoon walk when old neighbors from Nyack were visiting and I was 'showing off' all of the wonderful venues since their last visit three years ago. When I walked in, it felt like the set of a carefully designed arts and crafts studio 

waiting to entice me into whatever was being offered for play and creativity. I spoke briefly with Sarah (Meghan wasn't present) about the focus of this "do-it-yourself" space with its 

scheduled workshops for adults that range from the arts, cooking, floristry and everything you can think of under the sun (e.g., pom pom rugs, stamped wrapping paper, home brewing, watercolor and homemade cards) or everything you may not even have imagined until you make it yourself.

The name "Nixie Sparrow" itself is a clue to what will happen during a visit to attend a workshop. Nixie is the name of a mythological water spirit. And a  sparrow represents creativity and community. The name itself gives the context for those invited artisans who will present their special interests and talents to a group of individuals gathered together for brief encounters of the creative kind. Sounds like a fun process of sharing time and space and it is practical as well, since the skills learned can be transferred into hobbies or future pursuits or gifts to give to self or others since there is always a product to take home with you. And with diverse offerings, you can always return to sample something new.

Food for thought:  The more high tech we become, the more we need to balance our activities so that we engage all areas of our brain. MRI research has shown that knitting, for example, integrates left and right hemispheres. Creative pursuits and making things by hand, not just knitting and crochet, are good for planning and sequencing as we imagine what our actions will produce before we see the results; this executive functioning and problem solving serves us well. The joy and pleasure of being in the moment in a meditative state as attention is sustained over time when something is learned, with just enough frustration to stimulate patience and the sense of success and self-efficacy, is just what the 'doctor' has ordered to decrease negative stress. The opportunities for 'hands-on' experiences are also important for sensory integration. Head, hearts and hands working together while engaged in the simple joys of life are irreplaceable. Let's welcome Nixie Sparrow to Beacon and support its place in growing community and in helping all of us in the pursuit of happiness and well-being; you'll never have to wait for another snow day at home to get into the creative state of mind!

Beacon Bits -- Beacon's Buzz

When you look at a beehive, you know there's a lot of productive activity going on inside. Every bee has a purpose and mission to fulfill, and collectively, the outcome is greater than the sum of its parts. So it's no coincidence that the Common Ground Farm Fair Food Committee* chose to host a free showing on July 15th of the documentary The Greenhorns, about young farmers, at BEAHIVE, the innovative and progressive workspace in the center of Beacon. The "hive" was the perfect venue to bring Beaconites together to view this film, which depicts the choices and challenges of sustainable farming, and to personally meet the local farmers and apprentices of our CSA with time for Q&A, refreshments and prizes.

In speaking to Scott Tillitt, founder of the BEAHIVE's Beacon site, the mission of the BEAHIVE was greatly clarified; I understood that the hive is more than renting work space to those who need an office, rather, it is an interconnected system of individuals who have common goals and values for sustainable living while advancing the level of community for all participants. It is a place  to come together to support the larger Beacon community and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. It is a place for belonging and membership.

*The Fair Food Committee offers support in the form of stipends for individuals who qualify for a subsidy to purchase a share for Common Ground's CSA; purchases a share that is distributed to two local food pantries (St. Andrew's in Beacon and First Reformed in Fishkill); and collaborates with the Cooperative Extension's Green Teens program that educates students about food justice by scheduling deliveries to seniors and those who may not ordinarily seek out healthy food choices based on convenience, habits, or limited funds.
Some food for thought: The buzz about Beacon has reached notoriety with the recent CNN advertisement with designer Mark Bastien's drive to Beacon and the New York Times article by Paul Appelbome after his July Second Saturday visit. But the real buzz in Beacon occurs in the center of Main Street, which Appelbome characterizes as middle America--"waiting for better days", the stretch between the east and west coasts--"where the cool people hang out". However, it is this very middle ground that brings Beaconites together as a community in the form of partnerships, meetings, gatherings and events, such as free film showings at the Howland Library, community chorus at the Howland Cultural Center, dancing at Rosa's Exercise Dance Studio or Yanarella's, purchasing chocolate delights at Alps Sweet Shop or bread at All You Knead, working together on a fundraiser at BEAHIVE and attending a book signing or  lecture sponsored by BIRE--where former Mohawk tribal chief James Ransom shared insights about Native American spirituality and the environment on July 19th at BIRE's Dennings Point location. He spoke volumes about community spirit; his comments about building community through common interests and activities amplified my own beliefs about finding meaning and purpose through participation and engagement in diverse activities (i.e., occupations) that are valued and important. This shared sentiment is what the real buzz in Beacon is all about. Take time to get involved. Sign up. Join in. Gather together. Reach out. Meet up. Support local business and nonprofits. Do something new. Contribute. Receive. Belong. Become a member of the hive!