Redeeming Value

This morning we visited a local landmark which we have passed many times, but at a speed too great to read its historical marker. Today was time to slow down and check out Redemption Rock in Princeton, Mass.

The journey took us 20 miles north of town, past the lovely Wachusett Reservoir on cool, canopied roads through old-growth forest lands. Our drive was accompanied by live percussion music: Unbeknownst to us, SOMEONE had left a high hat and snare in the back of the car from their gig Thursday night, so every road bump and red light was accented with a drum roll.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect at Redemption Rock, so I brought along coupons, empty recyclable bottles, a cross pendant, and a light stick for good measure.

Bad-a-bing!

The parking lot for Redemption Rock was, er, rockin' -- only one parking space left, which we took. Rat-a-tat-tat!

Sticking out nearby like a huge foot in the forest is a granite ledge about 20 feet high, with natural, giant-size steps leading up to a flat top.

Redemption Rock, Princeton, Mass.

Inscribed on the marker, and on the rock itself, is the story:

Can't read that? Ok, here's the scoop:

In the 1670s, colonists were battling the natives here who didn't take kindly to settlers moving in on their territory. The English Crown called it the Philip II War (1675-1678), after the Wampanoag sachem Metacom, nicknamed Philip II.

Metacom, a.k.a. King Philip II

In 1676 Goodwife Mary Rowlandson from nearby Lancaster was kidnapped by natives from the Wampanoag confederacy and held for ransom for almost three months. Boston women raised most of her 20-pound ransom, and on May 2, 1676, Concord man John Hoar brokered the exchange on Redemption Rock. In 1682 Mary published the story of her ordeal,  'A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,' which was widely read for centuries.

I personally have not read it, but I believe she uses the word 'wicked' a lot in her account.

Bad-a-bing!


Redemption Rock also marks the intersection of several trail heads in the Mid-State Trail system, which is in Wachusett Mountain State Reservation territory and runs from Ashburnham in the north to the Rhode Island border. It is a popular hiking and dog-walking spot for county residents, but we opted to save the trails for another day.


So if you find yourself in the central parts of the commonwealth, you may want to stop and explore a bite of colonial history.

Just don't forget to check the back of your car before you leave.

Rat-a-tat-tat!



You can look up more fascinating background on Mrs. Rowlandson on Wikipedia (pronounced Wickedpedia in Massachusetts):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Rowlandson



Here are links to the park system:

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/wach.htm

http://www.midstatetrail.org/map_page.html


Happy Trails!

Rat-a-tat-tat!













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Top 10 List for Memorial Day Weekend

Another Memorial Day rolls around, a holiday which originated in the Southern custom of decorating graves and was ramped up and eventually legalized and institutionalized after the Civil War.

Personally, I can't thank our men and women in the military enough for their service. As a mother, I thank their parents for their sacrifice. As a wife, I thank their spouses. I thank their families. I even thank their pets. I'm glad we have occasions such as Memorial Day and Veterans' Day to honor and remember brave fighters past and present.





For Husband and me these days, the Memorial Day weekend is the one surefire time we have the house to ourselves since the kids are off to a music festival.

Look, I would really like to go to a music festival too. But that would mean being with the kids, which has occurred the previous 363 days.


So here it is:

                                                              The Top 10 List
                                         Of Things We Could Do To Take Advantage
                               Of Time Alone At Home Over Memorial Day Weekend

10. Coax Husband into mulching the back embankment.

  9. Sleep out back near the newly mulched embankment in a tent stocked with our favorite music, beverage and light sticks.

  8. Make lots of brownies decorated with little flags and crash some parties in better neighborhoods than ours.

  7. Tidy up the kitchen and then rope it off.

  6. Order burgers from Five Guys and pass them off as my own home-made.

  5. Ok, there are a couple of things I just can't share.

  4. See No. 5 above.

  3. Rocket science experiment. Also, see No. 5 above.

  2. Dance around the house in my underwear. Duh!!


 And the Number 1 Thing We Could Do:


 1. Throw a party! Wait ... that's a lot of work and we blow the alone time ... Ok, so I'll have to go with the tent thing (No. 9) except coming back inside to sleep. No wait ...

... What would be unusual and divine would be to just listen to the silence. To sample it, to savor it, to ignore it or break it; to control it, to master it, to conquer it, to enjoy it; to use it, to know it, to appreciate it, to understand it, to remember it, to memorialize it ...  

Which brings us back to the purpose of the holiday. A heartfelt (but silent) thanks to those who sacrificed in the line of duty for our country.


 Happy Memorial Day! Never Forget! Be Safe! Be Silent ......


Shhhhhhhhhh!
















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Short Post-Mother's-Day Post

... A first for me this Mother's Day 2012:

Look, we were out of town the two previous days and our guests were due by 4 p.m. The house looked like a Safety-Don't poster, the refrigerator was empty except for the stinkiest of leftovers, and the grass should have been mowed a week earlier but wasn't due to rain.

So my favorite Mother's Day gift from Husband was a free vacuuming and grocery-shopping pass, which I immediately redeemed -- a trade-off that resulted in me on the tractor cutting the grass.

If you are a mother mowing the lawn on Mother's Day, you might consider a paper bag over your head. I opted for the big hat and sunglasses because the paper bag was too hot and the hem of the burqa kept catching in the wheels.

However, I suspect I was still identifiable. I wonder how many people saw me and thought, wow, that chick is married to a real loser if she has to mow the lawn on Mother's Day. I personally felt like the Mother of All Losers while mowing the lawn on Mother's Day.

Fortunately I was done in an hour and the property no longer looked uninhabited and foreclosed when I finished. Then I got to sit outside and admire my handiwork for 20 seconds before tackling the bathrooms ....

If you believe in karma, then this Mother's Day holiday was retribution for 2009, which I spent in paradise. Gotta live with that. On the bright side, my stove went on the fritz so I may get out of cooking this week.

Best of all, I got to wish my amazing Mom a Happy Mother's Day in person. That made it all worthwhile.

Anyway, hoping all you mothers had a grand day. May your tractor never run out of gas halfway through the front lawn .....
















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