<![CDATA[The Adirondack Getaway - Minerva; a stones throw]]>Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:31:21 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Veterans Day at MCS]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2015 01:32:04 GMThttp://adkgetaway.weebly.com/minerva-a-stones-throw/2
Soldier Artwork
5th and 6th grade homage to our Vets.

MCS
Honors 
​Veterans​

American Flag
3rd Grade Bulletin Board
On Tuesday afternoon November 10, 2015, Minerva Central School honored their local Veterans with a lunch and ceremony; complete with a guest speaker, informational displays, singing, food as well as presenting and retrieving the Colors. 

On the surface, this is how Minerva Central School students spent the early afternoon. Two hours of their regular schedule were put aside to honor our local Veterans. It seems like such a short amount of time to give for people who gave so much of themselves in serving our country. As an educator, learning is all about connections. If you can get your students to make a memorable connection between what you are teaching and their everyday lives – it makes a world of difference to their learning experience
Veterans being recognized
Countless connections were made that afternoon. Geoff Crouse led us in recognizing Veterans from every military branch. As each Veteran stood up to be recognized, MCS students were looking at their fellow community members in a different light. These are the people they see around town all the time – picking up a coffee at Sullivan’s, or disposing of garbage at the transfer station, or picking up their mail at the Post Office. Until today, our students didn’t know these people were Veterans. So the next time any of our students wave and say hello, it will have so much more meaning behind it. 
2nd Grade enjoying the exhibits2nd Grade discovering a picture from one ot their lessons
Even more connections were made as the students walked passed the displays. I overheard one teacher remark about a photograph; her students’ faces lit up and they collectively proclaimed, “We read about that yesterday!” Two sisters also made a connection and exclaimed, “Look mom, its grandpa!” They had found a photograph of their grandfather as a young soldier. The opportunity to physically see items, which until now they had only ever seen in pictures, proved to be an invaluable experience for all of them. Now, our students can better visualize what it means when they are taught about America’s military history. 
Kurt Brunn presented the Colors to formally open the ceremony. He also retrieved the Colors at the ceremony’s closing. Teachers emphasized that by honoring the flag we are honoring our country. Now I think that when The Pledge of Allegiance is read over the loud speaker in the morning, our students will be reminded of Mr. Brunn presenting and retrieving the Colors that day. 
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Bob Savarie appeared as our guest speaker. Mr. Savarie not only served his country as a soldier in World War II, but he also served his community after returning home by becoming a teacher at MCS. It was simply such a great connection for our students to be able to make. Mr. Savarie, in excellent teacher fashion, made sure his speech was relevant to our students. He opened with a question for them: “Why is the date December 7, 1941 significant?” They knew the answer. Mr. Savarie’s next statement brought a new perspective to their lives: “I was 15 years old and halfway through my sophomore year of high school on that date.”
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​Mr. Savarie spoke on what it was like for him to be a solider. He reminisced about the day the announcement was made that the war was over and our troops would be coming home. He looked up at the students and said, “Not everyone came home that day; I did not come home.” There was still fighting to be done and at 19 years old, Mr. Savarie was given a new job in the military and he did not return home on that day. 
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Our students learned how each star on the World War II Memorial, represents 100 men who were lost and 7 who did not return home to their families in Minerva. Mr. Savarie reached out and grabbed the students’ hearts with his closing speech. He extended a personal thank you to one of their classmates; a young man who had approached Mr. Savarie at the recent Freedom Riders event and thanked him for his service to our country. Mr. Savarie could have presented his speech in a number of ways. The one he chose though, brought a little piece of history right into our students’ laps. Today, our students could see, hear and even touch parts of our country’s history.

Two especially important things happened in our gymnasium that day: we honored our Veterans in a profound and personal way and our Veterans honored us.

​Thank you to all our Veterans and to the guests able to join us that day. As well as to those who could not. We are proud of your service and are honored to have you as members of our community. 

Images From the Ceremony

]]><![CDATA[Concert in Courtney Park, Minerva NY]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2015 22:17:26 GMThttp://adkgetaway.weebly.com/minerva-a-stones-throw/concert-in-courtney-park-minerva-ny
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I had the pleasure of attending the concert in Courtney Park Wednesday evening.  I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had not attended the first of the series. I was by myself, and I had never heard the Gregson Brothers perform before.

I brought my blanket, a hat and my bug dope and hoped that I would spy someone to sit with.  Lo and behold there was Michael Corey sitting all by himself and looking like he could use a date for the evening.  We listened to some good music and talked cameras and students both of which we each have a passion for.  

The band played my favorite two songs in the world; “Blue Bayou” by Linda Rondstadt and “Wildfire” by Michael Martin Murphey.  Those are songs from my teenage years, I sang in my car and roller-skated to those songs, there may even have been some lip syncing in front of the mirror involved as well.  If you have not heard the Gregson brothers play, please find an opportunity, it is well worth it.  I had heard from others how good they were but there is nothing like experiencing the sound for yourself.  They have a song for everyone and a really nice way of connecting with the audience.
There were lots of little ones at the concert.  All of them to a one were having the best time playing in the park.  They rolled down the hill, played tag and leap frog.  They twirled till they fell down, got back up and did it again.  The younger ones corralled the older students into spending time with them.  This allowed the adults to kick back and enjoy the show.  I even saw students playing Hacky Sack, yep.  I think it is important to point out that all of the playing and running around was done without annoying the adults or affecting the concert.   Not one adult had to reprimand a child and how cool is it that these children feel safe in their parks and school.
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Tag, you;re it
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Rolling down the hill
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Leap Frog
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It is a treat for me to see my students during the summer.   I miss their hugs and smiling faces and what an honor for those precious little girls to choose me to save them from the rapscallion little boys running around.  It was a different matter entirely when they tagged me it.  I had to decline unless they were open to the it being a person who stood in place.   
PictureThe crowd
Adults wandered from group to group having a chat, stopping now and then to listen to a favorite song.  There were adults in chairs, sitting in cars, curled up on blankets and wandering around chatting with others.  There were families with children, couples with newborns, couples just starting out, singles like myself and Keith Iverson. (I’m taken, he’s not) Grandparents were present as well and there were guests that I did not recognize.  Isn't it cool that people from surrounding areas are coming to Minerva for our events.  I love that idea. We need to build on that.  
PictureBlair - Dustin - Barry
There was such a nice moment at the concert.  It just so happened that Dustin Griffen aka Wolfie G was having a birthday today.  Not just any birthday mind you but his 18th birthday.  An 18th birthday is a pretty important day in a child's / now adult’s life.  Dustin chose to spend it here with his entire family watching the concert.  The moment came when his Grandfather Blair and his Uncle Barry  invited him up to play with them for the last two sets.   I happen to know how Dustin feels about his music and that he understands the history behind it so for him to play with family was special for him. What a great birthday present.

They played Dobie Gray's Drift Away another of my favorites.  It brought to mind the first time Dustin came to me in the library and asked if he could play for me.  What an absolute treat.  I still have him on video somewhere.  I told him he sounded like a young James Taylor.  Haha - he did not know who that was but kudos to him because he went and learned about him.  He came back a few days later and said "I gotcha covered Mrs. Stone, learning some James Taylor” So I guess you could say there were two moments 1. Dustin was recognized by his uncles and I had a heart melty moment that I had just a little tiny something to do with this wonderful young man’s life.
The class of 2017 was selling strawberry shortcake and judging by the number of smeary red faces, I think they did pretty well in sales. 

When you think about people asking where small town life went to, why families aren’t hanging out together  enjoying a moment of general togetherness, or better yet, is living in the Park worth it?  My answer is of course, Minerva.  Come to Minerva, here is a place you can warm your feet by a fire, or cool them off in Minerva Lake.  Minerva is a place where raising a family makes sense, a place where neighbors help neighbors, a place where children feel safe and cared for in school and town.

Moments take place here in Minerva which is just a stone’s throw from the bustle of the rest of the world. Quiet little moments that draw a smile to your face and give you the feeling that family still matters, that quality of life is important and happening  in small towns like Minerva all over the U.S.A.  Small town life is thriving; you just have to take a quiet moment to reconnect with it.  My advice is to find a concert in a park, look for a town wide chicken barbeque and stop in for some quiet conversation.  You might never leave.

Come and visit, sit a spell, take us in, you'll love us.  
]]><![CDATA[North Creek, NY Farmers Market]]>Fri, 17 Jul 2015 01:45:19 GMThttp://adkgetaway.weebly.com/minerva-a-stones-throw/north-creek-ny-farmers-marketBuy healthy, buy local.

When you think about buying healthy at a farmer’s market, you tend to think about healthy food.    I discovered today that buying healthy can encompass more than gluten free baked goods, pesticide free vegetables and free range livestock.

I had a purpose for going to the North Creek Farmer's Market today.  As a local business owner, I wanted to connect with other local businesses and hopefully create a working relationship with them.  I wasn’t sure exactly sure what types of businesses that I would find there so I wasn’t sure how successful I would be.  It was a great decision on my part to go; I made some great contacts and received lots of good advice. I plan on returning next week, hope to see you there. 

There were three booths that really stand out to me in terms  of connecting with the owners. 

My first stop was at Champlain Valley Candles.  Champlain Valley Candles is located in Crown Point, NY which is about a 45 minute drive from The Adirondack Getaway rental.   I had a lovely chat with the Jeanine about her candles.  I discovered that she makes her candles with soy bean oil which means
  • No soot
  • Non allergenic
  • Biodegradable and water soluble
  • Good for clean up in case of drips
  • No carcinogens
  • Longer burn time
  • Lower melting point which allows for the pooling of wax which is where the scent comes from 
  • The soy bean wax she uses is a 100% American product. 
Who knew there was a healthier option for candles?   I purchased one of Jeanine’s candles as a gift and can’t wait to hear how they like it. I went with the driftwood scent, so clean and fresh. 

As impressed as I was with her candles, I was more impressed by Jeanine’s willingness to chat with me.  I told her a bit about our vacation rental and asked her if she had a flyer that I could put out for our guests to see.  She mentioned that she was in the process of designing one and of course I mentioned to her that I was doing the same thing as I was trying to get the Getaway’s name out there.  We talked for quite a bit about how I could go about doing that.  She suggested I set up a booth at the farmer’s market with pictures and information and if I had some sort of product I could put out that would be even better.  I will be returning to her booth next week as she says she should have the flyers available.  All in all it was a perfect first stop.  

My next stop was  Rare Earth Body & Soul by Dar.   I have moved from scented candles to scented soap and body lotion.  The scent of her soaps and lotions is just wonderful and Dar’s products are made from 100% natural products.
  • No animal by products
  • Essential Oils
  • Herbs
  • Colorings from plants

One of the things that I have been dying to do at the rental is to be able to put out locally made soap, shampoo and lotion.  I was very excited to learn that Dar makes her products in guest sizes and will put our business name on them.  I will be contacting her about providing the Getaway with some awesome soaps and lotions and thanking her for my flyers since she gave me a 20% off coupon to Vistaprint.  Rare Earth Body & Soul by Dar is located in Schroon Lake, NY, about a 30 minute drive from the rental.  

The next stop was Izzy’s Market & Deli for a chat.  I stopped to ask Kathy for a menu to put in the rental.   She said yes and asked if I would like to place a flyer in the display at the store.   I really need to finish up designing that flyer.   I mentioned that I had linked her Facebook page on the rental website and she was very appreciative.    Wouldn’t it be nice if we were able to provide business for each other?  If you are feeling a bit peckish and it's lunch time head on over to North Creek and have a sandwhich at Izzy's. 

I also stopped by the Adirondack Maple Gold booth for some made in the Adirondacks maple syrup for the rental, picked up some pretty yellow mushrooms from Juniper Hill Farms  for tonight’s stir fry as well as some free range turkey cutlets for tomorrows dinner courtesy of Whitefield’s Farm .

There was live music playing in the background while I was shopping which was lovely to listen to.  I noticed the kids craft corner provided by the library but I did not have time to stop by.  I plan on returning next week; hopefully I will have more time to chat with other owners.  I forgot my camera so I don’t have any pictures to share.  However, Whitefield’s Farm has lots of really good ones on their Facebook page. ]]><![CDATA[Irish Influence in the Adirondacks: Poems, Scenes, Songs & Stories]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2015 01:57:10 GMThttp://adkgetaway.weebly.com/minerva-a-stones-throw/irish-influence-in-the-adirondacks-stories-songs-poems-skits
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Irish Storytelling:  A Wee Bit O' History

Storytellers or Seanchaithe in the Gaeilge language are the original historians/librarians of the world.  The Seanchaithe in historical Ireland served the chief and the tribe.  They were the keepers of the stories; the ones responsible for passing the souls of their ancestors forward.  It was their job to ensure that the lessons of the past were taught to the generations of the future.   The Irish Seanchaithe were and remain masters of the storytelling craft.  The emotional connection that arises between them and their audience is an amazing thing to witness.   What better way to learn about your family, your history and yourself than through a story. 

As a librarian I who enjoy hearing and telling a good story, it was a pleasure for me to attend the storytelling and poetry reading part of The Irish Influence in the Adirondack Park: program put forth at The Tannery Pond Community Center in North Creek, NY .  This part of the presentation paid homage to our own local Minerva/Irishtown history through a presentation of stories, poems and songs by local residents.

A Fair Introduction to Your Host - Rob Lee

PictureRob and Mary Irene Lee Photo Provided
The storytelling part of the program was organized by Rob “Robbie” Lee a self proclaimed Floridian transplant to the Town of Minerva.  Robbie’s family hails from Tipperary near the River Lee and Robbie deeply interested in his family history is working rowards a Masters Degree in Irish History.   During his introduction of the program Robbie talks about how he married into one of the large Irish Minerva families; the Lynn’s.  Truth be told, no Seanchai could tell a story about the history of Irishtown and Minerva without mentioning the Lynn’s.  I am sure, that sitting around listening to the Lynn’s talk about their history filled Robbie with again with the wonder and delight that led him to learn all things Irish.  In fact, Robbie’s fascination with all things Irish has led him to create an Irish pub in his basement which has become a gathering place for people to practice the art of storytelling once again.  And Robbie knows as any good storyteller/historian does that the stories of families are important and that they need to be preserved and passed on so that we know  our history.  Thank you Robbie for creating this wonderful moment in the history of Minerva and Irishtown, we hope it becomes tradition. 

The Mayor of Irishtown

The focus of this presentation was on Irishtown, a small piece of Minerva which was settled in the 1800’s by the Irish, by the Brannon family in fact who has lived on this land for five generations.  This presentation was dedicated to William “Bill” Brannon whom Robbie described as the “quintessential Irish gentleman “and to his lovely wife Ellen Brannon, the First Lady of Irishtown.

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Dan Berggren
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The Mayor of Irishtown Photo by Caroline Kelly
The program opened with our very own Seanchai folk singer Dan Berggren performing the song that he wrote in honor of Bill Brannon, The Mayor of Irishtown.   Anyone who knew Bill will feel some major tugs at their heart strings as they listen to Dan pay homage to Bill.  Through the song, you can feel Bill’s connection to the land, to his family both past and present and to his community.   Dan does such a wonderful job of pulling in Bill’s service to the land through his cartography, his service to the people in Minerva through his time on the Minerva Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad and his service to our country while serving in the U.S. Army.  Mostly though; you feel the sadness that Dan’s friend is no longer here for him to spend time with and the joy that Bill brought to Dan’s life.  Which, takes us back to my comments about the Seanchaithe and how they teach through stories and emotion; Dan Berggren is one of the best.   What an honor to have been able to listen to him perform this song.  
Ann Hornbeck spoke to us with The Glen and August Weather.
Michael Corey regaled us with Boolavouge by Patrick Joseph McCall.  Another tale of about the Irish rising of 1798 when Father John Murphy and his parishioners put the boot to the Camolin Calvary in the town of Wexford.  Father Murphy and his supporters were hanged for their involvement
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Frank Herbst
Frank Herbst recited The West's Asleep by Thomas Osbourne Davis an Irish Nationalist who memorialized the rising of 1798 when the Irish joined the French in freeing Connacht from the English King.  The Irish suffered greatly for that uprising.  The English punished them severely and many Irish citizens were murdered and buried in mass graves by the English soldiers in retribution

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Maggie Eager
Maggie Eager home for a visit from Colorado decides to pay a visit to Robbie’s Irish pub and through some Irish Shenanigans ends up on the stage at Tannery Pond reciting some of her favorite Yeats poems.   Maggie says "When You Are Old is a poem I became familiar with the first poem when I studied Yeats poetry in college and fell in love with it. It's about Maude Gonne who is a woman that Yeats was in love with and proposed to on five different occasions. She never said yes and ended up marrying someone else (that marriage failed I believe). The Lake Isle of Inisfree is a poem that heard sung as a child, it is lyrical and pretty and stayed with me. “

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Michael Kelly
Next we are entertained by a barroom skit in which we are treated to a group of Irishmen and an Irish barmaid Katie Smith, enjoying a moment of companionship.  My favorite part of this skit was Bob Foley telling two stories; one about his grandmother an Irish immigrant who traveled south one day from her job at the Adirondack Hotel in Long Lake to Minerva because she had heard that Minerva area resembled her Irish homeland.  The second story also involves his grandparents and an Irish poem by Yeats entitled The Pity of Love  which Bob recites from memory and then states with perfect Irish humor “to this day, I don’t know what the hell it means.”  The skits were performed in conjunction with Dan Berggren singing Irishtown Crew.
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Sue Montgomery-Corey Conner Davie
 The second skit stars Minerva student Connor Davie asking “Old Mother Irish” played by Sue Montgomery-Corey why the Irish always seem to be fighting.  To which she responds.  “The Irish suffered 800 years of oppression at the hands of the British.  They took our language, they took our land and they would have taken our souls if we'd let them.”    It seems sad to me that such rich history can be summed up so accurately in one sentence.

We end the presentation appropriately with Mindy Piper singing The Parting Glass  accompanied by Dan Berggren a song traditionally sung at the end of a gathering of friends.  Although, this proved not to quite be the end of an enjoyable morning.  At the end  of the performances we gathered together at Basil & Wicks who graciously opened early to serve the on goers with some traditional Irish fare. 

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Mindy Piper Dan Berggren
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Rob Lee
Robbie treats us to High and Low by the Irish poet James H. Cousins (1873-1956).  Cousins was a poet who kept company with Joyce, Russell and Yeats in Dublin in 1897. In this poem Cousins is telling the story of an Irish fellow who though besot by drunkenness recalls the glory of his past.  

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Mindy Piper
Mindy Piper entranced us with the Irish Ballad Believe Me written in 1808 by Irish Poet Thomas Moore.  Moore wrote the song for his wife who was so scarred with small pox that she would not leave her bedroom.  His love for her which comes through in the song helped restore her confidence and once more enter the world.  

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Andy Halloran
Andy Halloran delivered Yeat’s Easter 1916 which was a breakthrough poem for Yeats.  Up to this point in his life, Yeats had chosen to remain the romantic poet and to not use his works in a revolutionary way as some of his fellow poets of the time were want to do.  In this poem, Yeat’s talks about the Ireland’s inability to gain its freedom and independence.

It a testament to Robbie’s charm and power of persuasion that the next performer is none other than Michael Kelly.  Michael is the oldest of 9 children in the very large Irish Kelly clan.  Like the Lynn’s, the Kelly’s play a large role in the history of Minerva and are a center of many of the stories told about the old days.  Michael is a gentle yet strong sole who returned to Minerva after working out of state for most of his adult life.  Seen about town with one of his ever present hats, Michael is a quiet and humorous man whose soft spoken words seem to hold a lifetime of wisdom.  Michael in his peaceful manner recites an Irish prayer entitled I am asking the Lord.  I was unable to find out much about the poem, Michael seems to think that it is apropos in many situations. 

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Bob Foley
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John Sleckman
We are treated next to On Raglan Road by Patrick Kavanagh a love poem recited by Robbie who is accompanied by a haunting melody played by John Sleckman on his fiddle.  The fiddle music sets a perfect tone for a love story gone wrong.  It should be mentioned that John Sleckman, Dan Berggren and Thinas Wison provided musical moments throughout the presentation.  

Robbie hopes this is the first celebration in what he hopes will become a part of Irishtown history.  Next year he hopes that it will take place in Irishtown on Brannon field which takes us back to one of the leading reasons for this celebration, William “Bill” Brannon.   Bill with the blessings of his family donated this piece of property to the town so that they would always have a place to play baseball.  Bill started a new tradition on this field several years ago, The Irishtown celebration, a celebration where you can not only participate in some Irish “Road Bowling”, but some Irish storytelling at its finest
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Mother Irish
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Thomas Wilson
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The Irishtown Crew Bob Foley, Andy Halloran, Patrick Brannon, Danny Lynn, Mike Corey
]]><![CDATA[Reviews & Guest Book Entries]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2015 13:46:51 GMThttp://adkgetaway.weebly.com/minerva-a-stones-throw/reviews-recommendations-guest-book-entriesPicture
Matthew and I have been renting our Minerva, NY vacation home to world travellers for just about a year and a half now.

Not one to do things in an unkempt manner, I threw myself full force into making our vacation rental home an enjoyable place for our guest to hang their hats.
The initial decision to venture into the vacation rental world was made pretty much for financial reasons. Happily, we are now at a point where those benefits are starting to be realized.  We have discovered that there are many other benefits to sharing our home with renters, one of which is reading the reviews and guest book comments. 

I have found that I love hosting guests from all parts of the globe.  Knowing that our home in Minerva, NY has become a vessel that holds memories from places all over the world warms my heart.  The most important item on my flip list is visiting the guest book first.  I truly enjoy reading the comments.
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The Erenbjerg family came all the way from Denmark and not only left us with a lovely review but artwork as well.  This brought a lovely smile to my face. Thank you Erenbjerg family, we are happy that you enjoyed yourselves.

Children in the house are a pleasure. Comments like "OMG, I love the princess room", "This is my Favorite guitar shirt" and "Thank you for the books and toys" are a joy to hear.  There is nothing like a child's smile. 
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I have no idea what this one says, yet I love seeing it in our guest book.  
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We have our Adirondack Park rental listed through various venues online.  We like each venue for different reasons. For reviews, Airbnb takes the cake.  Airbnb works very hard to ensure that each host and guest leaves a review. These reviews allow us as hosts to understand what works or not for our guests.  When we have short term guests it is not always possible to meet them which makes the guest-book and reviews very important to us.

These comments allowed us to make improvements where needed; 

Janet let us know that the can opener was missing, Mary Lu pointed out that hot water was an issue for large parties, Theresa wanted a diswasher, Rena thought the decor should be updated and Michael wants cable TV.  

Our response as hosts; we now have two can openers.  Actually, we are back down to one, a guest who was heading out for a camping escursion forgot theirs, we gave them one of ours.  We added a second hot water tank, we are saving for a dishwasher and the decor is slowy being updated with new bedding and Matthew is busy building new furniture pieces.  Sadly, cable TV is not an option at this time in our tiny Adirondack village.  We do have an Internet TV player with Netflix streaming in and plenty of other free channels available.  We also have two DVD players with a smill selection of DVD's available for guest use.

Here is where guest let us know we are doing a good job;

Clarissa and Rich were getting married across the street from our home, they loved that we were able to help them find other Minerva rentals for family and friends attending the wedding.  Nathan let us know that the free Wi-fi and addition of a washer and dryer were a great touch.  Janet loved the spaciouness, Jennifer enjoyed the wood stove after a long day of skiing at Gore Mountain. Michael was happy with the location, Mary Lu enjoyed the invitation to our family Christmas party, Reena took advantage of the fully stocked kitchen and view from the large front porch and Dan found Minerva Lake.  The Thompson's sampled cuisine from our local area restaurants and found Lake George to be an enjoyable day trip.
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As you can see, hosts like us pay attention to our guest book and reviews.  We could not continue to be successful at what we do without them.  
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