Old Westbury Gardens – Ruff Drafts

This week’s blog challenge is about A Day in My Life. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).

My day usually begins at 5 a.m. when I wake up, feed my cats, and make coffee for my husband in that order. Then I check my computer for emails, Facebook messages, and my handy Google calendar, so I know what else is on the agenda for that day. I spend the next hour writing and eating breakfast which is usually a high fiber cereal with bananas or blueberries and coffee with skim milk. At 6 a.m., after my husband is out of the shower, I wake up my 6th-grade daughter who takes an hour dressing and using the bathroom. While she is getting ready, I put one of my Leslie Sansone walk-at-home DVD’s into my computer and exercise for a half hour. I then make breakfast for my daughter who, like my husband, grabs something quick because they are both running late all the time.

When everyone is gone, I shower and dress for work. I like to get there at 8:30 even though I start at 9. I work at my local library as a librarian. The best part of my job is ordering the new fiction and mystery books, but it’s also the hardest because I want to read them all and don’t have the time. I also enjoy helping people find new books and authors. I’ve been writing and editing the library’s monthly staff picks newsletter for the last three years.

I work at the library from 9 to 5 four days a week and from 1 to 9 once a week. I also work two Saturdays a month. When I work a Saturday, I usually get a Friday off. On my days off and on weekends, I try to catch up on household chores and social media/writing. But if my daughter is home, too, I try to spend time with her. She’s at the age where she’d rather be with her friends than her mother, so I usually take her out somewhere with a friend. Last weekend, we went to Old Westbury Gardens, a place she particularly likes, as she’s into nature. However, it was so hot that both she and her friend wanted to leave before we were there long. A week ago, my daughter unexpectedly asked me to read a book with her. We used to read together all the time when she was younger but, as she started getting more homework and I became involved in writing, there was less time for us to do so. The book she chose, The Bad Unicorn, is one of those pre-teen dramatic works with a mysterious ancient codex and a seventh-grade hero. I had to admit I found some of the parts funny, and she laughed through a lot of it, too. Despite its crazy plot, the book was written on a level that would help increase a middle-schooler’s vocabulary, and I was glad it was something we could share.

This weekend, I’m headed to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for MASE (Mystic Author Signing Event) where I’ll be meeting authors and readers and signing both of my books, A Stone’s Throw and Cloudy Rainbow. My husband is coming along, so we’ll also try to fit in some much-needed together time. Most of the time we’re both too busy with our jobs and daughter. The single exception is the one night a week, usually on a weekend I’m not working, that we watch a movie or TV show together on Netflix while our daughter plays virtual games on her computer with her friends.

There’s not much more to know about my days except that I try to fit in reading and some time with my cats.

An annual spring tradition that my daughter and I participate in is the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Girls Go the Distance 2-mile Walk-a-thon at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. This event is more than a walk-a-thon. Each girl who participates receives a lovely patch designed by a fellow girl scout along with a t-shirt. Tables manned by various groups offer fun crafts and activities. There are even a few shops offering girl scout items for sale. Lunch and lots of water are also provided.

The best part of the walk-a-thon is walking as a team or as individuals through the lovely grounds of Old Bethpage Village Restoration, an historical tourist attraction with period buildings and farms from the 19th century. Guides who volunteer here wear old-fashioned costumes and are always happy to give impromptu tours, demonstrations, and history lessons.

Every year we’ve participated, luck along with the sun, has shined on this event. This year, April 17th, was no exception. The weather was perfect with bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 60’s. My daughter, a Cadette, had invited a non-girl scout friend to join us. Her friend was considered a tagalong which is a term girl scouts use for siblings and friends of girl scouts who attend an event along with the girl scout. Both young ladies were excited about a new addition to the walk-a-thon this year — a scavenger hunt throughout the village.

The day began with an opening address at 10 a.m. after we checked in that included some music and dancing to get everyone in an active mood. All proceeds from the event go toward supporting the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Healthy Living Initiatives.

The walk-a-thon and scavenger hunt began at 10:30. We joined the crowd following a map we’d received showing where each building was located that contained information to help solve the quote on the back page of the Scavenger Hunt Guide. The clues involved letters, some of which had to be decoded using a key found in the guide. When all the buildings were visited and the letters placed in the proper spots, the quote was revealed. The final part of the hunt was to use modern technology to find out who had used the quote first. My daughter Googled the answer with my cell phone, and she and her friend both earned the prize patch for solving the scavenger hunt.

Afterwards, we spent some time at the activity fair stands where local organizations provided information on their services and offerings and there were a variety of arts and crafts tables. There was face painting at the Garvies Point Museum stand that also had a nice flyer for spring break events. The three of us took the smelly challenge at the Old Westbury Gardens table trying to sniff out the identity of the three plants located there. I guessed two of them, but my daughter and her friend guessed all three. We all received “I’m so Nosey” temporary tattoos.

We wrapped up the day by having lunch with the healthy food provided and served by volunteers. My daughter and her friend ate their salads, bread sticks, and fruit under a tree like a picnic, and I sat on a nearby bench with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and banana.

We were all a little tired when the event ended but had enjoyed the beautiful day and the fun activities. We are looking forward to attending again next year