Gone Fishin'

Dear Adventurous Women,

Thanks so much for reading Adventurous Women Blog. Since starting this project, I've had the good fortune to "meet" many of you and have made a lot of wonderful new cyber-friends. I've also thoroughly enjoyed seeking out interesting, new or weird activities to share on this space. The possibilities, of course, are endless but recently other parts of my life have filled all my free time and I'm afraid blogging is going to have to take a back seat...for awhile.

Adventurous Women Blog will remain on the Web so I hope you'll continue to use the resources on the right side of the page. There are lots of links and ideas for Adventure Clubs and individuals alike and I'll try to make sure they stay current. Thanks again for clicking in!

Happy trails!
Michaelle



Life is either a great adventure or nothing--Helen Keller

Roz Savage Completes Stage Two of Her Solo Trip Across the Pacific

One of the first posts I ever wrote for AWB was about Roz Savage's effort to row across the Pacific -- solo. I felt a bond with Roz and watched with great interest as she spent day after day on the open ocean. She gave it an excellent effort but that particular trip didn't end the way she had hoped.

Not one to give up, Roz took a break to regroup and set off again. Yesterday, after months of rowing, she completed stage two of her three-part trans-Pacific journey. So far, Roz has rowed from California to Hawaii and from Hawaii to Tarawa. The final leg will take her to Australia.

For more on Roz's landing in Tarawa, read this post on Treehugger.

To read Roz's blog, click here.

To track Roz's every move as she continues her journey, click here.




Photo courtesy of Roz Savage

"Wild Irish" The Life and Times of the Pirate Grace O'Malley

...and one more, here's a selection that my book club read about one of history's truely adventurous women....

Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is a great pirate -- I could watch him all day. But honestly, he can't hold a candle to real-life pirate Grace O'Malley.

Born in 1530, Grace sailed the waters between Ireland and Spain first at her father's side and then as captain of her own fleet. Her life, her role as the "mother of the Irish Rebellion," and her relationship with Queen Elizabeth I are captured in Robin Maxwell's book, "Wild Irish."

Maxwell introduces her readers to English life in Elizabeth's court (including courtiers such as Shakespeare and Bacon) as well as to Irish life under Ireland's 1000-year-old Brehon Law. Although the cast of characters can become overwhelming -- the book needs an organization chart -- the motivation of the two women, their families and their confidants is clear. Elizabeth vows to possess the Emerald Isle in her lifetime just as Grace vows to prevent it. Both women are strong, clever and bow to no man.

"Wild Irish" is a great read if you enjoyed novels like "The Other Boleyn Girl," if you are looking for solid female characters, or if you are a fan of engaging historical fiction. I would recommend that you take the time to get a map of Ireland and have pen and paper handy to track the many players and their various names and titles.

Back to School Week: Your Reading List(s)

Yesterday I mentioned that my oldest is starting college. Spending time on her campus really had me wishing that I could go back to school myself. There are so many things to learn! So many subjects to explore! ...and yet, there are all those bills to pay and a job to perform.... What to do? What to do?

The solution: I'm starting a DIY program. I figure this is a great time to fill in the gaps in my literary education. The first step is deciding where to start; what books are considered the "all time greats." To solve that issue, I asked for help from my amazing sister, Abbie -- the woman who can find absolutely anything.

The result is that, today, I am posting a list of book lists. You too will be able to see what you've been missing. Before you start, though, please note that October is National Book Club Month. Why not start a book club and share your reading experiences with your friends?

Here are your reading lists:

Two critics from Time magazine pick their top 100 novels from 1923 to the present. Click here

Newsweek magazine's list of the top 100. They compiled a meta list--a list of the best from lots of other lists. Click here.

The Telegraph (UK) is trying to best everyone by publishing a list of 110 best books (their "perfect library"). Click here.

The Times (UK) created a list of the 100 most influential books since WWII. Click here.

But wait! There's more!

Women's National Book Association: list of Great Group Reads

Random House: 100 Best Novels

Random House: 100 Best Non-Fiction Books

Arrowhead library System: College Bound Reading List

Author Lesley Blume's: Classic List of Must-Read Children's Books

Mark Flanagan's list of: Funny Books

Amazon.com: 30 Greatest Monster Books of All Time

National Geographic Adventure: Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time

Young Adult Library Services Association: Best Books for Young Adults

Bibliomania: Books you can read online for free

And if that isn't enough to keep you busy, there is a book called, "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." You can find it on Amazon.com. Click here.

Image credit: BOOKS
© Stanko Mravljak | Dreamstime.com

Research credit: Abbie!

Pickleball: Start Something New in Your Neighborhood

I've dropped my oldest at college, high school is back in session, the easy days of summer are over and I'm feeling a little lost, a little out of sync. The cure for that, of course, is to do something completely new. So here's something I stumbled across awhile ago and have been saving for a day just like this.

PICKLEBALL

According the the Pickleball Web site, this sport was invented by U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney McCallum as an activity for all ages. It's sort of a mini version of tennis (or a cross between tennis and ping pong) and can be played in the street, parking lot, driveway or any other hard surface. Yes, it has actual rules and, of course, you can buy official gear. The name, Pickleball, comes from a dog (Pickles) who used to steal stray balls and hide during games. I was hoping someone started playing with actual pickles but no such luck.

The game is pretty straight forward and given that it takes up so little space, it seems like something that could become a new neighborhood/adventure club/school/office tradition. Since it's unlikely that anyone you know has played this before, you could become an instant expert. For the investment of $120, you could own 4 Pickleball paddles, a net, 56 balls and the game rules. Sounds like fun to me.

Click here to visit Pickleball.com

Click here to visit the USA Pickleball Association

Image courtesy of Pickleball.com

Oprah.com on Finding Your Passion

According to Oprah.com's Cheryl Richardson, there are five steps to finding your passion. All five are worth reading but my favorite step is this one: Take a Risk.

Step Five: Take a Risk.Stop thinking about your passions and start doing something. Take a risk, and step out to try something new. By challenging your fear with action, you'll not only raise your self-esteem, you'll expand your comfort zone. If you're not sure of what to do, ask a trusted friend or partner for ideas. Remember that good luck happens when you're in action. And, if you try something new (even if you're not sure of the outcome), you may discover a passionate interest by accident!

To read Cheryl's complete guide to finding your passion, click here.

Learning to Run in 13 Weeks: Week 13

Congratulations to all of you who have made it the full 13 weeks! Honestly, my group has dwindled. Some found it too challenging, some thought the program was not challenging enough. Many of the kids used our training sessions to stay in shape over the summer but left us once the fall sports resumed. Personally, I loved my 13 weeks. I used to run with a group until an achilles injury sidelined me about a year ago. This program not only got me back on the road, it rekindled an enjoyment of the sport that I thought I had lost.

What's next? Well, it's time to go find a couple of local races and sign up. I can't think of a better way to celebrate this summer's accomplishment than with a few hundred other runners.

As mentioned in earlier posts, we've been following the gradual running program outlined in the The Beginning Runners Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program *. Here's the schedule for this final week.


Week 13

Day 1: 8-minute warm-up, run 40 minutes. 5-minute cool-down

Day 2: 8-minute warm-up, run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute. Do this 3 times. 5-minute cool-down

Day 3: Congratulations, you've done it!


*A few words about The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The 13-week program doesn't appear until page 151 because the authors (Ian MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia) thought it was important to start with topics like moderation, choosing good shoes, training mind & body, pregnancy, cross-training, technique, diet, injuries and stretching. It is probably wise to do some reading of your own before you launch into this new exercise program. Please make sure you're healthy and ready for action and then join us!

This Weekend: Satellite in Your Night Sky

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, has more than just the Space Shuttle orbiting the Earth. There are satellites out there too. You can have a personal relationship with space this weekend if you take the time to watch for a satellite passing overhead.

The Johnson Space Center provides information (including date, time and location in the sky) for spotting a satellite above your neighborhood. Click here to for detailed data for the US and its territories. Click here for international cities.

Thanks for the tip, Abbie!

Adventurous Site of the Week: Historic Food

Ivan Day is an expert on English food history. He has written extensively on the subject and is known for his re-creations of historic table settings for museums. Ivan also has a working kitchen in England filled with ancient tools for preparing authentic historic dishes in a style appropriate to the period. If you are an adventurous cook (or want to be), Ivan offers small classes where he teaches students the art of preparing delicious old-tyme fare.

Visiting his Web site, Historic Food, you'll find courses on Roasting and Broiling, Late Medieval English Cookery, Tudor and Early Stuart Cookery, Pie Making and Pastry, and oh, so many more. Unfortunately, his classes for the remainder of 2009 are full but if you're planning on being in England in 2010 keep an eye on Historic Food for next year's schedule. If England isn't on your agenda but you're in the mood for more immediate gratification, Ivan has three pages of recipes that will give you just the cooking adventure you've been looking for.

Click here to visit Historic Food

Click here to for Historic Food's recipe pages

To read more about Ivan Day, click here.