COMMUNITY EVENTS: Native American Stories of the Night Sky
Christy A. Schmidt, Information Manager
On Friday, April 21, my husband and I, and another 150 people, attended the Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum Native American Stories of the Night Sky. While sipping hot cocoa and hot cider, and enjoying s’mores, attendees gathered around the campfire to listen to tales of the stars.
My favorite was the Winnipesaukee story of trip through the stars to the afterlife. I’m paraphrasing:
All the dogs you have ever known guard a log over a deep chasm. You must cross that chasm to reach the afterlife. If you were good to the dogs – took care of them, loved them, respected them – they will hold that log steady and help you pass. But if you were cruel to them… you’re not getting across!
After the many stories, including an Irish folk tale and some attendees were invited to share, we were able to view Venus and the Moon through telescopes provided by the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The weather was cool but clear – and we had an incredible view of the heavens. Discovery Center volunteers were there to educate and inform.
What a wonderful evening! Humans have always enjoyed an oral tradition, sharing stories, history, songs and poetry. The evening was a reminder that no matter our heritage, we share our knowledge and experience through stories.
Check out the BHG Milestone Team Community Calendar for other amazing events – events featuring everything from arts to music to history enliven our life in New Hampshire! Get out there and have some fun!
#bhgmilestone #bestteamintown #mtkearsargeim #msdiscoverycenter #bhg #realtor
Photo courtesy of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum
Fair use
LOCAL ARTIST DAY: Poet, Jane Kenyon
When the BHG Milestone Team is not helping our community with real estate transactions, we are trading books and sharing stories. This week, Marilyn sent me information about a local poet – and I am thrilled to share her with you!
Meet New Hampshire’s past poet laureate (January 1995-March 1999), Jane Kenyon. She published four volumes of poetry – From Room to Room (1978), The Boat of Quiet Hours (1986), Let Evening Come (1990), and Constance (1993). She was also a talented translator, publishing Twenty Poems of Anna Akmatova (1985).
Fair use; Photograph by Stephen Blos.
Although Kenyon was born in Michigan, she called New Hampshire home in 1975 when she and her husband, poet Donald Hall, moved to his ancestral home in Wilmot. The property has been rescued and is being lovingly restored and managed by At Eagle Pond, Inc..
The film, A Life Together, celebrates the creative couple.
To truly know Jane Kenyon, one must experience her simple but emotionally resonant poetry. In the film, In Her Shoes, the character, Maggie, played by Cameron Diaz, is learning to read. To practice, she reads several poems – including Kenyon’s “Let Evening Come.”
#bhgmilestoneteam #bhgmilestone #bestteamintown #bhg #realtor #janekenyon #poetlaureate #nhpoets
NH: THE STATE OF FIRSTS
Whether you're a New Hampshire newbie or a born granite starter, you may not be aware of the number of achievements New Hampshire has come in at #1. Take a look:
-
First in the nation to hold a Presidential Primary election.
-
First colony to declare independence from England. Live Free or Die!
-
First colony to have its own state constitution.
-
First private citizen to venture into space.
-
First mountain-climbing train, Mount Washington’s Cog Railway.
-
First free public library (Peterborough, 1833).
-
First integrated baseball team (Nashua).
-
First woman editor – Sarah Josepha Buell Hall, a writer and activist from Newport, edited Godey’s Lady’s Book (1830-1878) and Ladies’ Magazine. She wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb (1830), was responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday, and was a founder of Vassar College.
-
New Hampshire also holds the title for the highest wind speed (over land, 231 miles per hour on Mount Washington in 1934).
If you find any other New Hampshire Firsts, let us know!
#bhgmilestoneteam #bhgmilestone #bestteamintown #bhg #realtor #newhampshireliving #newhampshire #newhampshirefirsts
Did you know?
Songs of New Hampshire
New Hampshire has 9 state songs: One Official – Old New Hampshire -and 8 honorary songs. So, let’s sing-along!
- New Hampshire, My New Hampshire with words by Julius Richelson and music by Walter P. Smith.
- New Hampshire Hills with words by Paul Scott Mowrer and music by Tom Powers.
- Autumn in New Hampshire with words and music by Leo Austin.
- New Hampshire’s Granite State with words and music by Anne B. Currier.
- Oh, New Hampshire (you’re my home) with words and music by Brownie McIntosh.
- The Old Man of the Mountain with words and music by Paul Belanger.
- The New Hampshire State March with words and music by Rene Richards.
- New Hampshire Naturally with words and music by Rick Shaw and Ron Shaw.
- Live Free or Die with words and music by Barry Palmer.
We can also add songs that have not been granted an honorary title, but that capture all that is New Hampshire in a modern way:
- Okay, Alright with words and music by moe.
- Granite State of Mind with words and music by the Super Secret Project.
- White Mountain Fever by Jimmy Lehoux.
- New Hampshire by John Linnell.
And probably the most popular and known New Hampshire tribute: New Hampshire by Sonic Youth!
Photo Credit: C. A. Schmidt