Musings and Wonderings


As far as I can remember, I've loved to walk anywhere.  When I was a girl growing up in Pittsburgh, I would walk with my mother and my sister down sidewalks made of red bricks in herringbone designs trying not to step on a crack and save my mother's back.  Eventually I would be reprimanded for dawdling-sadly my mom didn't know I was saving her back health.  Black patent leather shoes angling into brick outlines made a rhythm of hopping and hoping to land inside the lines.

I grew up in the city and I recall one street that had many oak trees and a black cast iron fence edging a grand property.  In the fall my sister and I would walk through the fallen brown crunchy leaves kicking them high up in the air, laughing and giggling.  We also walked to school daily. five or six blocks passing crossing guards in blue and white uniforms. Near the end of fall, my mother would bundle me up in a hat and scarf and once around the bend when she couldn't see me-off would go the hat and scarf, I wanted freedom.

Speed forward to my college days in a small town doing the exact same behavior-walking through fallen leaves on tree lined streets.  My friend and I would walk to the edge of town, stopping at a children's playground for a swing, a rest, and a chat before walking back to campus. I met my husband there in a few years, oh the aimless walks we would take-where we were going didn't matter, it was all about the conversations!

When our children were born we would strap on our son in a baby carrier and our daughter in a stroller and we'd walk.  Vacations in Cape May NJ found us walking tree lined streets carrying our beach toys and towels-talking laughing.  Hikes at state parks where we would look for salamanders under rocks in a creek.  Walking to the bus stop every morning and afternoon saying hello and goodbye.  The first five minutes of getting off the school bus had the greatest detail of their days. As they aged and were in middle school our walks included lugging around a french horn for her and a baritone for him for music lessons.

This time of year begs for walks, leaves are falling-the season is quickly changing.  My walks include my husband and Frodo and we share events from our days.  We notice neighborhood changes, a tree gone, a house built, a new flock of ducks and the elusive heron who sometimes visits the pond when I do not have a camera at hand. Waving to neighbors, stopping to photo insects, flowers, trees, plants....

always moving forward.






Comments

  1. This time of year does indeed inspire me to walk in the neighborhood. When I walk, I see so much more than when I just drive by.

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  2. You grew up not far from where I live! We are 30 minutes east of Morgantown, WV. I enjoyed reading here today as I enjoy fall and long walks!

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  3. Loved this and love love love your new banner look!

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  4. Habits of a lifetime. Filled with memories. I love this. Very, very good!

    Have a great weekend ~ fingers crossed for no humidity and cool temps ;)

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  5. Autumn is my favorite time for walks. My husband (husband-to-be at the time) and I used to take long walks when we were dating in college. You're right, it was all about the conversations. :-) Enjoy your weekend.

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  6. I love walking too and do it everyday, although I don't have great stone fences like the one in you photo. I love stones!

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  7. Growing up in Germany, we used to walk a lot. Pretty much everything was walking distance and it took me quite some time to adjust once we moved to the US. I still love walking, but sadly we don't even have sidewalks in our neighborhood. :-( Doesn't stop me though, where there's a will, there's a way... :-)

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  8. This post made me smile. My own walking memories are very similar. I love walking, too. There is something about being outside under the sky and trees. I love walking through nearby conservation land, but even walking in my neighborhood is nice. I notice so many things while walking that I would miss in the car.

    Love that stone fence and birch tree--great photo! And, love your new banner, too. ♥

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  9. I love to take walks, especially to new places. There is still so much we have not seen here since moving (which was 15 years ago). It's like so much adventure awaits!

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  10. I love walking too. And around here there are tons of beautiful stone walls (one right on our property. Kind of. It belongs to our "neighbors" the historical cemetery.) I haven't walked much lately what with the heat & the pregnancy but I can't wait to get back into our walking routine....someday!

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  11. This is beautiful! We love walking too, sometimes with a plan, other times just walking. I always feel so much better after a walk.

    Love your new banner.

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  12. lovely post! i need a walk right now...

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  13. It sounds like you are my kind of 'walker'....I call it moseying. I've been on walks with folks who are so destination bound that they miss all the beauty around them. Where's the fun in that?????

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  14. Such a dreamy post... I so remember my own happy days as a girl in Pittsburgh (we lived in Forest Hills) walking to school and running through the woods that bordered the school play ground. Such sweet memories!

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  15. Nice post and photo, Karen. I love fall in the Midwest. My DH grew up in Verona.

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  16. i enjoyed reading this karen, you are a lovely writer. makes me remember walks too!

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  17. I just finished reading Sisterland. I think you'd like it.

    I've been enjoying your blog the past few weeks. Wish I could find the time to comment more often, but my baby keeps my fingers pretty busy!

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  18. Walks do hold special memories...thanks for the snippet into your life. The new look of your blog is lovely! I've been away for a while....glad to know you are well.

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  19. This brought back my walks to school. We had a strict uniform code but as soon as I was out of sight of school my hat was taken off to carry pine cones or conkers as we dawdled through the park on the way home. Those were the days.

    I spotted a heron last week on the way to the Post Office...it flew right across my head...very close and then landed on a roof...I so wished I'd had my camera with me.

    The long range weather report has forecast a very colourful autumn...hope yours will be too...hope you keep moving forward.
    debx

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  20. This is a sweet post! It makes me want to take a walk...
    One of the reasons we bought our current house is because it is within walking distance to our very small downtown. That, and because there are big trees lining the sidewalks.
    Keeping walking and enjoying, through all seasons of life!

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  21. Beautiful:) I love walking too..it's all about the conversations and the sights. I have loved getting to know the names of the trees and plants of each place I have lived. I think you might really like Thoreau's essay "Walking." I read it in college and loved it:)

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