Penny isn't a pouter. But for some reason, after the big winter holidays and all the gatherings, she found herself feeling ultraviolet because she's the only purple member of the Troop. The reds have taken in Edward, Yvette has forced herself in with the yellows and of course, Black Jack and The Twins revel in being achromatic. She didn't want to feel blue, so she did what she did best: she made plans for an adventure.
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PLAN AN ADVENTURE. PENNY CALLS THIS "PURPLE PLANNING."
POINT NO. 1: PULL OUT A MAP
All "serious" adventures require a map. Find one in your grandpa's study, a local Maverick gas station, your city library, under the seat of your mom's car or on the internet. Become familiar with the names of streets and rivers. Determine a point of interest. Did you know Boston's nickname is "Beantown?" Did you know map-makers are called cartographers?
POINT NO. 2: FIND A TOUR GUIDE
Who says you have to pay for a tour guide? If possible, find a friend that knows the area and can show you the best places to visit. If you don't have a friend there, make one. Ask for some pointers! Make sure to keep your traveler's guidebook (Rick Steve's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet) handy and thank the tour guide with dinner, a hi-5, and a commitment to help the next stranger in your neighborhood.
POINT NO. 3: TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
You will remember your adventure better if you do what Robert Frost suggests: "take the [road] less traveled by." Duck down an alley or street or place NOT listed in your guidebook. Get lost finding it. Make your way back to the road "more" traveled. Getting lost helps you remember.
POINT NO. 4: EAT LOCAL WITH THE LOCALS
Enjoying great food is one of the best parts of an adventure. Ask local folks the best places to eat and where you can find the best "local" dish. Do yourself a favor and stay away from flavors you are used to. Make sure to treat yourself to at least one delicious meal. Did you know Boston is known for their baked beans?
POINT NO. 5: SEIZE THE DAY
You don't have to do the Newsies dance to seize the day. Take time in this new place you've found. Explore the details. Document it by shooting photographs of your favorite things and writing about it. Don't rush the day. Choose 2 or 3 things to enjoy that day and call it good!
POINT NO. 6: SEE THE LIGHTS
Make sure to spend time "seeing the lights." Enjoy the night life because it is usually when the city comes to life! Find a café. Listen to live music. See a dance performance. Stop to enjoy a street performer and make sure to leave them a tip—it's good karma, but it also supports their incredible talents.
POINT NO. 7: GET SWEATY
Try exercising in a different way than you're used to while you're on your adventure. Walk to the bridge and back. Run the fire escape. Take a yoga class in the park. Swim across a river. Paddle a kayak in a pond. Break up your routine by creating a new sweat-body memory.
POINT NO. 9: BE OF GOOD CHEER(S)
Adventures are adventures because things don't always work as they are planned. Be flexible. Relax. Laugh about the unexpected things. Enjoy the people you meet because next time you visit, you'll be in a place where everybody knows your name!
Something about the last day of the year makes you want to spend it with someone important—like your best friend. So Black Jack and I met uptown to discuss our options. It just so happened that we ran into Magnus. Have you ever planned to do something with just one friend and then someone unexpected arrives? Before Magnus perched, Black Jack grumbled, "I don't want my fly-time messed up by a bookworm."
Magnus was visiting his favorite intersection in New York (Fifth Avenue and West 41st Street) to pause and remember 2011. When he asked us if we knew why this area is called John Bigelow Plaza, we shook our heads. Magnus said John Bigelow was a respected New Yorker. He was so well respected that he was offered nominations by two opposing political parties—at the same time!
Magnus told us this was a great place to see breakdancing, so we found some seats and enjoyed some "toprock" "floorwork" and "freezes." Black Jack, however, was more concerned with the 10 foot lion to our immediate right.
"Oh! You mean Patience?" asked Magnus. Turns out Patience is the lion on the south side of the plaza. He and Magnus have had 1,456 conversations on every New York Times Best Seller. Why? Patience guards the entrance to Magnus' favorite building in the city...
Black Jack soon realized there are perks to knowing a know-it-all bookworm: they know the best kept secrets for sliding down bannisters.
We flew around the McGraw Rotunda ceiling and talked about Prometheus. Did you know he was the titan that stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals? Do you know how Zeus punished him? I don't think I'll be giving fire to anybody as a gift any time soon.
We visited Magnus' favorite research spot amid books, lamps, wooden desks and tucked in a corner just below the windows. We looked up the meaning of Black Jack's name and found out it is a game and a manga comic character. Someone was a little excited to learn this.
Do you ever get lost in books? Black Jack did... for the first time.
As we left the library, we flew to the north side of the plaza to meet the twin brother of Patience: Fortitude. Black Jack was so giddy about discovering the library that he did a beak stand that would have made Penny proud. And that's when Magnus remembered: it was the Lion's birth year! They are 100 years old!
With 2012 just hours away, we decided to be patient about our earlier plans and instead, ask Fortitude his thoughts on the future. His deep, rumbling voice reminded us, "Face every day with a strong mind and a brave heart. Be patient with yourself and others."
May Patience and Fortitude guard you and guide you in your Jolly New Year!
Do the holidays ever feel like hole-idays to you? The other night, we all met up to find a fir tree—all of us except Roman. He's still gone and we haven't heard from him. As the temperature dropped, so did my hope of seeing him any time soon. I found myself wishing—wishing the Troop was whole... together... accounted for. Sensing my sadness, Sophia tip-toed to the top of the lights and filled the air with a tales of our favorite winter folklore character: Fred Frost.
As we flew to the make-shift, fir tree forrest to pick out a pine, Sophia reminded us of Fred Frost folklore: "Do you know what makes his black boots special?" she asked, "They are made out of shadows so he can slip in and out of space without being seen or heard!"
"It's easy to know if he's been around because his ice-blue feathers next to his white-cloud beard turn the air around him into frost!"
"Fred Frost always carries his Three Frosty Flakes. If you can find them, he'll grant you a Winter Wish under a red hat!"
"You can't talk about Fred Frost without talking about his wind-fast pal, Zephyr. Did you know Zephyr has the same name as the Greek god of the west wind? You'll know Zephyr is close if you feel a frosty wind blowing."
"Did you know that Zephyr was an apprentice to Rudolph? He was so good Rudolph gave him something incredibly special: a Very Shiny Nose."
"Fred Frost sits between Zephyr's antlers and flies around the world granting Winter Wishes. And who knows—maybe he'll be in Brooklyn tonight!" As Sophia said this, I saw her eyes sparkle. I knew she believed in Fred Frost even though she had never seen him.
As we landed in the boughs of a Frazier fir, I pulled Magnus and Stilts aside: "Do you really think Fred Frost is real? Do you really think he grants a Winter Wish to somebody that finds the Three Frosty Flakes?" Magnus raised his eyebrows, looking doubtful while Stilts just hummed and nodded.
Immediately, the rest of the Troop flocked and began debating whether Fred Frost was real or if he was just a great idea. Amid all the arguing, Sophia was the only one that heard something unusual just over the tip of the tree. When she got to the top to see what was there, she didn't see anything.
We finally stopped arguing when we realized we couldn't come to a conclusion. Everybody took their opinion, tucked it away and started inspecting potential trees to take home. We couldn't decided between the citrus-scent of the Frazier or the "does-not-shed-as-much" factor of the Douglas.
When she had a moment to herself, Sophia decided to inspect a beautiful glass ornament. Suddenly, in place of her reflection, she saw Fred Frost and Zephyr looking back at her! In a flash they were gone so she screamed for everybody to "come quick!"
"Huddle close. Now close your eyes and whisper a Winter Wish." Sophia sounded excited and frantic. We had never seen her like this, so we thought we should pay attention and do as she asked. It grew quiet for a few minutes and suddenly a calm floated around us. Softly, we could hear Sophia's golden voice singing:
Shadow-black boots, silent and soft, walk around your heart's winter loft
Shadow-black boots, lucky and fast, can you make my heart-wishes last?
Fred Frost is coming, Fred Frost is near
Whisper your wishes, Fred Frost will hear...
When Sophia finished the entire song, we opened our eyes and looked at one another. All was calm. All was bright.
We all stayed quiet and began to search the entire make-shift forrest for Frosty Flakes because... well,... because it was the right thing to do. Silas and Yvette were the first to find one.
Algernon, Penny and Edward found the second.
The Twins, Pascal and Black Jack said the third drifted towards Sophia's song and that something magical happened. And that's all they can say about it.
After searching all the trees and gathering the Three Frosty Flakes, we still couldn't find the Winter Wish. So we asked the urban lumberjack if there were any trees, boughs, or garland pieces we hadn't seen. "Did you see that little guy?" he asked, pointing upwards. There, high above all the other trees, was a little tree tied to a little pole with a little string.
And in it, our Winter Wish under a red hat.
Thanks to our friends, Xmas Tree Brooklyn, for allowing us to visit and perch! You can see them at facebook.com/xmastreebrooklyn or call 917-378-9212. Or if you haven't found your fir yet, visit them at 150 Court Street between Pacific and Dean.