Lois Stabler (1.31.1928-11.19.2007) Beloved teacher and student of life

On November 19th, 2007 the world lost a remarkable spirit, sage, teacher and humanitarian. Lois Stabler of Keene and previously of Swanzey died surrounded by the love of her family and friends.

Lois was my Keene High School art history teacher and she instilled me with an undying passion and curiosity for art, culture and travel. She was a small, petite woman but when she described Florence’s Duomo or the Pyramids of Egypt, she would smile, look to the ceiling and explode her arms into the air projecting their enormous presence in the world. I remember her eyes would sparkle and her voice would flutter as she spoke of Giotto’s frescoes or Brunelleschi’s doors, as if she was reaching out to touch them in that very moment. These moments were like magic.

Lois taught history for 20 years at Keene High and earned the love and devotion of hundreds of students like me who absorbed her infectious and insatiable love of learning. Her greatest satisfaction was derived from making a difference in the lives of her students. She was honored to have the 1974 Keene High School yearbook dedicated to her and to be the Keene High School Class of 1985 commencement speaker.

Although Lois could talk about Western Civilization as if she had shaken hands with its makers, she did not even start traveling outside the USA until she retired from teaching and when she did, she and her beloved husband Griffin hit the ground running! They traveled to Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Union and several times to Tibet and Ladakh where, as a student of Buddhism and the teachings of the Dalai Lama, she developed a number of close, life-changing friendships. I was honored to have been Griffin and her personal guide in Florence, although I found it odd pointing out masterpieces to her when it was her magic that had led me in the first place.

I never lost touch with Lois over the 25 plus years since I sat in the front row of her class and she was the kind of person who always made me feel so special and unique. Whether I visited her by bike at her farmhouse on Honey Hill in Swanzey or at her “art gallery” apartment in Keene, Lois would always point first to the door where she hung my slate painting of Honey Hill and Mt Monadnock ( a place that we both loved) as if to say, look you’re right here in my heart. Lois’ homes were filled with art and stacks of books, many about the area where she lived, inspiring my love of small towns and special places, especially Southern, NH. My family and I would always visit her during the Keene Pumpkin Festival; as we paraded through the streets in our costumes she would poke out her head from the crowd to find us and make sure that we stopped by for treats. My kids loved visiting her and she welcomed their exuberant energy, even though I always feared they would break something (and my son eventually did), but her calming energy would prevail. She would simply proclaim upon my son’s arrival: “Get out the glue gun!” My politics craving husband Mauro also felt at home with Lois for she loved a political debate almost as much as he.

In her retirement she focused on writing and editing books on local history such as “Very Poor and of Lo Make: The Journal of Abner Sanger,” a Diary of a Revolutionary War era farmer from Keene. She also co-authored “Girling of it’ in Eighteenth Century New Hampshire”. Lois also served as an adjunct faculty member in the history department of Keene State College, and worked through Antioch to develop a curriculum on the use of Pisgah State Park. Her remarkable contribution to teaching and the State of NH was recognized by her Granite State Award in 1994 from the University of New Hampshire. She was also a lecturer at the Amos Fortune Forum.

Aside from all of her amazing accomplishments, Lois especially loved spending time with her family. Whenever I would visit Lois, she would FIRST guide me around to all of the various pictures of her beloved, late husband Griffin and her lovely extended family. She would speak lovingly about their lives and although I got to know only two of her three children, Lael Schwabe and Davide Stabler (who continued his father Griffin’s business Whitney Brothers Educational Toys and Furniture), I felt as if I knew her entire clan and that I was always welcome to be a part of her very special world. As she slowed down (a bit) Lois’ former super energized physical exuberance was transformed into an beautiful more inward energy that glowed outward as she spoke slowly and softly about the world that she so intensely loved and was constantly amazed by. Although in my mind she was ageless, as her body weakened in recent years, her spiritual presence seemed to intensify. Whenever I visited Lois I felt that I was in touch with a spirit that was higher than life itself. There was a gentle magic in her eyes, like that of a sorcerer or the Buddha himself who transforms all they come in contact with simply be the power of their presence.

One of my last visits to Lois was in her nursing home room on my birthday. Although I am sure that she would have rather been at her Keene home, her door was always open and she spoke of her surroundings and her new found friends with fascination and delight. She decorated her small room with her most precious possessions: A tall wooden giraffe from Africa, weaving, small sculptures, her spinning wheel, pictures of her family and on the door, my 1979 slate painting of Honey Hill.

On the day after Thanksgiving, my family and I attended her Quaker Memorial Service appropriately at Stonewall Farm, an educational center that celebrates farm life and local economy in Keene, NH. The room was packed and over the course of the two-hour service, friends poured out and sang their love and devoted admiration for Lois, the provocative, intense, loving, passionate woman with a “Cheshire smile” and love in her heart for all the world (and their friends). Dear Lois, the world has lost an amazing spirit but the heavens have gained a lively and engaging angel who will keep the stars twinkling! We miss you so but will keep you in our hearts always!

Forever your friend and student, Lauren

Ode to Luca

Today was my son Luca’s 5th Birthday. As usual we celebrated with fun, games and a jam packed pinata! This year’s theme had a twist, it was a Red Sox animal party (a live animal show combined with some Red Sox posters covering the house) and 14 of his pals from Pre-K at Sunshine nursery school. Ahh how sweet it is to be five when happiness is a few bioncles, sitting in the birthday chair and having mom making you an L shaped pancake. Happy Birthday Luca, we adore you!

Lynette Chiang: My Heroine and a true Cycling Phenomenon

Over the past couple of years I have have been inspired and uplifted by the life and prolific work, travels of by the name of Lynette Chiang, best known as the the girlfromdownunder, a visionary world traveling cyclist who has built a life around making the world a better place, one pedal stroke at a time. As you can see from her blog, web site and Bike Friday postings, Lynette is a treasure chest of cycling wisdom and cycling networks packing plenty of passion and cool insights about cycling and life into into her lively writings. Her blog for Fast Company is one of its most visited!

Not only does she write (very well) but her pictures and film making have brought her friends, fame (the fortune is coming I hear). She one best audience pick in the 2005 Boston Bicycle Film festival. Her film, GALFROMDOWNUNDER IN PERU: 16,000 FEET ON A FRIDAY, whose proceeeds donated to a Peruvian Orphanage and school Follow the author on the World’s Highest Paved Road with 6x Race Across America legend Lon Haldeman on a Eugene, OR-made Bike Friday travel bicycle. This 500-mile, 12-day expedition followed the barren hills of Lima over the 16,000 foot Ticlo mountain pass, descending into spectacular terraced valleys to reach Satipo, a remote, inland jungle town. Local police proclaimed the group as the first ‘gringos’ to reach there by bicycle. After watching this film and watching this film, that was it. I was a Lynette groupie. Lynette shot a 45-minute DVD video of this journey one-handedly, using a simple Canon ELPH digital camera tucked into her jersey pocket.

When I met Lynette the first time at a Film Festival cocktail party I was hosting (she rode to my house of course) I was taken a back by the flow of ideas and enthusiasm she shared with my guests and my kids who similarly taken a back by this fast talking spitfire cycling advocate. They realized that their similarly pint-sized sized, fast talking biking mom was not crazy but was simply in good company! By the time the next Boston Bike Film festival rolled around this past October, Lynette had gone on our Bike Across Italy tour and wrote about it extensively on her web site.

After a 5 hour bus and subway ride, Lynette arrived at my home in the dark and by Bike Friday (which impressed my children even more). I MC’ed Friday night’s BBFF that included her film Round Up 2007, a short film about the race to fold a bike. Lynette of course shares all of her movie making by bike tips on the BIke Friday web site: http://www.bikefriday.com/movietips, while you are browsing check out her bike films shorts: http://www.youtube.com/bikefriday.

We now have been exchanging a rampage of ideas on how to work together to build Ciclismo Classico’s ambassador program so as to create Ciclismo Evangelists all over the world as Bike Friday as done. We also plan to bring a more interactive, community feel to our web site so we can highlight, celebrate and engage our Ciclismo guests in a more exciting and creative way. Our Ciclismo guests, guides and team have so many special stories and connections to share and we want to bring them to life.

One area that the Galfromdownunder has inspired me the most is her focus and passion for the cycling underdogs in our world, the unsung folks such as little people, cyclists with special needs and the “super senior” whose lives are truly enhanced and transformed by cycling culture. Bike Friday had a booth at the Little People Conference and learned about their unique needs and wonderful cycling spirit With the rise of Lance Armstrong, there has been a disproportionate focus on competitive cycling and the lure of its slick and very intimidating image. It is clear that there is a huge rise in cyclists that who are going nowhere fast. While that racing niche of the cycling world is exciting and certainly merits an audience, our cultural attachment to celebrities like Lance, can shift our focus off cycling as a lifestyle sport that is accessible to everyone to cycling as a sport that intimidates and is only accessible to the super fit and affluent who can afford a fancy bike.

I wish to applaud the Galfromdownunder and Bike Friday for celebrating and promoting the cycling underdog and am excited to learn more about how Ciclismo Classico can follow their example and better serve the unsung cycling heroes like 83 year old Frank Pierson or 70+ Margaret Day. Ahh the hope and excitement that cycling offers to all of us. Thank you Lynette!

Sturbridge Village Outing

On Monday a couple of families joined us on an excellent outing to Sturbridge village, a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, USA, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 80 hectares (200 acres).a educational treasure that is only an hour from Boston. Old Sturbridge Village is comprised of over 40 structures, including both restored buildings purchased and relocated from across New England and some authentic reconstructions.

After I got the lay of the village and the boys got their energy out running from building to building and from barn to barn, we managed to learn something from the tinsmith, the blacksmith and the printer who were all on hand to talk about their craft. I enjoyed the Grist Mill and the General Store. The wonderful aspect of Sturbridge Village is that there is something for all ages and interests. We worked our way around the Village and eventually made it to the farm which the kids really enjoyed as they got to feed the pigs crab apples. From the farm there is a lovely pasture and forest trail complete with guide posts all along the way.

We concluded our tours with some licorice and a trip to the giftshop and bookstore which has an impressive collection of books about NE history, travel and culture.

Deborah Henson Conant’s B-Day Concert

Every year acclaimed wild and crazy harpist (and Grammy nominee!), Deborah Henson Conant, throws a delightfully witty, energy charged “birthday concert” in which she performs solo for two hours some of her favorite and timeless tunes along with a few new ones including a song inspired by the sounds of her Toyota. Tonight she played at Newburyport’s Firehouse Performance Center.

In addition to her inspiring menu of songs and stories, tonight’s fun birthday concert also included a pin the tail on the donkey raffle, audience questions for Deb, ribbons to tie in our hair and her version of audience Bingo called INGO. She always ends her birthday concerts with her signature ” Congratulations for Making it this Far” which reminds us all of us to embrace the day we often want to forget (as we get older).

In addition to being one of my favorite musicians, this fellow Arlingtonian is one of my heroines as she has woven together her many unique talents—harpist, storyteller, comedian, poet, songwriter and artist–into an ecletic and inspiring life that is authentic, original and innovative. Her web site says it best: ” To describe Deborah Henson-Conant is nearly impossible. She’s a cross-genre, Blues-Flamenco-Celtic-Funk-Folk-Jazz dynamo. She tells tall tales with the ease of a stand-up comic. She solos and wails like a rock guitarist. She turns music into theater and theater into something lyrical. See her once and you’ll never look at the harp the same way again. ” She also keeps herself rooted in the local scene including playing at the Farmer’s Market where she taught my music loving daughter, Valentina a few chords on the harp.

Deborah and I have become friends via our serendipitous encounters on the Minuteman bikeway where I ride and she runs daily. Although we are usually going in the opposite direction, when our paths cross we usually stop for a few minutes to talk music, biking and life’s oddities. Although Deborah is an avid runner who just completed a half marathon, she loves to ride her bike and has shared her fantasy about creating an emergency bike getaway for the city of Boston. We get each other’s crazy passions….she plays the harp, I play my bike, we both try to transform others via our “instruments”. She tends to have bigger audiences than I though!

In one of her songs this evening called Belinda, she sings of biking down the minuteman and encountering a tree that she named Belinda. It is one of her classics that gets us all thinking differently about trees and the special places we love (but easily overlook). Enjoy and do NOT miss her next local concert in Londonderry, NH. Bring someone you love.

She is very excited about her new harp that is being made in France. It is an ultralight, titanium harp that she claims will allow her to win the Tour De France by Harp….stay tuned! Whatcha gonna name it Deb?

Bravo Deborah and Happy Birthday!