Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: maine

  • 50 States for My 50’s: New Hampshire

    Deep in the middle of The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau, I paused to contemplate my own quest.

    What did I love to do more than anything in the world?

    Barefoot water skiing.

    And just like that, the quest appeared before me:

    I will barefoot water ski in all 50 states to celebrate my 50’s–and to encourage, inspire, and prompt others to unwrap their passions at any age. 

    Maine and New Hampshire were on the calendar for the #Barefoot50 in August. I had planned to barefoot with Sun Sports Maine, but due to scheduling conflicts and high wind, I ended up at paddleboarding with my co-worker instead. Stephanie Olson and I had a blast. We were the only ones out on the water due to the wind.

    My first time on a paddleboard!

    After a speaking gig in Maine, I took off for New Hampshire to hang with Jackie and Claude St. Onge, the parents of 2X World Barefoot Champion, Keith St. Onge (we wrote Gliding Soles.)

    New Hampshire was absolutely beautiful and it was my first time in this state. In some ways I felt like I had visited it before–then I realized it was simply from all the stories that Keith shared when we were writing his book.

    Claude arranged for me to barefoot with the Leclerc family at their lake. It was a little windy and rough, but we all had a great time on the water. Claude is in his 60’s and he barefoots a like a teenager, proving you’re never too old to do what you love.

    Claude St. Onge enjoying the water!

    The Leclerc family, St. Onges, and me. I left the group too soon!
    A Gliding Soles fan!
    Barefooting backwards–my favorite thing to do.

    The three of us took off for Lake Umbagog in the late afternoon, meeting up with Jackie’s sister and her husband. for a ride around the lake while the sun was getting low in the sky. Lake Umbagog is a man-made lake which flows into the Androscoggin River. The name comes from the Abenaki Indian tribe meaning “shallow waters.” Indeed, the average depth of this 10.5 mile long lake is only ten feet.

    Breathtaking sunset on Lake Umbagog.

    Umbagog is absolutely pristine and many parts are completely untouched by civilization.

    The sunset was beautiful that night. When we arrived back to the cottage, we had a wonderful dinner with Jackie’s sister Collette and her husband, Stanley.

    I checked out the map of Lake Umbagog and learned that half of the lake is in Maine. I’ll be back to barefoot on that side of the lake for my Maine adventure!

    Jackie and Claude St. Onge

    We packed a lot into three short days and I could have easily stayed there for a couple of weeks. The area around Mount Washington is simply beautiful. It’s a soulful place. This quest has been so much fun–check out the gallery below for the rest of the adventure.

    Grab a copy of Chris Guillebeau’s book and begin a quest of your own. I promise you, your life will light up!

  • Hands & Voices in Maine

    As I type this, I’m sitting in front of a window overlooking the bay in Portland, Maine.  This is my first visit to this northeastern state.  I know several people who are attending the Hands & Voices conference, and I’m about to meet many more who will become familiar faces in the next few years.  That has been my experience with Hands & Voices over the years:  the wonderful opportunity to meet diverse parents, professionals, D/deaf/hard of hearing folks from all walks of life, all corners of the world.

    How did this journey unfold?  Many years ago, when my three deaf and hard of hearing kids were much younger, I sat down to develop a website for Illinois that would put together resources for parents with deaf and hard of hearing children.  My passion was to connect with other families and share the experience of raising our kids together.  Along the way, I discovered Hands & Voices, an organization whose philosophy mirrored my own: “What works for your child is what makes the choice right.”  I met Leeanne Seaver, (Executive Director) and Janet Des Georges (Executive Director, Colorado Hands & Voices) and I liked them immediately, despite the fact that they were beautiful and fashionably hip.  I was sucked in became a board member and started up the Illinois chapter.

    When I first joined Hands & Voices, we were still relatively unknown– and definitely grassroots, but we all had a vision of connecting and helping families.  It’s amazing to see how much the organization has grown.   Today, we have 26 approved chapters, 11 provisional chapters and 6 start-up chapters.  Our international chapters include British Columbia and Kenya, with provisional and start-ups in the Philippines, Guam/Saipain, Australia, Italy and Nigeria. 

    At the end of the board meeting, I paused for a moment and reflected on the changes over the years.  We started back then with just a handful of chapters, and now we’re connected to families all over the world.  The family in Italy wants the same thing as the family in Arkansas:  a well-adjusted, successful kid.  And the journey is so much easier when we’re connected to one another, sharing resources and support.

    Years ago, at the very first Hands & Voices conference, we all fit around a single table.  At the opening night in Maine, we filled the entire dining room at Southern Maine Community College.   One by one, as we went around the room, we introduced our new best friend sitting next to us.  I had the honor of getting to know and introduce Ann Porter, a parent and CEO of Aussie Deaf Kids.

    What I love most about Hands & Voices is that over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of parents, professionals and deaf/hard of hearing adults from all over.  I always marvel at the stories they share, the paths they’ve taken on the journey and the wisdom that they share which helps guide me as I raise my own kids.  And every time I cross paths with someone, I’m reminded of a quote by Tim McGraw:

    “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.”


    For more pictures featuring the Maine Leadership Conference, visit the Hands & Voices Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter:  @HandsandVoices.