Keeping Busy AFTER the Holiday

Hello, fellow Concordians, and welcome to the last day before either the shortest day of the year ... or the last day of ever.

It would really be a shame to have our last ever day also be the shortest, but I’m feeling pretty confident that all the work I put into baking holiday treats won’t be for naught. The good news is, if we’re still here on Saturday, the days start getting longer, and that’s a happy thought.

Of course, this also means a lot of days to fill next week, after the big holiday is over – everyone’s bloated with all that good food, kids are bouncing around from the letdown of present rush, the relatives that came to visit are starting to get antsy. It may be time to get out of the house and do something that doesn’t involve eating or wrapping. 

Lucky for us, we’ve got plenty around town to keep us busy! Dabblers in West Concord has cool craft workshops for all ages and interests. Some are free, and some have a small cost attached, mostly to cover the cost of the crafts – and let’s face it, you’d have bought those anyway. They’ve got things like Fun with Duck Tape, Needle-felt a Woolpet, and Warhammer Paintball – not sure what THAT is, but sounds perfect for antsy pre-teens. They also have a craft table with “make your own” crafts for all ages, and a lovely café with soups and sandwiches, in case you actually get hungry while doing your crafting.

Even if all you want to do is get away from the projects in your own house and finally do a project you’ll finish for once, this is a great place to do just that. For a full listing of their holiday week offerings, check out their website here.

For the little ones

I don’t know why all bookstores don’t look like Barefoot Books on Thoreau Street – it’s a colorful fantasyland in there, and enticing no matter HOW old you are. I love the court jester colors and fanciful thrones; believe me, it will make you want to sit and read for hours. And they have a plethora of activities for the youngest set, including Paint-Your-Own pottery, story time, and a kids’ craft club, which is billed for ages two and up.

Head to their website here, and click on the calendar, and you’ll see all the ways you can tire your little ones out so they’ll take nice long naps. Because isn’t that what we all want, really?

For the Middle School Set

Anyone with middle schoolers knows they’re a tough crowd to keep entertained, and/or pried away from the xBox or Mine Craft. Happily, the library is stepping into the void with teen movies next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, over at the Fowler branch. On Wednesday, it’s “Men in Black 3”, Thursday brings “The Help”, and Friday is the delightful “Moonrise Kingdom.” And not only are these movies FREE, but there will also be refreshments – because food is always a draw for this age. Or any age, really.

You can direct any questions to Karen Brown at karen.johnson.brown@comcast.net. Make sure to pay attention to the running times of the movies, so you know when to pick up your little darlings; otherwise they’ll be put to work shelving books and learning the Dewey Decimal system.

For the Rest of Us

So you’ve dropped the teens at their movie, the relatives are off doing crafts, and the little ones are napping – time for you to find your own space. I recommend walking: There’s Great Meadows off of Monsen Road (which is off Bedford Street) for some fine bird watching, a nice flat trail around the marshes. There’s the Minute Man trail off of Lexington Road, which winds nicely through woods and fields, though it can get crowded at times. There’s Estabrook Woods, off Barnes Hill Road, where I always manage to get lost, though never for very long. And of course, you can meander around the Old North Bridge and take in our local history.

Whatever it is you end up doing next week, I hope you have a lovely time. Peace.

Do you have something you would like to share? Contact me at stefanieac@comcast.net and I will be happy to help you spread the good news. And follow me on Twitter: @stefanie3131.