The last couple of weeks have been so stressful that I ended up in bed dying. Or so I thought. In retrospect it was probably a good thing as it stopped me from rushing into many decisions I might live to regret.
On Sunday (aka Mother’s Day) we decided to drive over to Tilden, a 2,017 acre park straddling the hills between Berkeley and my small town of Orinda California. The park boasts an antique carousel, a child’s size steam train, a reedy lake for swimming, hilly golf course, botanical gardens, a small farm, and of course oodles of hiking trails and picnic areas. 
When I was a child there was nothing I loved more than a carousel. One ride around was never enough. I could ride all day, round and round to the sound of an organ and had to be dragged back to solid ground crying when it was time to go. I dreamt of visiting every carousel in the world and even of having one in my backyard when I grew up.
My children were happy with only a couple of rides and on Sunday my granddaughter only wanted one. It’s a sad thing when a girl doesn’t beg for one more ticket to ride the carousel. What is the world coming too?
Not exciting enough for kids these days.
Not satisfied with a beautiful, albeit, plaster palomino, Audrey wanted to find a real horse so we went to the farm. The Little Farm is in a beautiful pine grove but alas there were no horses.
There was a cow.
And bunnies but you couldn’t feed them.
How about you? Was one ride on the carousel enough for you? Check out other ThursdayDoors on Norm Frampton’s site.
By the way, I’m still weighing publications options. I decided not to rush but take my time. Thank you all for your kind wishes!
Saying nothing in particular 
One time on a carrousel was never enough. But when I was a kid my parents did not have much money, so they could not afford more rides. Well, at least I learnt to be content with small pleasures. That is something I have taken with me all my life.
My parents didn’t either. There were no carousels in the town I grew up in thus riding a carousel was generally part of a vacation. Being content with small pleasures is a key component to being happy. Very zen! Almost as Zen as riding a carousel!
Memories of my youth a different very on the Hollie’s song, I loved the carousel too but none of my son’s did!
Forgot to say Carousel was my Mum’s favourite musical and we grew up knowing all the songs, I loved My Boy Bill! xxxx
I loved that musical too but South Pacific was my favorite! “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair!”
Yes love that too and Oh! Some enchanted evening! 😉.
Too cool! Thank you!
😂😃😭😠
Yes fabulous
The carousel was a thrill when I was a child, but then I had my own children and something changed. It made me feel ill. I smiled, though, as I stood next to my kids as they went up and down on their shiny horses. They would’ve found no pleasure in it if they’d known how it hurt my head and guts. 🙂
Wishing you peace and clarity as you find your next path forward with your books. 🙂 I’m still in a hold pattern.
I could see where standing on the carousel would make you ill. I was actually on a frog. I’m still holding as well. Sigh. Take good care of yourself!
Hey, I watched kids on a brightly painted carousel last year, in Nederland, Colorado. It’s called The Carousel of Happiness, so you wouldn’t dare not have a good time. The kids were laughing and excited but seemed content with one session.
p.s. Thanks for the music of the Hollies!
I liked watching it more than I liked riding it. Carousels are so pretty! I can’t go anymore, I get ‘seasick’. For years when my kids were small, I’d go with them and pretend I wasn’t sick, but I’m relieved they’re big enough to ride on their own now.
Glad you’re out of bed. I hope brighter days and good decisions are on their way 🙂
The antique carousels are definitely works of art. It’s very nice being out of bed but I’m still taking it easy. Thanks for your kind wishes.
Love your photos, Jan. I’m a carousel fan, only ever once on a small roller-coaster and hated it, but give me a carousel any day. I was on one last year with my granddaughter. One ride was enough for her but I could have stayed on longer. Take your time deciding on publication, there’s a lot to consider.
Yes unfortunately kids these days are used to faster more exciting rides than carousels! I used to like roller coasters and then they became so extreme! Yes, the publishing world is large and complex.
A carousel, a cow and bunnies! This is such a fun post. I’m up for all of them.
Yes, it was a lovely day!
We were just up at Tildon three weeks ago! Love Orinda. Jan, you and I often travel the same roads.
We do!
:O)
I’ve never been there! I had no idea you were that close! I love the Carousel and my favorite one is at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. I let people go ahead of me in line if I can’t get an outside pony. You can grab a brass ring on the outside ponies and toss it in the clowns mouth and if you hit it just right; a Bulls eye you get a free ride. Unfortunately I have yet to score a free ride. 😦 No once was never enough, but when I was a girl my parents couldn’t afford more than one ride. With 4 kids it got pricey.
I also love the Giant Dipper and most roller coasters.
I’m glad you aren’t dying and set backs are the stepping stones to come backs! It will work out with the publisher.
We’ve been to the Santa Cruz carousel many times – never able to grab the brass ring though! I like to take the gondola along the beach – what beautiful views!
The carousel was a big deal for my bro and I when we were little too. Our yearly outing was to the local amusement park. It took what seemed like forever to get there by bus, though it was probably only 45 minutes. This brings back some good memories.
I hope that things are on the upturn for you 🙂
Thank you Norm! Yes the journey to the carousel is always too long!
You know I don’t remember ever riding on one – maybe they didn’t have them where I grew up! I enjoy taking my grand-kids on them though.
Take your time with your next publishing venture.
Will do – thanks Cinda!
Really enjoyed your carousel post, Jan. When I lived in Berkeley I spent so much time in Tilden, took my goddaughter for rides on the carousel, and thoroughly enjoyed numerous visits to the Little Farm. It was great to see them all again here. And it seems to be, knowing the proximity of Orinda and Tilden, that you did indeed end up with a carousel in your backyard. yippee!
It is a joy to have Tilden in our backyard! We have a friend whose house is right on the edge of the park which is lovely as well.
I used to love the carousel. Now more often than not I have a small child who’d thought they were ready for it, clinging to my side begging me to take them off the ride as we go up down and round and round.
I can’t imagine kids being afraid of the carousel but friends tell me that their children were terrified!
I grew up by the seaside so carousels were a normality. I do think farms are good for children.
They are! I think kids in the 13-16 year range should have to spend a summer working on a farm. What a great experience.
Hope everything will work out. Publishing is like a carousel – ups and downs, but everything will be all right in the end.
Yes, it is. Well, there’s not much I can do so I’m trying not to stress.
xx
Hope you are feeling better. This post made me smile. In December my sister, brother with their partners, my husband and I walked along London’s South Bank enjoying the Christmas fair. On reaching the carousel we girls lept on, sadly the men didn’t follow. We thought it great fun…perhaps enhanced by mulled wine. X
Mulled wine always helps – sounds like a lovely Christmas memory.
Yes- & I’ve not had it before so looking forward to it. What kind is best for mulling, everyone? : )
ad you aren’t as dead as you thought you were. As “Princess Bride” says- “There’s dead & there’s DEAD.”
Writers had come to think of BT as their happy and nurturing place thus many were thrown into a state of shock. But a publisher is a business person and not your father!
So glad you are better, Twiss & what is B.T.?
I see they’ve cut off half of my comment, Twiss.. First part was-” I’m glad…” :)))
Hope your rest helped& I think it is a sensible plan – now you have time to pick I choose more carefully. No doubt much good will come from this ‘bump in the road: ) ‘
Life is sometimes like a never ending carrousel. It just goes round and round, sometimes dizzying and other times it holds still like a slow motion great day where everything falls into place.
I hope you feel better soon, Jan. I enjoy fairs and my grandkids, all except one can handle the motion. I am like Joey and my poor grandson, Skyler. I am not good at advice on book publishing. I could do much better at relationships or how to have fun at a park. 🙂 🙂
The carved animals are so famous that a set of 4 US stamps picturing the animals was issued one Xmas.
–joel