Going Green Outside This Summer

Sometimes being green means spending time outside with your family. This could be as easy as sitting in a yard or on a porch, but not everyone in Medford has their own outside space. This summer, spend some time at Wright's Pond.  On Tuesday nights this summer the Medford Family Network is hosting concerts at the pond.  If you don't have a parking pass, you can park at Flynn Rink or take the bus to Elm Street and take their trolley up to the pond!

Tonight, my family, like many others, headed over after work and took a picnic dinner to the pond to enjoy the beautiful setting, the great music and the company of awesome friends and neighbors.

This evening was the first of the family summer converts. Ben Rudnik & Friends were playing and I always wanted to hear them in concert. They are a great family band that is well known throughout New England. However, I was surprised to find out this evening that they actually got a lot of their early exposure playing here in Medford for the Medford Family Network.  During the concert tonight they said that Marie Cassidy gave them their 3rd, and 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th gigs!  Talk about great early exposure!  Ben Rudnik & Friends is playing venues all over New England this summer and even has concert dates booked into December!  They have 10 different CDs out if you want to check them out at home! 

You can get details on this summer's MFN Concerts & Events from this month's newsletter online.

Getting to a concert, particularly at a swimming pond, is no easy feat on a weeknight! Jon and I both had to work today, so this morning he packed us a cold dinner (pasta with cheese, apples, grapes and a pb&j for me) in an insulated bag. I collected the boys' bathing suits and packed them with mine in a bag to take with me. The plan was for me to pick up the boys, change their clothes and drive them straight to the pond.  I'm very fond of the quote "No plan survives contact with the enemy."  I forgot a few things, we ended up coming home to change after all.  But to my great surprise, the boys suggested that we walk to the pond!  Awesome!  Jon pulled up as we were walking away from the house and he joined us shortly afterwards.

It was a little cool, but the boys enjoyed swimming, having a picnic and seeing friends.  I loved eating outside, chatting with friends, and getting to talk to people about solar! Luke McNeal, a solar expert professionally, is a Medford resident and has young children himself.  He brought his family out to enjoy the concert and to talk to people about Solarize Medford.  I was thrilled to discover that he had donated a solar charger as a raffle prize!  The children were thrilled at the craft he had for them to do, making solar clocks! (More commonly known as sundials.)

What a better way to end a day, talking to residents about solar while listening to great music at a community event!

Happy Greening!

Alicia