There were more people on Mattapoisett’s Town Beach on New Year’s Day morning than on a hot summer’s day in the middle of July. And whether the beachgoers were there to plunge into the 47-degree ocean water or there to support the swimmers and the event, everyone was in a party mood.

The fourth annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge called “Freezin’ for a Reason” supports cancer victims and their families.

The impetus for this annual campaign was the Huggins’ own experience with the crushing financial burden that can come with a life-threatening illness. When Will Huggins became ill, they received financial assistance from the BAM Foundation, a local fundraising group that provides financial assistance to individuals and families dealing with cancer. The assistance that BAM gave to the Huggins’ helped keep them afloat until Will could get back on his feet, literally. Now they are giving back with support from the community and others both near and far.

The day before the big event, a tent was erected complete with a heater to warm the crowd. Will and a couple of his helpers delivered fuel to the beach for the big bonfire that would be blazing to warm up the party-goers before, during, and after the plunge. The prep team even cleaned the beach of seaweed.

The chilly morning to follow would find local eateries donating hot chocolate and coffee, cups of chowder, and one venue opened its doors for an after party from which a portion of the proceeds would be donated to the cause.

Everything was in full swing by 11:00 am.

The call for self-expression in the form of inventive beachwear was heeded with folks showing up in custom swimming suits. There was a group donning yellow cubes and singing, “We all live in a yellow submarine,” while snaking through the crowd. In real life they were Mat and Russell Luiz, Charles and Laura Buckley, Jean and Scott Pease, and Karen Barrows.

There was a unicorn, several Santas, some corals, and lots of bare skin shivering in the weak sunlight. There were also a rather surprising number of children who were there for more than the fun.

Nine-year-old Scott Falvey was in attendance with about 20 members of his extended family to jump in the water in memory of his Papa Fagan. The elder Fagan was a cancer victim, but on this day his joyful family was lovingly remembering him by helping others. The family team also included Maryellen Fagan, Mark Falvey, Kaitlyn Popson, and Scott Falvey, to name a few.

There were veterans and first-timers queuing up as the clock neared noontime.

Andy Pacheco of New Bedford was a “virgin” plunger, his wife Amanda a cancer survivor.

“I decided, ‘why not,’” she said with a sly smile while poking her husband.

Cheryl Makuch, Mattapoisett, was jumping in to show support for her friend who is battling cancer. Eight-year-old Hunter Horsey of Marion, a first-timer, was going in for his step-brother, while ten-year-old Caleb Miconi of Attleboro, also a first-timer, had been convinced by his mother to try it out.

Marlene East, Marion, her daughter Kate Houdelette, and granddaughters Liz, 9, and Caroline, 7, formed a three-generation team.

“I wanted to give them something fun to remember me by,” East laughingly declared.

Carol Lamarr, a veteran of the event said, “I do this to start the year out fresh … to cleanse my mind and body.”

Cathy, Karl, and Austin Spooner, another family team, called it a “crazy thing to do,” but one they looked forward to sharing.

Tom Waldron, Mattapoisett, and his twin 9-year-old sons, Tom and Liam, were going in for the second year in a row and hoped to make it an annual event for their family.

Chris Souza, Fairhaven, called himself a professional plunger, doing several winter swims in support of those dealing with cancer.

“It’s on my bucket list every year,” Cindy Bernier declared, while Maureen McQuillian said she was participating in support of everyone who has fought the fight, especially her mother and several friends.

After the splashing, laughing, and screaming had subsided, Michelle Huggins said, “I made 500 prayer ribbons, and I think at least 100 people actually went in the water.”

Prayer ribbons had been handed out to everyone entering the beach and a line was strung so that those wishing to could tie the ribbon to the line and send their prayers into the heavens.

Huggins said they wouldn’t know for about a week how much money had been raised as they waited for a tally from their GoFundMe website and from commercial establishments donating a portion of their proceeds. She said that last year they were able to help six families.

“My husband works with a local social worker who identifies families struggling with financial hardships associated with unforeseen costs from cancer treatments,” Huggins stated. With the help of the social worker, the money collected is distributed. This year, she hopes they can do even more. And if the turnout from the 2016 event is any measure, the Huggins’ dream of helping as many people as possible seems to be coming true.

By Marilou Newell

It was, simply put, fascinating to me. I was captivated, intrigued, and I found myself imagining a life free from possessions. Thus freed, I’d have boundless hours to spend pursuing a carefree lifestyle. Oh, the ease with which my mind wandered through tiny spaces as I watched the cutest cubes and rectangles metamorphose into comfortable tiny homes. Turning to my husband as we watched yet another episode of a show about tiny homes on our giant-sized flat screen TV, I said, “I could live in a tiny home.” Without missing a beat he retorted, “Go ahead.”

The tiny home movement is a growing phenomenon. Young adults, people in transitional stages, senior citizens, and all sorts of folks are embracing a less traditional lifestyle. Yes, it seems tiny houses are the new McMansions only in miniature.

Watching DIY TV programs featuring tiny homes has inspired me to clean out closets, give away unused clothing, and donate books to the library. I find myself standing in the kitchen eyeing pots and pans and thinking, “Do I really need these?” or wondering, “Is that clutter?” Massive plastic bags of all manner of stuff, material possessions, have gone out the door headed to who knows where.

That’s what happens when you go small. You have to look at your stuff and consider what is really essential. It’s like packing for a long trip you plan to take but never return from. I mean, how many tee shirts does a person really need … or blue jeans, or shoes, or hair products? How little can one live comfortably with versus without?

I guess maybe the thing that fascinates me the most about these tiny homes is the creative use of the interior spaces. Storage under narrow stairs that lead to a sleeping loft are a feature, as are tables that fold open from where they rest along walls, sinks that double as small tubs for washing infants or clothing, and book shelves above door jams or hidden in under-bed crevices shared with a collapsible desk.

Oh, and then there are the designs. Tiny homes can be contemporary, modern, cottage, Tudor, cabin. Yes, just about any style except large. The more I watched the shows about tiny homes – some of which are located outside the U.S. – the more I fell in love.

And then it happened. A realization like a very deep, very real déjà vu washed over me as I realized: been there, done that. I had already experienced the tiny-home lifestyle, only that’s not what we called it back in 1980.

From 1980 until 1990, my son and I lived in a mobile home trailer complete with wheels hiding behind the skirting.

In those days, it was the most economical housing option I could find; one that fit with my income and my desire to not live in an apartment or sub-par rental home.

My father knew of an older couple retiring to Florida who had what he termed as a “cream puff” trailer. They were looking to sell. I was not really looking to buy and certainly not a mobile home at that time, but I was willing to humor my father.

Now, let me be clear. Living in a trailer park isn’t for everyone. The units are packed closely together and there are a number of rules one must adhere to in order for the property to function within the confines of the permit the town has granted. Also, humans packed closely together need rules for civil occupation of limited space. Enough said on that.

The whole unit was about 70-feet long from end to end. When I walked into the home, it was comfortable, clean, and certainly large enough for my son and me. The kitchen was about 15 feet long by 12 feet wide, with built-in cabinets, full-size appliances, and a new linoleum floor.

To the left was a living space with room for a sofa, a side chair, coffee table, and cabinet TV (flat screens had not yet been invented). Continuing on down a corridor that ran nearly the entire length of the structure was one tiny 8-foot by 8-foot bedroom. There was a nook where a washer and drier could be placed, and then the bathroom immediately after that. The rear end of the trailer was the ‘master bedroom’ with space for a double bed, built in drawers, and a closet. Plenty of space. No problem. Huge!

I purchased the home. It served us well for 10 years. But as my son grew into a young man, not only was space an issue, but also the structure was showing serious signs of wear and tear. It was by then more than 25 years old. Time to go.

We moved to Mattapoisett in August of 1990 into a real house for the first time.

Twenty-five years later, as I look back, I recall many happy years in that little place and I laugh because, in many ways, it was much more like camping out for a decade. No wonder a kid didn’t mind it. But I also remember the harsh winters when pipes would freeze or summers so stifling hot the dog would lie with his head practically hanging out a window in the hope a breeze might happen by.

Anyway, the issue of storage cannot be overstated. If you have stuff, even a little bit of stuff, then tiny living isn’t for you, nor would a tiny house suit me at this stage in my life. Even a double-wide couldn’t coax me out of my comfy nest, my first home, the one my husband and I have enjoyed all these years. But hey, wait a minute – he might have seemed a bit too willing to let me go.…

By Marilou Newell

It’s all the rage these days. It’s on TV, you read about it on social media, and researchers are even doing studies on its benefits. Adult coloring. Who would have guessed that a gentle regression of sorts back into childhood would not only be accepted, but be encouraged?

Remember the thrill of a brand new box of crayons? The sight of all those colors lined up in the order of the color spectrum. The smell. The choice of which one to pull out first and bear down gently onto the chosen page of a brand new coloring book.

Admit it. You love it when your child or grandchild asks you to color with them. Sitting there, the two of you focused on your “work,” calmly chit-chatting and commenting on what a nice job you each are doing staying in the lines. The intent, the stillness, the focus, the “being here now-ness” of it all. There’s just something to it. Coloring.

Until I heard about the adult coloring craze, I hadn’t thought to reconnect with the crayons, markers, colored pencils, and Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake coloring books I remember so fondly from my youth. Coloring was a big part of my daily life. I did it all the time.

I remember coloring for what seemed like hours while my two older brothers were at school. Even during Mr. Rogers I would have a crayon in my hand, pressing lightly back and forth over a set of lips with a red crayon, or brown over a tree trunk. Sometimes I would color the entire sky blue, and sometimes I wouldn’t. In the world of coloring, like Bob Ross told a young Jeannie Perry, “You can do anything you want to. This is your world.”

I digress a little.

With this renaissance of coloring for grown-ups, coloring books have taken on a new look of complex patterns, delicate details, of geometric designs that turn monochromatic monotony into a multicolored meditation.

Libby O’ Neill, library director at the Taber Library, knows exactly what I’m talking about, although at first the concept eluded her.

“I think it’s a lot of fun,” said O’ Neill. “It does help people to de-stress because they’re focusing on … coloring. It’s a lot more complex than just kids’ coloring books.”

A while back during the summer, one of the trustees at the library suggested to O’ Neill that she start an adult coloring group at the library, “And I was kind of like, no … I don’t know. It really hadn’t caught on yet.”

“And then after he mentioned it, it was all I would hear about.” At library conferences, O’ Neill said, many librarians were talking about how they established adult coloring groups in their own libraries.

“It was like the only idea librarians could talk about,” said O’ Neill. Her next thought drifted toward the Taber trustee who first suggested it. “He must’ve been right!”

Just to see what would happen, O’ Neill scheduled a series of adult coloring sessions, holding the first one back in November. Eight people attended, ranging in age from 20 to late 70s, O’ Neill said.

The library provided the markers, crayons, colored pencils, intricate adult coloring books, and the sacred space to use them. There were also snacks.

“It was great. We just sat around the table and there were coloring books to kind of inspire people, and I had a whole kit of coloring materials and we all shared from that and it was all kind of peaceful,” said O’ Neill. “We had some snacks and we all just sat and colored and chatted about the upcoming holidays and happenings at the library. It was just a really great atmosphere.”

The Taber Library will host another adult coloring session on January 13 at 11:00 am. O’ Neill said the feedback she received was that many would have liked to attend but could not in the afternoon. O’ Neill said she decided to switch the time to the late morning to see if that would make a difference for those who wanted to come but couldn’t before.

“I wanted to hit different targets (of people). I want to sort of include everyone that wants to participate,” said O’ Neill. “I’m still sort of mixing the times to see what works.”

If you are thinking about trying out some adult coloring with some of your neighbors who are also looking for a relaxing time, you can register for the coloring group by contacting the library at 508-748-1252 or email eoneill@sailsinc.org. You could drop by, too, but registering will ensure there are enough materials and snacks for everyone.

“I really just want people to come and enjoy themselves at the library and realize that the library is more of a community center,” said O’ Neill. It’s a place to have fun and socialize, she added. “Although the books will always be there, it’s not always about the books.”

By Jean Perry