Here is a collection of topical articles and personal essays by Robin Van Auken.
Crafting Your World with Bullet Journals
A Comprehensive Guide for BUJO Beginners My desk drawers and closets contain many notepads, notebooks, and journals. It’s how I’ve always collected my thoughts. I consume a lot of paper, and my notepads are mostly random, disjointed, and illegible. I take a lot of notes in meetings—the brain dump of a technical writer. I
Protective Magic: Say ‘Abracadabra’
Is there a defense against something you can’t see? Today, we're struggling through a pandemic, a deadly scourge that hasn't been seen in the United States, or Europe, since the 1915 Spanish Flu. With a promising vaccine on the horizon, billions of people are relieved, excited, and eager to resume life. We're so lucky
Protective Magic: Incantation Bowls
How Incantation Bowls Protect from Demonic Forces Believing that malevolent forces caused tumors and other illnesses, Jewish communities in Mesopotamia created incantation bowls (c. 300–700 CE) to trap demons and protect the family. Inscribed in Aramaic with spiraling spells and magical symbols, and placed upside down at the entrances of their homes,
Ireland: Land of the People that Sorrow
When planning a trip to Ireland, don't forget destinations that honor the torn country's history. Why "torn country," you ask? Ireland is a country that's been struggling with its identity – one separate from Great Britain – for more than a century.
Muncy Heritage Park
Kneeling in the weeds in what would become Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail, Bill Poulton brushed aside debris. He knew the old well was near the defunct canal, but after decades of neglect, tiger lilies, poison ivy and oak trees had overgrown the small patch of land. He pounded an iron bar into
Find the Beautiful, the Strange at Your Local Botanical Garden
I am not a botanist, but I enjoy spending time at Botanical Gardens. These gardens can take many forms, but the specimens are usually suited to the particular climates found in the state. According to Wikipedia, the inception of botanical gardens is linked to the history of botany, and most 16th and 17th-century scientific
Useful Guide to Free Photos, Media and More
As a writer, you're not always concerned with visual or audio artwork. It's often secondary to the Muse dictating the story to you. As a Self-Sufficient Author, however, you need media for marketing your author brand, so how do you find it and use it legally? The Ultimate Guide to Free Photos, Media & More
Reawaken Your ‘Sense of Wonder’: Remembering Rachel Carson
The spirit of Rachel Carson lives on, instilling in the Earth's human population awareness of its fragile environment and an urgency to protect it from toxins. Although it's been five decades since the publication of her runaway bestseller, "Silent Spring" (1962), Carson remains one of the greatest nature writers of America and one of America's
Devil’s Den
The Devil's Den in Florida is a dramatic freshwater spring, and popular for scuba diving and snorkeling. To reach the Den, visitors must descend narrow, limestone steps to the karst. Lycoming College Nautical Archaeology class visit the Devil's Den, Florida Lycoming College archaeology students got a rare view
Kids Dig ‘Arch in the Park’
Arch in the Park is a hands-on heritage program designed by students for students. Organized by communication students at Lycoming College, Arch in the Park is an archaeological outreach offered by Muncy Historical Society, Northcentral Chapter 8 and Lycoming College's archaeology department, under the direction of Robin Van Auken with Hands on Heritage. Together,
Grit Chronicles: Suffrage in Williamsport
On occasion, I share historic news reports and here's one of interest, in honor of Women's History Month. People don't often think of Suffrage as a community effort, but without commitment on the local level, the 19th Amendment would never have passed. Thanks to the dedication of women in smalltown America, as well as
World of Little League Museum videos
Hands on Heritage assisted the World of Little League Museum cast and videotape local children in the "Where in the World of Little League Museum" series to celebrate the 2015 Little League World Series. The videos were part of a social media campaign. The videos were posted on Facebook, once per day during the
Muncy Heritage Park Offers River Access
MUNCY — River enthusiasts, canoeists, and kayakers have another gorgeous access point to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, this one overlooking a significant historic site: the Last Raft Crash Site at Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail. Muncy Heritage Park offers river access. Muncy Heritage Park offers river access. Muncy