Local Writer Exposes Brattleboro's Real Ghosts

Brattleboro's Most Beautiful HAUNTED House

As featured on My Little Brattleboro...

Cathryn Lykes is a Brattleboro writer and Fire Starter who has recently published her intriguing ghost story called The Doorbell,  a true story about a single mother and her daughter who inadvertently move into a haunted house and begin communicating with its resident spirits, unraveling a long-forgotten series of events from the Victorian era. 

Excerpt:

"The doorbell was a vintage affair, probably from the 1940s or ‘50s, with a beige and gold Bakelite housing over three long brass chimes. I knew they would make a lovely sound to announce the arrival of guests. We had tried, but pushing the button outside did nothing, and we had to be content solely with the visual interest the doorbell lent to the apartment.

One stormy night during this period, I was at home alone, finishing up Clara’s year-end homeschooling assessment. I was proud of her. She had worked diligently in every subject, and had a large body of work to submit with her portfolio. I worked at the computer and on the wide kitchen table, with only one light burning. 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked down the staircase to see if anyone was at the door, turning on the hall and outside lights. No one. By this time, the doorbell had begun making a loud electric buzzing in addition to the clear ringing notes. I touched one of the chimes, hoping to alleviate the vibration, but it came off in my hand."

Read the full story here for just 99 cents on amazon.com 

Watch Episode 7: Life on Nantucket on BCTV!

Got a TV? Watch Episode 7 of The Desha Show: Life on Nantucket on BCTV! See the schedule below. Don't have TV? Watch it here.

BCTV Schedule. Channel 8

10/16/2012     Tues            21:00
10/17/2012     Wed            13:30
10/18/2012     Thurs          15:00
10/19/2012     Fri               19:25
10/20/2012     Sat               13:30
10/20/2012     Sat               21:00
10/21/2012     Sun              12:00

Episode 7: Nantucket is here!!

The Desha Show proudly presents Episode 7 in Nantucket!  This is a home-grown episode made with pure love (and hardly any cash), so if you like this video please consider using Vimeo's new feature, the TIP JAR, where you can donate between $1-$500 per person. Donations will allow me to make more episodes, which is helping me live my dreams of showing my daughter the world and sharing inspiration/beauty globally. Click on the TIP JAR below the video on Vimeo and show your support today. Thank you!

Dioness Beach, Nantucket

Episode 7: NANTUCKET!!
Join Desha, her family and local guides in this cultural travel documentary on the island of Nantucket, one of the most beautiful (and expensive!) places to vacation in the US. In this episode we'll explore diverse perspectives of the island's culture and ecology by visiting the Whaling Museum, taking a tour with the Coskata Wildlife Refuge and more. We'll visit some of the most beautiful beaches, bike to Sconset and show you how to have a good time on the Island, even if you're not a millionaire! For more on things to do in Nantucket, please see this guide. 

Extra special thank you to my wonderful assistant Juliette Sutherland and her family for showing us their special Nantucket. And to Red Heart the Ticker for the music, it warms my heart to hear it here. 

Hello Fall

Remnants of Summer Linger

The Porch Still Calls

No Ice on the Driveway Yet

Color, I will Miss YOU.

Nantucket Travel Guide

"Little Toad"

This summer, I spent five glorious days on the island of Nantucket while filming the next episode of The Desha Show! This mini cultural travel documentary will focus on diverse perspectives of the island's culture, as well as featuring tons of fun, family friendly activities. We were incredibly lucky to stay with our local guides, who took us to the best places on the island, which I'll share with you in this guide. I must say that I kind of felt like a rock star, or maybe a folk rock star (he he) on the island, as we were treated like celebs during our stay. I left with a feeling of pure gratitude for the generosity and kindness we experienced, as well as confirmation that I want to keep doing this kind of work, which I lOVE!

Nantucket offers a wealth of art, culture, shopping and natural beauty, and while it's impossible to share everything, I'd like to provide this mini travel guide to highlight some of the best things we discovered in Nantucket. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section below~

Day 1
We drove three and a half hours from Brattleboro, VT to Hyannis MA and took the fast ferry to the island where we met our local guides, Juliette, Dominique, and Mark Sutherland. The Sutherland family has summered in Nantucket for three generations and offered us an in-depth history of the island. After taking a dip in the clear, cool waters off Quidnet Beach, we settled into "Little Toad"an adorable little cottage owned by the Sutherland's. Sorry, Little Toad is only available for friends and family, but you should check out the stunning  Cottages at Boat Basin where we stayed the last evening.

Day 2

Corazon del Mar surprised us with our own Desha Show Menu!

Upon Juliette's recommendation, we had breakfast smoothies at Nantucket Ice Cream &  Juice Guys. Absolutely delicious! They are located right downtown by the Harbor and the smoothies are "money" as cutey pie manager Doug would say!

After exploring a bit of historic downtown, we went on an amazing tour of the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge and Great Point Lighthouse with the Trustees of the Reservations. This semi-remote coast-scape is located at the peninsula's point and offers simply gorgeous views for miles and miles. This tour is normally prohibited for tourists at this time because of the nesting plovers, but they made an exception for The Desha Show, as we hope to shed light on how the Trustees are conserving this area and protecting the nests.

After a full day of fun, we were ready to relax at one of the best Latin seafood places on the island and beyond, at Corazon del Mar. Located in the heart of downtown, Corazon del Mar features the perfect blend of flavors from the Latin world in a fun and hip environment. We enjoyed our experience so much, I had to write a separate post about the meal, check it out here.

Diones Beach, Nantucket

Day 3
After sleeping in a bit, we headed to Diones Beach, a gorgeous white sandy beach located on the western side of the North shore. It's loaded with sea shells, and the waves are little so it's great for little ones. As you can see in the photo at left, there were hardly any people there, so refreshing and calm!

That afternoon, we paid a visit to the Nantucket Historical Association's Whaling Museum. Here, our informative guide, Claire, described how the whaling industry has influenced Nantucket. You'll see the restored 1847 candle factory (whale oil was used to burn lanterns) and a 46 foot skeleton of a Sperm Whale. My daughter loved the Discovery room, where she made art with Patty who has worked there for 25 years- a gem! There's also an amazing view from the rooftop observation deck, which overlooks Nantucket Harbor. 

Young's Bicycle Shop, since 1931.

Day 4
Just after breakfast, we hopped on bike's from Young's Bicycle Shop and peddled from Polpis to the most adorable little village of Sconset. I highly recommend seeing Nantucket on bikes, it slows you down just enough to really enjoy the natural beauty that the island is known for, you cut down on traffic and it's great exercise! 

Our last night in Nantucket, we stayed at The Cottages at Boat Basin, in a lovely little cottage right down town. It's furnished with a little kitchen and a gorgeous deck overlooking the harbor. It's great for families and you can even bring your pet!

Day 5 

View from the deck at The Cottages

After a lovely night's sleep on the most comfortable beds ever at The Cottages, we were sad to have to pack our bags and head back to the ferry to make the journey back to Brattleboro, Vermont. It always makes me a little sad to leave a place I love, but I know we'll return to Nantucket, as it holds a special place in our hearts now.

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our sponsors, to Juliette Sutherland and her family, and finally and to my favorite band of all time, Red Heart the Ticker for your music and friendship. xoxo


Look for Episode 7 of The Desha Show: Life on Nantucket, coming out this week!

Fire Starters Session: Self- Defined Success

As featured on My Little Brattleboro...

Hello, Hello! I'm glad you found this page, because this is where the magic happens. If you haven't gathered from my blog/show, I'm a multi-passionate gal and I love helping people discover their "sweet spot" a self-defined place of success.

I recently purchased Danielle LaPorte's book The Fire Starter Sessions, "A Soulful and Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms", rated #1 on Amazon in success, motivation, and entrepreneurship. By page two, I decided I needed to create a group around this book. As a career counselor, I've worked with hundreds of people looking to find their way, and I love this book because it helps people get to their core desired feelings, push through the fear and answer those burning questions like, "What do I really want?". 

Fire Makers from my 1st Session

Much like Julia Cameron's famous Artist Way this book can be used as a tool for personal transformation and growth. I personally tore through the book in just a couple of days- but here's the thing- YOU NEED TO DO THE EXERCISES. And it's even more powerful when you get out of your own head and process it with a group of like-minded, positive people. 

So... I've created a group that does just that. 

This is an 8 week commitment with the goal of helping you become clear about WHAT YOU WANT and then taking ACTION steps each week toward getting closer to that ideal. It's perfect if you are thinking of a career transition, want to start your own business, or simply need the time and space to    get clear about the next step in your career. 

Since I bought the book, I've facilitated 3 sold-out sessions, each with 100% positive feedback:

"I loved having homework and sharing it with each other and processing it, even though it was intense to fit it in. That was invaluable. Having reflectors was incredible. We had such trust and concern for each other, and that was, and is, like nothing else. Thank you thank you thank you!!!" Artist, Natalie Blake

"I cracked open some fear and resentment I had built up about a career I love, allowing me to focus on how I felt when I was in my groove , so I could tap back into that joy. I also like the support of a group of women looking at similar issues and that we had a backbone of material to work from, the book, and then could challenge each other on those topics, but from our own spirit.  I appreciate your guidance & participation." Laura Frank, Live Entertainment Technology Specialist

Comments from the Marlboro College One-Day Fire Starter Retreat:

"It definitely gave me some inspirational ideas to jump start some of the projects that I have been putting off for years now"

"Helped self-reflect what is important to me, need to spend more time stoking the fire"
"This work made me feel less helpless/discouraged"
"It was an effective day away. I appreciate the time for ME with some interaction with others."
"This retreat clarified for me that I am passionate about teaching and practicing core integration"
"Being here validated my desires to move on, change and be proactive"

The next session will start Thursday, October 18 from 7-9  in a downtown Brattleboro location. Reservations are required, to RSVP go to the Facebook Group  and RSVP to the EVENT or write to deshapeacock@hotmail.com

The Price: $125-$195 sliding scale.

For those of you who live outside the area, stay tuned for the on-line version coming soon!