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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2h

Yes. We do have a guide lined up. Thank you!

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2h

Tomorrow we're off to Cambodia - Siem Reap - to see Ankor Wat. What a trip!

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 11h

This is something interesting here in Thailand. People, locals and visitors, rent costumes of old Thailand, get their hair and makeup done, then pose for photos at temples. I saw this in Bangkok and here in Ayutthaya as well. Sometimes it feels like you're on a movie set.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 12h

We arrived in Ayutthaya, the capital of Thailand from 1350 until it was destroyed in 1767 by the Burmese (now Myanmar) during war. The city is filled with the ruins of once magnificent temples. Most of the statues of Buddha were beheaded and arms cut off. I was both amazed and deeply saddened.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 1d

In the afternoon we visited the ethical elephant sanctuary. We made food, fed it to the elephants and gave them a bath in the River Kwai.There are many of these sanctuaries in Thailand. It was a wonderful experience!

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 1d

Yesterday we took a local train through the countryside. Beautiful scenery and farmland where they grow rice, tapioca, and corn. Then a cave where Buddhist monks would rest and get out of the heat on journeys. Local people also honor the Buddha there. Then stopped for lunch on the River Kwai.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2d

And check out my boa! Oh! Wait! That's a python! Some lighthearted fun in Thailand (although I have friends who would disagree about the "fun" part)

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2d

We visited the Death Raiway Museum where the building of the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II is painstakingly curated. 60,000 Allied POWs and an estimated 100,000 Asian civilians constructed this railway under Japanese oppression. Heartbreaking and an important reminder of the costs of war.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2d

Next we jumped in a boat at the floating market, where you can buy fresh produce, gifts and souvenirs, and even lunch from a Thai long-tail boats long the canals at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2d

At this market in Thailand, vendors set up their stalls directly on the railway tracks. When a train approaches, the vendors quickly retract their awnings and move their goods to allow the train to pass, and seconds after passing, they set up and are in business again! Craziest thing I've ever!

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 2d

Our Thailand adventures yesterday? Coming up, the wild and crazy railway market, the floating market, and the River Kwai.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 4d

Then on to the royal barges museum. Another spectacular display of Thai craftsmanship. These barges were used by kings for centuries. And are still used todat for formal ceremonies. A wonderful day on the river. Oh and the giant temple of Buddha that overlooks everyone!

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 4d

This morning we were in a long-tail boat on the river Chao Phraya. Stopped at Wat Arun, the temple of dawn where later in the date the king and queen of Thailand would be giving the monks their saffron robes. The handiwork and craftsmanship of these temples must be seen to appreciate.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 5d

Then we visited the Grand Palace, spectacular with its ornate buildings with spired rooves, glass mosaics, stone statues, and 24 carat gold leaf. Amazing day! This evening, Chinatown.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 5d

Today was our first full day in Thailand. We visited the flower market with streets and streets of fresh flowers to buy. The scent of flowers filled the streets. Simply heavenly.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 5d

Our next great adventure! Thailand! Here is the view from our hotel room. A little of new with a little of the old.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · 16d

Today starts Banned Books Week. I'm starting with Identical by Jennifer Niven and will follow up with Sold by Patricia McCormick. Who's joining me? What are you choosing?

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Sep 1

"Without labor nothing prospers." — Sophocles

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 26

My humble apologies, Trooper. It International Dog Day.

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 26

It's National Dog Day! Say hello to Trooper! He's basking in the sun before it gets too hot.

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 22

🧶 Finished another blanket this week for We Honor Veterans hospice patients. (Annie always supervises the blocking.)There’s something grounding about pulling one thread through another until it becomes something whole.

👉 Do you knit, crochet, quilt, or have another craft that helps you slow down?

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 20

🎶 Soon I begin my harp therapy internship — 130 hours of playing gentle harp in hospitals, rehabs, and waiting rooms. Out of my comfort zone? Definitely. Worth it? I think so.

👉 What’s the last thing you did that pushed you outside your comfort zone?

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 18

Final read-through of my novel = listening to Word’s monotone voice read it aloud. Helpful? Absolutely. Entertaining? Not so much. (If I nod off, I'm blaming the narrator, not the writing 😉).

👉 How do you catch those pesky mistakes your eyes miss?

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Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 15

Friday Snippet:
"The train lurched.
Marielle turned toward the door—but her feet wouldn’t move. Just a few steps and she could be free.
But her body refused. She stayed frozen in place."
-From Marielle, a novel about quiet turning points, forgotten selves, and the cost of longing.

Sharyn Mackaye @sharynmackaye.bsky.social · Aug 13

Did you know?
Many rural Maine homes in the 1920s had no electricity or running water. Kerosene lamps lit rooms. Water came from hand pumps. In winter rooms were sealed off to conserve heat.

It wasn’t just cold. It was quiet, isolating.
This was the world Marielle stepped into—hoping for family.