Treat mom to a spa day at Halo
Hi friends,
What's that saying? April showers bring May flowers. Please, dear god!! April just felt long, cold, and wet. And we had snow. I mean, enough is enough!!
On a positive note, we celebrated Halo’s 14 year anniversary. Did you enjoy your complimentary add on treatment with your last service? It was our way of thanking you for being a loyal customer at Halo. We appreciate all of you.
Was it a conditioning treatment? Or was it an eyebrow tint? Or both?!?! We would love to hear how you liked them.
Didn't get one? Ask your stylist or esthetician. They would be more than happy to hook you up.
Mother's Day Specials
Speaking of treatments - it's almost Mother's Day. The day we should spoil your mom, mother-in-law, like a mom. Hey, even yourself.
I spend the day with my girl and family. Then I go out to dinner with my sister and a few girlfriends. Where I can be waited on, have some laughs, and not be in charge of anyone. I love being a mom, but I also like to be off duty once in a while. So that's what I do.
What about you? Have you thought about what to get your mom? Or even someone who you think needs to be off duty and get a little pampering. Maybe that person is you.
From now until Mother's Day, we're offering the following specials…
Hope everyone enjoys their Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and any other good things to celebrate.
Community spotlight
By Julia Mongeau
Did you know about the Royal Tar, a circus ship that sank in the Penobscot Bay in 1836? Our May spotlight, Jane Parks Gardner, “lived, breathed, and ate” the story of the ill-fated ship, then wrote a whole book about it.
Jane is a Senior Content Developer with National Geographic Learning, where she is currently working with a team developing a high school chemistry textbook. She is also a freelance writer, and her newest book, The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay, will hit the shelves on June 3rd.
“The Royal Tar is very near and dear to my heart,” said Jane. “Although I have written so many other books, they have all been Work for Hire. But the Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar: Tragedy in Penobscot Bay is something different. It is the first book I pitched to a publisher and had accepted!”
Jane has written on a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to, the brain, African Wild Dogs, and a few chapters for the Mango Encyclopedia (yes, that’s a real thing).
For the past 24 years, Jane has worked in educational publishing as a freelance writer, curriculum developer, editor, and author. She’s written over 60 science books and study guides for kids, young adults, and adults.
“All the science books have been great – I love talking about science,” said Jane. “But I lived the Royal Tar! This is my favorite story so far!”
When she says she lived it, she means it. During the 4 months she was working on the book, Jane drove to Saint John, New Brunswick to see where the Royal Tar first set sail. She visited the grave of the ship’s captain, Captain Reed, then continued down the coast of Maine to Eastport and Rockland where the boat made stops before it ultimately sank. She immersed herself in the ship's story, its crew, and the traveling circus.
So, what is The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar about?
“The Royal Tar was a steamship that sailed between New Brunswick and Portland, ME for about 6 months in 1836,” explained Jane. “In October 1836, it left New Brunswick with 93 passengers and crew and a circus which had spent the summer touring Canada and New England. The circus included camels, a wildebeest, two lionesses, a very gentle tiger who once had a dog as his BFF, and a mischievous, apple-stealing elephant named Mogul.”
Unfortunately, the trip was ill-fated from the beginning, dealing with bad weather, delays, and ultimately a fire that consumed the ship, killing thirty-three passengers and all of the animals on board.
But to Jane, it’s much more than a story about a shipwreck:
It is the story of people. Irish and Scottish immigrants, Captain Reed, the crew, and the people who ran the circus – all with their own motivation for being on that ship that day, all with stories, some which survived and some which I felt were important to tell.
It’s the story of a traveling circus. In the years before the big top and circus acts, these traveling circuses or menageries brought the world to rural communities. And it is the story of an era. A time when life jackets and passenger limits on a boat were unheard of. A time when women wore heavy coats and skirts, and men carried gold coins in their pockets. A time when 25 cents could get you in to see exotic animals and when $8 could get you a spot on a boat.
I wanted to share this story with people so that it is not lost.
As for her next project, Jane is thinking through a few different ideas, including more stories about life and challenges in New England in the 1800s. She also just spent 8 days on a dog sled tour in Greenland, which sounds like a great book in the making.
To learn more about Jane and get updates on her book, follow her on Instagram @jpg2013ma. You can also pre-order her book on Amazon or from the publisher’s website. Pre-orders go a long way for authors, as they help surface the book to more readers.
As you plan your summer reading, make sure to add The Wreck of the Circus Ship Royal Tar to your list.
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