CJ - nice one for using a paper map to get home! When I'm out walking these days I so rarely come across anyone with a map, and the only people I know who still have a road atlas in their vehicles are my parents!
Google (not a paper map - sorry!) has just told me this in answer to my question 'How far is Memphis from the Mississippi border':
There are 272.19 miles from Memphis to State Line in southeast direction and 317 miles (510.16 kilometers) by car, following the US-45 Alternate route.
Wow! I learned so much from this already, and I haven’t even started the puzzle yet. I never know about the little square representing a pylon! One of the many reasons I let my other half do the navigation-his professional life is bound up in reading all the detail of OS maps...Maps are in turns magic, misleading (to me, and my misreading), and beautiful-and you have illustrated them all. What a fun post! And big congratulations for a successful year! 🎉🐓🐑🚶♀️🗺️🎨 I’ve enjoyed every moment of reading your essays and correspondence in the comments. Onward to another brilliant year ❤️
Happy one year Substack-iversary Rebecca! (Which coincidentally falls on my irl birthday ☺️) Nice to celebrate with a great post! I loved your town/country map 😂 spot on. I’ll give the puzzle some thought.... enjoy the sun! X
Jun 10, 2023·edited Jun 10, 2023Liked by Rebecca Holden
"Incidental Punctuation" should be the title to movie in which you play yourself. I would buy tickets to watch! Can't wait to give the puzzle a go and maybe I'll be the lucky winner. Read your post with my morning coffee before the sun is up, listening to the birds, as a great beginning to my day. Love this post! Congrats on your first year writing anniversary. Best wishes for many more. You go!
Wonderful post! I'm so glad I found your posts on Substack - something about serendipity, I think.
I'm no good at cryptic anything - just haven't got the analytic concentration . Thus I'm a bit hopeless at maps, despite that I love looking at them. If you want to publish any of your creations, especially in your art journal, I'd be very happy.
And if you want to see some amazing miniature maps, you may be interested in https://www.bopressminiaturebooks.com/ Pat Sweet is an astonishing mapmaker.
Edited to say: I've just read a reference to your OWN work!
"How many novels can there be involving miniature books? This is the only one I know of, and it's a page-turner. Tasmanian artist Prue Batten's somber and romantic fantasies center on the making of a fabulous robe, whose captive seamstress tells her story through tiny books hidden in the embroidery. They're also available on Kindle. Prue and I have collaborated on several miniature books: Gisborne, The Masked Ball, Nugget, and others."
Pat and I had quite a collaboration going there and I do have a rather wonderful collection of her pieces, particularly the maps. She's quite an icon in miniature work in the States and I treasure the time we worked together. It was a unique thing.
Love that you started this post with the definition of a treasure map, I love definitions as much as I love maps! That does not mean I am very good at interpreting them though. My route would be similar to yours.
Jun 10, 2023·edited Jun 10, 2023Liked by Rebecca Holden
I am to puzzles as you are to way finding: hopeless! Oh, and I had a thought about your urban trail-blindness. Not to go all “I can fix you” or anything, but when I’ve confessed to being lost to strangers, I find that most often they instantly melt into a puddle of courtesy and helpfulness. “Let me show you the turning,” they say, and walk me there. Especially so on the South Downs Way, where trail nerds lurk behind every hedge row! Road signs are confusing. People can be kind.
Awww, thanks! I showed it to someone lovely while it was a work in progress - 'Does this look anything like a child's rendition of a treasure map?' I asked. 'Absolutely!' came the reply, followed by: 'But it needs a spouting whale!'
(To the lovely whale-suggestor: if you're reading this, thank you!) 😉
LOL! Well, there are four things which might just help you out - and they're all in plain sight. But since you ask, here goes with a clue about two of the four things: have another look at the paragraph above 'No plot spoilers' in the body of the post itself. There are two (related) words in there which might get you started. Team up with Brindsley and Delaney - let me know how you all get on! If you solve it, drop me an e-mail with your solution, and don't forget to comment here that you've found the treasure! 😊
Such a delight from beginning to end. You have done so much and charmed so many readers in just one short year, Rebecca. I congratulate you! Everything from having chicken-friends to too-short campground showers to kitchen organization par excellence --- I have traveled with you all year long and enjoyed every step. I have to admit, I subscribe to no other "this is my life" type newsletter. (I read Substack fiction.) But YOU, my friend are like a magnet - irresistible! I love following you around - indoors and out. My favorite post was about the linen cupboard! If we were neighbors, I would bring you flowers.
Oh, that's so very kind of you, Sharron - I'm very touched. Thank you for such lovely words!
D'you know what? I read very, very little Substack fiction - but golly gosh, I gobble up 'Leaves'. I love your work! You feed my soul with fiction, memoir, travel writing and humour - you offer a delicious menu of the written word.
LOL re the linen cupboard! Thank you! I don't have such a thing of household beauty in my own home, I'm sorry to say - but the one at my parents' house that featured in that post is a sight to behold! Mind you, I can kind of claim it, because I DID live there, and the cupboard in question does still accommodate many of my childhood friends. I'll take it! 🤣
I DO remember the linen cupboard was in your family home. It just seemed like such a useful, orderly, cozy room. I whole small room dedicated just to linens and blankets and towels. I wanted one.
Well, I’m definitely lost! Though I should come back to this with my handy page of notes I’ve taken so far...
In university, I had a number of friends from different countries, and a bunch of them were from the same ones. And I had a friend, Vicente, who was from Honduras, but he was the only one in our crowd from there. So people would refer to us as the Canadians, Bermudians, and Vicente. It happened so much that we joked Vicente was in fact a country. And I drew him a map of the fictional country of Vicente, complete with an X, which was the nickname of our university. He still has it.
Oh Alison, I love this story! What a wonderful gift for Vicente - that's absolutely BRILLIANT! 🙌 And to think that the X really DID mark the spot, too!!!
Oh, Rebecca, I love your creativity, imagination, intelligence, and writing! Congratulations on your first year! I have enjoyed it all and I look forward to more! I am excited to attempt to solve the puzzle here! ❤️
Heads up, treasure seekers!
There are CLUES.....!
Ready?
1. Read the instructions for the puzzle.
2. Read the title of the puzzle.
3. Have a good look at the first word of the first sentence.
4. See what marks the spot – and where – in the tenth sentence.
BONUS CLUE: Maybe try extrapolating clue 3 across the rest of the story. Second word of second sentence, third word of third sentence… etc!
Okay, I'll pipe down now. Over to YOU, treasure seekers!
Deadline for you to e-mail the solution is now noon (UK time) on Friday 16th June!
CJ - nice one for using a paper map to get home! When I'm out walking these days I so rarely come across anyone with a map, and the only people I know who still have a road atlas in their vehicles are my parents!
Google (not a paper map - sorry!) has just told me this in answer to my question 'How far is Memphis from the Mississippi border':
There are 272.19 miles from Memphis to State Line in southeast direction and 317 miles (510.16 kilometers) by car, following the US-45 Alternate route.
Does that sound about right?
Wow! I learned so much from this already, and I haven’t even started the puzzle yet. I never know about the little square representing a pylon! One of the many reasons I let my other half do the navigation-his professional life is bound up in reading all the detail of OS maps...Maps are in turns magic, misleading (to me, and my misreading), and beautiful-and you have illustrated them all. What a fun post! And big congratulations for a successful year! 🎉🐓🐑🚶♀️🗺️🎨 I’ve enjoyed every moment of reading your essays and correspondence in the comments. Onward to another brilliant year ❤️
Thanks so much, Sabrina! I'm so delighted that you're here for the ride! 😘
Happy one year Substack-iversary Rebecca! (Which coincidentally falls on my irl birthday ☺️) Nice to celebrate with a great post! I loved your town/country map 😂 spot on. I’ll give the puzzle some thought.... enjoy the sun! X
Ooooooooh Jill, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 🥳 Hope you're having a glorious day!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Have fun with the puzzle!
"Incidental Punctuation" should be the title to movie in which you play yourself. I would buy tickets to watch! Can't wait to give the puzzle a go and maybe I'll be the lucky winner. Read your post with my morning coffee before the sun is up, listening to the birds, as a great beginning to my day. Love this post! Congrats on your first year writing anniversary. Best wishes for many more. You go!
LOL - 'Incidental Punctuation' would be a fabulous title! And thank you such a lot for your very kind anniversary words! 😊
I'm so glad you enjoyed reading this - your start to the day sounds wonderful. Have a great day - and have fun with the puzzle!
Congrats! Here's to year two and beyond!
Thanks so much, Amran! 🥳 Do have a go at the puzzle! 😉
Wonderful post! I'm so glad I found your posts on Substack - something about serendipity, I think.
I'm no good at cryptic anything - just haven't got the analytic concentration . Thus I'm a bit hopeless at maps, despite that I love looking at them. If you want to publish any of your creations, especially in your art journal, I'd be very happy.
And if you want to see some amazing miniature maps, you may be interested in https://www.bopressminiaturebooks.com/ Pat Sweet is an astonishing mapmaker.
Thank you so very much, Prue - you're very kind! And thank you too for that terrific link - such extraordinary work! This tiny map is INCREDIBLE! https://www.bopressminiaturebooks.com/miniature-books/p/tabula-peutingeriana
Edited to say: I've just read a reference to your OWN work!
"How many novels can there be involving miniature books? This is the only one I know of, and it's a page-turner. Tasmanian artist Prue Batten's somber and romantic fantasies center on the making of a fabulous robe, whose captive seamstress tells her story through tiny books hidden in the embroidery. They're also available on Kindle. Prue and I have collaborated on several miniature books: Gisborne, The Masked Ball, Nugget, and others."
I clearly need to read 'The Stumpwork Robe'!
Haha!
Pat and I had quite a collaboration going there and I do have a rather wonderful collection of her pieces, particularly the maps. She's quite an icon in miniature work in the States and I treasure the time we worked together. It was a unique thing.
That's fabulous, Prue - love it!
Love that you started this post with the definition of a treasure map, I love definitions as much as I love maps! That does not mean I am very good at interpreting them though. My route would be similar to yours.
Thanks so much, Donna! And I love that you're a route squiggler, just like I am! 🤣
The butler did it! In the pantry with a clothes brush!
🤣 Well, that's the cat out of the bag already, then! 🤣
Go on, have a real go! 😉
I am to puzzles as you are to way finding: hopeless! Oh, and I had a thought about your urban trail-blindness. Not to go all “I can fix you” or anything, but when I’ve confessed to being lost to strangers, I find that most often they instantly melt into a puddle of courtesy and helpfulness. “Let me show you the turning,” they say, and walk me there. Especially so on the South Downs Way, where trail nerds lurk behind every hedge row! Road signs are confusing. People can be kind.
'Trail nerds'! I love that! As you know, I'm more of a 'trail fail'! 🤣
I shall certainly try your approach next time I find myself going round in circles... which will probably be pretty soon!
An important topic for another post! What happened when I asked for directions! Hope there are kind people in your path that day.
😊
Happy Stackaversary. *HG*
Thank you! 😘
Dear Rebecca, I’M LOST 😂 But I am determined to figure out your puzzle!
Happy anniversary! 🥳 So glad I found your Substack. 🩷
LOL, Bryn! Thank you so much!!! 😘
Yay to having a go at the puzzle! Let me know how you get on! 😃
Also, I meant to say - your illustration belongs in a children’s book. It’s beautiful.
Awww, thanks! I showed it to someone lovely while it was a work in progress - 'Does this look anything like a child's rendition of a treasure map?' I asked. 'Absolutely!' came the reply, followed by: 'But it needs a spouting whale!'
(To the lovely whale-suggestor: if you're reading this, thank you!) 😉
Happy One year Rebecca! Okay, I have to admit I'm clueless with this treasure but will give it another go! How fun...you are the best Rebecca.
Thank you so much, Julie! 🥳 I'm so glad you're here!
Have fun with the puzzle! I've had no entries to the draw yet - LOL! Never fear - all will be revealed this time next week. 😁
I'm so happy we have connected here! Oh good, Any hints? LOL
LOL! Well, there are four things which might just help you out - and they're all in plain sight. But since you ask, here goes with a clue about two of the four things: have another look at the paragraph above 'No plot spoilers' in the body of the post itself. There are two (related) words in there which might get you started. Team up with Brindsley and Delaney - let me know how you all get on! If you solve it, drop me an e-mail with your solution, and don't forget to comment here that you've found the treasure! 😊
Such a delight from beginning to end. You have done so much and charmed so many readers in just one short year, Rebecca. I congratulate you! Everything from having chicken-friends to too-short campground showers to kitchen organization par excellence --- I have traveled with you all year long and enjoyed every step. I have to admit, I subscribe to no other "this is my life" type newsletter. (I read Substack fiction.) But YOU, my friend are like a magnet - irresistible! I love following you around - indoors and out. My favorite post was about the linen cupboard! If we were neighbors, I would bring you flowers.
Oh, that's so very kind of you, Sharron - I'm very touched. Thank you for such lovely words!
D'you know what? I read very, very little Substack fiction - but golly gosh, I gobble up 'Leaves'. I love your work! You feed my soul with fiction, memoir, travel writing and humour - you offer a delicious menu of the written word.
LOL re the linen cupboard! Thank you! I don't have such a thing of household beauty in my own home, I'm sorry to say - but the one at my parents' house that featured in that post is a sight to behold! Mind you, I can kind of claim it, because I DID live there, and the cupboard in question does still accommodate many of my childhood friends. I'll take it! 🤣
I DO remember the linen cupboard was in your family home. It just seemed like such a useful, orderly, cozy room. I whole small room dedicated just to linens and blankets and towels. I wanted one.
I want one too! As things stand, I keep spare bed linen in a zipped bag under the bed, and hang my ironed clothes to air from over-door hangers....!
Well, I’m definitely lost! Though I should come back to this with my handy page of notes I’ve taken so far...
In university, I had a number of friends from different countries, and a bunch of them were from the same ones. And I had a friend, Vicente, who was from Honduras, but he was the only one in our crowd from there. So people would refer to us as the Canadians, Bermudians, and Vicente. It happened so much that we joked Vicente was in fact a country. And I drew him a map of the fictional country of Vicente, complete with an X, which was the nickname of our university. He still has it.
Oh Alison, I love this story! What a wonderful gift for Vicente - that's absolutely BRILLIANT! 🙌 And to think that the X really DID mark the spot, too!!!
Oh, Rebecca, I love your creativity, imagination, intelligence, and writing! Congratulations on your first year! I have enjoyed it all and I look forward to more! I am excited to attempt to solve the puzzle here! ❤️
That's so kind of you, Amy - thank you so much! I'm really glad to have you as a reader!
Enjoy the puzzle - let me know how it goes!
(I haven't yet had a whisper of a solution to the puzzle - so in order for the draw to happen there might be some clues in due course...!) 🤣