Eleanor Deckert
In an interesting creative experiment, Eleanor challengedherself to write Book 3 and Book 4 of her memoir series’10 DAYS 1 VOICE.’With two Titles in one Volume, she contrasts the ’Limitations’ of midwinter in February with the’Possibilities’ of springtime activities in March.As a child in the 1960s, Eleanor was influenced by:• living in the mountains of Colorado• experiencing Brownies and Girl Scouts• reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s ’Little House’ books• studying Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan• observing herself and others• caring for her baby sister• creative expression in dance class• going to Sunday SchoolIn 1978, as newlyweds, Eleanor and her husband, Kevin, set out for the wilds of Canada, intending to live the ’Back-to-the- Land’ homesteading lifestyle in the tiny log cabin they built before winter set in.The cold, darkness and silence were crushing. The isolation and poverty intensified Limitations.Could Eleanor somehow overcome the Limitations and seek Possibilities?Volunteering opened ever-expanding community, creativity, and Possibilities.Weaving together the past, present and future, the author shares a span of 40 years as she both learns to cope with seasonal depression and also participates in creative community service.
