It's the most wonderful time of the year

Not only did the Red Sox win the World Series, but the Patriots continue their undefeated streak.
We are simply not used to this kind of joy. We burn bikes, flip cars over, we climb light poles and jump off them into crowds....

Of course the real sign of a true Boston fan - we all know deep down inside that it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes.....

Book of Bella

I've decided to make photo books for all my n's this year.
I made one for Bella and Luke a couple of years ago, and they loved them. Why is it that the oldest kids always get all the attention? Well, this year will do one for all 5. I've decided to make all the books 4x6 - easy for little hands to handle.

Here are 2 of my fave pages from Bella's Book.
























You can see all pages of her book here.

200th Post!

I find it hard to believe that I am up to my 200th post. Where has the time gone?

In celebration I leave you with this quote:

“Dare to be wise! Begin now. The man who puts off the day when he will live rightly is like the peasant who waits for the river to drain away. But it flows on, and will flow on for ever.”

--Horace

Latest Audio Book

Just completed The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

A story of love, loss, lies and the ties that bind. It's an interesting story about the choices one makes in a instant that shifts everyone onto a different life trajectory.

A woman gives birth to twins one snowy night. Her husband, a doctor who delivers the twins, decides to give away his baby girl who is born with Downs. The story traces the impact this decision has on the lives of the characters in the novel. An interesting book.

Go Sox!

Members of Red Sox Nation are sleep deprived and thrilled beyond words. The Sox are in the World Series! Again! Many people had to wait a life-time to see them win, and this week we get the chance again. So we might all be red eyed and a little more irritable than normal, but come Wednesday, things go up a notch or two. Go Sox!

Oh, and it would be remiss of me not to mention the spectacular performance of the Patriots - who are undefeated this season. Will they get to the Super Bowl undefeated? Brady was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and I hear that brings with it all sorts of bad karma.

Onward! It's a lovely time to be a Boston fan.

Geocaching

I've heard about this craze, and also know several people who love it, so when I mentioned at work, that I had never done one, the guys promptly organized one for today. And what a beautiful day it was to be outside seeking a little Tupperware box. I found it - and earned a new nickname, Eagle Eyes.

Our destination: "Hot Prospect" at N 42° 23.626 W 071° 15.035

Description:

A quick exploration into a public green space with a long and varied history, the cache is located in Prospect Hill Park in Waltham. The original cache coordinates have been modified based on commentary; signal accuracy at the cache site on the day it was placed was ranging between 35 and 65 feet but there was still a great deal of foliage on the trees.

Finding the cache itself can be a fast excursion, although it is located a short distance off the main trails and therefore requires a small bit of hiking. Prospect Hill is made up of about 250 acres of green space on the west side of Waltham, just east of 128. Information about the park is available here.

Along with the cache itself, the area is filled with weird bits of discarded history, including a decommissioned Cold War radar site at N 42 23.313 W 71 15.233. Two giant cement water storage tanks cover a large section of the park, and burned-out concrete huts are scattered across the hillside, either other parts of the radar installation or possibly leftovers from a period in which Prospect Hill was a ski area. There are some nice views of Boston and the Blue Hills now that the foliage has dropped for the season.

FMI: http://www.geocaching.org

Head Of The Charles

A fantastic day to be out along the Charles River for this event.
































You can see the entire photo album here.

Recent Reads

Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography and Creative Thinking by Julieanne Kost

I've spent many years when I flew as much as 3 times a week, so this book really brought back memories. It is amazing what we can take for granted. When I first started flying, I loved the window seat - who could resist the view of the scrolling earth below? As I got weary of business trips - early mornings, late nights, bad food, etc, planes were just a way to commute to work. I requested aisle seats - it was easier to get up and stretch, and faster to get out of when I landed.

Over the years, I have captured my share of images too. I'm going to have to dig them out and look at them again. There are several memorable trips when I was indeed in the window seat - flying from Trivandrum, Kerala to Male, Maldives was one such breath-takingly beautiful flight.

I tend to fly less these days, so am able to appreciate again the joys of air travel.

Photo Collage

Here is a collage of photos from today.















You can also see this album here.

Fall Colors

A wonderful fall day. The show outside is so distracting. It takes a strong will to make it to work most mornings these days. These are some of the colors in our yard. Beautiful colors, great new camera....what more can a girl ask for?

Anticipation

Okay, I am so excited, I could barely sleep last night. I finally got something I have been coveting - yes I realize that that's breaking a commandment - but cannot help myself.

Those of you who know me know that photography is one of my passions. I made the leap to digital several years ago, and have had a wonderful time with my little Canon Powershot S30. But (you knew there was a but coming) I cannot count the number of times I've wished that I had my lenses with me.

Well, after years of reading reviews, specs, and lots of touching, I finally came to the conclusion that the right camera for me is the Canon 40D. Picked up the body yesterday and ooooh baby, is it the coolest! My lenses are so happy to be back in circulation. The only question is what to do with my old film body?

Breathing Room

Sometimes every deadline seems to arrive at once. The past couple of weeks have felt that way - last week of the quarter (and the usual madness that entails), prep for the quarterly sales meeting, launching new messaging/packaging, a board meeting, etc, etc, etc.

That is all now in the past, and there is an immense sense of satisfaction in getting it all done, and done well. The secret my friends is not new and not earth-shattering. It is simply this:

1. Write it all down
2. Prioritize each item
3. Break each item into small do-able parts
4. Create a compelling event when each little piece must be done
5. Track all little pieces each week
6. Complete projects
7. Give yourself a a well deserved pat on the back AND
8. A little breathing room before you plunge into the next list of projects ahead.

Recent Reads

1. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

Not sure how I stumbled across this book, but I found it an quick and interesting read. It's told from the POV of a young girl in 17th century Persia who is much loved by her family. Dad dies, and they have to move to the city to seek shelter with Dad's half-brother, and are essentially treated as servants. The girl (who has no name in the book), is fascinated by rug making and is a quick study. The book follows her life, and though at times I wanted it to hurry up already, for the most part it held my interest. I find the entire idea of a short-term marriage fascinating on so many levels. If both parties agree, they can have relations without the legal bindings that go into any long-term support of the woman and her extended family. Creative moral loop-holes are found in almost every religion and culture and I'm always intrigued by them.

2. A Three Dog Night by Abigail Thomas

Another fascinating book that I stumbled upon. We've all read about the heart-breaking stories of what happens to a woman when her husband dies. This amazing gem of a book is a memoir of a woman whose husband does not die, but suffers brain trauma. It is a small, amazingly written book about how she copes and thrives. It takes one's breath away to read her story.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

The last in the series, and I was really looking forward to it. What a disappointment! I think she simply ran out of story. I have really enjoyed reading most of the books in the Potter series, but this one did not grab me even at the halfway point. I especially disliked the final chapter - the view into the future - a little too Hollywood for me. Ah well, cannot expect every read to be brilliant I suppose.

Topsfield Fair

It's been ages since I was last at the Topsfield Fair. There is something really cool about all the serious kids and adults with their show animals. Should make a note to go to these events as a photo excursions - it's a visual feast.
12x24 LO:








Left page detail:















Right page detail:

Latest Audio Book

I just finished and absolutely loved "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt.

Told in the same witty and self-deprecating style of his other memoirs, this is the story of his 30 years as a high school teacher in New York. I enjoyed every minute of it. McCourt has a wonderful way of blending current and past events in his life in a seamless, highly entertaining story. Every teacher should read this. Actually anyone who attended high school should read this. And since he reads the audio book himself, you really get a sense of having been to long dinners with him.

Colors of Fall

What an incredible fall we are having. Created a 12x12 LO of pics from a walk. Click image to enlarge.

Where's Rafiki?

Sometimes a picture says it best.