Worn

The photo theme of the month is WORN. I had fun with this one. The tree bark pics are from Vermont. The other 3 are from the MFA exhibit Tomb 10A.

Recent Reads

1. The Naturalist's Path
I love the author's art, so decided to read her books. This is a great book for a beginner naturalist.

2. A Dirty Job
Just the book I needed to unwind. If it seems odd that a book about death would help one unwind, you must have not read any of this author's books. The book is a quick read and made me laugh out loud at times.

3. Frommer's Las Vegas
Am prepping for an upcoming trip. Some good tips.

4. Fun with the Family Las Vegas
Am prepping for an upcoming trip. Some great tips.

5. Mummies Made in Egypt
I've been searching for books on Mummies for the boys, and this one is easy to read and understand.

White Belt

My nephews are taking Taekwondo classes, and Luke passed the test to earn his white belt. Such a proud day for him.

Things that make me go hmmm ....

• Filled out the 2010 census the other day and was surprised by the ethnicity section. If you were a person-of-color, there were so many options to choose from. However, if you were Caucasian, you had a single choice: "white". What I found most surprising is that there was no box to check if you were multi-racial.
• I stopped in at my local Staples to pick up a couple of things and as I approached the building saw a line of 5 monks in saffron robes walking out. They got into a minivan and drove away. The older monks had on thick socks and hats. Must have been quite cold. What were they buying I wonder?

Here is my 3rd art journal page using paint chips. I actually created this one first. Seemed to have a sunset/sunrise theme.

Recent Movies

1. Recount
This is such an incredibly well done film about the 2000 election. Only problem is that my blood pressure rose steadily while watching it.

2. Amreeka
Immigrant stories are all so similar and yet so very specific. Love this one.

Visual Journal

Playing with paint samples - really like how this one turned out.

Recent Reads

1. Altar of Eden
The final book in my last thriller ride. This is an interesting story - a cross between Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. As always I find the science fascinating. Not one of his better books, but a good read.

2. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
Simply beautifully interconnected short stories set in Pakistan. Loved the writing.

3. The Unthinkable
My friend Shanna recommended this amazing book. We are reading it aloud, and having great discussions. Simply fascinating.

Tree House

Last week I explored the damage caused by the flooding in Arlington with my friend Maria. It was a lovely day for a walk, and our 5 mile loop took us along the Mystic River. The 11 inches or so of rainfall, had the sewers overflowing, and there was TP and sewage in the streets. Yuck. More rain expected the next couple of days ...

On our walk passed this tree house - it has stained glass windows! How cool is that?

Vernal Equinox

This past Saturday the vernal equinox marked the start of spring. Love the equinox - equal amount of light and dark - there is a beauty to that balance. Am so happy that the scales have now tipped to longer days than night.

My art journal group's prompt for this month was to create pages using paint chips - those samples you pick up at hardware stores. Here is one of my pages.

Reading with kids

1. Tonight on the Titanic
In Magic Tree House (MTH) book # 17, Jack and Annie are aboard the Titanic shortly before she sinks - at 2:20. Luke's fave part was when the tree house disappeared - would Jack and Annie survive? Quite scary.

2. Buffalo Before Breakfast
In MTH # 18, Jack and Annie visit with the Lakota in the time when huge herds of bison roamed the plains. I love the book's conservationist theme.

3. Tigers at Twilight
In MTH # 19, Jack and Annie visit the jungles of India, meet a hermit and help a tiger. Luke has the fierce outrage of a child as he learns about how people killed so many animals to near extinction.

4. Froggy Rides a Bike
Read this book to Jonah. He liked the story - he too can ride a bike without training wheels.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Anyone who chased snakes out of someplace deserves a holiday in my book.

And speaking of far lands, was traipsing down memory lane while looking through my sister's photos from Kerala, and loved the architecture of the Indian Coffee House. Just had to sketch it. Cool no?

Here comes the sun

After days of pouring rain, it is quite lovely to see that big yellow ball in the sky. I have missed it. I spent the rainy days reading, cleaning house and playing with art supplies.

Ephemera

As I've discussed in previous posts, there is something fun about seeing a page that captures a place and time. This is my latest ephemera spread. Looks like lots of chocolate was consumed.

Peace, Love and Ice-Cream

Sometimes I simply need a mini-vacation. Decided on Stowe, Vermont. I love this town. The food is excellent and the views are stunning. We did not have any snow at home, so was not sure if we'd be able to snowshoe. No worries. We lucked out with perfect spring weather - warm days, cool nights, plus snow. Love that.

Recently watched "Sound of Music". Have watched it dozens of time, and was in the play in school, so have always had a fondness for the story and the music. The day we spent exploring the Trapp Family ski/snowshoe trails I kept singing "the hills are alive... with the sound of music.."

And a visit is never complete without a stop at Ben and Jerry's. Peace, love and ice-cream. Could not have said it better myself.

You can see pics of the trip here.

Perspective

Perspective is harder than it looks - both in life as in art. This is a page created recently when I arrived early to my book club brunch meeting. By the way the brunch at Johnny D's and the subsequent discussion was fab.

R&R

Back from a mini-vacation to Stowe, Vermont. The hills were alive...with the sound of music....
Am refreshed, recharged and happy. Priceless.

Met up with some other art journalers recently and had a sketchsit (as opposed to a sketchcrawl). We each brought along an object or prop, our journals and some art materials to create together. Fun.

Click it

Embrace life. Putting on your seat belt takes one little click. Do it for those you love. Do it for those who love you.
Watch this.

Connect

My word for 2010 is Connect. I created a page to capture my intentions in that theme. So far so good.

Recent Reads

Have been in the mood for literary candy lately, and thrillers are so much fun.

1. Sandstorm
This book starts the Sigma Force series - I read the 2nd book first and liked it so thought I'd try out the series. I love how the book weaves science and history into a fun story. The virgin birth is explained! Well not quite, but so much fun to consider.

2. Black Order
I just finished the 3rd book in the Sigma Force series. Another fun romp through history and science - quantum physics and the Nazi eugenics program. Can one reconcile intelligent design and evolution? Fun exploration.

Reading with kids

1. Polar Bears Past Bedtime
Luke and I continue to read through the Magic Tree House (MTH) series. In book #12, Jack and Annie end up in the Arctic and learn cool things about polar bears.

2. Vacation Under the Volcano
MTH #13 finds Jack and Annie in the town of Pompeii, right before the volcano erupts. They get there just in time to rescue a story written on a scroll and Hercules comes to their rescue when things look really dire.

3. Day of the Dragon King
MTH #14 finds Jack and Annie in ancient China saving a story written on bamboo. They learn about the Great Wall and terracotta soldiers.

4. Viking Ships at Sunrise
MTH# 15 finds Jack and Annie in old Ireland in the time of the Vikings. They rescue an illustrated manuscript just in time, and are helped by a giant sea serpent.

5. Hour of the Olympics
MTH #16 finds Jack and Annie in ancient Greece at the time of the first Olympic games. They learn that girls and women are not allowed to go to school or even attend the games. They meet Plato who takes them to find the scroll they need to save - a story written by a woman under the name anonymous. Pegasus comes to their rescue when they get in trouble.

6. The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
Read this with Jonah. The story stresses the importance of good manners.

7. Tae Kwon Do!
Jonah read this book with a little help. I look for books with stories he might be interested in. He is currently taking Tae Kwon Do, so we had a good discussion about how the kids in this book do some different things than he does in his classes.

Podcasts

I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore. I have a long list of podcast episodes downloaded for my listening pleasure. Here are the shows I currently have on my iPod (in no particular order):

1. This American Life
2. The Moth
3. This I Believe
4. On Point
5. PRI Selected Shorts
6. The Economist Audio Edition
   
7. Dr. Kiki's Science Hour
8. New Yorker Fiction
9. Planet Money

What podcasts do you listen to?

Reading with kids

1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The boys had seen the movie and were curious to see how close the book was to what they saw. An interesting introduction as to how the story is modified based on how it is presented. They loved this book. We talked about what we would want if we lived in this town. Luke - grapes. Jonah - doughnuts.

2. Diary of a Spider
The boys loved this series - Jonah in particular. A great way to learn a little more about spiders.

3. Diary of a Fly
The boys loved this series - Jonah in particular. A great way to learn a little more about flies. They eat regurgitated food? Weird says Luke.

4. Diary of a Worm
The boys loved this series - Jonah in particular. A great way to learn a little more about worms.

5. Olivia
Our first time reading about this little pig. Very cute.

6. Olivia Saves the Circus
Olivia tells her class about what she did on vacation. She has quite the imagination.

7. Never Smile at a Monkey
Brilliant book. It is both educational and there is the chance of death or dismemberment - what is not to love? The boys loved it.

8. What's Wrong With My Hair?
Cute book about a lion getting ready for a party. Which hairstyle would be best?

Love

Here are my photos for the Feb theme: LOVE