December Daily 2010 - Day 17

Journaling:
New Worlds ... I cannot remember an age when I did not love books. Everything about them - the texture of the paper, the smell of ink, the font styles, the heft of the book, the cover art, and the worlds they have opened up for me. This year I made the leap to e-readers with my nook. Such a different reading experience, and I love it too.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 16

Journaling:
I love that our tree ornaments are connected to memories. One of our travel traditions is to find an ornament to add to our collection. On this page, the center one belonged to Susan’s mom. The one of Henry VIII on the top right is from one of our London trips, and the one on the bottom right is from New Orleans. I love that every time we trim the tree it is a fun trip down memory lane.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 15

Journaling:
My nephew Jonah turns six next week, and since I’m going to be out of town, we decided to celebrate today. He was absolutely delighted with his present from the treasure box - Scaredy Squirrel - a story that both boys have loved. Luke immediately grabbed it and starting reading it to him. Love that. After we got homework out of the way, it was time for an impromptu game of charades. Dinner by request of the birthday boy was cheese pizza and an apple berry pie. So love the funny, smart boy he is growing up to be. I hope you never cease to ask questions and wonder at the marvels around you little one.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 14

Journaling:
I Remember ... When I was a kid in Mombasa, our family Christmas celebrations revolved around faith, family and food. We read Bible passages about the birth of Jesus. We attended midnight mass. We put up a tree and had friends or family around for tasty food that Mom prepared. There was no shopping frenzy. It was not about stuff. I remember the simple pleasure of a new dress each year. Lovely.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 13

Journaling:
@ Home...I love how the house transforms over the holidays - there are things that only come out this time of year. These are some of the items on the mantel. The brass reindeer and tree are stocking hangers - so fun.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 12

Journaling:
I’ve been emeshed in the Alcott world ever since my visit to Fruitlands last month. I had no idea that Fruitlands had an Alcott connection, and was delighted to learn more about the family. The docent recommended the book Eden’s Outcasts, a book I have loved reading these past several weeks. Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women is one that so influenced me as a kid. Jo March was my role model - a girl who ignored social norms and went her own way. So loved that. Feel so indebted to the author, and was delighted to visit her home in Concord many years ago. And here I was at the doorstep of another chapter of her life. Have so loved this foray into her world.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

Recent Reads

1. Zeitoun
My book club selection for the month is one I did not enjoy at all. As a matter of fact the only reason I finished it was for the book club. It is so poorly written. How the heck does one take a story like this and make it boring? And boring it was. Almost seemed like it was a direct transcription of a conversation - no color, no prose, no nothing. And again, one of my pet peeves, this bestseller is not written for an adult audience in my opinion. Why all the stars in reviews? I don't get it.

2. Eden's Outcasts
In contrast to the book above, this was a fantastic read. Talk about serendipity - was at my first ever visit to Fruitlands last month and the docent recommended this book, and I have been having such a wonderful time immersing myself into the lives of Bronson and Louisa May Alcott. A sublime read.

3. Print and Stamp Lab
A good basic introduction to stamping.

4. Travel Writing
A well written book for people who like to travel and write about their experiences. While geared for people who want to get their work published, this is also a great book to stimulate thought about what you see and experience and ways to best capture mood.

December Daily 2010 - Day 11

Journaling:
I remember the excitement of my very first diary with a lock and key. Such a thrill. This year decided that my nieces, Bella (8), Sophia (7) and Maya (7), are all old enough for their first diary with a lock and key. Just like I did with the one I gave Luke, these have prompts pasted inside to serve to jump start their journaling. Who gets what? The fairy one is for Bella, the pink butterfly one is for Sophia and the pirate one is for Maya. I picked them based on their personalities. Of course, they might always swap them. Will see if I picked right.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 10

The concert did not allow camera use, so got a couple of photos from the web to use on my page.

Journaling:

Vienna Boys Choir… I could not believe that the Vienna Boys Choir was to perform at the Lowell Auditorium, so of course we got tickets. I did not realize that the hundred boy choir is split into five traveling groups, so while it was lovely, there was much lost in not having the magnitude of voices. Loved the clear bell-like quality of their voices - not an alto among them. Beautiful.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 9

Journaling:

Birds do it. Wildebeest do it. And at our house dishes do it. Migrate that is. This tradition goes back at least three generations in Susan’s family and is also a tradition at our house. It’s like we have new dishes each season. Love that. The holiday dish migration is complete. Mostly Spode, but also some fun things picked up over the years.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 8

Journaling:

My nephew Luke turned eight this past weekend. Eight! Where did the years go? I still remember seeing him right after he was born. That impossibly tiny baby is now eight. His present from the treasure box was a pirate journal with a lock and key - something he has wanted since he first read about it in The Diary of the Wimpy Kid series that he has devoured this past month. He loved it and immediately wrote his name and started writing his secret thoughts. Love that. Birthday dinner included his current faves – mac&cheese with wild boar, “leaves”, red peppers and an apple pie for dessert. I hope all your wishes come true little one.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 7

Journaling:

Treasure Box Magic...The story goes that this treasure box was given to me by a pirate I saved when his ship sank at Treasure Island in Las Vegas as a sign of his gratitude. And the magic part? You get points for every book you read - the points are determined by difficulty - and when you have 50 points, a cool key magically appears. When you open the box you find a note with a riddle you have to solve in order to find your prize. While you are solving the clues, the key magically disappears. The boys have been so motivated to read or be read to, and have vibrated with anticipation ever since the box appeared about a year ago. My favorite part is that Luke is now a proficient reader and Jonah is starting to read on his own. Love that!

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 6

Journaling:

Virus Attack…I’ve been surfing many new sites lately and picked up a virus somewhere along the way. Yup, had forgotten to turn on my virus scan and suddenly my C drive was gone! Full blown panic set in. Thank goodness for the calm head of Susan, my personal bug blaster, who got rid of it and has me back up and running with no loss of data. Phew!

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 5

Journaling:
Time for Tea…I loved tea time as a kid, though did not actually drink tea in those days. These days barely a day goes by when I do not make time for tea. Slows me down. Centers me. Especially love when the holiday mugs are in circulation - so festive. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 4

Journaling:

Art Journaling is one of my many passions. I love everything about it - the texture of the paper, the color of the paint, the smell of ink. I’ve kept a written journal for as long as I can remember, and have had fun experimenting with these journals. I’ve loved binding my own books and have spent countless hours playing with paint. I have connected with people locally and globally who share the same passion. Love that I’ve gotten my n’s into journaling as well. Something we can do together.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 3

Journaling:

Best of Boston. We visited the Museum of Fine Arts in the morning and enjoyed a concert at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the afternoon. The new wing of Art in the Americas at the MFA exceeded my wildest expectations. Move over Prado. Rush tickets at the BSO are the best kept secret in town. I’ve never seen anyone who had to conduct from a chair due to an injury. Talk about dancing feet.

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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 2

Journaling:
Kitchen Projects....Susan had the dishwasher fixed before the boys came over, but the water filter replacement project was still underway. The strange light under the sink was like a magnet for the boys. I love how these photos capture their sense of exploration into worlds unknown. They got a crash course in plumbing and were fascinated. Susan told them that she plans to rip out all the counters and cabinets and redo the kitchen. Jonah's response: "Then why fix this now?" Good question.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

December Daily 2010 - Day 1

Journaling:
Auntie Bliss....I love, love, love being an aunt. And I am one five times over! Was I ever delighted that the boys were over on this first day of my first ever December Daily project. Made the decision not to move so as to be close to Luke (7) and Jonah (5), and have so loved time with them over the years. This was a typical school night - snacks, homework, reading, a fire, dinner, catching up, stories, hugs and laughs. Making fun memories one day at a time.
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Capturing stories. One day at a time. For the month of December.

Reading with kids

Jonah came over for a solo overnight last week and we got in some serious reading. He is reading the Biscuit books by himself with a little help. So proud of him.

1. Biscuit Meets the Class Pet
The silly puppy has fun with a bunny.

2. Biscuit's Birthday
A party with friends, balloons, gifts and pals. What could be better?

3. Meet Biscuit
A new puppy is such fun. Now what to name him?

4. Scaredy-Cat Splat!
A cute Halloween story that I read and we discussed.

5. Horton Hatches the Egg
I read this at bed time as we snuggled under the covers. One of my fave books and I love that he loves it too.

Journal pages

Love how this turned out. I have this fab switch plate in my study and cannot recall where I bought it. Every time I turn on the light it makes me smile. My walls are almost that color when the afternoon light comes streaming in.

Here is a story about going along with "mistakes" and seeing what happens. I had no intention of adding any texture to the background color then I went and painted the next page and got that puddle on the top right page. See it? Well, decided that it was telling me that the page needed to be textured and voila! here is the end result. Love when that happens.