Visual Journal

Some recent entries:

Maldives

Climate Connections recently had a podcast on the Maldives, and I was reminded of the azure waters and lovely atolls. Hugs to all my cousins out there. Here are some photos from my visit in 03.

Oscar turns 80

I stayed up way past my bedtime to watch the Oscars last Sunday. Here are 5 random thoughts of the night:

1. I love the red carpet - it's fun to see what people are wearing; even though they might not have eaten for months to look that good.
2. Jon Stewart was an awesome host - love his sense of humor, and I almost fell off my couch when he talked about how usually when we have a black or woman president, some asteroid is about to crash into the planet.
3. Was it just me or was everyone waiting to see who would take a header on the slippery spot?
4. I had only seen one of the films nominated in any category (Juno).
5. Love that so many of the Oscars went to foreigners.
   

Lunar Eclipse

Hope you got out last night to see the last total lunar eclipse until 2010. It was visible from all of NA, and we lucked out with a clear, cold night. Babes and I bundled up and headed outside with hot chocolate to watch the magic. Absolutely stunning.

Imagine what it was like when the moon was the only light at night, and as you looked up it started to get "eaten" - surely you must have felt that you angered the gods in some way.

Recent Reads

1. Bird by Bird
A couple of my book club buddies and I are taking a personal essay class, and this book was recommended by the instructor. I loved it. The author is honest, funny and gives good advice - several of which I have already started to use.

2. Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trip
Absolutely delightful. I have already taken several of these trips, and so many more to go. Wonderfully inspirational - got the travel itch!

Dudus

Caught the nasty bug thats been floating around and been doing a lot of sleeping the past several days. Finally feeling better, and am so excited about that.

4 things to be happy about:
1. Susan and I had an excellent brunch at here:
- always feels like you suddenly landed in Paris
- their hot chocolate is out of this world
2. We attended a concert at Symphony Hall:
- Mozart's Requiem by the Handel and Hayden Society
- wonderful afternoon of music
3. Finally got a chance to visit the Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston:
- it really is quite a beautiful church
- the Mapparium is simply amazing - could send hours in there
4. My parents are in town - been ages since I last saw them.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is a day filled with so many expectations.

So what do you want today?
Have you asked for it?
Or better yet, why not give it to yourself?

Got hand-made cards and dino brownies decorated with frosting and M&Ms from my nephews. Plan on enjoying some of them with lunch today.

TV Shows

Those of you who know me, know that I do not have cable, and I'm aways asking friends to recommend shows they find interesting. Here are a couple that I am currently watching on DVD:

1. Friday Night Lights
I love this show. Stumbled upon it on Amazon and am hooked. I'm currently watching season 1, which I'm told is the best season. I know that states like Texas have passionate high school football fans, and honestly, I have never understood why. I mean, it's high school. This show is so much more than high school and football - love how it is done.

2. Ugly Betty
I have friends who constantly tell me about this show, so I've watched season 1. I really dislike the name of the show - but like that the main character is mexican and looks like she eats once in a while. Very soapish with some interesting twists.

3. House
I have yet to meet a medical show I did not like. I find the guy rude, the women inspid, but love the mystery of solving a case from clues. Am learning about all these diesases I had no idea about. Am in the midst of season 2.

What's your fave show?

Visual Journal

Where does the weekend go? Seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. Winter is back - temps around 9F this morning; wind chill even lower. Ouch.

Some new pages. I find that I like doing the detailed line drawings while listening to a podcast. Something soothing about it.

Grass as a keystone species

Check out this fascinating talk by Michael Pollen.

Recent Reads

1. To Kill A Mocking Bird - what am amazing book!
I love the idea of an entire town reading the same book - we started the one town, one book program last year, and this book is the 2008 choice. Wow! It puts a whole new meaning on the word "classic". I read that this was the only book Harper Lee published - well, one is all she needed to write I guess. How does one follow up that book? Absolutely loved it.

2. The Digital Photography Book
Not as technical as many of the books on photography I usually read - but this is a good refresher.

3. True Colors
I love visual journals, and love the idea of collaborative journals. This book is a fun look at how some women artists interpret color.

Visual Journal

Found that I did not create much in terms of art in Jan - not sure why - maybe just needed time away from my supplies. I've decided to try something new - 2 books of very different sizes and materials. The smaller one is a 2008 calendar - got it for $2 at B&N - clearance once the holiday rush is over. The nice thing is that I can create 2 page spreads, and am less inclined to worry about messing up "good paper".

Podcasts

The great news is that we moved our company to Acton, which makes my commute about 10-15mins on back roads - I love it!

The problem (if one can call it that) is that it is too short a time to really get into a book. So I've started listening to podcasts more. A couple that I regularly subscribe to are:
1. On Point with Tom Asbrook (NPR)
2. Fresh Air (NPR)
3. The Connected Generation
4. The Accidental Creative
5. Education with John Merrow

I'm always looking for new ones, so added several more that I have not had a chance to listen to yet. What's your fave podcast?

Super bowl 42

Oh what a game! Even though the Pats lost, it was a great game until the end - and that is what made it fun to watch. Some really good football - though Brady was not hot yesterday - was his ankle bothering him more than he let on? Either way, the Giants deserved to win the game - they simply played better football.

It's funny how quickly the dynasty story got squashed. I think there was simply too much pressure to be perfect. What does the rest of the season matter, if you cannot win the games that really count? Well, it's 6 weeks to baseball right? :-)

Classic Americana

Quote of The Day

Live each day as if it is your last
But learn each day as if you will love forever
- M. Gandhi

Snubbing

Is it just me or has the political circus been going on for years? Thank goodness we are finally in an election year. I happened to catch "World News Tonight" last night (don't get me started on why they have World in the title), and could only watch in disbelief as I was informed that B.Obama snubbed H.Clinton - I mean they have frame by frame shots showing how it all went down. Anyone else catch this?

Seriously, we are talking about how a presidential candidate snubbed another presidential candidate. Are we still in high school?

Happy Books

Okay, a topic I heard at my last book club was that so many of the books that are read in book clubs are so very depressing. :-)

The thing is that so many of what I consider happy books are chick lit, and while they can be tasty like popcorn, there is not much to discuss. I find that I love many books that might be considered depressing, but I'm okay with being depressed for a good story. :-)

So, here's my question, can you recommend any happy books?

Postcards

Know how you travel to interesting places and they have the most horrendous postcards for sale? No? Well, it happens to me all the time. I'm constantly on the lookout for great postcards and find myself often shaking my head. Those of you who have received postcards from me, just know that those were the cream of the crop!

No-more. I've decided that it's time to make my own postcards - I mean how hard can it be? I can use my own photos and artwork to create unique cards designed by moi. Been looking at various places that make them, and finally decided to order 2 sets from MPIX.

Pros:
1. I love them!
2. The pearl paper is wonderful (they also offer linen & text stock)
3. I got them in about 2 days
4. They're having a 50% sale under the end of Jan, and 5x7s cost me $.40ea (not including S&H)
5. Incredibly easy to use

Cons:
1. Can only order sets of 24 - of the same image. Would love to be able to create different cards in the same batch
2. Cheapest S&H is USPS priority mail - but it is lovely when they get to you so fast

Bad postcards no more!

*
If you are a postcard fan, check out this site. I've gotten fun cards from people around the world.
PS: I love getting postcards in the mail.

Recent Reads

1. Barefoot
First book that I've read by the author. Liked that it was set in Nantucket - lovely island nearby. This book got rave reviews - not sure I would agree - it's a fast read, but more in the chick lit genre - which I do not read alot.
The story is about 3 women who escape to the island for a summer to take time out from various problems they are facing - fighting cancer, cheating husbands, illicit affairs, and small town living.

2. Possible Side Effects
I listened to the audio book during my commute this month, and really think that the reason I enjoyed it was because it was an audio book. Not sure that I would have made it through reading the book. The short stories are funny, some clever, and sad. The author does process a lot of angst in the pages, but I enjoyed it. If you do read it, call me after you get to story where a woman friend throws something at college guys who were annoying her. I audibly gasped when I heard it - wow!

Night at the movies

Last night saw Juno - the best movie I have seen in at least 6 months. It's the story about Juno, a 16 year old who finds herself pregnant. The writing is sharp and sparse - not a single word seems superfluous. Would highly recommend it.

Recently also saw God Grew Tired of Us, which follows the lives of some of the Lost Boys from Sudan as they adjust to life in the US. It really is astonishing what people can survive. A hard look at life in Sudan and the US.

Bluegrass

This past weekend, we attended a benefit for the Nashua River Watershed Assoc. The evening started out with dinner with fun folks and then a concert by the The Steep Canyon Rangers Bluegrass Band.

I must admit that I was not sure that I would like the music. After all, the last time I heard bluegrass it sounded liked cats on violins - way too screechy for my taste. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed the music - though their lyrics could use some work. It turned out to be a very pleasant way to spend an evening, and help out a good cause.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

The good news - the Pats are in the Super Bowl.
The bad news - Green Bay is not.

What is it about Favre that has so many people who cannot pick Green Bay out on a map rooting for him? Yesterday was a football kind of day. The Pats beat the Chargers, and the Giants beat Green Bay. My one thought throughout both games is that football is a fall sport. Mid-January should be reserved for ice-hockey. It was about 0 degrees with windchill in Foxboro and colder than that at Lambeau. Those poor guys. Any who - on to Arizona where the Pats will surely win.

F1

Recently we had a work event at F1 Boston.
It was a first for me - and my heart was certainly racing when I first got suited up to drive. I loved it - there is something about the rush that is addictive. We did a 1 hour endurance race, 3 people to a team, and we had to have 5 driver switches. Can certainly see going back for another round.

From their website:

Speed. Adrenaline. Power. Control.

These are the feelings of racing—and the hallmarks of successful business teams. These are the feelings on which team building at F1 Boston builds—as team members work together to excel—on the racetrack and in your business. How does it happen?

Through the unique combination available at F1 Boston: indoor racing and a professional team-building group. Our multi-disciplined team will work with you to identify your goals, customize a team building program to meet your needs — and, if you choose, follow up to ensure that what your people learn at F1 is transferred to what they do in the workplace.

Turret

I am intrigued by World Heritage Sites, and it's my goal to visit them all (might need multiple lives!).

Did you know that San Juan National Historic Site is one of only 20 National Parks included in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO?

This photo is from San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, PR. I was captivated by the turrets.

Moneybags

My company recently got a round of funding, and after the press release went out, the phone has not stopped ringing. It's gotten so bad that I do not answer my phone anymore. It is interesting that I get both business and personal calls. I wonder if people realize that it's not my personal money - if it was, I'd be playing on an island somewhere - not here answering my phone.

Book Club Reading List

Here the complete list for the books we'll be reading this year:

Jan - The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Feb - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
March - The Gathering by Anne Enright
April - Name All The Animals:A Memoir by Alison Smith
May - Lying in Weight:The Hidden Epidemic of Eating Disorders in Adult Women by Trisha Gura
June - The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
July - Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
Aug - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Sept - The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
Oct - Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Nov - Peony in Love by Lisa See
Dec - Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult

Recent Reads

Here are some recent reads worth mentioning:

1. The Master Butcher's Singing Club
This is what my book club is reading this month. This is the first book I've read by the author, and I really enjoyed it. I love books that open up a window to an entirely new world, and this one did just that. It got me thinking about what it must have been like for German immigrants to the US during WW2. Posed questions for me to investigate further.

2. A Lifetime of Secrets
I am fascinated by this entire series of books. Secrets - what a universal human trait - and how interesting to see what some people have carried around with them for years. Always an interesting look into the human condition

Dental Appt

Nope, not for me - for this guy. He had to go in this morning for cleaning and possibly an extraction - ouch!

In preparation, he had to have no food after midnight yesterday. This morning he did everything but yell, "what's the matter with you guys? Where's my food bowl?". Poor baby . Felt incredibly guilty - should I not eat while he cannot? That lasted all of 5 seconds.

He howled all the way (2 miles) to the vet, and then I had to leave them there (still yowling). I get to pick him up later this afternoon. I am sure that I'll be more traumatized that he'll ever be. I have no idea how parents (of 2-legged ones) do this! Is it too early for a martini?

Another nor'easter

After a wonderfully warm week, winter is back is back with about 8" of fresh wet snow.
Finished up my 2007 art journal this weekend while watching NE and JAX. Some pretty great football this weekend no? I for one was happy to see P.Manning loose. Cannot explain it - just do not like the guy.

Favre on Fire

Man, oh man. Did you see the game today?

Packers against Seahawks. 2 fumbles put the Packers 14 points behind in less than 2 minutes into the game! Incredible game. I'd love to see a Packers/Pats super bowl.

Window Seat

Every time I fly, I think about the fact that 2 of my grandparents never got on a plane. They never got to see the earth from 30,000 feet.

On my recent flight to Vegas, I booked myself into a window seat, as the flight would occur in daylight. I'm sure that in the old days of travel, one got used to the fact that one was making a journey. This trip in fact would have taken many months and be fraught with peril. My trip was on time, and took me barely 6 hours to travel almost the width of the continental United States. No need to ford swift rivers. No high altitude passes to cross. At times I do think that in modern travel, we miss out on some of that. We do not have time to adjust to traveling, before we arrive. Would I change it? Nope. But still.

You can see more pics from my seat here.

Organization

It's funny how once you find a systems that works, it's hard to let go even though technology has moved light years ahead.

Here is an example. I organize all manila folders (remember those?) and electronics documents using a similar filing system. I tend to use one of 2 methods:
1. Filed under relevant year.
In this method, everything is in the right year, and then there are sub-folders that make it easy for me to quickly find what I'm looking for.
2. Filed under relevant topic.
Similar but different from #1. Here everything is filed under topic and then sorted by year.

Both work really well for me, but recently I decided to simplify my email folders. The situation was forced by the issue of how to file something that belonged under 2 categories, say a customer and a sales person.

I now only use 3 folders. I quickly scan everything in my inbox and do one of four things:
1. Respond to items that need only a couple minutes to review and respond
2. File under Follow Up items that require review or a more lengthy response
3. File under Hold items that require input/data from someone else
4. Archive all other items

Using Goggle Desktop, or other such tools, looking for files, or emails is as easy as a search on name, topic, etc. Problem solved.

Ns

I loved spending time with my ns over the holidays - they have gotten so big! We can have in-depth conversations about pirates, power rangers, dolls and other such important topics. :-)

Bella is adorable in glasses. She is so good at wearing them all the time - I remember how hard it was for her father to even find his glasses!





























The four mousekeeters - Jonah, Bella, Luke and Maya

The Connected Generation

It's a different world than when I grew up in so many ways - and here is one example of how things have changed. I remember clearly the first day I saw my first computer - I was in college! It's so cool that kids these days are so techno-savvy. Pics are of my n's Luke and Sophia over the xmas holiday playing with a new toy.

Katrina Connections

We often wonder what we can do when faced with disasters of incredible magnitude. Well, my buddy Ella stepped up to the plate and is an inspiration to us all. You can read more about her story and her new documentary here. You go girl!

Quote of the day

"Better to go barefoot than to go without books".
- Icelandic expression

Huh?

Now there are restrictions on carrying spare lithium batteries when you travel. You cannot check the batts, but you can carry-on spare batts. Note that a batt actually in a device is not considered a spare. Now gotta figure out if the batts I use actually give me a gram measurement.
Read the article here.
What gives?

Christmas Revels

Another first.

Friends A&M invited us to go see the Christmas Revels at the Sanders Theater. I love this theater - if you have never been in, go check it out. I had never been to a Revels before and was not sure what to expect. I hear that they have Revels from different regions each year, and have had them for a couple of decades. Very cool. Loved the audience participation aspect of the show.

Here's the show blurb:

* Winter Solstice Celebration Returns to Cambridge – Balkan-style!*

Celebrate the holidays with family and friends at the 37th annual Christmas Revels! This winter, travel with us from Harvard’s historic Sanders Theatre to the exotic region known as the Balkans, where we’ll celebrate the season with beautiful singing, spectacular dancing and many colorful folk traditions Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Bosnia.

This year’s production features a talented ensemble of more than 80 performers. Joining the Revels Chorus of adults and children will be Boston’s celebrated world music ensemble, Libana, Bulgarian dancer and choreographer Petre Petrov performing with the young Balkan dance ensemble Mladost, gaida (bagpipe) player Patrick Yacono, musician extraordinaire David Coffin, and old friends the Pinewoods Morris Men and Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble. Actress Debra Wise joins us again this year as Narrator.

Sing 3-part carols and rounds with the cast, thrill to exotic Balkan singing, enjoy a seriously funny Mummers Play featuring mythological Balkan characters and, before Intermission, join hands and dance out of the theater for the joyous Lord of the Dance, Revels’ signature piece and a high point of every Christmas Revels.

Things that make you go hmmm.....

Got this link from Susan - she got it from a technology podcast - check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM

Back in the Saddle

It is always tough to get back to work after a vacation - especially one that was long and lovely. Am back in the correct time zone (though still get really hungry at odd times - then again, that might have nothing to do with time zones!).

Anyone else struggle to get up and get to work this morning? It certainly did not help that there was a lump of ice at the bottom of the driveway that had to be shoveled before anyone could get out. I hear that we are expecting a 60 degree day next week. That will help offset the incredibly low temps we'll have today and tomorrow - think we'll have a high of about 14!! Brrr!
I know the days are getting longer - I have faith that they are will - never mind that sunset is around 3pm.

Traditions

Table-Top Tree
This is the first year we've tried a table top tree - had not even heard of one before. Well, it's small and easy to handle and really rather cute. Could be a new tradition in the making. I love the smell of pine, but the large trees start at about 75 bucks - totally outrageous in my opinion.













Fires
I loose track of the number of fires we make each winter. There are days that I get a fire going by noon and read or play by it all day. Wonderful way to keep the dark at bay.














Wine
Life is too short for bad wine. Enough said.




















Roast Beast
Yummy in the tummy.

Happy New Year!

2008 already! Where did the time go?

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be gentle at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.

(Part of an Irish Blessing)

Recent Reads

1. The Historian
Picked this book up while in pTown this summer - love to support local book stores and Now Voyager is one of my faves. I enjoyed this book - history, magic, curses, vampires, the Church, etc all rolled into one. I did not know that Dracula was a real historical figure - albeit there is no evidence that he was a vampire - but still found the story an interesting read. Makes me want to travel to Eastern Europe.

2. Origin
This book was highly recommended, and yet I could not quite get into it. It's a murder mystery of sorts, but had a hard time getting swept into the saga - quite disappointing.

Home again

Back from a fun trip to Vegas, and lovely to be home.

Was really surprised at the full flights - usually it's a perfect time to fly with very little crowds. The Southwest flight attendants are refreshingly funny - for some of the fun things they say check out flight attendants on YouTube.

Boxing Day

It's been real fun hanging out with my nieces. They are old enough to have longer conversations - too cute for words. Have been playing Go Fish and Chutes and Ladders - whatever happened to Snakes and Ladders? It's certainly more dramatic being swallowed up by a snake then simply sliding down the chute.

Explored the wonderful creations at the Bellagio - simply magnificent. The girls loved the scrapbooks - we'll be embellishing the books with stickers later tonight. It's in the 50s - a pleasant change from the Boston winter.

Merry Christmas!

HO HO HO

Up before the animals. Huge full moon. Must have been excellent lighting for the reindeer.
Headed out to Las Vegas this morning. More from the city of sin later (oh wait, that is Lynn isn't it?).

Visual Journal

Some recent pages:

Happy Winter Solstice!

The great news is that this is the longest night of the year - we are headed towards more light. Just back in from a walk - why is everyone on their roofs shoveling off the snow? Is there an alert that I missed? Hmmm.









Looks like we're in the midst of a snowy wilderness.

A neighbor has an interesting decoration they put out each year. Rudolph stands at the top of the chimney and helps Santa up - imagine Santa going down and popping out with that grin. Not sure that this is PG rated!

Africa

Graffiti can be really creative public art. Here is a homage to my homeland found in Old San Juan, PR.

Snow Records

We've had the 2nd highest snow fall for the month of Dec - and winter does not start until tomorrow. It looks like the gift of the warm winter we had last year will not be repeated - though at least we are getting snow to play in.

The problem becomes where to put all this snow. When the snow banks are as tall as I am, it makes shoveling a cardio sport. And did I mention that winter does not officially start until tomorrow?

Inspiration

Several months ago I stumbled onto this website . It is absolutely incredible and I dip in on a regular basis for inspiration. Drop in and see what some of the most talented minds are thinking about.

Book of Jonah

Here is the photo book for Jonah. 4 down, 1 to go.



















This book was created with some 2 page LOs.
You can see the entire book here.

Children's Books

There is something magical about reading children's books, and lately, I've been immersed in the magic as I read books in search of ones that I think my n's would enjoy.

Here are my fave ones this week:

1. The Dot - this one is a gentle reminder to little artist who might be buried deep inside us.
2. Ten Little Mummies - an Egyptian counting book.
3. Flotsam - I love this book. It has no words, so the story changes each time.
4. Museum ABC - lovely way to explore the letters of the alphabet.

Winter Wonderland

Let it snow! We've had 2 winter storms in the past 4 days, each showering us with about 8 inches.

Yesterday we had a mailbox at 10 and the mailbox disappeared by 11:30 - not due to the amount of snow, but because the plows banged into it. I guess it is rather easy to miss the black box surrounded by all that white. Sigh. Am starting to understand why people have concrete mailboxes.

Too bad had to come in to work today - would be a lovely day to play in the snow - yes a bit cold, but brilliant sunshine. The world is white and sparkling new. Beautiful!

Quote of the Day

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.

- Spencer Johnson

Amazon versus Sony

The battle of the e-readers is on! Currently the Sony reader is about 100 bucks cheaper than Amazon's Kindle (which is currently sold out and selling on ebay at twice list price!)

I've been waiting for technology to catch up, and it looks like it finally has. I for one am thrilled. But where does one get one's hands on these devices to see what they look like?

Well, at Comp USA I found the latest Sony - and boy oh boy is it awesome! The text looks like the written page! Very cool. I've been reading up on technology behind this, and it's really interesting. Have read all the reviews on the Kindle - certainly see some of the advantages over the Sony. Love that you don't have to be connected to a PC. I've been looking at upgrading my iPod but the fact that I can listen to audio on these devices is compelling. Yes, they have totally different use models, and I can see why I would love having both, but am holding out for the moment on the iPod upgrade.

Issues I still see that need to be resolved:
1. Will libraries carry the right format for these e-books?
2. DRM implications. Can I transfer the book to someone else? Can I re-read the book several years down the road?
3. The audio is currently in "shuffle" mode - this prevents listening to audio books.

Despite these current limitations, I am thrilled to finally see e-readers that I would use. Almost walked out of the store with one!

*
Have gotten several requests, so have added my wish list to the blog (under LINKS on right).

Latest Audio Book

Just completed The Alibi Man.

This is the first time I've been exposed to the books of Tami Hoag. Her thrillers are very popular, and I found this one enjoyable. Not great, but good commuting material.

Lola

Her name was Lola
She was a showgirl
On the streets of Old San Juan ...













It really is amazing what you see if you take the time to look.

Book of Maya

Here is the photo book for Maya. 3 down, 2 to go.















You can see the rest of the album here.

Book Club Reading List

Here is what my book club is reading the first part of 2008:

Jan - The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Feb - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
March - The Gathering by Anne Enright
April - Name All The Animals:A Memoir by Alison Smith

Book of Sophia

It's always fun to go back and look at old pics. I completed the photo book for Sophia - 2 down, 3 to go.















You can see the entire book here.

Visual Journal

Had an incredibly creative day yesterday. Felt in the mood for holiday cards this year, and loved how they turned out - will post a sample soon. In the meanwhile, continue to play in my art journal - I have a goal to complete this book by year end, and have only a couple more pages to go. (Click in images to enlarge).

Bowling

For someone who has not bowled since college days (that is a story for another time), it has come up twice this week. Not the big balls bowling - I'm sure it has a formal name - but the little ball type - Candle Pin.

How it come up - a trip to the lanes with my brother and nephews and yesterday as a work "bonding" event. It actually is quite fun. I had never seen the little kid lanes before - they have guard rails up so you cannot have a gutter ball. Very cool. Strikes, spares - great jargon too. And oh the shoes! If I took this more seriously I would have to invest in entire new outfits and equipment - that in itself would be interesting.

Recent Reads

Have read several books lately and here is one that I really enjoyed.

I love reading journals of all types, and this one is a visual journal of sorts. Personally, I find that when I look back at the pages of my visual journal, I can recall so much more than when I record the experience in any other way - written entry, photography, etc.

I have read some of the author's children books, and they are really imaginative. Would recommend them for the little and not-so-little ones in your life.

PC Club

I sure do miss it. Had really great ones in PR.

Snow Days

We had our first snow a day ago - not much, only about 4 to 5 inches. And yet traffic came to a stand still. This happens every winter - it's as if people forget how to drive in the white stuff and there are accidents everywhere. I really don't understand it, and yet there you have it.

I am lucky in that I can work at home when weather makes traffic simply not worth plowing through. A great perk.

Mixed marriages

Okay, I know that I've been sick which makes me a little fuzzy - but here is an article from the local San Juan paper. Am I missing something?

El Yunque

It was amazing exploring the rainforest. I was really surprised that I did not see any snakes on our hike - if you know me, you know I see snakes everywhere! Well, am happy to report that I did finally see one at the Visitor Center.

An interesting thing - there were signs everywhere about how safe it was to hike in the rainforest - there are no poisonous snakes, etc. Then a little footnote that said that there were 10,000 poisonous flora and fauna in the rainforest - hmm, what is one to make of this I wonder.


















You can see additional pics here.

PR Graffiti

I love creative and artistic graffiti, and was delighted with the ones I saw in PR.





















This is the collage I created for my desktop background.
















Here are more graffiti images.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's turkey day and we head back home today. It is hard to really get into the celebration of this holiday after you have spent time around a people decimated with the arrival of the Anglos. It was Discovery Day here earlier this week - and the way Columbus is depicted is right on. There is a column in Old San Juan called the Columbus Column - and it has broken shards of pottery stuck in it - a very apt memorial.

Headed off for a final stroll around the walls of this old city - both a US National Park and a World Heritage site - and then we head to the airport. Back to the cold of New England. But I'll be back.

El Convento

Wow! I love this hotel. It used to be an old convent, and has been re-done as one of the "small luxury hotels of the world". Incredible. Great location. I might just have to move in.

We took the scenic drive from Luquillo to San Jose yesterday. Very pretty drive. Lots and lots of beaches. It was an adventure returning the car to Thrifty - do not believe what they say - they are not at the airport, and their map to get back to them leaves much detail to the imagination. When we finally found the lot - not far from the airport, but no direct way there, told the staff about the poor directions. They smiled and said, yes we've heard that from everyone! I'll be printing up a map for them to handout with all the other paperwork!

Explored one of the forts yesterday - El Moro. I could spend days here with my camera - there are so many great angles. Love the blue cobblestones of Old San Juan - used to be ballast on old Spanish ships - they had to off load them to make room for all the bounty they were stealing - ahem - transporting back to Spain.

Another beautiful day on tap. Off to explore some more.

Going to Phase 2

We leave the lovely beaches of Luquillo today and head into Old San Juan. Wonderful food, friendly people, excellent pina coladas. Yesterday was windy with bouts of rain, and it was fun to watch the local surfers strut their stuff. Looking forward to the next phase of adventures.

Beaches and Rainforests

How amazing to have lovely beaches only 15 mins from a rainforest!

Spent yesterday morning hiking in the rainforest - up to Mt Britton Lookout Tower - amazing views. Still cannot quite process the fact that 100 billion gallons of rain falls every year here! Clearly the plants love it - have never seen anything like these oversized ferns. The leaves of some plants could be used as umbrellas if it started to rain. We have really lucked out with beautiful weather - no rain even in the rain forest.

After getting all sweaty, we were swimming in azure waters in the afternoon. Simply delightful.
Also, sampling wonderful food - plantains stuffed with beef, plantain soup with pork, fried chicken parts with fried plantains - with a classic dipping sauce - mayo and ketchup with a little garlic and heat. Yummy. And did I mention the pina coladas? Have lost count of how many I have had since getting here.

Today started out rainy, but it has cleared up. There are surfers out on the waves in front of the hotel. Had to go check them out. On tap for today - beach walks, swimming, and lots more good food. We leave this part of the island for Old San Juan tomorrow. Will not have had the time to explore all we wanted to - a perfect reason to return.

Hola from PR

Might just have to move to the PR! I love it here. And it's a short 4 hour direct flight from Boston.

The first part of our trip is based out of the Luquillo Sunrise Beach Inn. A great spot - cute little hotel, right on the beach with very eco-friendly pratices. We got a room with a balconey overlooking the beach, and last night fell asleep to the sound of surf. Turns out that the beach we are on is a fave destination for surfer. I can see them out there this morning.

Spent our first day walking along incredible beaches - almost no-one around. Dinner at Kiosk #2 - plantain/pork soup, spiny lobster and pineapple/shrimp/rice dish. Yum. Yum.

Beautiful day - gotta go outside and play.

Latest Audio Book

This week I finished "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd. I have really enjoyed other books by her - would really recommend reading "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine".

This one however was not so good. An interesting enough story about a woman who has lost herself in her roles as wife and mother and learns to rediscover who she is when she returns to her home on Egret Island. I like the strong bonds that connect the women in the book, but as a whole was not moved by it.

An interesting observation while listening to this book: When I read I always have an idea of how many pages there are left in the book - I can feel it with my fingers. When I listen to books on CD, I can also estimate how much is left by the number of CDs left - not as effectively as with a book, but still works. When I listen to a book on my iPod, it is like listening in the dark. I have no idea where I am in the story. Have I passed the middle or not? I guess I could scroll down and see how much is left, but I do not. Strange no?

Dudus

Home sick today. Have not started packing for my vacation yet. Am hoping to feel better before I have to get on the plane. Drinking lots of fluids, gone through bowls of chicken noodle soup, sucking down the Vitamin C, getting lots of sleep. Am doing my part. Cannot really complain though as it's been a long time since I last picked up a bug.

Am really excited about going to Puerto Rico. It has been on my list to visit for ages, and it's almost here!

Children's Books

If you know me, you know that I love to read. I cannot imagine what my life would be without books. I would like to cultivate the love of reading in my ns. It's harder with the girls being so far away, but every time I spend time with any of the ns I read to them. Luke loves books. Jonah is often too antsy to sit still long enough for a book, so I'm on a mission.

The boys spent Friday evening with us. I was ready with books. I had done my research and found books that I thought they would like. I read them all ahead of time and picked the ones I thought might resonate with them. When I picked them up, I talked about the cool books - building the anticipation. And don't you know that it worked! We read 3 books and the boys really liked them. Jonah was up and away by the middle of the 3rd book, but still a success.

Here are ones that we read:
1. Scary, Scary Halloween
2. Room on the Broom
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Luke's fave was #1 - he loves Halloween. Jonah liked #2 best.