World Traveler

Trip to Egypt Segment Four

2010-06-07T23:41:00.005-04:00

This morning (Wednesday) we were able to sleep until six-thirty, be ready to leave the ship at eight for an hour and a half drive in a coach bus to Dendera for a tour of the Temple of Hathor. The sailing on the Nile had been delayed for two days, because the water level was too low in the Nile. During the ride to the temple we were able to see farmers and their fields of cabbages, pumpkins, sesame, cauliflower, etc. We saw the irrigation canals and diesel pumps used to dispense water. We saw the mud brick houses. We saw animals such as cows, donkeys, and horses. The donkeys were pulling small wagons of vegetation and were ridden by people.

Ride Down the Nile River to Dendera to the Temple of Hathor
Observe the mud brick houses.

The Temple of Hathor is magnificent, but everything had been blackened by smoke on the interior of the Temple. An ancient times many temples had become hiding places and the occupant fires caused blackening of all the interior surfaces. Today there are people in the process of trying to remove the black layers. The small areas that have been cleaned and restored reveal spectacular colors.

Exterior of the Temple of Hathor

Observe the Hathor headed columns to the left.

Observe a well just above.

Exterior of the Temple of Hathor

Observe the engraving of Cleopatra and her son in the upper right.

Smoke Blackened interior of the Temple of Hathor

Observe the Hathor headed columns.

Smoke Blackened interior of the Temple of Hathor

During lunch today we finally set sail up the Nile. The Nile is one of a few rivers in the world that flows North. Though we were sailing south, thus we were sailing up the Nile. We were able to spend sometime on the deck today taking in the sites as we sailed towards Kom Ombo. When the sun sat the temperature became very cool and chilly. We knew that sometime soon we should be going through Locks at Esna. While we are waiting our ships turn to go through the Locks, we should have an opportunity to participate in the floating market. The vendors throw an object they are selling up on the ship deck. It was very interesting seeing the floating market. Vendors in boats came up to our boat and threw their merchandise on board our boat. Than we were able to look at the item and barter a price. They would throw a pouch on board for us to put in our money. The items we didn’t want we threw back to them. They continued to try and sell their wares until they can no longer reach the boat safely because it is starting to go through the Locks.

Sailing up the Nile towards the Esna Locks

Up to this point the temperature so far has been very pleasant. The highest it has been so far is the very low 80s one day. Outside of all the places we have toured the vendors are a bit pushy at times, the worst was the market on the exit from the Temple of Hatshepsut. They were lined up the whole length and tried to trap you from moving, so you have to keep walking and say no (laa shokran). It is fun haggling and getting a good bargain.

Egypt Trip Segment One

Egypt Trip Segment Two

Egypt Trip Segment Three

Trip to Egypt Segment Three

2010-05-13T23:46:00.002-04:00

We were up early again (Tuesday) at five thirty to leave for a tour of the West bank of the Nile. You might say to yourself, 'I thought they were on vacation so why are they getting up so early everyday'. I will tell you now, it was everyday. This gave us a chance to have a nice buffet breakfast on the boat before we left every morning. It also gave us a jump on the crowds that were coming from further distances. And it gave us enough time to see the sights before the sun was too hot and be back on the boat for a great buffet lunch and time to relax on the boat. On our way to the Valley of the Kings which is on the west bank of the Nile we saw some hot air balloons.

Today we visited the Valley of the Kings and were able to go into three of the tombs. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures. The tombs we entered were Ramses IV KV2, Ramses IX KV6, and Ramses III KV11. SPECTACULAR is the one word that describes it the best. The surprising things to me : the passage ways were not narrow and low; the paintings, drawings, colors and size of the tombs were spectacular, The yellows, blues, and reds the guide informed us that only one man was responsible for one color. And that is why there is a consistency in the colors. Inside the tomb of Ramses IV, as we entered on the right hand wall there is evidence of Christian occupancy by the crosses and Coptic language engraved in the wall. At the Valley of the Kings there is still a lot of excavation going on to find more tombs We also saw some pieces of pottery that had recently been discovered.

We than boarded our touring coach to visit the Temple of Hatshepsut. First we arrived at the welcoming building and took an open vehicle ride to the area of the Temple. Once at the Temple we walked up the ramps to experience all the levels. Here I saw the Pillars of Hathor and Statues of Ramses. Along with engravings and paintings. It is amazing how this Temple is built at the base of a high limestone cliff ( As a side it reminded of the Basilica at Monserrat in Spain with the high cliffs surrounding it.)

Leaving the Temple to catch the open ride back to the welcoming building we had to go through one of the many markets we saw during our time in Egypt. The vendors were very aggressive, so it helped to be able to say no thank you in Arabic. It gave us a good time to practice our bartering to get some great bargains.

Once again we boarded the tour bus one more time for a stop at the Colossi of Memnon for a photo shoot on our way back to the boat for lunch and an afternoon of relaxing on the boat.

Our scenic ride back to the boat took us past some of the housing and Nile river farmers with their donkey and cart.

During the morning the sun was shining brightly, the air was very dry and the temperature that started out rather cool at 6am had warmed up to approximately 80F by 11:30am.

That evening the dinner was buffet style with very delicious all Egyptian foods. And the passengers and crew were dressed in Galabeya attire. We were entertained during dinner by the crew singing Egyptian and Nubian songs. Later we were entertained by a Swirling Dervish and Nubian dancers. They even got us up to dance with them and to form a conga like line. It was a whole lot of fun.

Egypt Trip Segment One

Egypt Trip Segment Two

Trip to Egypt Segment Two

2010-04-25T00:03:00.008-04:00

The next morning (Monday) we had a three AM wakeup call to leave the hotel at four AM for the trip to the Cairo airport for a six AM flight to Luxor, Egypt. Our group consisted of sixteen people from throughout the United States and Canada plus our tour guide/cruise director. Once we arrived in Luxor, after gathering all our luggage, we boarded a Tour coach bus and went to visit the Temple of Karnak. Late in the afternoon we went to see the Temple of Luxor which was lit. Both of these Temples are spectacular sites to see. In between visiting the temples we boarded the brand new Uniworld riverboat named the River Tosca. We found the ship a bit disappointing, because the workmanship was shoddy. However the service had been great and the food was very good. Note: Uniworld took the boat out of service for repairs and the boat is now sailing again.

Karnak: Temple of Amun

We were told if we walked three times counterclockwise around the statue of the Scarab Beetle our wishes would come true. The height of the pillars are unbelievable even when you are there standing among them. All the engravings on the wall, pillars and obelisk are breathtaking.

Luxor Temple

The Luxor temple is smaller than Karnak, but it was no less impressive. Seeing it in the late afternoon lit up with lightening made it even a more spectacular sight.

Egypt Trip Segment One

Trip to Egypt Segment One

2010-04-15T23:15:00.020-04:00

This is an adventure I was going to blog as a traveling journal in real time as it was taking place. That did not happen, even though I had written the text in advance and only had to add the pictures once I accessed the internet. Frustratingly after having bought internet time on the boat more than once I gave up the idea. They didn't have enough signal on the boat to stay connected to the internet long enough.

Our flight finally left JFK a little after midnight on Saturday November 14th for an eleven hour flight to Cairo, Egypt. We flew on a Delta plane that had us packed in the smallest seats that must exist. We were served dinner, yes dinner at one am in the morning. The flight was long and miserable. Than about what is equivalent to eight-thirty AM EST we were served a salty pizza, salad and cookies for breakfast.

Cairo was interesting to see and the Marriott Hotel were we stayed for two nights is very large. It was very interesting to see people from the Middle East, some dressed in the long robes and others in ‘Western' dress.
The many languages that can be heard catches ones attention.

Cairo Marriott

In the morning (Sunday) we met our tour guide also known as the tour director who would be with us throughout the entire vacation. In the morning we went to the Citadel and Mohammed Ali Mosque. In the afternoon we went to the Egyptian Museum. At the museum we saw the treasures of Tutankhamen, as well as many other interesting objects from Ancient Egypt.

View of Cairo from the Citadel

The Citadel

Mosque of Mohammed Ali

Interior of the Mosque of Mohammed Ali

Mosque of Sultan Hassan

One of the numerous Minarets seen throughout Cairo

Cairo Tower

It Has Been Awhile

2010-04-05T16:14:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile since I have written anything on this blog. I have a lot to write about the travels I have taken since October, but I haven't had the time. The first thing I am going to write about is the fabulous trip I took to Egypt in November. I had intended to do a journal blog at the time, but we didn't have enough signal on the boat.

In the meantime, I have been reading a lot of scrap book blogs and they were taking up a lot of room on the sidebar of this blog. Yesterday I started a new blog just about scrapbooking. The new blog is http://alwayslivemorescrapping.blogspot.com

Thursday Theme=Flight

2009-10-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Flight is the theme of the week
So where have I been?
Up up in the air on a flight to Arizona
Seated by the window with camera in hand.

Thursday Theme=Wild

2009-09-24T00:00:00.002-04:00

Living in a wooded area on the side of a hill sometimes can be challenging with the deer eating the vegetation I want to keep. You can read about their latest doings in the blogpost on Sept 2oth. But the pleasure of living among the wildife far out weighs the damage they do.

Here are some pictures taken in the past year.

One of the deer in the herd of eight that usually pass through.

Pair of Doves

Cardinal

Flock of Wild Turkeys just strolling through.

Visitors

2009-09-20T14:55:00.019-04:00

Generally we wait for an Autumn frost to come along and kill the Summer flowers, but this year the killing of the flowers is being done by four-legged visitors.

A couple of weeks ago I opened the bedroom blinds in the morning to see all the beautiful soft pink waxed begonia had been eaten out of the pot that sits on top of the well cover. They didn't touch the upright plant that was also in the pot. I guess it just wasn't part of their diet.

Now this morning when I looked out the dining room window I saw they had made a feast out of the four hanging plants in a seating area. They not only ate the flowers, but had strewn a couple of the pots on the ground.

All is not lost at the moment there are still some marigolds bordering a very small garden coming into bloom. I wonder how long it will take before they decide to eat those. Just encase you don't know who the four-legged visitors are. They are a herd of about eight deer who roam this wooded area. I spotted them in the backyard a few days ago.

Thursday Theme=Over the Hill

2009-09-17T00:00:00.002-04:00

Sacre Coeur in Paris, France

This week's theme is over the hill, now what does that mean. According to the definitions found through Google it has many meanings. It can be anyone over the age of 40 or someone who is beyond their prime to play a certain sport or someone who has lived the best part of their lives. Well I can say after the age of 40 I graduated from college with a degree in chemistry and had twenty-five years of a successful career with publications in the field of science. I can also say being over the hill I am still doing a lot of traveling in the world seeing all the places I have read about as an avid reader. As some of you know a trip to Egypt is just two months away. And China is in the next two years. So much for over the hill, it is what one chooses to make of it, I chose to make the most.

Here are some pictures of hills taken last year as well as this year. The Sacre Coeur, pictured above, sits on a hill in Paris. One way to reach the Basilica is to walk up, up and up 234 steps. All I can say is you had better be in good shape to get there. Along the way you see many former smokers taking a much needed rest. Last year was my second time to make the walk and it is well worth it. For those who can't make the walk there is a Funicular. Another treat once you get up there is the famous artist plaza (Place du Tertre).

St. Guilhem Le Desert was a nice stop on a rainy day on our way from Barcelona, Spain to Arles, France where we started a week cruise up the Rhone River.

Ruins in the hill at St. Guilhem Le Desert

St. Guilhem Le Desert

These pictures of hills in New Mexico were taken on a tour to Taos while I was spending a long weekend at a book retreat in Santa Fe.

New Mexico

Thursday Theme=Beginning

2009-09-03T11:34:00.011-04:00

Beginning is the start of something, it might be something you have never done before or it could be the return to something you have done in the past. In the past I had the most beautiful cat. Her name was Shortie. She was all white with pink paw pads. She had one blue eye and one yellow eye just like her mother, Cue. Now she didn't live a very long life. She suddenly dropped dead at the age of two and a half after running through the house. That was about five years ago, at that point I said I would never get another pet, because it was very heart breaking to lose her. Last year I saw the heartbreak of my daughter when her cat Cue was killed by a car and the heartbreak of my son when his cat Khalis had to be put down after a losing battle with cancer. But, they showed me how to start over again with another pet. My son got a cute little dog, Rachel. And my daughter got a tiny kitten, Princess.

Well Princess had six kittens this summer and I decided to become the owner of two of them, so they could keep each other company. They are eight weeks old males. One is Black and grey striped with white paws and chest. My daughter had named him Paws and he is keeping that name. The other is Brown and chocolate striped. I have named him Bugzy, because he is such a lovebug. He loves to be cuddled up on my shoulder. I couldn't see naming him Lovebug. Imagine calling Lovebug, Lovebug where are you. Likewise Bug, Bug where are you. Therefore Bugzy is the name.

Thursday Theme=Limo

2009-08-26T23:21:00.017-04:00

I have no pictures to show, even though I saw a very, very long stretch limo while I was walking in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore last Saturday on my way to the parking garage after having dinner at Phillips restaurant.

In the past when I was going on a flight I would use the area limo service.That involved slepping my luggage to my car, driving for over half an hour to the limo pickup place. I would than park the car all the time hoping it would still be there when I returned. Riding on the limo with a group of people I didn't know. This particular service after awhile switched from multi passenger cars to small mini buses. When one of these things hit a pothole you were lucky not to break your teeth. The last straw of taking that kind of Limo was the day I had flown back from Paris in November 2001. I had survived flying to Paris and back home by myself. We arrived back in NYC about 10pm. By the time the limo did pickup it was close to midnight. There were about three of us going to our part of Connecticut. We were unlucky to get a driver who didn't know exactly how to get us back to our stop. On the way up RT7 he started weaving. My thought was I have survived the flight, but I'm going to be in an accident. He eventually got us to our destination. That is the last time I used that service.

Now days when I travel, I take a private limo. I pack the luggage and leave them to the porch. The limo driver arrives, puts the luggage in the trunk of the car and he drives me to the airport. They generally arrive in a Lincoln Town Car. But one time to my shock they decided to pick me up in a stretch limo. Being the only person traveling I felt totally lost. So I have requested that they don't surprise me like that again. The nicest thing when I return the driver is there waiting at the airport. He drives me home and leaves the luggage on the porch. Since I use the same limo service for the past eight years, I have come to know most of the drivers and we have some interesting conversations. Oh my, it's time to make reservations for my next trip to the airport.

Theme Thursday=Festivals

2009-08-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Village fair view from north end of the Green

There are numerous types of festivals: religious, political, musical, artistic and civic.

In the early 1960s I loved reading the gothic novels written by Victoria Holt. One of the common threads in these novels was the yearly festival in the village. Everyone on the estates were all excited because they were going to take part in the festivities. The nanny or the governess, who were the heroine of the novels, were able to dress up and go into town to attend the festival. I thought this was so exciting.

I live in a small New England town that has an beautiful Green. As anyone knows about small New England towns they are very quaint and quiet. Back in the early 1960s you knew at 6pm they “rollup” the sidewalks. About 43 years ago our town held it first village fair. This fair was held for two days on the Green. There were tents and booths that featured the different business and civic organizations in our town. There were food and drink stands. There also were craft booths. At the early village fair they even had the water dunking booth. It was an invigorating and exciting time in town for two days and than at the end of Saturday night the sidewalks were again “rolled up” for another year.

The fair has grown over the years quite a bit. This year I was able to attend it with my two youngest grandsons and their mother. She had the thrill of watching her sons scamper all over the tank that sits at the south end of our Green. She reminisced how she had climbed all over the tank when she was a young child. Every year when I attend the village fair it reminds me about the festivals that were mentioned in the Victoria Holt novels.

Theme Thursday=Kiss

2009-08-05T16:19:00.014-04:00

A Kiss is just a kiss or is it?

Most of us think of a kiss as a form of endearment, but it can and has been so much more. In the Holy Bible, Judas used the kiss as a sign of betrayal of Jesus. I suppose that is where we get the term “kiss of death”. Also in the Holy Bible New Testament we are instructed to greet each other with a holy kiss.

When traveling in Europe, especially in France, you see people greeting each other with a kiss on each cheek. And there is nothing more thrilling than having a Frenchman greet you by taking your hand and kissing it. In Paris during a trip there eight years ago I first saw lovers kissing freely on the street. It only took a few days of being there to get accustomed to that. I thought it was so romantic, than everything is romantic in Paris.

There is nothing sweeter than the kisses you receive from a toddler or giving kisses to a baby. Even though my oldest grandson is twenty-six years old he still likes me to give him what he calls “butterfly kisses” on his cheek. Some might ask what are “butterfly kisses"? It all started when he was a baby and I would give him a very fast series of kisses on his little cheek. When he became old enough to talk, he said they felt to him like the fluttering of butterfly wings.

Whether a kiss is given to a child, or a greeting or to a lover they all make us happy. So give someone a kiss (if you don’t believe in kisses than try a hug) today it might lower their level of stress.

Theme Thursday=Button

2009-07-29T23:01:00.042-04:00

In January I did a blog critiquing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So, if you would like to read it just click on the highlighted title. Instead I am displaying two grouping of different types of buttons that are a representative part of my life.

The first grouping of buttons represent the time in my life when I did a lot of sewing. When my three oldest daughters(yes, Debo Hobo is one of these daughters) were young I always made a lot of their clothes. Matter of fact at this time of the year I was very busy making all their new clothes for the start of the school year. A few days before school started my modeling daughters would put on their new clothing and act like the hallway of our house was a runway. They would prance down the hall into the living room make their turns and return to their bedrooms to change into more outfits..... Pleasant memories.

This second grouping of buttons are representative of my high school reunion, the town where I live and raised my five children, my professional life, my religious life, my traveling life ( Paris is my favorite city), my military mother life( third daughter served as a nurse in the Air Force at that time), my love of history and the ambiance of candles.

Another use for buttons is embellishment on cards and scrapbook pages. I don't have a representative photo to show you. I have used buttons a few times in that capacity, but I need to do it more often. Because they add an interesting textural character to scrapbook layout pages.

Theme Thursday=Shoe

2009-07-22T23:29:00.007-04:00

What came to mind are a few nursery rhymes about the lowly shoe. Here they are to take you back to your childhood and enjoy.

Cobbler, Cobbler
Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe.
Get it done by half-past two;
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
And then I'll give you half a crown.

1, 2, buckle my shoe.

1, 2, buckle my shoe.
3, 4, shut the door.
5, 6, pick up sticks.
7, 8, lay them straight.
9, 10, a big fat hen.

There Was An Old Woman
There was an old woman
Who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children
She didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth
Without any bread.
She whipped them all soundly
And sent them to bed.

Thursday Theme=Stage

2009-07-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

Opera d' Avignon-Pays de Vaculuse

Closeup of the upper arch of Opera d' Avignon-Pays de Vaculuse

All the World's a Stage
by William Shakespeare

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Theme Thursday=Ghost

2009-07-08T23:36:00.030-04:00

Medieval town of Besalu, Spain

Ghost what can I say about them, I don't really know. I have read and been told they are friendly or menacing. Among the friendly ghosts I have seen on TV are Casper. Remember how cute he was. Another ghost I loved to watch on TV was the sea captain in the Ghost and Mrs Muir. In literature I remember the ghost in Charles Dickens the Christmas Carol. And there was Hamlet's father in the works of William Shakespeare. I wonder how many and what type of ghosts might be wondering around Besalu. These ancient walls have tales to tell, I wonder what they are.

What is a ghost? I'm not really certain.
Do I believe in ghost? Yes I do.
Have I ever seen a ghost? I'm not certain. I can't say if it was a ghost or a spirit. Years ago I was awakened by a spirit that resembled Christ in a white robe. To this day I believe it was a visitation from the Lord. I was not frighten, but at peace when it happened. At the end I was given the answer to a question I had about another person. That's all I have to say about this subject. I'll leave you with a poem.

Our Little Ghost
a poem by Louisa May Alcott

Oft in the silence of the night,
When the lonely moon rides high,
When wintry winds are whistling,
And we hear the owl's shrill cry,
In the quiet, dusky chamber,
By the flickering firelight,
Rising up between two sleepers,
Comes a spirit all in white.

A winsome little ghost it is,
Rosy-cheeked, and bright of eye;
With yellow curls all breaking loose
From the small cap pushed awry.
Up it climbs among the pillows,
For the "big dark" brings no dread,
And a baby's boundless fancy
Makes a kingdom of a bed.

A fearless little ghost it is;
Safe the night seems as the day;
The moon is but a gentle face,
And the sighing winds are gay.
The solitude is full of friends,
And the hour brings no regrets;
For, in this happy little soul,
Shines a sun that never sets.

A merry little ghost it is,
Dancing gayly by itself,
On the flowery counterpane,
Like a tricksy household elf;
Nodding to the fitful shadows,
As they flicker on the wall;
Talking to familiar pictures,
Mimicking the owl's shrill call.

A thoughtful little ghost if is;
And, when lonely gambols tire,
With chubby hands on chubby knees,
It sits winking at the fire.
Fancies innocent and lovely

Shine before those baby-eyes,
Endless fields of dandelions,
Brooks, and birds, and butterflies.

A loving little ghost it is:
When crept into its nest,
Its hand on father's shoulder laid,
Its head on mother's breast,
It watches each familiar face,
With a tranquil, trusting eye;
And, like a sleepy little bird,
Sings its own soft lullaby.

Then those who feigned to sleep before,
Lest baby play till dawn,
Wake and watch their folded flower
Little rose without a thorn.
And, in the silence of the night,
The hearts that love it most
Pray tenderly above its sleep,
"God bless our little ghost!"

Thursday Theme=Funky

2009-07-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

This week's Thursday theme is Funky. It is a word that is commonly used and we have a general idea what it means. So I wanted to find out what is the actual definition for the word FUNKY. For your information and mine here is the definition for FUNKY.

Main Entry: 2funky Function: adjective Inflected Form(s): funk·i·er; funk·i·est
Etymology: funk offensive odor
Date: 1784
1: having an offensive odor : foul
2: having an earthy unsophisticated style and feeling ; especially : having the style and feeling of older black American music (as blues or gospel) or of funk (a slick, heavy beat that is unmistakably contemporary and irresistibly funky — Jay Cocks)
3 a: odd or quaint in appearance or feeling b: lacking style or taste c: unconventionally stylish : hip — funk·i·ly adverb — funk·i·ness noun

The song that best fulfills definition two is the song Gonna to Have a Funky Good Time performed by James Brown

Thursday Theme=Summer

2009-06-24T17:04:00.022-04:00

122
Emily Dickinson

A something in a summer’s Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer’s noon
A depth an Azure a perfume
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle
shimmering grace

Flutter too far for me
The wizard fingers never rest
The purple brook within the breast

Still chafes it narrow bed
Still rears the East her amber Flag
Guides still the sun along the CragHis Caravan of Red

So looking on the night the morn
Conclude the wonder gay
And I meet, coming thro’ the dews
Another summer’s Day!

Summer Sun
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Great is the sun, and wide he goes
Through empty heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic spider-clad
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook.

Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes.

Theme Thursday=Roof

2009-06-18T11:32:00.026-04:00

While I was cruising the Rhone River last Spring we had a tour of the Charity Hospital Hotel Dieu in Beaume France. One of the first things that struck me as we approached the hostital was the beautiful roof. I am currently not at home and don't have access to the pictures I took of that roof, but click on the link and you can see a picture by Levesque Kevin I found on the internet. Multi-coloured Tile roof of Charity Hospital Hotel Dieu, Beaune France.

Thursday Theme=Swing

2009-06-10T19:00:00.009-04:00

The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Theme Thursday=Clock

2009-06-03T16:28:00.015-04:00

Tick Tock Goes the Clock

Tick tock goes the clock. Where will the time go? Sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in a hour, twenty-four hours in a day, three hundred sixty five days in a year, ten years in a decade and ten decades in a century. Where will the time go?

Once there was a girl who grew up in a small and quaint Connecticut town. She attended school in the same building from first through twelfth grade and after graduating high school attended nursing school. Tick tock goes the clock. Where has the time gone?

Then she married a man from another small and quaint Connecticut town. There they built their dream house. They became the parents of four daughters and one son. They raised their children and watched them graduate from high school, go on to college and pursue careers. Tick tock goes the clock. Where has the time gone?

Now the children have gone on to marry, move away from the small and quaint Connecticut town and have children of their own. The first grandson entered the US Navy and is now nearing the end of his third deployment to the Middle East, he also was married last fall. This weekend the second grandson will be graduating from high school and will be attending college in the fall. His brother will be doing the same next year. The other six grandchildren are also doing well as they continue to grow and mature so fast. Tick tock goes the clock. Where has the time gone?

The second son-in-law has just finished twenty years in the US Air Force, his retirement ceremony was held last weekend. That twenty years has taken them from Dover, DE where he met my third daughter and where they were married. Over the twenty years I have visited them at the many bases where they have been stationed. Those visits have taken me to Delaware, California, New Mexico, England, Virginia and Massachusetts. However, I missed visiting them while they were stationed in Mississippi. Tick tock goes the clock. Where has the time gone?

Now it has been two and a half years since I retired from my second career as a scientist. I’m now on my third career as a retired person. This present career has allowed me to do whatever I please whenever I please. Needless to say I am enjoying this time very much. I travel as little or as much as I like going wherever I want to go and staying as long as I please. The time allows me to take photos in many exciting and interesting places. It allows me to read as many books as I can squeeze into time allotted. Retirement has given me enough time to make many nice acquaintances while blogging. Retirement allows me to do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty. Tick tock goes the clock. How long will this time go on? Only God knows.

Theme Thursday=Luggage

2009-05-27T23:51:00.024-04:00

Well I really don't have anything genius this week to post. I'm sitting here at 11:53 pm Wednesday night knowing I need to pack my luggage again for another trip. Since I'm not leaving until noon tomorrow I think I'll wait until morning to pack.

I'm not all that enthusiastic about packing luggage. You might ask why is that? On May 12th I packed luggage to go Phoenix, AZ to visit a friend who moved there last year while I was there on May 14th I packed luggage to fly to Santa Fe, NM for a four day literary retreat we attended. Than I packed the luggage again on May 17th to fly back to Phoenix, AZ and finally I packed the luggage on May 19th to fly back to Connecticut.

Now today I have finally finished washing all the laundry that was in the luggage. And its time to pack up the luggage again for a trip to Massachusetts for my son-in-laws Friday retirement ceremony after serving 20 years in the Air Force as an attorney. Leaving there its off on a flight to Texas for a grandson's high school graduation. At least I'll be there for two weeks and I won't have to pack and unpack unless I spend time staying at more than one of my three children who live there.

When you are flying with luggage now days its a bit tricky how you are going to keep the weight of the luggage under 50 pounds, so you don't have to pay extra above regular fees. On most airlines the first bag you check is $15 and the second is $25(those fees are going up soon). Hopefully you don't need to check that second bag. Unfortunately, I did after my Christmas trip to Texas, because I went shopping and had to buy another piece of luggage to take everything home. I did consider mailing things home, but decided not to. Now to get around the second checked bag on my most recent trips I checked one bag, had one carry-on bag and a large tote bag. I didn't take my laptop on the trips. A week without a computer was rough.

Today I bought a laptop sleeve for the laptop and plan on putting the laptop in the carry-on. Traveling is fun, but it is just a pain to deal with the luggage.

Theme Thursday=Wind

2009-05-07T00:00:00.005-04:00

The Wind

by Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high
And blow the birds about the sky;
And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass

Oh wind, a blowing all day long,
Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did,
But always you yourself you hid.
I felt you push, I heard you call,
I could not see yourself at all

Oh wind, a blowing all day long!
Oh wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold,
O blower, are you young or old?
Are you a beast of field and tree,
Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

One of my most favorite ways to enjoy the wind other than its soothing brush across my face on a balmy summer day is to listen to the melodic sounds of the wind chimes I have outside around the house. Yes, I must admit I am one of those people when seeing wind chimes on display in a store I must put them into motion.

For your pleasure here are a few wind chimes. CLICK on the chimes

Woodstock Chimes of Bali

Woodstock Emperor Gong

Woodstock Chime of Olympus

Theme Thursday=Water

2009-04-28T19:14:00.087-04:00

This week theme for Thursday is water,
Now I could go on and on about the chemical and physical properties of water, as well as the importance of water to the makeup of our bodies. But that is not what I want to do because that is too obvious since I am a scientist. If you want the scientific info click on the underlined water above for the Wikipedia litany about water.

Instead I think I will show you some of the different sources of water I have seen during some of my travels. Click on all the pictures for more detail.

The Housatonic River runs through the town where I live. I wrote a blog about a bridge that spans the river on April 21st. This river is a great source of recreation in the State and the Western section of New England.

Housatonic River looking south from Falls Bridge at Lovers Leap State Park

Great Brook is a source of babbling tranquility on the road where I live. It is always a pleasure to walk to its location and watch it meander and flow.

A Late Winter View of Great Brook in New Milford, CT

Last year had the experience of taking a river cruise in France on the Rhone and Saone Rivers from Arles to Chalone-sur-Saone. The cruise was on the River Royale a new boat in the Uniworld fleet. After the cruise I took a high speed train ride from Lyon to Paris for a

few days stay. I am going to share with you a few of the pictures I took along the way.

Rhone River in Avignon France (click)

Pont du Gard (click)

Rhone River in Viviers France (click)

While on the Rhone we traveled through numerous Locks. Pictured above are the Locks near Viviers,

Saone River in Lyon France (click)

Chalon-sur-Saone (click)

While in Paris we took a bus tour to the Chateau of Chantilly. Notice the moat around the Chateau.

Chateau of Chantilly (click)

Some of you who have been following my blogs know that Paris is my favorite city in the world. If I didn't live in the United States I would move there. So I'm ending with some pictures of Paris.

View of Paris France from the Seine River (click)

Thursday Theme=Fire

2009-04-22T21:34:00.028-04:00

Sun Setting in San Diego

Song of Nature
by Ralph Waldo Emerson (click to learn bio)
(1803-1882)

Mine are the night and morning,
The pits of air, the gulf of space,
The sportive sun, the gibbous moon,
The innumerable days.

I hid in the solar glory,
I am dumb in the pealing song,
I rest on the pitch of the torrent,
In slumber I am strong.

No numbers have counted my tallies,
No tribes my house can fill,
I sit by the shining Fount of Life,
And pour the deluge still;

And ever by delicate powers
Gathering along the centuries
From race on race the rarest flowers,
My wreath shall nothing miss.

And many a thousand summers
My apples ripened well,
And light from meliorating stars
With firmer glory fell.

I wrote the past in characters
Of rock and fire the scroll,
The building in the coral sea,
The planting of the coal.

And thefts from satellites and rings
And broken stars I drew,
And out of spent and aged things
I formed the world anew;

What time the gods kept carnival,
Tricked out in star and flower,
And in cramp elf and saurian forms
They swathed their too much power.

Time and Thought were my surveyors,
They laid their courses well,
They boiled the sea, and baked the layers
Or granite, marl, and shell.

But he, the man-child glorious,--
Where tarries he the while?
The rainbow shines his harbinger,
The sunset gleams his smile.

My boreal lights leap upward,
Forthright my planets roll,
And still the man-child is not born,
The summit of the whole.

Must time and tide forever run?
Will never my winds go sleep in the west?
Will never my wheels which whirl the sun
And satellites have rest?

Too much of donning and doffing,
Too slow the rainbow fades,
I weary of my robe of snow,
My leaves and my cascades;

I tire of globes and races,
Too long the game is played;
What without him is summer's pomp,
Or winter's frozen shade?

I travail in pain for him,
My creatures travail and wait;
His couriers come by squadrons,
He comes not to the gate.

Twice I have moulded an image,
And thrice outstretched my hand,
Made one of day, and one of night,
And one of the salt sea-sand.

One in a Judaean manger,
And one by Avon stream,
One over against the mouths of Nile,
And one in the Academe.

I moulded kings and saviours,
And bards o'er kings to rule;--
But fell the starry influence short,
The cup was never full.

Yet whirl the glowing wheels once more,
And mix the bowl again;
Seethe, fate! the ancient elements,
Heat, cold, wet, dry, and peace, and pain.

Let war and trade and creeds and song
Blend, ripen race on race,
The sunburnt world a man shall breed
Of all the zones, and countless days.

No ray is dimmed, no atom worn,
My oldest force is good as new,
And the fresh rose on yonder thorn
Gives back the bending heavens in dew.

Sun Setting in San Diego

Sunset in San Diego

A Small Walk in My Town of New Milford (Part 2)

2009-04-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

Saturday after I finished my errands around the Green, I drove a short distance to the newest State Park in our town, Lovers Leap State Park. The park had been dedicated in June 2007, but this was my first time to go there for a visit. I often ride past the park when I am leaving town. And before I retired in January of 2007 I drove past the bridge five days a week and was able to see men working on the bridge to preserve it. Many years ago this beautiful bridge had been saved from destruction after a new bridge was built. I can still remember driving over the old bridge with all it's creaking and groaning.

On Saturday I walked onto the bridge and took pictures of the Housatonic River looking south towards the Town of Bridgewater. this area of the river is also known as Lake Lillinonah. I saw a few people kayaking and others fishing on the river. Skyward I saw a few hawks soaring, but I was not able to capture their flight in a picture. Click on all pictures for detail.

Lovers Leap State Park New Milford
Lovers Leap is a walk-in park with hiking trails, scenic vistas and historic ruins. The 160 acre park is divided into three sections, each featuring a different appreciation for the park history.
Trails through the park will lead the walker through centuries of land-use history. Heading northeast from the parking lot the trail utilizes the 1895 Berlin Iron Bridge, one of five remaining in Connecticut, to cross the Housatonic River. Across the bridge the Lovers Leap Trail heads southeast 1,200 feet to the rock formation that gives the park its name. From here, tradition has it, that the Pootatuck Indian Chief Waramaug’s daughter, Princess Lillinonah, and her lover plunged to their deaths. The Chief himself died in 1735.
The view to the south overlooks a now submerged Goodyear Island named for an early fur trader from Derby who came there to trade with the established Indian Community. Industrial era ruins still exist near the water on the northwest section of the park.-----Google

Information Boards at Lovers Leap State Park

Lover's Leap Bridge
Lenticular through truss over the Housatonic River
New Milford, Connecticut
Berlin Iron Bridge Company, 1895 (click for more information)
Lover's Leap is the name given to a high cliff overlooking the Housatonic River gorge in New Milford, Connecticut. Bridges have spanned the gorge near here since the 1770s. The 173 foot long lenticular bridge at Lover's Leap was built in 1895 and is the last of the large lenticular bridges built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company. The lenticular design began to decline in popularity during the early 1890s because, while structurally efficient, it required more manual labor than other truss forms.---Google

Listing of the 13 Berlin Bridges in Connecticut:
Town Bridge, Canton
Melrose Road Bridge, East Windsor
Ashland Mill Bridge, Jewett City, Griswold
Red Bridge, Meriden
South Norwalk Railroad Bridge, Norwalk
Norwalk River Railroad Bridge, Norwalk
Boardman's Bridge, New Milford
Lovers Leap Bridge, New Milford
Glen Falls Bridge, Plainfield
Hallville Mill Bridge, Preston
Sharon Station Road Bridge, Sharon
Main Street Bridge, Stamford
Turn of River Bridge, Stamford
Talcottville Main Street Bridge, Vernon
Washington Avenue Bridge, Waterbury
Sheffield Street Bridge, Waterbury
Minortown Road Bridge, Woodbury

Falls Bridge at Lovers Leap State Park

Housatonic River View South from Falls Bridge

A Small Walk in My Town of New Milford

2009-04-19T15:19:00.070-04:00

Saturday was a beautiful warm and sunny day. While I had to do a few errands downtown around the Green, I took the opportunity to take some pictures. Here is a little history that was written in 1935 about our beautiful and historical town. Some things have changed of course with time, like Canterbury School is now coeducational. Click on all the pictures for more detail.

John Noble and his daughter Sarah

New Milford, Connecticut
From The Connecticut Guide, 1935

New Milford, where we cross from Fairfield to Litchfield County, was a swarm sent out by the parent hive of Milford. A land company was organized at Milford, which bought from the Indians and sold rights to take up land. The first white settlement began in 1707, when John Noble arrived from Westfield, Mass., with his 8-year old daughter Sarah. New Milforrd was granted town privileges in 1712. Roger Sherman lived here during his early manhood. The town consists of a beautiful hill country, and on the west the Housatonic has cut a deep valley through the limestone. Lime making is an important industry, and tobacco is grown in the river valley.
Entering the town from the south, U. S. 7, which here follows Still River, makes an attractive drive. The first road to the west after crossing the line is worth taking for the view of Candlewood Lake. The village of New Milford, an industrial and trading center, was built up by the Housatonic R. R. and the cigar making which flourished after the Civil War. Present industries consist of tobacco packing, hatters' fur, and a bleachery and dye works.
The older section of the village is built along a narrow Green. Starting at the lower end, where R. 25 comes in, we pass on the right the Canfield House, built in 1793. A little above this is the Town Hall, with a bronze tablet marking this as the Roger Sherman home site. Sherman, who later was to become famous as co-author of the Declaration of Independence and our other great national documents, came to New Milford in 1743, where he worked as shoemaker, county surveyor, merchant and lawyer, until he removed to New Haven in 1761.

Town Hall of New Milford

The Public Library stands at the end of the next block.

Continuing north, we pass the Congregational Church, built in 1833, with its fine Greek Revival portico and "Christopber Wren" spire.

The W. Taylor House of 1784, at the end of the street, was built on good Colonial lines. Facing the Green at the north end is the Lincoln Bust by Paul Morris, the gift of the late Edward Marsh.

Canterbury School, a Roman Catholic preparatory school for boys, established in 1915, will be found a block above this on Aspetuck Ave. An earlier school of note was the Adelphic Institute. On the west side of the upper Green, the second building as we go south is the New Milford Historical Society, with portraits by Ralph Earle and other interesting exhibits, (open Mon., Tues., Fri., and Sat., 2:30-5:00.) Below this is the Senator Boardman House, another fine Colonial mansion, built about 1793.

Other pictures taken on the Green

Bandstand and Tank on the southend of the Green

Commemoration to Men Serving in the Civil War and WWI

Admiral Harry Shepard Knapp

My days adventure also took to a new State Park here in New Milford, I will tell you more about in my next post.

Theme Thursday=Earth

2009-04-15T20:38:00.075-04:00

Planet Earth from Space

On Sunday we were all informed the theme this week is EARTH. Now I don't know about everyone else here in the United States, but I had to get my taxes completed before April 15th. That would have been doable and I would have had more than enough time to dedicate to this week's blog challenge. But a time constraint for me had developed, when one of my daughters asked me to ride with her from Connecticut to Virginia. Because she had to attend the inspection of a house her family is planning to buy. They are moving back to Virginia after her husband's twenty years of service in the Air Force. So I pondered what could I possibly say about earth. I decided to take some pictures of our travels over a minute piece of the earth as we drove from Connecticut to Virginia and back to Connecticut.

Flowering Tree in Maryland at a rest stop.

Washington Monument taken from a moving car in the rain.

As close as we could get to the White House in the car.

Riding home on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Rest stop on the Garden State Parkway.

An attempt at trying to make a communications pole to look like a tree in New Jersey.

Driving on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

I just like the exit sign in New York State. Does it remind you of places in some writings?

Still driving and riding on the highway. It took about eleven hours to drive to Virginia, because the traffic was horrible. It took about eight hours to drive back to my house in Connecticut.

Finally back in my town with it's quaint New England Green, red building is the Town Hall.

St John Episcopal Church on the Green

First Congregational Church on the Green

Now I have taken you on a journey of the minute area of the Earth I have traveled in the past few days. We were traveling Monday through Wednesday. The weather in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC area was cold and rainy. It was so nice to be back home here in Connecticut were the temperature was warmer and sunny today. For the flower lovers I am ending with a picture of a Camellia that I saw through a window at a rest stop. I wasn't able to get near it to experience it's fragrance.

Camellia

Theme Thursday=Egg

2009-04-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Egg and Dart Architecture

Egg-and-dart is an ornamental device often carved in wood, stone, or plaster quarter-round ovolo mouldings, consisting of an egg-shaped object alternating with an element shaped like an arrow, anchor or dart. Egg-and-dart enrichment of the ovolo molding of the Ionic capital is found in Ancient Greek architecture at the Erechtheion and was used by the Romans. This design motif has been common in the classical architecture of Europe since the Renaissance.---- Wikipedia
Egg and Dart
From Meyer’s Ornament

Some of you might know that I love to travel. My traveling started when I was a child and I didn’t even have to leave home. As a child and to this day I am an avid reader. Through reading I have traveled to many places in the world. When I was in grade school one of my favorite subjects was Geography. While I was in college I took an Art Appreciation class during the summer in the early 1980s. In that class I learned about many types of architecture. That is where I learned about Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian groups along with egg and dart decoration.

A little over twenty years ago I started flying around the world to see and experience the places I had read about. This year I will be going to Egypt. Besides reading I also like to take pictures, lots and lots and lots of pictures. I am so glad we now have digital. The subjects I tend to photograph are flowers, pavements, doors, and architecture. So I went through some of the many pictures I had taken in 2007 and 2008 while I was in Europe. In these four pictures egg and dart is present in the often decorative architecture. Click on the pictures for more detail.

At the Vatican in Italy
egg and dart in the upper right corner

Door Archway in Arles, France
Double row of egg and dart above the main figures

The chateau of Chantilly, France

Doorway in Paris, France

Daffodil

2009-04-06T16:13:00.007-04:00

Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

It is a cold rainy day here in Connecticut and there is a forecast of possible snow. the site of daffodils blooming brighten up my day and make me believe in the joys of Spring.

Floral Wreath

2009-04-03T17:32:00.027-04:00

A few weeks ago I was reading the blog of Whole Latte Life, she had been out for an early spring walk and taken a picture of a floral wreath on a door. The thought came to me I always hang up a Christmas wreath why not hang a floral wreath on my front door. So I decided that I could put together one myself. Last Saturday was beautiful sunny day, so I drove to a craft store in a nearby town. There I bought three garlands of silk flowers, one wreath frame, one red butterfly and some gardening wire. Here you see my first endeavor at creating a wreath. It is not as elaborate as the one in Joanne's blog, but I like it. Reflected in the picture is the still starkly bare branches of the trees.

Today I looked outside and saw one of the many beds of daffodils were in bloom, but right now they are being weighed by rain. I'll take a picture of them in the next few days.

Thursday Theme=Ten

2009-04-02T00:00:00.002-04:00

How Do We Look At the Number Ten?

We see the number ten as perfection.

When a baby is born the first thing the new parents do is count the number of fingers and toes, we’re looking for ten of each.

When we go bowling there are ten pins to knock down to get a strike.

When we are asked to evaluate something it is generally 1=totally dissatisfied and 10=extremely satisfied.

Biblically we were taught the Ten Commandments and to tithe (1/10) part of our income. There are numerous incidents of the number ten in the Bible. More info click here

As a child you might have learned the song about Ten Little Indians click.

There are ten pennies in a dime, ten dimes in a dollar and ten ten dollars in one hundred dollars.

NUMBERS

1 = One
2 = Two
3 = Three
4 = Four
5 = Five
6 = Six
7 = Seven
8 = Eight
9 = Nine
10 = Ten

ROMAN

I = 1
II = 2
III = 3
IV = 4
V = 5
VI = 6
VII = 7
VIII = 8
IX = 9
X = 10

GREEK

Alpha = 1
Beta = 2
Gamma = 3
Delta = 4
Epsilon = 5
Stigma * = 6 *
Zeta = 7
Eta=8
Theta = 9
Iota = 10

HEBREW

Aleph = 1
Beth = 2
Gimel = 3
Daleth = 4
He = 5
Vau = 6
Zayin = 7
Chet = 8
Teth = 9
Yod = 10

Here is a cute nursery rhyme.

Ten Fingers
(A fingerplay)

I have ten fingers hold up both hands, fingers spread
And they all belong to me, point to self
I can make them do things-
Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight make fists
I can open them wide open hands
I can put them together place palms together
I can make them all hide put hands behind back

I can make them jump high hands over head
I can make them jump low touch floor
I can fold them up quietly fold hands in lap
And hold them just so.

Aah! The number ten might be the number of perfection, but number seven is the number of completion. Happy 10th week of Thursday Theme to everyone.

Thursday Theme=Mineral

2009-03-25T21:44:00.071-04:00

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific chemical composition. Minerals range in composition from pure elements and simple salts to very complex silicates with thousands of known forms. The study of minerals is called mineralogy.---- Wikipedia

Uncut Tanzanite

TANZANITE, the gemstone variety of zoisite
VARIETY INFORMATION:

VARIETY OF: Zoisite, Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH), Calcium Aluminum Silicate Hydroxide.
USES: Gemstone
COLOR: various shades of blue to lavender, deeper along the crystal axis.
INDEX OF REFRACTION: 1.68 - 1.72
BIREFRINGENCE: is good
HARDNESS: 6.5-7
CLEAVAGE: perfect in one direction
CRYSTAL SYSTEM: orthorhombic

Tanzanite is relatively new on the gemstone market, but has left its mark. Its blue-lavender color is rather unique and a wonderful addition to the gemstone palette. Found in Tanzania (hence the name) in 1967, it has since become a well known and widely distributed gemstone. It has become so popular that in October of 2002 the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) announced that tanzanite had joined zircon and turquoise in the traditional list of birthstones for the month of December.
It has better fire than the tourmaline elbaite or peridot and an adequate hardness. Its only one direction of cleavage is somewhat of a problem because it is oriented with the direction of strongest pleochroism. This would be a problem in most gemstones because that is the direction the gemcutter would usually select to maximize the color. However, with tanzanite the color is usually strong enough anyway.
Pleochroism is very pronounced in tanzanite and is seen as three different color shades in the same stone. In the viewing of a tanzanite stone from different angles, the colors dark-blue, green-yellow and red-purple can all be seen as a result of the pleochroism. Lesser stones may have a brownish color due to the mixing of blue, purple and green. These stones are usually heat treated to a deep blue color. Iolite is a blue-violet gemstone variety of the mineral cordierite, has strong pleochroism and can be confused with tanzanite. However, iolite is usually less strongly colored, its pleochroic colors vary from blue-violet to yellowish gray to blue and it has less fire.
Nearly all tanzanite has been heat treated to generate the beautiful violet-blue color this stone is known for. When first mined, most stones are a muted green color. The only known source of Tanzanite is a five square mile hilltop at Merelani, ten miles south of the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. ---Google-Minerals by NameThe Beautiful Land of Tanzanite

How I Came to Love Tanzanite
Five years ago I spent a week in Jamaica attending my youngest daughter's destination wedding. Needless to say a good time was had by all as our family from the USA gathered together for a glorious time. While there I went to the jewelry stores in our hotel looking for a blue sapphire ring, but an absolutely beautiful tanzanite with diamonds ring caught my eye. After looking at it on several occasions I purchased it on the day I departed Jamaica. This ring has become my second favorite piece of jewelry, my first is a diamond cross my oldest daughter gave me for Christmas nine years ago. It is the ring I wear practically all the time along with my mother's ring which has two garnets, two aquamarines and one topaz. I travel a lot and one of the things I always seem to come home with is a piece or two of jewelry(ring or earrings).

This is my tanzanite ring

To all People who loves Nature
Dear travel agent take money for the ticket,
enough for two first class return tickets,
to fly to a beautiful land of Tanzanite!
Respected pilot when do we start the flight,
a flight to the beautiful land of Tanzanite?
She has been waiting for me day and night,
waiting over there at Dar-es-Salaam Airport.
After breakfast at Kilimanjaro mountain top,
i will give her a wedding ring of Diamond,
before a wedding at the cornerstone church.
On a huge Ostrich we will take a free ride,
while watching animals in Ngorongoro park,
then a motorboats ride in the Victoria Lake.
I will buy her a special Tanzanite bracelet,
just before honeymoon in the Zanzibar Island.
We will eat fruits in the Masai Grassland,
then visit the mines of Diamonds and Gold.
We will visit the historical Olduvai Gorge,
while eating fish from the Lake Tanganyika.
Yes Tanzania the beautiful land of Tanzanite!
by
Edward Paul Manega

A GEM OF A DAY

click here to listen to the new ICA Gemstone Song... (Flash PlugIn required)

Lyrics:
The air is crystal clear and here comes the sun
Sending fire opal rays to chase the chills
Silent jasper Mountains know night is done
Fancy light fills the cabochon hills.

Aquamarine sky hosting glittering clouds
Wind is blowing - they sail lazily.
Throwing million dots of sparkles around
Like golden dust trapped in lapis lazuli.

--Chorus--
Listen to the colors, follow your heart,
Let us come together now,
From violet to red love traveled a mile,
We're coming and she's showing us how.

Citrine shore relaxing yellow and warm,
Small hematite fish play in the waves.
The sea is deep velvet blue sapphire
Cradling pearls inside their oysters.

Juicy mandarin fruits and amethyst grapes
Are growing between emerald leaves'
Tsavorite groves sread longing faacets on the earth
"Tanza-night" falls - fancy sapphire sun leaves.

This day is a Gem - saying one thing for all:
Love in you, I am them, calibrating hearts to this call:

--Chorus--
Listen to the colors, follow your heart,
Let us come together now,
From violet to red love traveled a mile,
We're coming and she's showing us how.

While opal moon escorted by topaz stars
Paints an onyx trail to the milky way,
Morganite cheeks with marble teeth smile
And hand you poppies red like ruby, like spinel, saying:

--Chorus--
Listen to the colors, follow your heart,
Let us come together now,
From violet to red love traveled a mile,
We're coming and she's showing us how.

First Day of Spring

2009-03-20T12:44:00.023-04:00

Today the first day of Spring has finally arrived. The sun is shining, but it is cold here in Connecticut, we even had some snow this morning. Spring is my favorite season of the year, because everything emerges from its long winter sleep. This year it has been a very long, very cold and very snowy Winter. Wishing all a healthy and happy Spring. I hope you find one of the following works of poetry pleasing.

A Prayer in Spring Robert Frost (1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

Lines Written in Early Spring William Wordsworth (1798)

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:--
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

812 Emily Dickinson

A Light exists in Spring
Not present on the Year
At any other period —
When March is scarcely here

A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot overtake
But Human Nature feels.

It waits upon the Lawn,
It shows the furthest Tree
Upon the furthest Slope you know
It almost speaks to you.

Then as Horizons step
Or Noons report away
Without the Formula of sound
It passes and we stay —

A quality of loss
Affecting our Content
As Trade had suddenly encroached
Upon a Sacrament.

Theme Thursday=Ode to the Artichoke by Pablo Neruda

2009-03-19T00:00:00.010-04:00

click to see a picture of a artichoke

Ode To The Artichoke
Pablo Neruda

The artichoke
With a tender heart
Dressed up like a warrior,
Standing at attention, it built
A small helmet
Under its scales
It remained
Unshakeable,
By its side
The crazy vegetables
Uncurled
Their tendrills and leaf-crowns,
Throbbing bulbs,
In the sub-soil
The carrot
With its red mustaches
Was sleeping,
The grapevine
Hung out to dry its branches
Through which the wine will rise,
The cabbage
Dedicated itself
To trying on skirts,
The oregano
To perfuming the world,
And the sweet
Artichoke
There in the garden,
Dressed like a warrior,
Burnished
Like a proud
Pomegrante.
And one day
Side by side
In big wicker baskets
Walking through the market
To realize their dream
The artichoke army
In formation.
Never was it so military
Like on parade.
The men
In their white shirts
Among the vegetables
Were
The Marshals
Of the artichokes
Lines in close order
Command voices,
And the bang
Of a falling box.

But
Then
Maria
Comes
With her basket
She chooses
An artichoke,
She's not afraid of it.
She examines it, she observes it
Up against the light like it was an egg,
She buys it,
She mixes it up
In her handbag
With a pair of shoes
With a cabbage head and a
Bottle
Of vinegar
Until
She enters the kitchen
And submerges it in a pot.

Thus ends
In peace
This career
Of the armed vegetable
Which is called an artichoke,
Then
Scale by scale,
We strip off
The delicacy
And eat
The peaceful mush
Of its green heart.

Translated by Jodey Bateman

Thursday Theme=Animal

2009-03-11T22:55:00.042-04:00

I wrote a little about the deer a couple of weeks ago, but I thought I would write something else about them for our Thursday theme.

The pictures of this deer were taken through the window of my dining room. He was there in the hill behind my house with the other members of his herd. There are seven deer in the herd. Everyday they pass through twice a day. Generally, they come over the hill in the morning making their way down until they cross to the undeveloped land across the road. And they make the reverse trip late in the day. Occasionally they are on the move through before daybreak. If you are like me you know the story about Bambi, so you hold the thought of deer with fondness. Now they are beautiful to look at, but they are very destructive to the landscape.

Every spring I love to plant flowers and perennial plants. And every year it is a challenge to keep the deer from eating them. Hosta is one of my favorite perennials and they are also a favorite of the deer. Another favorite of mine is impatiens, they like those as well. Several years ago one of my neighbors told me to buy a watering can and fill it with water and egg. So I buy eggs just to deter the deer. It works as long as you remember to put the egg water on the plants after it rains. We even go as far as pouring the egg water all along the perimeter of the property.

I gave up planting tulips years ago. I remember spending a fall day planting three dozen tulip bulbs while wearing two orthopedic boots for double partially torn Achilles heel. That was no easy task. Come Spring the plants came up and were growing nicely. I could see the plants from my bedroom window. One the evening I could see some red beginning to show on the tulips. The next morning I got up, went to the window, opened the blinds and all I saw was stems. Now I couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I went and put on my glasses and took another look. Sure enough there were only stems sticking up, the deer had eaten every single tulip bud.

This is what happened last year. I have a large flower pot that sits on top of the well cover. I had filled the pot with red impatiens , green and white vinca vine, and a tall green grass. All summer everything grew beautiful and lush. They were given an egg water treatment all summer, than for some reason I didn't keep it up. One morning I went to the bedroom window, opened the blinds and the flowerpot only had a green display. The deer had feasted on only the impatiens. I didn't put on my glasses this time, because I have seen this too many times in past seasons.

The deer don't limit their feasting habits just to my summer flowers and plants. They have destroyed all the Yews that were once planted as foundation plants. And this winter they have eaten every leaf off the three Rhododendrons that are planted in the Hosta garden.

Its guaranteed you will never see ornamental deer and the lighted deer of Christmas displayed at my house.

Tagging is Going Around

2009-03-09T14:08:00.029-04:00

I have been tagged by lovely Cinnamon

Put the link of the person who tagged you on your blog
Write the rules
Mention 6 things or habits of no real importance about you
Tag 6 persons adding their links directly
Alert the persons that you tagged them

So here are 6 things about me which I have not mentioned before:

Blue is my favorite color.
I'm allergic to most things, but I keep it under control.
While on vacation in Rome two years ago, I left my camera bag in a taxi. I lost a Canon SLR Rebel camera, lens, memory cards, a Canon Digital Video Camera and Mini cassettes.
I am a lover of cats, but I don't have one at the moment.
I cook most types of food, my adult children always request me to make lasagna.
I'm a packrat.

The people I'm tagging are:DeboHobo, granspeaks, listen2auntie, mycastleinspain, willowmanor, j

Winter Walk on a Springlike Day

2009-03-07T19:00:00.012-05:00

It's been a long cold winter. On Monday at my house there was eight inches of snow and all week the temperature has been in the single digits and at the highest in the low 20s. But today we have temperatures in the 60s. The sky is sometimes blue, the sun is sometimes shining and the birds are singing. It is an ideal day to go for a walk. I just could not wait to get out there. So I will share with you some of the things I saw while taking a wonderful two mile walk.

In my excitement to start the walk, I didn't realize I didn't have on matching shoes. I had intended to wear the Ryka's because there are numerous puddles along the road. I had already walked down my long driveway and part way up the road when I came to the first of many puddles. I looked down to not step in it and to my dismay I realized I had on two different shoes. The Skeecher on the left and the Ryka on the right. If my driveway wasn't almost 300 feet up hill I might have gone back to the house and changed them. I just hoped I wouldn't see anyone I knew as I continued the walk. I did pass a father and his children walking the dog. Hope they didn't notice.

Along the road there is a very curvy section, but it is the most beautiful section of the road. At that point a brook flowing down the hill crosses under the road.

Because the snow is melting the brook is quite full. There is nothing so relaxing than seeing and hearing a babbling brook.

Babbling brook

Fruits of last season still cling to the plants along the road.

I have walked up and down my driveway many times over the past 45 years, but I had never seen this, a jawbone with teeth still in place. It probably belonged to a cow or horse. Back in the late 1930s or early 1940s Grandpa-in-law drove livestock back and forth over the land and to this day there is a noticeable trail that runs across my property. In the past we have found other bones along the trail, never along the driveway.

Daffodils poking up through the soil. Can spring be far away?

Jumbo Allium cracking the soil, they are waking up to greet the Spring.

"Spring could it really be coming? Is it possible I won't have to sit out here is the cold and snow much longer?"

Thursday Theme=Glass

2009-03-05T00:00:00.003-05:00

Materials made by cooling certain molten materials in such a manner that they do not crystallize but remain in an amorphous state, their viscosity increasing to such high values that, for all practical purposes, they are solid. Materials having this ability to cool without crystallizing are relatively rare, silica, SiO2, being the most common example. Although glasses can be made without silica, most commercially important glasses are based on it. The most important properties are viscosity; strength; index of refraction; dispersion; light transmission (both total and as a function of wavelength); corrosion resistance; and electrical properties.

Chemically, most glasses are silicates. Silica by itself makes a good glass (fused silica), but its high melting point (1723°C or 3133°F) and its high viscosity in the liquid state make it difficult to melt and work. To lower the melting temperature of silica to a more convenient level, soda, Na2O, is added in the form of sodium carbonate or nitrate, for example. This has the desired effect, but unfortunately the resulting glass has no chemical durability and is soluble even in water (water glass). To overcome this problem, lime, CaO, is added to the glass to form the basic soda-lime-silica glass composition which is used for the bulk of common glass articles, such as bottles and sheet (window) glass. Although these are the main ingredients, commercial glass contains other oxides (aluminum and magnesium oxides) and ingredients to help in oxidizing, fining, or decolorizing the glass batch.---Sci-Tech Encyclopedia

Thirty-five years ago I had the daunting task helping my mother-in-law clean out her parent’s house. Amongst all the furnishings there were some favorite things I like. What are they? Items made of glass. I knew I couldn’t take it all to my house. And I had about two weeks to decide which items I wanted for myself and for our children. To learn more about the different types of glass sent me on an investigative search at our local library (the one in the theme two weeks ago). Searching through numerous books I learned there are cut, pressed, carnival, Tiffany and many more types of glass. Armed with the knowledge acquired I was able to make many good selections. I have been able to use the selected items during holidays and while entertaining.

I have chosen a mere four of my favorite pieces of glass selected to photograph for this week’s theme.

Time to Eat

2009-03-04T11:45:00.024-05:00

Last week the snow had finally melted. I looked out the dining room window and not too far from the house I had the treat of watching a herd of deer. These deer always pass through, but they had stopped to have a meal in the hillside. At least this time they were not eating my shrubs. Oh yes, they have eaten every leaf off the Rhododendrons. Not to disturb them, but to be able to capture them I had to take these pictures through the window. At the end the one deer I was concentrating on decided to look at me for awhile before running off further up into the hills.

Thursday Theme=Toy

2009-02-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Thursday Theme=Toy

A toy is an object used in play. Toys are usually associated with children and pets, but it is not unusual for adult humans and some non-domesticated animals to play with toys. Many items are manufactured to serve as toys, but items produced for other purposes can also be used as toys. ...Wikipedia

What does a large cardboard box, an empty oatmeal box, a cooking pot and a wooden mixing spoon have in common? Why they are items when given to a small child will keep that child joyfully occupied for some time. Just watch a child with their innocent imagination and these items mentioned above. The oatmeal box and cooking pot become a drum when whacked with the wooden spoon . A large cardboard box becomes a house, a cave, a fort or whatever.

I remember as a young girl having Lincoln logs, Tinker toys and dolls among other things. When I was a little girl we all wanted a doll known as a Betsy Wetsy doll. She came with a bottle. After filling it with water( hopefully), you gave her a bottle she would wet her pants. I now find it perplexing why we all wanted that doll.

As we grow older the toys can become more sophisticated and expensive. For instance the person who must own all the latest technological gadgets. In my case my toys are cameras. I got my first camera when I was a young teenager. My father gave me a large black Eastman Kodak box camera. That was replaced with a Kodak Brownie Flash Camera that I still have to this day forgotten in a bottom dresser drawer. Overtime these two cameras were replaced. The film SLR and point and shoot cameras have been replaced or put aside with digital SLR and other digital cameras. I always wanted so much to draw, but I just don't have the talent. So, photography has become my art form.

But, the cameras are the least of my toys. I became a scrapbooker about six years ago. That is one expensive endeavor. Besides the photos, papers, scissors, adhesives and albums, there are so many gadgets, devices and cutting machines that can be bought. I think I have bought a substantial number of them all . Do I use most of them? No! I just like to buy them with the idea I will use them someday. Of course I have no idea when that some day will come. Matter of fact some of the items are still in their boxes. Meanwhile, I need to find a place to display / store all this stuff. So now I’m contemplating setting up a scrapbooking section in my library / computer room. The sooner I do this the better. Than I'll have no excuse not to use all the toys I have accumulated.

No matter what age we are from the time we are babies with a rattle and mobile over our crib through our adult life, most of us have some toy or toys that we enjoy and that make our lives full. What toy(s) do you have today?

Thursday Theme=Library

2009-02-19T00:00:00.017-05:00

New Milford Public Library

This is my local library where I took my children as soon as they were old enough to have their own library cards. I myself grew up in a small CT town as well. I spent as much time as possible in the library when I was a child. I remember there being a thick glass floor in one section of the library and you could see through it to the downstairs. I remember feeling adventurous and frighten at the same time whenever I stood on that glass floor. To me reading has always been the most important thing I could do. I have traveled all over the world and experienced so many adventures just by reading a book. Following are several quotes about a library.

"The library is not a shrine for the worship of books, It is not a temple where literary incense must be burned or where one’s devotion to the bound book is expressed in ritual. A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a
place where history comes to life."
Norman Cousins(1915-1990)

"Access to knowledge is the superb,
the supreme act of truly great civilizations.
Of all the institutions that purport to do this,
free libraries stand virtually alone in accomplishing this."
Toni Morrison

"A book is the only place in which you can
examine a fragile thought without breaking it,
or explore an explosive idea without
fear it will go off in your face...
one of the few havens remaining where
a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy."
Charles Langbridge Morgan(1894-1958)

"To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one."
— Anonymous, Chinese saying

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2009-02-14T15:05:00.003-05:00

Valentine Treasures
Valentine treasures are people who
have often crossed your mind,
family, friends and others, too,
who in your life have shined
the warmth of love or a spark of light
that makes you remember them;
no matter how long since you’ve actually met,
each one is a luminous gem
who gleams and glows in your memory,
bringing special pleasures,
and that’s why this Valentine comes to you:
You’re one of those sparkling treasures!
By Joanna Fuchs

Thursday Theme=Fish, the Symbol of Christianity

2009-02-11T17:48:00.012-05:00

The fish was an early symbol of Christian faith that endures today on bumper stickers and businesses as a sign of Christian faith.

The fish is thought to have been chosen by the early Christians for several reasons:

the Greek word for fish (ICHTUS), works nicely as an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior”.
The fish would not be an obvious Christian symbol to persecutors
Jesus' ministry is associated with fish: he chose several fishermen to be his disciples and declared he would make them "fishers of men."

It is said that during the persecution of the early church, a Christian meeting someone new would draw a single arc in the sand. If the other person was a Christian, he or she would complete the drawing of a fish with a second arc. If the second person was not a Christian, the ambiguity of the half-symbol would not reveal the first person as a Christian.

The second fish symbol is the ICHTHUS fish, with the Greek word for fish written out to emphasize the symbolic acrostic described above.
Although the word looks like IXOYE, the letters are from the Greek alphabet, so the "I" is actually an iota, the "X" is actually a chi, the "O" is actually a theta, the "Y" is an upsilon, and the "E" or "C" at the end is a sigma. Taking the first sound from each of these Greek letter names, we get the transliteration into our alphabet of ICHTHUS.

Today, when Christians (in the West) do not need to worry about persecution, the Christian fish symbol often has "Jesus" written inside or includes a cross symbol. And of course, there have been many spoofs and variations of the popular Christian symbol, such as the famous "Darwin fish" (with legs).

The fish is also a symbol of baptism, since a fish is at home in the water.

References
Patricia S. Klein, Worship without Words: The Signs and Symbols of Our Faith (2000).
Carolle E. Whittenmore, ed., Symbols of the Church.
George Wells Ferguson, Signs & Symbols in Christian Art.
Frederick Rest, Our Christian Symbols.

Scrapbooking

2009-02-09T15:08:00.015-05:00

What is Scrapbooking?
Definition: Scrapbooking (verb): The creative art of taking books with blank pages and adding photos, memorabilia, journaling, and embellishments. The primary purpose of scrapbooking is to preserve memories for future generations, but a secondary purpose often is to exercise your creativity as you display your memories in a scrapbook.

I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at beautiful Simsbury Inn in CT attending a weekend scrapbooking summit. My third daughter, who drove down from the Boston area, and I were among approximately a hundred women gathered to let our creative juices flow. These are gatherings where women stay up into the middle of the night, if not all night or they get up very early the next morning and start all over again.
There was plenty of chatting, laughter, slicing, cutting, gluing, oohing and aahing going on. There were friends meeting friends and new friends to be made. It appeared a good time was had by all.

What are some of the your hobbies?

Thursday Theme=Statues

2009-02-04T18:52:00.016-05:00

Plegaria
By Delmira Agustini

Eros: have you never felt
Piety for the statues?
These chrysalides of stone,
Some formidable race
In an eternal, unutterable hope.
The sleeping craters of their mouths
Utter the black ash of silence;
A copious shroud of Calm
Falls from the columns of their arms,
And night flows from their eyesockets;
Victims of Destiny or Mystery,
In magnificent and terrible cocoons,
They wait for Life or Death.
Eros: have you never perhaps felt
Piety for the statues?
Piety for the lives
That will not strew nor rend your battles
Nor gild your fiery truces;
Piety for the bodies clothed
In the solemn ermine of Calm,
The luminous foreheads that endure
Their marble wreaths, grand and pure,
Weighty and glacial as icebergs;
Piety for the gloved hands of ice
That cannot uproot
The delicious fruits of the Flesh,
The fantastic flowers of the soul;
Piety for the eyes that flutter
Their spiritual eyelids:
Mysterious fish scales,
Dark curtains on rose visions...
For looking so far, they never see!
Piety for the tidy heads of hair
-Mystical haloes-
Gently combed like lakes
Which the storm's black fan,
Black and enormous, never thrashes;
Piety for the spirits, illustrious,
Carved of diamonds,
High, clear, ecstatic
Lightning rods on pious domes;
Piety for the lips like celestial settings
Where the invisible pearls of the Host gleam;
-Lips that never existed,
Never seized anything,
A fiery vampire
With more thirst and hunger than an abyss.
Piety for the sacrosanct sexes
That armor themselves with sheaths
From the astral vineyards of Chastity;
Piety for the magnetized footsoles
Who eternally drag
Sandals burning with sores
Through the eternal azure;
Piety, piety, pity
For all the lives defended
By the lighthouse of Pride
From your marvelous raw weathers:
Aim your suns and rays at them!
Eros: have you never perhaps felt
Pity for the statues?

Taken in Chalone-sur-Saone France

Taken at Chantilly in France

Birds at the Feeder

2009-02-04T12:30:00.014-05:00

I had been waiting for the first birds to come to the feeder this winter season and I finally had to wait no longer. Well I knew someone had been at the feeder, because there was seed in the snow below, but I had not seen them. Than finally last week I saw the cute Tufted Titmouse. Seeing birds and hearing their song is one of many things that put a smile on my face. On Saturday I finally took some photos of the Tufted Titmouse having lunch at the feeder.

What birds have your feeders attracted this season?

Another Snowy Day

2009-02-03T12:19:00.017-05:00

We are experiencing an snowy day. We are forecast to get only three inches. That is just adding on top of what we already have on the ground since the beginning of January. We usually have a January thaw, but that didn't happen this year, The snow on the woods floor is at least a foot deep. So other than blogging and watching the snow falling, it's time to settle in a comfortable chair, with a cup of tea and a good book. I'm going to finish reading Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Majestic trees and grey snowy skies.

Snow falling in the grove of pines.

Thursday Theme=Kitchen

2009-01-29T11:36:00.028-05:00

Coffee Messiah challenged us with theme Thursday. This week's theme is the kitchen. I don't have pictures of soups, muffins, cookies or cakes. So, I have selected a poem that conveys the importance of the kitchen.

In the Kitchen
Lori L. Moore

Love, was understood, in
the kitchen. Where

bread and cakes and pies
and everyday thoughts filled

the air and senses. Common
Sense was taught, in

the kitchen. More through action,
than words. Grandma’s

ways were revered in the kitchen.
From a touch of this, to a dash

of that, to a “good girl would
never.” Love, was understood,

in the kitchen. Passed down,
one recipe at a time.

Children and Snow

2009-01-26T13:55:00.017-05:00

Yesterday my two youngest grandchildren were here to visit with their mother. The boys are 6 and 3 years old. They brought their saucer sleds to try out the hills their mother and her siblings had used when they were children. To our dismay they went sledding in places my children had never sled, like down the front slope. They had the time of their lives. Then they followed that up by climbing up the back hill and onto some of the large rocks. From that vantage point the youngest one felt he was king of the world. It was so much fun and refreshing to see how much fun with abandonment children can have.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-19T19:45:00.018-05:00

While I was in Texas I went to the movies with DeboHobo to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I'm not to sure how long the movie is, but I would guess over ninety minutes. The whole time the movie was exciting and it kept my interest. The outstanding thing for me about this movie is the makeup for the aged Brad Pitt. To my surprise in the credits I saw the movie was based on a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Because I am an avid reader, I went to my local library and checked out Six Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Included in those tales is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The short story is twenty-three pages long. Well, I read the tale last night and all I can say is the screenwriter definitely used a writer's license. We all know most movies are not the same as the original story, and some come fairly close, but this was quite a leap from the book.

The bottom line is both the movie and the short story are interesting and I would recommend both. The order you choose to partake is up to you, but for this one I would say movie first and than the short story.

Secrets

2009-01-18T13:51:00.005-05:00

I have just finished reading Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I thought it was a good read, because you wanted to know the outcome. The one thing I found at fault with the novel was the fact that it went on and on as to whether the knowledge that the baby daughter had not died at birth would be disclosed to her mother and brother. Than all of a sudden the novel winds up with them being informed.

The strong message seen in this novel is the price of secrets. Secrets not only hurt the one who is keeping the secret, but they also hurt the ones they are trying to protect.

Whose Personality Do You Have?

2009-01-15T13:19:00.006-05:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Joan!

You are a Joan -- "I need to succeed"

Joans are energetic, optimistic, self-assured, and goal oriented.

How to Get Along with Me

* Leave me alone when I am doing my work.

* Give me honest, but not unduly critical or judgmental, feedback.

* Help me keep my environment harmonious and peaceful.

* Don't burden me with negative emotions.

* Tell me you like being around me.

* Tell me when you're proud of me or my accomplishments.

What I Like About Being a Joan

* being optimistic, friendly, and upbeat

* providing well for my family

* being able to recover quickly from setbacks and to charge ahead to the next challenge

* staying informed, knowing what's going on

* being competent and able to get things to work efficiently

* being able to motivate people

What's Hard About Being a Joan

* having to put up with inefficiency and incompetence

* the fear on not being -- or of not being seen as -- successful

* comparing myself to people who do things better

* struggling to hang on to my success

* putting on facades in order to impress people

* always being "on." It's exhausting.

Joans as Children Often

* work hard to receive appreciation for their accomplishments

* are well liked by other children and by adults

* are among the most capable and responsible children in their class or school

* are active in school government and clubs or are quietly busy working on their own projects

Joans as Parents

* are consistent, dependable, and loyal

* struggle between wanting to spend time with their children and wanting to get more work done

* expect their children to be responsible and organized

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Robert Frost

2009-01-14T13:06:00.021-05:00

I have always loved the poetry of Robert Frost. I don't know why, maybe its because he was a New Englander the same as I. These two poems: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening and Road Not Taken are my most favorite of his writings.

The first poem was introduced to me when I was in high school and has stuck with me ever since. It's one of the poems I had to memorize that I still remember. And I relate to it everytime it snows and I see the woods where I live filling up with falling snow.

The second poem relates to how I have always lived my life with no apologies or regrets. And again I was introduced to it while I was in high school.

STOPPING BY THE WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING
By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Snow, Good Book and a Cup of Tea

2009-01-12T00:15:00.023-05:00

We didn't get the amount of snow that had been forecast, but we did get about four inches of dry fluffy snow. As the fine snow was falling everything was quiet and still until a couple of people decided to ride up and down the road on their snowmobiles, but that didn't last that long. It made for a lovely evening to curl up under a throw with a good book(The Memory Keepers Daughter) and large cup of vanilla hazelnut tea in the livingroom while candles were burning in the fireplace.

From time to time during and after the snowstorm I took pictures mostly of the angel sitting on a bench in one of my many flower gardens.

Today after the snowstorm we had the bluest sunny skies. The temperature was in the low 30s perfect for outdoor activities. The plowman came early, so I only had in front of the garage door and the front walkway to shovel.

Cold and Sunny Day

2009-01-09T22:01:00.020-05:00

Today it was cold, but sunny with a beautiful blue sky. So I bundled up, walked down the driveway to pickup the mail and took a short walk. Taking along the camera I was able to capture several sites: babbling brook, lichen covered rock coated with ice, bittersweet berries and the long driveway home. Tomorrow we are expecting eight to ten inches of snow. YEAH!

Icy Day

2009-01-07T22:01:00.014-05:00

Last night we had a little snow followed by freezing rain. It has been raining all day coating everything with ice. Here are some pictures I was able to take in the area surrounding my house.

A View of the Green

2009-01-06T20:50:00.010-05:00

First Congregational Church on the Green

Yesterday our temperature was in a comfortable 40 degree range. I had some errands to run downtown and that gave me an opportunity to take a couple of pictures of our quaint downtown. I didn't photograph the usual pictures of our bandstand or of the military tank that are on the South Green. Instead I opted for the First Congregatioal Church and the christmas decorated lamplights on the North Green. As you can see we still have some snow on the ground.

Currently it is snowing than it will be followed with freezing rain. I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow, so I can just sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Home Again

2009-01-04T19:32:00.003-05:00

Well I arrived back in CT on Saturday. Spent the night at my youngest daughter's house. Now I'm at home in my own living room, listening to Christmas music and enjoying the few decorations I had put up before going off to Texas for three weeks. After all Christmas is not over until January 7th. I believe the 12th day of Christmas is January 6th also known as the Three Kings Day.

It is cold today in the low 30s. The sun is shining brightly. There is snow on the ground. The plowman had been here while I was away. Now I need to find out how many times he had to come while I was away to find out how much my wallet has been emptied. But, I was able to drive up my driveway(250 feet up the side of a hill) when I arrived here at the house and that is all that really matters.

Time to go back to relaxing.

New Year 2009

2009-01-02T10:44:00.003-05:00

New Year's Eve was spent with Debo Hobo, my son and daughter-in-law. We made the rounds of different establishments in Shops at Legacy. We had a reveling good time. When we got home we had bowls of Green Split Peas Soup I had made with the left over Christmas ham.

Than, for New Year's day I was recruited to make Lasagna(two pans) and Garlic Bread. I had the expert help of Debo Hobo as my sous chef. She loves to chop and dice in the kitchen. It must have been good because they ate just about all of it.

Well tomorrow I fly back to CT after being here in TX for three weeks. Back to reality for me; cold, snow, ice, and freezing rain.

Suit of Armor

2008-12-31T12:04:00.006-05:00

This cute little suit of armor was observed while taking a leisurely walk on a warm afternoon at Shops at Legacy in Texas.

Wishing everyone a healthy happy new year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Personality

2008-12-27T19:54:00.001-05:00

You Are Biscotti

You are a very direct, honest person.

You don't have time for dramatics or emotional pleas.

You feel most comfortable in the intellectual realm, especially with science and technology.

You are good at understanding difficult subjects. Understanding people? Not so much.

What Holiday Cookie Are You?

Christmas at the Gaylord

2008-12-23T11:13:00.017-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

While here in Texas my son and daughter-in-law took me to the Gaylord to see a spectacular holiday and ice display.

2008-12-20T18:20:00.012-05:00

Christmas Tree in Legacy Shops

Festive lights in Legacy Shops

Festive lights in Legacy Shops

Festively lit fountain

Last evening in a balmy temperature of the upper 60s my son, a daughter, a daughter-in-law and I strolled around Legacy Shops after have sushi at Naan. We took in the sites of all the Christmas decorations. A good time was had by all, even though walking in heeled boots became uncomfortable.

Snow

2008-12-19T13:56:00.004-05:00

This picture is a memory from last winter season in my backyard.

I have just finished speaking to my next door neighbor. He tells me there is a lot of snowing going on back at home( I'm on vacation in TX). I love the snow, too bad I'm missing the whole Currier and Ives scene that is taking place back home. And I'm not there to photograph what is a photographers delight.

My Rainbow

2008-12-15T20:12:00.001-05:00

Your rainbow is shaded indigo.

What is says about you: You are a proud person. You appreciate cities, technology, and other great things people have created. Friends count on you for being honest and insightful.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

On the Road Again

2008-12-15T19:16:00.003-05:00

Well, here I am on the road again. But, I love traveling so no complaints especially when I am visiting family. Yes, I arrived in Texas yesterday and the temperature was a pleasant 70 to 80. I woke up this morning and it is in the 20s, windy and damp (brrr!). It was warmer back home where the temperature was in the 50s. Hopefully this will not last very long.

I am visiting with my son and his wife in their brand new house. We spent the morning watching Dark Knight. It was my first Batman movie to watch. For some parts I had to cover my eyes, because I can only take so much violence. But all considered it was a good movie. Than it was off to Bally's for a workout. I did half an hour on the treadmill.

Close to Bally's was a Hobby Lobby. As a scrapbooker I had heard a lot about Hobby Lobby, but I had never been to one. Needless to say I had to go there. They had a lot to see. I'll probably do some shopping there before I go home. The only unfortunate thing is no matter what I buy while here in Texas, I'm going to have to mail it home. My luggage has no room to take anything home.

Wildlife in the Woods

2008-12-11T18:06:00.008-05:00

Living in the woods I get to see various creatures. This fall I had the thrill of seeing wild turkeys strolling across my neighbors property and then walking onto my driveway.

My favorite nemesis, white-tail deer are always present. We have a constantly ongoing match about how many of my plants I'm going to keep them from eating and how many they actually eat. I was the winner for most of this years growing season. They did manage to clean out a large pot of red impatiens in late September.

Yesterday, I finally got to see how efficient the cylinder like birdfeeder hanging from a tree branch worked to keep squirrel's at bay. It was hilarious. A fat grey squirrel made it's way across the branch. He leaped onto the birdfeeder and the birdfeeder closed do to his weight. Than he tried upside-down to work his way down the birdfeeder, but it stayed closed. After awhile he gave up.(ha!ha!ha!)

Today as I sat at the table eating breakfast and enjoying a cup of tea looking out the window I saw a herd of approximately seven white-tail deer. They were busily meandering their way down and across the hill while foraging for food. They are interesting to watch as long as they are not eating my plants. I wonder which creatures I will see tomorrow.

Are We Our Thoughts?

2008-12-10T19:02:00.004-05:00

I was reading a natural health paper I picked up in the pharmacy today. In it was a quote by Buddha. The quote intrigued me. Are we our thoughts?

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make our world. -the Buddha

Soooo Cold

2008-12-08T15:36:00.004-05:00

The furnace was running all night. More dollar bills flying out of my wallet. The temperature was in the low teens overnight. When I left the house this morning(around 9am) the car indicated the temperature was a mere 16 degrees(Burrrr). Those low temps call for a lot of clothes:jeans, turtle-necked sweater, heavy faux fur lined coat, scarf wrapped around the neck, wool cap, and gloves. And did I say heavy socks as well. The sun is shining brightly, that's just to fool one into thinking it is warm outside until you step outside. Yes, I still love living in CT.

Dusting of Snow

2008-12-07T17:23:00.017-05:00

The snow started to fall around 11pm Saturday night. This is a photo taken from the back steps of the snow falling. During the night I heard the town plow truck down on the road drive by.

When I woke up I saw we had about one inch of snow, just enough to say it snowed. I knew I had to go outside and shovel my long downhill driveway(~250 feet). It was cold and windy in the mid 30s.

Some of the snow had started to melt once the sun was shining on it, so after I finished shoveling the driveway I took a picture of things to come during this winter.

As Robert Frost wrote "Whose woods these are I think I know-----". Stay tune for more winter pictures as the season progress.

Waiting for the First Snow of the Season

2008-12-06T21:52:00.003-05:00

The weather man tells we could see the first snow of the season tonight. I love watching the snow fall. Because I live in the woods, I'm reminded of the poem by Robert Frost. Needless to say everyone was at the grocery store today buying up bread, milk and snacks. You would think they were going to be stranded to days.

I'm watching the 1973 version of Miracle on 34th Street on TV as I write this. It's OK, but not as good as the original with Natalie Wood.

I need to close and go to the window, the newscaster just said the snow has enter the State.

Time to Think About Next Years Travels.

2008-12-03T22:47:00.004-05:00

Traveling to different places around the world is something I have always wanted to do. I have always been an avid reader and I have traveled all over the world through the written word.

I started doing some traveling about twenty-two years ago. My first flight and trip outside the United States was to Barbados for a week by myself. I have been flying ever since. Quite often I go on trips by myself. You might wonder how could I go by myself. I got use to traveling by myself when I went to scientific conferences for my job. Since I am now retired, I have the time to travel as much as I want. My form of art is photography, so my traveling and photography go hand in hand.

This years travels have taken me to San Francisco, Tampa, Barcelona, Carcassonne, small villages along the Rhone and Saone Rivers in France starting in Arles sailing to Lyon, Paris, Connecticut, Massachusetts, San Diego, Trinidad, Grenada and Texas.

So far I know I'll be traveling to New Mexico for a book retreat and Texas for a graduation next year. I'll possibly go to Arizona to visit a friend who moved there this year. I'm seriously contemplating about going on a 13-day cruise on the Nile River. Egypt is one of those places I have read a lot about and I'm always watching something about Egypt on the History channel. So its time to go there and see all that is left to be seen. Some of the time would be spent in Cairo. Other places of interest are Alaska and China.

Brrr! It's Been Cold

2008-11-23T11:49:00.004-05:00

Here in CT it has been very cold for the past five to six days. It's hard to believe the temperature was almost 70 degrees last Saturday and it was only in the 20s this past Saturday with the wind blowing it was even colder. It's a good time to get a warm drink and curl up with a good book.

Today the sun is shining, but the temperature will only be in the 30s. This is just too cold too soon. We are accustomed to and expect cold temperatures in CT, but not this early in the season. I'm still waiting to see the first snowfall. I enjoy seeing the snow blanket everything. I love living in CT because we have four different seasons. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. In the spring as the leaves start coming out on the trees they look all lacy. Flowers are beginning to bloom. There is a fragrant freshness in the air. In the fall the trees become a pallet of vibrant colors. There is a nice crispness to the air. After the leaves fall, it's fun to walk through the crisp leaves on the ground and hear the swish swish sound they make. That puts a smile on my face and brings back joyful childhood memories of making piles of leaves and jumping into the piles.

On Thursday we will be observing Thanksgiving. It will be a time to reflect on why we each have something to be thankful about. We all know the economy is at it's worst in a long time, probably worst than any of us have ever experienced in our lifetime. Its a time for all of us to do our part to help get this country moving in the right direction.

Yes, there is something each and everyone of us can do. It does not have to be something grand every little thing helps. An example is using layaway for Christmas presents instead of using credit cards. I can remember shopping this way in the 70s and 80s. I would go to the store, pick out the items I wanted to purchase, pay the store a certain amount by a given day before Christmas and then I was able to bring the paid for items home. Another idea is to use your talents and make your gifts. Personally made gifts are greatly appreciated, because you realize someone was thinking about you to make the effort and take the time. Another idea is not to give gifts to everyone, but have family members choose a name and spend a specified amount agreed upon by all.

I pray we can all have happy holidays in whatever circumstances we might find ourselves.

Another Rainy Fall Saturday

2008-11-15T13:24:00.003-05:00

The temperature is in the 60s. That is great especially here in New England. The only problem is the rain and the fog. Since the weather is mild I might think about hanging up the outside Christmas lights, that way I won't have frozen fingers. I won't light them until after Thanksgiving Day.

Yesterday I spent sometime helping to stimulate the economy. My favorite store Linens n' Things is going out of business. I felt a little sad as I walked around in the store. I always loved to go there get a wagon just walk around and see what new kitchen gadget and other items I didn't have but could use. I was able to find a few bargains. Then I also did some shopping at Michaels. I added to my scrapbooking cache a Xyron Design Runner. I had a 50% coupon, so I got it at a bargain price. On Monday I was there and got a new Cricut cartridge because they were on sale for half price. Now I need to get going on using all the supplies I have. I think I'm going to make some Christmas cards. I also bought yarn to knit scarves.

I started knitting again last year after having not done so in over 20 years. I went to a craft fair about a month ago and saw someone was asking $30 for a scarf that was similar to the one I had knitted last year. I just couldn't believe it. Knitting is something I can do while watching TV. I always believe you can do more than one thing at a time. Quite often I read books and magazines while watching TV.

Another thing I bought this week were picture frames. I friend of mind told me I should frame some of my photos and enter them in contests. I don't know about that, but I am going to frame some of them and display them in my home.

Fall day

2008-11-12T13:00:00.004-05:00

It's another cold New England fall day with grey overcast skies. I'm waiting for a man to come by and give me an estimate on the price to remove all the leaves from my yard. You might wonder how many leaves can there possibly be. Well, I live on the side of a hill in a wooded area with a vast number of large trees. I own two leaf blowers, but when I see how many leaves are on the ground and knowing how cold it is outside, I have decided to let someone else take on the task. Those two leaf blowers can wait to be used during spring cleanup. In the mean time I will do some fun things like scrapbooking and getting my holiday gifts together. Have a great day.

Doors of the World

2008-11-11T11:48:00.003-05:00

These are interesting doors I saw during my travels in Spain and France.

Rainy Saturday

2008-11-08T14:12:00.002-05:00

Well it a dreary rainy fall Saturday. More and more leaves are falling off the trees. Hopefully we will have some dry days that will dry out all the leaves lying on the ground. I sure have a tremendous job ahead of me, since I live in the woods, to remove all the leaves that are in the yard.

It's time to think ahead to the holidays. I have been looking into taking the train down to DC for the inauguration, but they are fully booked out of New Haven and New York on Jan. 20th, and all hotels are booked as well for the days surrounding the 20th. I am still going to work on some way to be able to attend this historic occasion.

President-elect Obama

2008-11-07T10:49:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been three days since Barack Obama has been declared the 44th president-elect of the United States of America. I can say when it was first announced I jumped up and down, cried, thanked God and popped the cork on a bottle of champagne I had for almost two years.

I never thought I would see a person of color elected to the presidency of this country. But I have been following his candidancy since he made the announcement in Springfield, Ill. I recall watching him give a powerful speech at the 2004 Democratic convention and wondering who he was and where did he come from. I knew he would run for the office of president sometime in the future. At that time I thought if John Kerry did not win, than Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic candidate and president for the following eight years(2008 and 2012). I was almost certain Barack Obama would be the candidate in 2016.

Having said all that I am disappointed Hillary, who is the only qualified woman to hold the office of presidency, was surpassed in the quest for President of the United States. But, I'm so pleased that she was surpassed by Barack Obama who ran a superb campaign. He is a man with a humble, quiet, studious, and thoughtful persona, who used the power of all the most efficient forms of communication to relay his positions and recruit a faithful following. As he has been telling us from the very beginning, it is up to us the people of the United States to work together with him to get this country back to it's place of greatness here at home and abroad.

God bless president-elect Barack Hussein Obama and his family.

May Travelling

2008-07-23T23:30:00.004-04:00

It's been awhile since I have posted anything to my blog. I've been busy travelling. Where did I go? I spent 4 days in San Francisco, than I spent 7 days in the Tampa area. That was followed up with a two week trip to Europe.

The trip to Europe was very exciting. I went with a group. We flew from Connecticut to Amsterdam than flew to Barcelona. We spent two days in Barcelona, Spain. While there I spent a day at Montserrat. We took a motorcoach to the medieval city of Besalu, Spain and than onto Carcassone, France. After spending a night in Carcassone we motorcoached to St. Guilheim le Desert and than proceeded to Arles, France where we boarded the Uniworld River Royale for the beginning of an 8 day river cruise on the Rhone River. At the end of the cruise we took the high speed train to Paris. We spent 3 days in Paris before we flew to Amsterdam and than back to Connecticut. I had a marvelous time and I will write more about this in my next blog. In the meantime here are a couple of pictures I took. Montserrat is the mountain and cathedral dedicated to the Black Madonna. Pont du Gard is the famous Roman aqueduct that allow the supplying of water from Uzes to Nimes. Both places are breath taking.

Pont du Gard

Icy Driveway

2008-02-16T14:53:00.000-05:00

It's a good thing I have lots of books to read and hobbies I can work on. I have been marooned in my house for the last four days and it looks like I will be here for at least another four days or longer. My almost 300 foot driveway that goes up the side of a hill is completely covered with snow and ice that occurred from a snow, rain, sleet and snow storm we had Tuesday night and Wednesday.

I have plenty of exercise equipment, so I am getting my exercises done daily.

I have also become a politics junky with the exciting primaries taking place this year. I haven't been this interested and excited about politics in decades. It's interesting listening to the pundits, they are so wrong most of the time. They ought to ask the people what we think, and why we are thinking the way we do.

Snow in New England

2007-12-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

Today it became a winter wonderland here in this area. The snow started falling around 9:30 this morning. It snowed all day. Traffic was a nightmare. I had driven out of town for an appointment and it took me an hour and a half to get home for a trip that is usually forty five minutes at the most. Once I was home here at my mountainous woodsy home, it was wonderful looking outside and seeing the beautiful white landscape. It reminds me of Robert Frost's poem Stopping in the Woods on a Snowy Evening. That's what makes living in New England so special.

Trees on the Green

2007-12-10T22:58:00.000-05:00

After awakening this morning to a fabulous scenery of ice, I had the opportunity this evening to take a walk around the Green. The temperature was a brisk 34 degrees, but dressed in the proper clothing it was a very refreshing walk. We have one of the most beautiful Green's in New England. Every year Christmas trees dressed with multi-color lights running the length of the Green are lit. Lampposts on both sides of the street are dressed with evergreen garland, white lights and red bows. All the houses and buildings along the Green are festively dressed. And the churches are as distinguished as they have always been. Yes, this is a beautiful New England scene. The only thing missing was the snow.

Grey Day

2007-12-09T18:24:00.000-05:00

It's a grey day and we are expecting some snowy/icy weather tonight. But it gives me an opportunity stay indoors and watch the New England Patriots do there thing once again.
I'm on a new fitness plan, so this weather is putting a kink into my outdoor exercise. But I'm using the exercise equipment I have in my home; mainly the Gazelle and the Aeropilate equipment. I'm also keeping a food log for the first time. I'm finding it very helpful. I joined Bob Greene's Bestlife program last Sunday. I have seen progress at the end of the first week, thats very encouraging.