Jake is this week's artist for his recent Holiday Concert.
Now that marching season (Who knew there was an official marching season?) is over, the symphonic band goes into full gear. During the school year they have been learning various pieces of music in band class. Last Thursday the 9th, the Symphonic Band (of which Jake is a member) along with the Wind Symphony jointly performed for the 2010 Holiday Concert.
The Symphonic Band and the Wind Symphony played three pieces of music apiece. Unfortunately my camera's batteries gave up the ghost very early on in the concert. I was only able to record just part of the first piece, "Christmas of the Toreador," performed by Jake's band.
I thought they sounded great. My camera, however, did a poor job capturing the richness of he band's sound. Even my entourage of Nate, Max and Rebecca found the concert to be pretty good. Rebecca particularly enjoined Carol of the Bells, the third and final selection of Symphonic.
What made the whole concert really amazing was that the schools bad director had just gone on maternity leave about a month ago. She was able to attend the concert with he wee babe, but purely as a member of the audience. Her substitute very ably picked of the reins and kept the band going during her absence.
I can't wait for the next concert when the band director is back. It should be fantastic.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What Is This, New England?
Monday morning we were greeted with this rather unexpected sight, an almost two inch blanket of snow.
It had been raining heavily all weekend and in the wee hours of the morning the temperature dropped and the rain quickly turned to snow. The branches have are almost artistically frosted with snow and the flakes lay thickly on the deck and lawn, much to our dogs annoyance.
The kids, however, were delighted. But the roads had remained clear and school was still on. It didn't even rate a two hour delay.
The next big surprise has been the temperature. Normally It will be well above freezing during the day and come late afternoon the snow will be pretty much gone. Not so this time, the mercury has stubornly refused to go above freezing and the nights have been dipping down to the upper teens. It feels more like New England than the Mid-Atlantic.
It had been raining heavily all weekend and in the wee hours of the morning the temperature dropped and the rain quickly turned to snow. The branches have are almost artistically frosted with snow and the flakes lay thickly on the deck and lawn, much to our dogs annoyance.
The kids, however, were delighted. But the roads had remained clear and school was still on. It didn't even rate a two hour delay.
The next big surprise has been the temperature. Normally It will be well above freezing during the day and come late afternoon the snow will be pretty much gone. Not so this time, the mercury has stubornly refused to go above freezing and the nights have been dipping down to the upper teens. It feels more like New England than the Mid-Atlantic.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Trofest Finalists - FLASHBACK
This movie, Lamb, was a Tropfest finalist in 2002.
I think this is a beautifully done film. It's emotionally raw, but well worth the time. I promise I'll feature something a little more upbeat next week.
I think this is a beautifully done film. It's emotionally raw, but well worth the time. I promise I'll feature something a little more upbeat next week.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Back in the Saddle
I have mentioned that we have a friend with horses and we went and visited the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Jake stayed home (there was a potential conflict with his trumpet lesson), but the remaining three came along and had a great time riding a pony. Our friend even offered to saddle up a horse for me to ride, but I politely declined. I was more interested in getting the kids comfortable with the pony and I wouldn't be able to supervise them as closely if I was on horseback.
So instead, we arranged for me to come back another time sans children.
It's been over 18 years since I've last been on a horse, so I was just a wee bit apprehensive. I knew we were going to start out slow and the mare I would be riding was quiet and well mannered, but I knew I was going to hurt. It was just a question of how much. When I used to ride I was fairly decent and was at the point where I really used my legs. I remembered the last time I went on hiatus (it was only 7 years that time) my legs felt like jelly and I literally staggered away. Now I was 20 years older and certainly less fit.
I sent a half hour in the ring alone with the my steed getting a feel for her and remembering how to put it all together. Then we were off for an almost hour long trail ride. I'm proud to say I was not dumped, I did not fall off, and I was invited back again. As for for how I felt post ride- pretty good. I did not have jelly legs and it took about half an hour for my calves to decide I was an evil, evil person. Fortunately two ibuprofens did the trick and I felt fine after a day and a half.
When I went back last Friday I had my own boots and helmet. After such a successful first outing I was willing to get my own gear. Amazingly it went even better. We did a bit more cantering and attempted a couple of jumps. My calves had gotten over their pique from the previous time and I did not need any sort of pain relief.
It's nice to know that I'm not nearly as decrepit as I feared and I get to do something that I really enjoy doing.
So instead, we arranged for me to come back another time sans children.
It's been over 18 years since I've last been on a horse, so I was just a wee bit apprehensive. I knew we were going to start out slow and the mare I would be riding was quiet and well mannered, but I knew I was going to hurt. It was just a question of how much. When I used to ride I was fairly decent and was at the point where I really used my legs. I remembered the last time I went on hiatus (it was only 7 years that time) my legs felt like jelly and I literally staggered away. Now I was 20 years older and certainly less fit.
I sent a half hour in the ring alone with the my steed getting a feel for her and remembering how to put it all together. Then we were off for an almost hour long trail ride. I'm proud to say I was not dumped, I did not fall off, and I was invited back again. As for for how I felt post ride- pretty good. I did not have jelly legs and it took about half an hour for my calves to decide I was an evil, evil person. Fortunately two ibuprofens did the trick and I felt fine after a day and a half.
When I went back last Friday I had my own boots and helmet. After such a successful first outing I was willing to get my own gear. Amazingly it went even better. We did a bit more cantering and attempted a couple of jumps. My calves had gotten over their pique from the previous time and I did not need any sort of pain relief.
It's nice to know that I'm not nearly as decrepit as I feared and I get to do something that I really enjoy doing.
Friday, December 10, 2010
100 Books
The book meme has been floating around on the internets for some time. Basically it's list of 100 books and you get to check those you have read. If I counted right I have read 32 of the 100 books, well above the challenge statement: " We believe most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here."
Which ones have you read?
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
The Bible Various
Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
1984 George Orwell
His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Little Women Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare William Shakespeare
Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit JRR Tolkien
Birdsong Sebastian Faulk
Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger
The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch George Elio
Gone With The Wind Margaret Mitchell
The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis
Emma Jane Austen
Persuasion Jane Austen
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe CS Lewis
The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis De Bernieres
Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
Winnie the Pooh AA Milne
Animal Farm George Orwell
The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney John Irving
The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies William Golding
Atonement Ian McEwan
Life of Pi Yann Martel
Dune Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mark Haddon
Love In The Time Of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
The Secret History Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas
On The Road Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure Thomas Hardy
Bridget Jones’s Diary Helen Fielding
Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick Herman Melville
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Dracula Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island Bill Bryson
Ulysses James Joyce
The Inferno Dante
Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransom
Germinal Emile Zol
Vanity Fair William Makepeace Thackera
Possession AS Byatt
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas David Mitchel
The Color Purple Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro
Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web EB White
The Five People You Meet In Heaven Mitch Albom
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory Iain Banks
Watership Down Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet William Shakespeare
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
Bleak House Charles Dickens
Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Eighth Night
Last night, Wednesday, was the eighth and final night of Hanukkah.
After I took this picture of Rebecca and Nate lighting the menorahs my camera promptly announced that its card was full and shut down.
And I was perfectly fine with that.
I knew I had he picture I wanted and I was in no hurry to clear out the card for more pictures. Sometimes getting the shot you want is easy.
After I took this picture of Rebecca and Nate lighting the menorahs my camera promptly announced that its card was full and shut down.
And I was perfectly fine with that.
I knew I had he picture I wanted and I was in no hurry to clear out the card for more pictures. Sometimes getting the shot you want is easy.
Artist of the Week: Drum Recital
Max is this week's artist.
Larry took this picture of Max while we were at a friend's house. This is the same friend that I mentioned before with all the horses. Max climbed up on the fence to wait for his turn on the pony.
I was pretty amazed that he was interested in riding. He was quite adamant at home that he was NOT going to do any sort of riding. He was going to go along and check out the place and that was it.
But... after watching Rebecca and, most importantly, Nate have fun riding the very well mannered pony, Max decided to give it a shot. After a few laps around the ring Max was eager to go up to a trot. When his turn was up he reluctantly slid off the pony's back.
With drums, however, he never experienced any sort of uncertainty. He wanted to play drums and was very happy when we found him a teacher. Max started lessons last spring with Josh, the son of a friend of ours.
Josh and Max really hit it off and during the beginning of the video below Josh tells how much he likes Max. The performance lasted about a half hour with our family, including Grandma and Grandpa, in attendance.
Max did a great job and had a terrific time. If you last to the the end of the video you can see when Josh and Max had a little jam session.
Larry took this picture of Max while we were at a friend's house. This is the same friend that I mentioned before with all the horses. Max climbed up on the fence to wait for his turn on the pony.
I was pretty amazed that he was interested in riding. He was quite adamant at home that he was NOT going to do any sort of riding. He was going to go along and check out the place and that was it.
But... after watching Rebecca and, most importantly, Nate have fun riding the very well mannered pony, Max decided to give it a shot. After a few laps around the ring Max was eager to go up to a trot. When his turn was up he reluctantly slid off the pony's back.
With drums, however, he never experienced any sort of uncertainty. He wanted to play drums and was very happy when we found him a teacher. Max started lessons last spring with Josh, the son of a friend of ours.
Josh and Max really hit it off and during the beginning of the video below Josh tells how much he likes Max. The performance lasted about a half hour with our family, including Grandma and Grandpa, in attendance.
Max did a great job and had a terrific time. If you last to the the end of the video you can see when Josh and Max had a little jam session.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Seventh Night
Tuesday was my birthday and the eighth night of Hanukkah. After a delightful dinner out we lit the candles and enjoyed their now very bright and rather hot glow.
With three menorahs in action you almost didn't need to have the lights on. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
With three menorahs in action you almost didn't need to have the lights on. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Sixth Night
And it's my birthday.
Last night was the sixth night of Hanukkah. Three of my crew got to light them. It looks like we'll have to get another menorah so that everybody will get to light one.
Since it is my birthday I'm being brief, Weezie's is calling my name.
Last night was the sixth night of Hanukkah. Three of my crew got to light them. It looks like we'll have to get another menorah so that everybody will get to light one.
Since it is my birthday I'm being brief, Weezie's is calling my name.
Monday, December 06, 2010
First Snow and Fifth Night Party
Saturday night we got our first real snowfall of the season. I did see a brief flurry while grilling dinner Friday (nothing like seeing stuff falling from the sky and sizzling on the hot grill- I was very confused at first), but nothing stuck. It was beatiful watching the flakes fall and coat the deck with a light blanket of snow.
The ground was too warm for any sort of significant or lasting coverage, but it was pretty while it lasted. Grandma asked the kids if any of them had been dreaming of a white Hanukkah. Sadly by the end of the day Sunday it was all gone.
Which brings us to the fifth night and our congregation's Hanukkah party. I went early to help out with the preparations. I ended up being the assistant fry cook and latke mixer. There were about 50 people at the party and Meryl and I ended up cooking pretty much all of the latkes. They were delicious and more than enough to go around.
We all ate to nearly bursting, listen to the Rabbi's daughter sing and a few of us even danced. It was a lovely way to spend the fifth night of Hanukkah.
The ground was too warm for any sort of significant or lasting coverage, but it was pretty while it lasted. Grandma asked the kids if any of them had been dreaming of a white Hanukkah. Sadly by the end of the day Sunday it was all gone.
Which brings us to the fifth night and our congregation's Hanukkah party. I went early to help out with the preparations. I ended up being the assistant fry cook and latke mixer. There were about 50 people at the party and Meryl and I ended up cooking pretty much all of the latkes. They were delicious and more than enough to go around.
We all ate to nearly bursting, listen to the Rabbi's daughter sing and a few of us even danced. It was a lovely way to spend the fifth night of Hanukkah.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Third and Fourth Night
Friday night was the start of the third day of Hanukkah and was also Larry's birthday. We had a lovely dinner of flank steak with latkes and a lovely Pino Noir we had been saving. For dessert I made Chocolate Sybil cake, a truly scrumptious chocolate cake that is dead easy to make.
However, that morning I also went horse back riding for the first time in oh... 18 years. It was a lot of fun and I'm proud to say I lasted an hour and did not fall off the horse. Unfortunately my calves made it very plain to me that I was a very bad person and it took a big dose of ibuprofen to get them to quite down (Yay, better living through chemistry!) So I was just plain wiped out at the end of the day. It's a minor miracle that I even took pictures. But... I did take pictures and this is our bicycle chain menorah. I found it at a funky little store in Careytown called Ten Thousand Villages last year. It's simplicity called out to me. Coupled with my renewed interest in biking , I couldn't resist it.
Saturday night was the fourth night of Hanukkah which we got to celebrate with my in-laws who had just come down for the weekend. Coincidentally it was also my mother-in-laws birthday. After a quick candle lighting we skedaddled out for dinner at Weezie's and the 7:15 show at the Byrd Theater.
The food, as always, was fabulous. The movie, The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hool, was less so. It wasn't a bad movie (the CGI was impressive), but it really butchered the books. At least we had Bob and the mighty Wurlitzer and only paid two bucks a head.
So as you can see we have been a bit busy with even more to post later.
However, that morning I also went horse back riding for the first time in oh... 18 years. It was a lot of fun and I'm proud to say I lasted an hour and did not fall off the horse. Unfortunately my calves made it very plain to me that I was a very bad person and it took a big dose of ibuprofen to get them to quite down (Yay, better living through chemistry!) So I was just plain wiped out at the end of the day. It's a minor miracle that I even took pictures. But... I did take pictures and this is our bicycle chain menorah. I found it at a funky little store in Careytown called Ten Thousand Villages last year. It's simplicity called out to me. Coupled with my renewed interest in biking , I couldn't resist it.
Saturday night was the fourth night of Hanukkah which we got to celebrate with my in-laws who had just come down for the weekend. Coincidentally it was also my mother-in-laws birthday. After a quick candle lighting we skedaddled out for dinner at Weezie's and the 7:15 show at the Byrd Theater.
The food, as always, was fabulous. The movie, The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hool, was less so. It wasn't a bad movie (the CGI was impressive), but it really butchered the books. At least we had Bob and the mighty Wurlitzer and only paid two bucks a head.
So as you can see we have been a bit busy with even more to post later.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Second Night
Here are the candles from the second night of Hannukah.
I almost forgot to post this. Essentially I remembered while lighting the candles for tonight before the candles for Shabbat. I had a great big duh moment as I was laying out the candles and looking for the camera. At least I took the pictures!
I almost forgot to post this. Essentially I remembered while lighting the candles for tonight before the candles for Shabbat. I had a great big duh moment as I was laying out the candles and looking for the camera. At least I took the pictures!
Thursday, December 02, 2010
First Night
Today is the first day of Hanukkah and this is my favorite menorah.
I've blogged about it before, so I won't bore you with the story.
I hope your evenings will be merry and bright.
I've blogged about it before, so I won't bore you with the story.
I hope your evenings will be merry and bright.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Artist of the Week: Fall 2010 Recital
Rebecca this week is back in the spotlight again as the Artist of the Week.
The day before the grand festival of food known as Thanksgiving, we visited a friend in a neighboring county. She has invited us a few times and enticed with the fact that she has many horses and one very patient pony. It was a beautiful day Wednesday and the kids had the day off from school. So we loaded up the van to go see and ride the horses.
Rebecca was ecstatic. She loves horses and this would be her first time really riding a pony. She has been you on a pony before, but the pony rides at the county fair don't quite count.
We groomed and saddled the pony, just using a bareback pad- I wanted my children to really feel the pony and not mess around with stirrups. After a few laps around the ring with me at the pony's head I let her go solo. She even got to ride at a trot for a fair bit.
I proud to say she did a fine job and had a nice seat even at a trot. All those years of having her sit up straight and tall at the piano has paid off in unexpected ways.
As for her piano playing, well that's the real reason she's the artist this week.
The weekend before Thanksgiving was Rebecca's Fall Recital. She did a nice job with her piece, Night Owl by Rollin.
Unfortunately I was a little slow off the mark in taping and missed the opening bit of the piece. However, poor camera work aside, you still get a good sense of the piece.
I love her poise at the piano and the big grin on her face as she returns to her seat.
The day before the grand festival of food known as Thanksgiving, we visited a friend in a neighboring county. She has invited us a few times and enticed with the fact that she has many horses and one very patient pony. It was a beautiful day Wednesday and the kids had the day off from school. So we loaded up the van to go see and ride the horses.
Rebecca was ecstatic. She loves horses and this would be her first time really riding a pony. She has been you on a pony before, but the pony rides at the county fair don't quite count.
We groomed and saddled the pony, just using a bareback pad- I wanted my children to really feel the pony and not mess around with stirrups. After a few laps around the ring with me at the pony's head I let her go solo. She even got to ride at a trot for a fair bit.
I proud to say she did a fine job and had a nice seat even at a trot. All those years of having her sit up straight and tall at the piano has paid off in unexpected ways.
As for her piano playing, well that's the real reason she's the artist this week.
The weekend before Thanksgiving was Rebecca's Fall Recital. She did a nice job with her piece, Night Owl by Rollin.
Unfortunately I was a little slow off the mark in taping and missed the opening bit of the piece. However, poor camera work aside, you still get a good sense of the piece.
I love her poise at the piano and the big grin on her face as she returns to her seat.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Happy Endings
Dessert is serious business around here on Thanksgiving. We have the all but obligatory pumpkin pie (Max has been bugging me about this since Halloween), the tarte tatin ( aka the apple tarty thingy) that is much beloved by the adults, and the ever popular chocolate course courtesy of Meryl.
The chocolate course came about because Meryl wanted to bring something for Thanksgiving the first time she came over a few years ago. I had the meal well in hand and anything else other than chocolate would be akin to bringing coals to Newcastle. It was a huge hit and is now a permanent part of our Thanksgiving.
This year she went one better by bringing the centerpiece in the photo. It's a melted snowman made of fudge surrounded by a ring of maple sugar candy (melted snow) and an outer ring of chocolate sponge (mud). It's great fun and we are slowly chipping away at it.
The chocolate course came about because Meryl wanted to bring something for Thanksgiving the first time she came over a few years ago. I had the meal well in hand and anything else other than chocolate would be akin to bringing coals to Newcastle. It was a huge hit and is now a permanent part of our Thanksgiving.
This year she went one better by bringing the centerpiece in the photo. It's a melted snowman made of fudge surrounded by a ring of maple sugar candy (melted snow) and an outer ring of chocolate sponge (mud). It's great fun and we are slowly chipping away at it.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
I'm thankful for my family and that we are all healthy and together. Oh and my dishwasher, I'm very, very thankful for my dishwasher.
Today's menu is as follows:
Turkey
Stuffing with and without Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Tzimmes
Haricot Vert
Clover Leaf Rolls
A Chocolate Course
Pumpkin Pie
Tarte Tatin
Served with a choice of cider, soda, and Les Heretiques red table wine
I hope you all have a happy and very tasty Thanksgiving.
Today's menu is as follows:
Turkey
Stuffing with and without Sausage
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Tzimmes
Haricot Vert
Clover Leaf Rolls
A Chocolate Course
Pumpkin Pie
Tarte Tatin
Served with a choice of cider, soda, and Les Heretiques red table wine
I hope you all have a happy and very tasty Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Artist of the Week: Small Spaces
This week's artist is Nate and today he got to ride the sweet little pony in this picture.
We have a friend with numerous horses and she's been wanting us to come out and ride for some time. Today we were finally able to coordinate schedules. Rebecca was beside herself with excitement, the boys less so (in fact Jake the whole thing a miss and stayed home). I wasn't sure at first if Nate and Max would ride, but in the end I got all three up, ride a bit on their own and even go at a trot. The pony was incredibly good natured about three kids going on and off. It wasn't until the end that she would head to the gate, indicating that she was done and wanted to go to her stall.
But enough about ponies, instead let's focus on small spaces.
At some point I had given Nate a small pad of paper that was roughly 2 inches by 3 inches. I think it's original purpose was to collect friends' email addresses and phone numbers. However it he has long strayed from the pads original use. Just the other day he presented to me two slips of paper with sketches of essentially the interior of our house.
The top drawing is of our living room with dog on the far right corner of the carpet (it's a bit easier to distinguish in the original sketch). Nate intended the picture to be a some what abstract study of the room. I see the abstract elements, but it is still very clearly the living room.
The lower picture is a side view of the stairs leading up to the second floor. Again, he was going for a more abstract feel. Meanwhile I found this picture to be a dead-on representation. Nate's drawing has come a long way during the past 6 months. He took art the first quarter of the school year and it looks like he learned quite a bit.
We have a friend with numerous horses and she's been wanting us to come out and ride for some time. Today we were finally able to coordinate schedules. Rebecca was beside herself with excitement, the boys less so (in fact Jake the whole thing a miss and stayed home). I wasn't sure at first if Nate and Max would ride, but in the end I got all three up, ride a bit on their own and even go at a trot. The pony was incredibly good natured about three kids going on and off. It wasn't until the end that she would head to the gate, indicating that she was done and wanted to go to her stall.
But enough about ponies, instead let's focus on small spaces.
At some point I had given Nate a small pad of paper that was roughly 2 inches by 3 inches. I think it's original purpose was to collect friends' email addresses and phone numbers. However it he has long strayed from the pads original use. Just the other day he presented to me two slips of paper with sketches of essentially the interior of our house.
The top drawing is of our living room with dog on the far right corner of the carpet (it's a bit easier to distinguish in the original sketch). Nate intended the picture to be a some what abstract study of the room. I see the abstract elements, but it is still very clearly the living room.
The lower picture is a side view of the stairs leading up to the second floor. Again, he was going for a more abstract feel. Meanwhile I found this picture to be a dead-on representation. Nate's drawing has come a long way during the past 6 months. He took art the first quarter of the school year and it looks like he learned quite a bit.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Whew Doggie
Today was the last big day of errands before the kids are out for five days. I didn't have lunch until after I picked up Jake from school at roughly quarter to three.
Jake was shocked at how late my lunch was and asked me why.
So, I told him what I did between seeing he and his siblings off in the morning and picking him up from school.
I walked the dogs.
Goofed off on the computer for 20 minutes.
Returned some dishes to a kind neighbor.
Rescued my beloved chickadee cookie tin (sans cookies) from the high school.
Drove to Meryl's and together we ran errands (it's far more fun to do boring stuff with a friend.
The errands consisted of:
Dropping off Jake's trumpet to be repaired.
Treat shopping at the For Love of Chocolate with bonus purchase next door of a new camera bag (Dell keeps eating my camera bags).
Getting wine for Thanksgiving at the wine and cheese store J. Emerson.
More adult beverage shopping at Corks & Kegs.
Hardcore veggie shopping (Hee- or rather Haricot vert shopping).
A preemptive Costco run, I refuse to go there the Wednesday before Thanksgiving onto the Monday after. Around Thanksgiving Costco becomes an evil, evil place.
And then a quick stop at Trader Joe's.
Whew, Meryl and I packed in a whole lot of errands, but now we are done with Thanksgiving shopping and don't have to set foot in a store until next week.
After I finished reeling off all my accomplishments Jake, clearing stunned by it all, told me I deserved to goof off for far more than 20 minutes and then asked if I do that every day.
My answer was fortunately no.
Jake was shocked at how late my lunch was and asked me why.
So, I told him what I did between seeing he and his siblings off in the morning and picking him up from school.
I walked the dogs.
Goofed off on the computer for 20 minutes.
Returned some dishes to a kind neighbor.
Rescued my beloved chickadee cookie tin (sans cookies) from the high school.
Drove to Meryl's and together we ran errands (it's far more fun to do boring stuff with a friend.
The errands consisted of:
Dropping off Jake's trumpet to be repaired.
Treat shopping at the For Love of Chocolate with bonus purchase next door of a new camera bag (Dell keeps eating my camera bags).
Getting wine for Thanksgiving at the wine and cheese store J. Emerson.
More adult beverage shopping at Corks & Kegs.
Hardcore veggie shopping (Hee- or rather Haricot vert shopping).
A preemptive Costco run, I refuse to go there the Wednesday before Thanksgiving onto the Monday after. Around Thanksgiving Costco becomes an evil, evil place.
And then a quick stop at Trader Joe's.
Whew, Meryl and I packed in a whole lot of errands, but now we are done with Thanksgiving shopping and don't have to set foot in a store until next week.
After I finished reeling off all my accomplishments Jake, clearing stunned by it all, told me I deserved to goof off for far more than 20 minutes and then asked if I do that every day.
My answer was fortunately no.
Monday, November 22, 2010
ONE - Tropfest 2010 Finalist
Lovely little wordless movie featuring, of all things, dice as the main protagonists.
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