Locked Inside

Here's a shot from our day in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a lovely town on the Massachusetts coast, and of course it is famous for the witch-related hysteria that took place there in 1692. Remember Arthur Miller's The Crucible?

We did a bunch of the touristy things -- the witch museum, the witch village, the witch dungeon -- you get the idea. Caroline was fascinated, and even though the attractions were a bit on the hokey side (Disney theme park quality they are not), they provide good, short overviews of the fascinating history of the place. I had been reading a new novel, The Physick of Deliverance Dane, about a Harvard grad student researching Salem witch history, which seemed appropriate, so it was fun to be immersed in the sense of the place as we walked around.

Funnily enough, we spotted SNL comedian/actor Rob Schneider in the witch museum. Celebrity sighting! There were various people trailing after him, aiming their cell phones at him, with others murmuring, "WHO is he?"

It was a fun place to walk around. I can highly recommend the Peabody-Essex museum there, which has some wonderful exhibits AND Yin Yu Tang, a house from China dating back to the 1800's which has been rebuilt stone by stone on the premises.

But there's one more reason this photo is appropriate today -- vacation and the holiday weekend are over, and I have an appellate brief to write -- so I shall be cloistering myself away in my office for a bit to dive in. The door will be closed, and if you hear scary moans and rustly noises coming from inside, don't worry. It's just me at work. :-)

Happy July!

Celebrating Quietly

Happy Independence Day! We are having a quiet day here at home, which feels wonderful. We welcomed the last piece of luggage home last evening and so I've been doing last unpacking and laundry today. We'll grill sausages tonight (we have a local place that does wonderful chicken and apple sausage) and then head into town after dark to watch the fireworks.

We were able to spend a few days in Boston when we were in New England, so we got a refresher course on Paul Revere's ride, the hanging of the lamps in the Old North Church, the dumping of the tea into Boston Harbor, etc. It *is* very cool to see where it actually happened. At one point because we were tired of walking in the rain, we hopped onto a tour bus so we finished the rest of the Freedom Trail in a warm, dry vehicle. The tour guide had an odd mix of history and social commentary, but at one point he threw out an interesting fact: that at the time the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, there was no democratic government existing in any country. Quite remarkable, really.

So, despite the strange twists and turns our democratic process takes from time to time, our governmental system is something rather amazing. It's an honor to celebrate it, and our nation, today.

I snapped the photo above, by the way, on a walk through our friends' neighborhood in Portland, Maine. I love the delicate red and blue flowers against the white house. Seeing flower-filled window boxes all over New England made me want to put them up on our front windows!

Hope you are celebrating with friends and family and abundant relaxation!

Good to be Home

We are back from a lovely two-week vacation in New England. It is great to be home! The hydrangea next to our front door is in full bloom, which is a lovely sight. I love hydrangeas.

As for the travels... We had a wonderful time. We were in Portland, Maine for the most part, staying with our dear friends Eric and Diane. They are the sort of friends we can just hang around with doing nothing quite happily -- which is a good thing, as the weather was constantly rainy, which meant that all of our outing plans had to be changed considerably. But we did lots of fun things, rain or shine... Lobster rolls eaten outside in the sun in Portland's old port, poking through the shops there, visiting the Portland Head Light and walking around Fort Williams, visiting Old Orchard Beach on a drizzly day, having high tea at a girly-frou-frou teahouse in Freeport ...

I got over to New Hampshire to visit my law firm (a firm meeting!), have lunch with my wonder-boss Bob, and see some old (erm, long-time) friends. I stopped by the house were Roger and I lived for several years and was amazed to find that even after 10 years, 3 out of the 5 apartments in the house are occupied by the same people! I visited with a former neighbor, oohed and aahed over how lovely the property looks now (new owner), and generally felt nostalgic.

We spent a few nights in Boston, too. My plan to walk the Freedom Trail was dashed by rain, so we rode the trail in a tour bus. Much warmer and dryer, and Caroline got a good overview of the historical sights. We especially enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Legal Seafoods, one of our favorite spots.

The only not-so-fun part of the trip was the flight home. We were due to fly out of Boston to NYC, then from there to Oakland, and should have been home in California by 7pm. But thunderstorms along the east coast threw all flights into a mess, and we sat there at the airport from 10:30 am until 11pm. That's right -- 12 solid hours. But we took off at 11:30 pm, and landed in Oakland 6 hours later. I love night flights -- NOT. Our luggage apparently went to NYC without us (hope it had fun!) so after sorting through the missing luggage stuff and driving the 90 minute drive home, we hit our front doorstep at (drum roll, please...) 4:45 am pacific time. We all fell right into bed and slept until noon.

The luggage is trickling in -- Jet Blue delivered two bags last night at midnight, and will deliver the last one this afternoon.

I won't even TALK about coming home to a computer that wouldn't boot up at all, and having to do a total restoration of software and data. Sigh.

Hey, we're home, I can sleep in my own bed... No complaints!!

Summer Reading

You all know I adore a good book. And there is no better time for putting one's feet up and sitting back with a good novel and a cold beverage than summertime. I don't know about you, but I like different sorts of books in different situations and climates. Summer, to me, is for lighter reading -- mysteries, some girlfriends-at-the-beach books, nothing too heavy or classic. There are always exceptions, though, and the best sorts of books are often the ones you didn't know you were in the mood for when you read it but it turned out to be exactly the right thing. The lucky finds, the surprises.

In case you need some suggestions for what to read this summer, here are some favorites from my list -- I might have mentioned some before, but that just means that I really, really really think these books are worth reading! Oh, and please do comment with anything you suggest! It might be just what I'm in the mood for and don't realize it yet!

The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (Told in letters, the unfolding between a baseball fan child and his hero -- I don't like baseball or sports books, but this was about the charming relationship. Very enjoyable reading. Keep kleenex handy. Just saying. )

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Suburban life in Mississippi in the 1960s, from the perspectiv of the black maids in well-to-do white households. You'll read this, and you'll not be able to stop thinking about it, and you'll give it as gifts, and recommend it to everyone you know. It's THAT good.)

The Likeness by Tana French (a twisty, turny mystery about a detective who goes undercover to solve the mysterious death of a girl who looks just like her. Implausible premise, really, and yet totally engrossing and fascinating and believable. I loved the writing.)

There's No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern (a missing persons investigator goes missing -- and finds herself in the land of lost things. Magical realism, I guess you'd call it -- charmingly written but with lots to think about. I love everything I've read by this author.)

And here's what's on my summer list. No heavy reading, but novels that look interesting and have gotten good reviews. I've not read them yet so I can't recommend them yet:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (everyone I know says this is wonderful -- even Oprah picked it)

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx by Sally Koslow

April & Oliver by Tess Callahan (if Joshilyn Jackson says it's good, that's good enough for me.)

Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (writing this list reminded me I haven't read a few of this author's more recent books)

Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moment of Grace, Essays by Ayelet Waldman (reflections on motherhood, looks really good)

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (novel told from perspective on an admissions officer at Princeton)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (murder mystery compared to Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh -- I LOVED that book as a kid)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson (a thriller that is getting good reviews and promises to be "un-put-downable." I hope.)

Okay -- I'm headed out to return books to the library! Happy reading!

Bee'in Busy

I don't know why I've had a hard time blogging lately. Too much to say, and too little, if you know what I mean.

So here are some of the things keeping me busy lately:

* Reading a great book right now: "Gone Tomorrow" by P.F. Kluge. A story in a story about a writer who becomes a professor at a small Ohio college. Written by a professor at a small Ohio college. The writing is fantastic and it's a wonderful exploration of the dreams of our youth and the realities of our lives. I've already requested other books by this guy from the library.

* With summer travels coming up and my reading pace on vacation, I decided I needed an Amazon Kindle so I won't travel with the bottom of my suitcase lined with books as I usually do. I love it already -- will not stop my library habit -- but it is wonderful to have masses of reading on one small tablet. On board for next week's trip to Boston: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett and some Mark Twain short stories I've been wanting to read again, plus some Jane Austen.

* Home schooling has been great, but boy, people react strangely when you tell them you're home-schooling. I think I need to format some good stock answers for when people say weird things.

* I've discovered that the best way to get to know a camera lens is to just put it on my camera and KEEP IT THERE for a few weeks, so I'm forced to use it and only it. My macro lens was hard to use at first but I just kept it on the camera and now it's my favorite lens. Lets see if this works for the 50mm lens.

* I have fiber projects in the works, one even finished (and labelled!) that you haven't even seen yet because I don't have a wall big enough to hang it and photograph it well. Maybe I'll try the garage door one of these grey mornings.

* The annual bird nest is showing signs of life in the climbing vine next to the garage door. You'd think that Mama would have learned by now that it's not the most restful spot, as she flies out every time the door opens or closes. Plus there's that pesky woman with her camera trying to get shots of the eggs...

* Why do songs on my Ipod just up and disappear all of a sudden? I loaded a few Stevie Wonder favorites a few weeks ago, and today they're gone from the Ipod music library. Go figure.

see what I mean? Hardly gripping thought.

Golden Windows

During my second year of law school, I rented an apartment over the garage in a home occupied by a lovely older woman named Mrs. Christie. She was a widow and often left treats she'd baked or vegetables she'd grown in her garden for me. She once told me a story that I think about from time to time, and when I took this picture the other evening it reminded me of it. The story goes like this:

One morning, a little girl was looking across the valley from her house, admiring the beautiful golden windows on a house on the top of the hill.

"Mom," she said, "Do you see that house on the hill with golden windows? It must be so beautiful there, and the people who live there must be so wealthy! I'll bet they have no problems and their lives are filled with happiness every day. I wish OUR HOUSE had golden windows."

"Oh, darling," replied the mother, "no one's life is perfect. Even people who live in a house with golden windows."

"No, I think you are wrong! I want to go see for myself!" So the mother packed the daughter a lunch, and away the daughter went to cross the valley and see how wonderful life was for the people who lived in the house with golden windows.

The girl walked all day long. As she reached the bottom of the valley, she lost sight of the house but kept going. It was dusk by the time she reached the top of the other hill. But to her surprise, all she found was an ordinary house. She saw no golden ornaments, nothing that made the house look different or more special than any other house. The people looked ordinary, just like the people in her own family. She was puzzled.

Disappointed, she turned around to gaze at her own house across the valley she'd just crossed. And to her surprise, her house was ablaze with light. The windows shone with gold as the setting sun lit them up. In disbelief, she looked again at the ordinary house in front of her, then back to her house gleaming across the way.

"MY house has golden windows!" she said in amazement. She stood for a moment, struck by how beautiful her house looked from this side of the valley. She took off running back down the hill, eager to return to her family. And never again did the little girl look at someone else's house, or life, with envy.

---

This house -- and yes, it is a single family home (when it was being built, we all thought it was a hotel or a fancy clubhouse for a country club or something) sits on the hill above my neighborhood. It's a bit "king of the county" for my taste, but it sure looks beautiful at sunset.

I'll be catching up on my blogging! I promise!

Latent Color

Today is a reveal date in our Twelve by Twelve challenge, where the current theme is "Identity." Head on over to the Twelve by Twelve blog to see all twelve -- as always, the variety is delightful and interesting.

I went for the fingerprint as an essential aspect of identity -- I've always found them fascinating and beautiful up close, and i like the graphic nature of their lines. But several of us Twelves used them as the focal point for our pieces -- I think it's the first time that so many of us featured such similar imagery.

I've been an absent blogger recently -- sorry! I've been busy with home stuff, the home schooling, planning a vacation, trying to purge a bit of stuff at a time, and even trying to make a bit of progress on the garden!

I'm inspired to try to make a larger fingerprint quilt, tho, and as "asymmetical composition" is my next assignment for my design class, this might be a good subject.

If I can find a wall big enough, I'll get a picture of the big quilt I just finished. One of the downsides of not having a large design wall is that my "photo studio" space is severely limited!

Time to Cuddle

I had a good lesson in attitude adjustment yesterday. Here's yet another fact I'm learning about our new unschool world: I feel better and get more done if I'm more relaxed about my own agenda. I'm discovering that it's not terribly realistic to expect to oversee Miss C's daily lessons, while also doing laundry, cleaning the garage, making phone calls, upgrading software on the computer, grilling chicken, and trying to get a bit of legal work done.

Don't laugh. That really does describe yesterday morning.

So today is different. My to-do list looks a tad more realistic. And we've already remembered to do something that both Miss C and I enjoy -- we take a "cuddle break" in the middle of the morning. We snuggle on the couch, or lie on the bed, and cuddle and read together or look at a book, or just talk. It's lovely quiet connecting time.

Sure beats recess on the playground. I highly recommend taking a cuddle-break with whom-ever is around your house!

Where does the time go?

My mornings always seem to disappear. How does that happen?

I get up, shower, have coffee, and make my plan. I'll get some laundry done. I'll fill a bag with stuff for donation or disposal (I'm on a one-a-day Purge of Stuff around here), and I'll do chores and then get started on a quilting project. I have plans! I'm ready to go! So, I go upstairs and wake Miss C, get the dog out for a romp in the yard or a walk around the neighborhood... I check my email, post my daily flickr picture... I'll do a bit of work (jumping up to transfer laundry around); I'll answer a phone call or two... I'll get Miss C squared away with her lessons for the day...

But wait, somehow, it's late morning, or almost lunchtime.

How DOES that happen?

Today, Miss C awakened with a migraine. Wednesdays seem to be a migraine day, for some reason. I'm keeping track of stuff in a calendar so I can see if I can find patterns. What is it about wednesdays?

Sigh. It's noon and I haven't yet even cleaned up my studio table (today's chore).

Maybe I need to start listing the things I *do* accomplish instead of the things I plan but don't get to. Then I'd feel like I was getting somewhere, even if it wasn't the "where" I planned to get to....

Bokeholic delight

One of the things that I love about photography is that it makes me see the world differently. Even when I don't have my camera with me, I find myself noticing lines and colors and things that would make a great picture.

I snapped this macro shot of a bottle brush bloom in my friend's backyard. I grew up in a neighborhood where lot of people had these in their yards, and I disliked them because they give off a sticky substance that I inevitably got in my hair when I ran and played under them. But they're amazing and interesting blooms, and I had a great time taking macro pictures of them.

I love bokeh. That blurry, spotty, glowy background? The photographic term is "bokeh." I'm a bokeh-holic.