Once A Year

Lara, Lisa, Barbara, Janet, & Efren

David & Peter

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving because of my family. I was fortunate enough to spend time with my mom's side (the top picture is of my mom, Barbara, and her siblings) and my dad's side (the bottom picture is of my dad, Peter, with his brother). 

Smiles, laughter, and general merriment were plentiful, because we were all so happy to see each other and catch up. It's the only time that all of the siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, grandpas, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren get together. Once a year really isn't enough, but it's way better than never! 

Happy Travels

Thanksgiving is practically synonymous with travel, and travelling is exhausting (evidence above). It seems like most Americans travel some distance to celebrate the holiday. (If not, they're usually stuck with the enormous task of preparing the feast!) Why do we do it? To be with family, of course. I spent 7.5 hours on the road on Tuesday, and today I'll be in car for another 4. It's worth it though, don't you think?

Be safe and have a very happy Thanksgiving! 

Smat Ka

Click to enlarge.

I took this photo from a cab in Boston on Sunday afternoon as we were headed home from our vacation. I noticed this Smart car (the small red one) because they were popular in London when we were studying abroad in 2003 (it took a long time for them to catch on over here!). I was absolutely delighted to see the license plate, which reads "SMAT KA." It was a wonderful way to be welcomed back to Boston! 

Yellow

I love this little rocking chair. I saw it on The Vineyard at the end of the summer. 

There's something so adorable about the little yellow chair, the old fashioned screen door, and the deep blue shelf against a white wall. I can imagine somebody walking up to the porch and thinking "I'm home," after a long trip or a winter off-island. I also imagine this chair being used for many generations. 

Camouflage

I'm surprised I even saw this little guy. He just blends in so perfectly with the sand. 

I like that the eyes are all googly and crazy. 

So Alike

If I didn't know any better, I might say that this was a photo of The Schwarz. But since I took the picture, I know that it's actually his uncle. In this instance, like so many others, the family resemblance is uncanny. The Schwarz was standing just the same way, not 15 minutes earlier. 

There are likenesses in the way they speak and gesture, and in facial expressions. You'd notice similarities in their sense of humor as well. It's not limited to just The Schwarz and his uncle, either. He and his brothers each notably resemble each other, their parents, and grandparents. 

Found Shell

We went back to the beach again today. We found this beautiful shell. It used to be somebody's home, but now it's cracked and washed up on the beach. 

After taking this photo, I threw the shell back into the ocean. 

Ouch!

I have been coming to Florida every year for the past five years. Every year I forget one thing: the bugs. And every year, I have pretty bad allergic reactions. 

I woke up in the wee hours this morning because I had so many painful, itchy no-see-um bites (I'll spare you and keep those photos to myself - yuck). I actually ended up icing my legs around 3:00 AM! I've also been using Caldyphen, and the Benadryl we found this morning is even more helpful. Can somebody tell me why the bugs like my ankles so much? I have bites all over my body, but they really seem to be drawn to my ankles and the tops of my feet. 

No-see-ums are my enemy and I must block them out of my mind because they're so unpleasant. I don't think moving to Florida will ever be an option for me. Luckily, I love New England, so I don't think it'll be an issue.

The Beach

So far, the weather has been beautiful. Chilly, but beautiful. I love walking down to the beach in the morning and hearing the waves. It's so strange to be able to wade into the water in Novemeber. That's not something I would try in Boston, but it's different down here. 

Golf

We went golfing today. Yes, I went golfing; I don't even know how to play. I guess it would be more accurate to say that I hit a few balls in the practice area and then played the greens while The Schwarz played a full game. I had a lot of fun! I drove the cart like a real pro and got par on almost every hole (remember, I was only putting).

We didn't have to worry too much about wayward golf balls hitting us because the course was pretty empty. It was just perfect. 

Sunrise To Sunset

Click images to enlarge.

Yesterday we saw the sunrise because we had a 7:00 AM flight out of Logan. I love flying, so I didn't mind getting up early. Airplanes are really amazing, don't you think? We're just up there, thousands of feet in the air, flying along at top speed. Incredible. I find it exhilarating to be above the clouds. 

I enjoy browsing through the Sky Mall catalog while flying. I always wonder how many people are busy shopping while in the air. I prefer to gaze out the window, read, listen to music, or even nap. But shop? I don't think so. Plus, the catalog is full of the most ridiculous items. It's sort of like a portfolio of products that should have "as seen on TV" stamped on them; they're things that nobody really needs. 

When we arrived in Florida we spent a relaxing afternoon with The Schwarz's grandparents. And we were lucky enough to see a beautiful sunset (it was a full-circle kind of day).

Vacation

Today The Schwarz and I are on our way to Florida for a full week of vacation that is long overdue. This is the first time I'm actually taking time off work for a real vaction. In 2007 I worked 5 to 6 hours every single day of my vacation and I also worked during the holidays. 

Are you wondering about the picture? That's my Ocober 2008 calendar page showing my originally-planned vacation (October 22-29) covered with white-out.  Yes, we were supposed to take this vacation a month ago, but The Schwarz was needed at work, so we had to reschedule. It was incredibly disappointing, but I've obviously survived. 

Vaction, here we come!

Zaftigs

Yummm. Zaftig's! It's my favorite breakfast place for miles. We often eat at Zaftig's on Sunday mornings and there is usually a line out the door. I've been kown to wait for 45 minutes because there's no place else I'd rather go. We've also been for dinner a few times.

I love, love, love their Challah French Toast, and we both enjoy the Fried Egg BLT. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! 

Zaftig's walls are filled with Danny O's interesting creations. He resides in The Berkshires (like my family!). 

Stone Wall

I like the gaps in this wall because the dark shadows are mysterious and they make the stones more interesting. The smaller rock really stands out because of the black background. 

Orange

Today the sky is grey and everything looks very dull. I needed to post this picture just to give myself a burst of energy (I hope it works for you too!).  I took it a few weeks ago. 

There are very few leaves on the trees at this point, and when I look out my office window the only color I see is the florescent orange of construction cones, because the trees are bare. 

I'm looking forward to glorious white snow. 

Wool

On Tuesday, sacrebleu featured a post about FilzFelt, a company that sells products made of felt in addition to felt by the yard. Their website has a lot of information about felt, including a bit about how it's made:

"Sheep’s wool or wool fibers are continuously felted and compacted by moisture, heat and friction until a homogeneous fabric is formed – wool felt."

Isn't it amazing that wool from this sheep can be used to make pink felt or green yarn for a sweater, mittens, or hat? I'm guessing that sheep have been useful to people for as long as they've been around. Sometimes we look at animals and forget to be grateful for (and amazed by) all they have to offer. 

Disco Ball

This is exactly why I have a disco ball hanging in our window. Just look at the way the light bounces around the room. It makes the whole apartment feel happy and shiny when the sun hits it at just the right angle.

Taking a Minute

Veterans Day falls on the day that World War I ended 90 years ago. It is one of the only holidays officially recognized on the actual day, November 11th, rather than the nearest Monday. There are only ten verified living veterans of WWI, and only two of those are from the U.S. To the 40,722,128 veterans of all American wars since the revolution, today we take a minute to remember and thank you.

Technology

About a month ago, I took advantage of a beautiful Saturday afternoon and took my review books to the park to study for the GMAT. I also had to bring my personal cell phone because seriously, does anybody leave their house without their phone these days? Of course I needed my iPod to help me tune out environmental distractions. And I couldn't leave my new work-issued iPhone at home either (it enables my email-checking addiction). Oh, I had my camera with me too. 

I've gotten so used to having technology with me at all times that it feels funny to shut down and log-out. Ten years ago the internet was just catching on and most people didn't have cell phones. Seven years ago the hottest MP3 players were 32 MB (that's about 8 songs people!). Three years ago digital cameras were becoming popular and the iPhone was just some genius' crazy idea. Now we can't imagine living without these things. How quickly we change.

Side note: The Schwarz and I took the GMAT on Saturday and it's finally over! We're officially done with data sufficiency problems and reading comprehension. Woo hoo!

Contain Yourself

Here little miss spy is taking the slogan of the Container Store literally.  I'm sure the store didn't intend its bags to actually contain people, but it turns out the bag does a pretty good job of that.

Shadows

I usually think of oranges and reds when I think of autumn. Those bright colors are exactly what made this naturally black and white image stand out.     
                                         

The wall in this picture is slightly textured and reminds me of snow; I can’t stop myself from thinking that soon there won't be any leaves to cast shadows on empty walls. Winter is just around the corner, and I am so excited. I know many people loath winter, but love the brisk air and the way the sun bounces around in the snow. I'm looking forward to wearing mittens and skis. 

Change

Because of the election, there has been an awful lot of talk about change. I thought this photo would make an appropriate post-election entry. 

I saw this Seeds of Change ad a few weeks ago on the train. The quote, by Winston Churchill, is insightful and inspiring, but to use it to describe rice? Well, that's just hilarious (and a little lofty). I get what they are trying to say, of course. But really, this was their best idea? 

Sillier still: After all the talk about change, the ad doesn't look much different than your standard rice ad, does it? Maybe if their design reflected their quote I wouldn't have found the whole thing so absurd. 

Purple

I'm wearing purple today, in honor of all the red states that turned blue. 

Election Day USA!

Woo hoo! I finally voted and it was fabulous. It feels good to exercise my rights and help elect our next leader. It was really exciting to see a line of people outside the door. The only other time I've voted in Boston was for the primaries and it wasn't very busy, so I was thrilled to see everybody. Our polling place was pretty efficient and the wait wasn't bad at all. 

I hope you all did your part and cast your vote. Congratulations on moving on; no matter who wins, we'll soon be seeing some sort of change. 

P.S. Who knew "vote" was the same in Spanish? See the second photo above: "vote aqui."

Wort Hit

I spotted this sign hanging on a house in the Gingerbread community on Martha's Vineyard. Like many houses on the Vineyard, the houses in this community are named. The majority have cutesy names, like The Pink House, but I found this one a little confusing. I'm fairly certain the artist ran into spacing problems, which resulted in a sign reading Wort hit, rather than Worth it.

Both names raise questions:

• Why would you hit a wort or name your house after a wort?
  OR
• What is worth it? The house? The oddly colored piece of wood?

Owl Cards & David The Gnome

The top picture shows the treats I gave to friends. I made the owl in photoshop and on the inside the card just says "Happy Halloween!" I included tootsie pops because after I made the owl I kept thinking about the "How many licks does it take?" owl from the old commercials!

In the other pictures, The Schwarz is modeling his David the Gnome costume. It was a big hit last night and he got a lot of compliments. While many people knew which gnome he was portraying, he was also mistaken for the travelocity gnome and a dwarf (from Snow White). Anyway, I made the hat, and the rest of the outfit was made of pretty standard clothing. We attached a small purse to his belt because David wore a belt with bag (the gnome form of a  fanny pack?) to keep his medical supplies and herbs handy. Staying true to the character, we filled the bag with band aids and aspirin.