SURPRISE!!

 
After a few snowdays and false starts, the kids in my class surprised me with a birthday party this afternoon...they made me cupcakes, popcorn, and home baked bread..then they showered me with handmade cards, flowers and a spa gift certificate...such a wonderful class..such a wonderful teacher...I am a lucky woman!

She's over it!!

 
"We went to Lauren and Taylor's for a double birthday dinner to celebrate Dave's and my birthdays (which are 5 days apart)...after dinner Dave worked for a couple of hours on their driveway and sidewalks with his snowblower....Lauren was most appreciative as she has had it with winter, and slip sliding all over the place in her "cute" little car!

Black and White Brunch...

 
Thanks to my dear friend, Traci, for hosting a beautiful brunch for us this a.m. She really outdid herself, right down to my favorite lemon cake with Black and White birthday candles! I am lucky to have such wonderful girlfriends and that is truly the best gift one could get for her birthday, now isn't it!

Calm Chloe....

 
"The idea of calm exists in a sitting cat."-Jules Reynard (Our cat Chloe; not the least bit excited to have some of my birthday cake today)

A little bowl of cheer...

 
White seems to be the color of the moment, but now and then you have to shake it up with a jolt of color...and what better color is there than red! A small bowl of summer sweetness on a winter white snow day (again)!

Season of Ice...

 
"Wind high and cold, the sun low, short its course, the sea running high. Cold has seized the birds' wings; season of ice, this is my news."-Irish Poem, 9th Century (The seagulls were so cold at the beach, they didn't even move as I came up on them to take a shot)

Sit and listen...

 
"Remain sitting and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ectasy at your feet."-Franz Kafka....(a quiet bench on Bailey Beach)

Where the Wild Things Are...

 
Started our "Art Inspired by Children's Literature" Class this afternoon...first up.."Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak...the kids did a great job..love the easy, breezy flow of a child's paint strokes. Can't wait for next week!

Frozen Four Sure!!

 
This weekend Christine invited us down to her dad's home in Rowayton. The Beach is right around the corner from his home so of course we had to take a trek...it was blanketed with snow and icicles and the mid day sun sparkled on the water..."frozen four sure" but still just as beautiful as ever!

And now for a little dark madness...

 
OK, all this white stuff is wearing on me..my cabin fever reached a new pitch today...so after digging out Leah and I went to the movies to see "The Black Swan"...strangely fascinating little tale about the dark side and madness...note to self, never put your daughters in ballet lessons...thank god we saw it in the light of day...would have been afraid to enter out into the cold dark night after the credits rolled!

Ready, set, ....

 
Go....damn it, here we go again. We will probably wake up to more snow tomorrow, so the shovels are ready to go....even though I am one who usually loves a beautiful snowfall, at this point, I am kind of over it!

I have become one of those people...

 
I always hate to see Christmas lights hanging off houses long after the holiday has come and gone..and yet, mine are still up on my stairs and shrubs. I missed my opportunity a few weeks ago, and now they are buried under a foot of ice and snow...with more snow to come...I have become one of those people :(

Outside Looking in...

 
"It's where we linger with a sigh; it's where we long to be pulled in..it's where we learn to say goodbye, without saying anything-just standing on the borderlines, outside looking in."-Mary Chapin Carpenter...(after days of cabin fever..sometimes it's better to be outside looking in!)

CARE enough....

 
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is..."What are you doing for others?"...Martin Luther King...on this day and always, take the time to care.

Seeing Fireflies...

 
"All of a sudden, there they were, guiding my path like floating stars, stars within my reach, stars I could take home with me in the palm of my hand. Seeing fireflies, real stars, so close to heaven."

Full Circle...

 
"Never, never rest contented with any circle of ideas, but always be certain that a wider one is still possible."-Pearl Bailey....This unusual stone circle is in my father's neighbor's front yard..not sure where he's going with it but it must be part of the wider circle of ideas.

Coca-Cola Land...

 
"Sailin' round the world in a dirty gondola-Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!"...Bob Dylan "When I Paint My Masterpiece"...I found this little piece of Americana on my walk today.

Drift away...

 
This is the view into the courtyard outside our library window at school...judging by the size of that drift it will be a long time before we can read or eat lunch out there in the warm sunshine :(

An appreciation of snow (and husbands)

 
"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand outside in the snow."...although today, my husband may not agree with me. While he toiled in the driveway for four hours this morning..(and yes, Leah and I helped)..I then went for a walk this afternoon with my camera...this was a beautiful storm..down to the last snowflake!

Thing 1 and Thing 2....

 
"I know it's gray and the sun is not sunny, but we can have lots of good fun that is funny."-Dr. Seusss (The Cat in the Hat)...Today I was working on an art project in class, but when the kids saw me drawing out Thing 1 and Thing 2 they asked if I would draw some for them to color...pretty soon, Thing 1 and Thing 2 were joined by Thing 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9...lots of good fun!

Special shoes...

 
"You need special shoes for hiking...and a bit of a special soul as well."-Terri Guillemete...My husband, Dave, never goes into the winter woods without his "special boots".

Rosanne Cash @ Infinity...

 
"When my dad died, alot of songs came...and they still keep coming."-Rosanne Cash...we went to Infinity Hall in Norfolk last night on a snowy, wintery evening to see her. She has been a favorite of mine for a long, long time. Spending a few hours in an intimate setting with her and her equally talented husband/guitar player, listening to her anecdotes about growing up with a famous father and the legacy he left for her with his "List of 100" songs was magical. A beautiful evening indeed!

Snow Escape...

 
"Rare moments of escape when he went into the woods, his breathing amplified and his voice somehow muffled by the heavy snow that bent branches low, drifted over paths. The world, for a few short hours, transformed,"-Kim Edwards (The Memory Keeper's Daughter)

Going out...going in...

 
"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out til sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."-John Muir (The path along the river in Collinsville)

Ugg-tastic!

 
The girls in our classroom noticed that they were all wearing UGGS today...so they circled around me and asked if I would take a snap..seems they want to be on my "365 Blog" now that they know I do one...what will tomorrow bring? (The boys want a piece of the action!)