Teachers Who Changed My Life

With all of the nonsense in Wisconsin, I've been thinking about teachers a lot this week. So with that in mind, and in no particular order:

• Mrs. Annettes
• Mr. Corey
• Mr. Daly
• Ms. Knapp
• Mr. Colameco
• Mr. Williams
• Mr. Ritzo
• Richela Renkun
  
• Awam Amkpa
• Leandro Soto
• Jane Crothswaite
• Frank Brownlow
• Leo Damrosh
• Stephen Mitchell
• Jeremy Geidt

So thank you, thank you, thank you. I would not be the person I am now without you. (and there are more - I could go on for days)

Any favorite teachers out there, oh, my seven readers?

Snowdrops in the Snow

Yes Virginia, spring is coming.




I've been listening to Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown this week and this lyric seemed appropriate for this time of year:

Some flowers bloom when the green grass grows
My praise is not for them
But the one who blooms in the bitter snow
I raise my cup to him (link here)

Things That Please Me

I took this last night on my walk home - you felt like you could reach out and touch the moon...

Things That Please Me

Things That I Don't Care About

• Survivor
• CPAC
• Spiderman: Turn on the emergency exit lights
• Lady Gaga's Madonna rip-off song (didn't like it the first time, don't like it now)
  
• Justin Bieber's views on abortion
• Justin Bieber's views on anything
• Justin Bieber
  

Tough Biking

The Cat Helps Me Make My Bed

The ever-helpful Milo comes through again...

More of the 02138 in the Winter

So here are a few more pictures taken over the last day or so.

I thought this guy was pretty great:


In the old yard. Cosmo's no snow bear, but still pretty great.



This pretty much sums up Cambridge, right here:


This isn't a snow picture, but was part of my travels yesterday, so you get it anyway...

Dispaches from the Snowpocalypse

1:45 and the snow seems to have stopped. and the snow on the ground has reverted to that lovely Boston brown color that it does. At this moment, I am very glad that I don't have a car to dig out.




11 ish - watching Glee online and contemplating hot chocolate...






9:05 am - Garbage truck has made it down my street. Milo is thus far unimpressed by the snow day.





8:45 - coffee and Saved By the Bell

7:30 am

My Five Favorite Movies of 2010

Since the Golden Globes are tonight, I figure I should get this in under the wire.

Note, I have thus far been utterly unsuccessful at seeing The Tempest; The Illusionist doesn't play in Boston until next week; and I haven't had the depth of concentration required for I Am Love yet (meaning I figure I can't watch that while working on these grant applications).

So here we are - my top five:

• The Black Swan - a case study in the Unheimliche. La Portman at her best so far. Aronofsky being his usual wacky self. Plus Wino Forever comes back with a bang.
  
• True Grit - I would root for Hailee Steinfeld over La Portman for best actress. It was a movie that hinged on the performance of a 14 year old, which is a risky proposition. And she did it without being cutsie, uncomfortably sexual or haunted (i.e. any movie with any of the Fannings).
  
• How to Train Your Dragon - It just made me happy. I loved the dragon. That six year old who reviews plays probably has more intelligent commentary on it, but there you go.
  
• The King's Speech - I had sort of been expecting another (to borrow a phrase from Eddie Izzard) "room with a view of a staircase and a pond" type of movie, but this was really quite lovely, in its own quiet, British way. I laughed out loud. I cried. I didn't expect such a captivating and nuanced movie on what seemed at first blush like a rather trivial aspect of that period in world history.
  
• Inception - the most thoughtful and interesting popcorn movie I have ever seen. Proof to me that action movies don't have to be dumb.

(note - just figured out that the Golden Globes are next week. I'll let you know if I see anything that changes my mind...)

Best. Ever.

Saw this last night as I was heading out. Those wacky college kids.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Things that We Found While Cleaning Our Parents' House

So, while we were home, my sister and I were clearing out the area around our old computer desk (to remove her wedding presents now that she has a house to put them in). While we were there, we went through the desk itself to get rid of some of the crap that no one has used in a decade or so. Here are some of the treasures that we unearthed...

Jingle Bell Run

Milo's Christmas Photo Shoot

A Very Crabby Christmas

So, how many crabs can one Vermont girl living in Massachusetts fit onto a 30 inch Christmas tree, you ask?

Superstitions

I received an email today from a guy I used to date a while back, which made me think about weird little things I do. To explain, he grew up in western Africa. I grew up in Vermont. My odd little quirks seemed even more peculiar to someone from an entirely different culture. The particular odd little gesture that launched this conversation was that when he drove through a yellow light, I kissed my hand and touched the ceiling of the car (do you call that a ceiling? such is my hatred of cars). He found this so very strange.

So here are some more things that at 33 years old, I still do...

• I still wish on the first star I see in the evening (and still go through the full "starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, blah blah blah blah blah tonight" thing in my head every time).
• I won't toast with water, for fear of sinking the ship (what ship? I was never clear...).
• When I am in a car that goes over train tracks, I still lift my feet, and I still hold my breath when driving past cemeteries.
• I avoid being near mirrors in the dark.
• I won't light three cigarettes (or candles) with one match (ready, aim, fire).
• I avoid walking under ladders and make it a point not to break mirrors.
• I sometimes believe that if I think about someone hard enough, they'll know - or at the very least, they'll think of me too.
  
• I count out the seconds to 60 when taking off in a plane.
• I won't buy opals.
• If I have money in my pocket when I hear the first bird sing in the spring, I will have money in my pocket for the rest of the year.
  
• I make a wish at 11:11.

I'm sure there are millions more. Any of my seven readers have weird little beliefs?

Things that I hope that Santa does not bring me for Christmas

I know that all my devoted fans want to shower me with gifts (who wouldn't?). I've compiled a brief list of things that I do not need from the commercials on tv tonight, just in case you were tempted...

• The "Ov"Glove
• Cosaquin - for dogs, cats and horses
• Anything sold at Kay Jeweler or Jared
• Chia herb garden
• Chia anything
• The Director's Cut of Eat, Pray, Love
• A car (even if Pomplamoose is selling it)(unless it comes with a driver, in which case - hey, car!)(even better if it comes with John Slattery)
  

Christmas Mix Tape for You!

I made you a Christmas mix tape. Except, you are out there, and I am in here. I'd send it to you, but knowing me, you'd get it around Easter. I tried to put it on iTunes, if you want to download it (and if it works, I'll post it here)(okay, that sort of worked, but cut a few songs - boo). In the meantime, I've posted videos when YouTube cooperates. Otherwise, stop by and get one. I've got my reel to reel cassette player all queued up...

Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby and David Bowie

• Such a bad idea, and yet, so great!
  

Imagination - Gregory Douglass

• Lovely, lovely. And there is a video available here. Buy all of his cds. He is terrific (and I met him when he was about the age he is in some of those photos).
  

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Annie Lennox

• Best.Christmas.Album.Ever. Video here. (It was a toss up between this and As Joseph Went A Walking, which she also does, but I am so in love with that video that it won).
  

Snow - Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye & Bing Crosby

• From White Christmas. Video here. (I love that the "snow" sign on the poster looks like the logo for my hometown).
  

The 12 Days of Christmas - Straight No Chaser

• Here it is. A sentimental favorite from my few months living in Indiana.
  

I Saw Three Ships - Barenaked Ladies

• I really, really love that song. (fuzzy live version here)
  

Mele Kalikimaka - The Puppini Sisters

• That one is for JSP. Have him sing it for you sometime. I promise, it's worth it! And seriously, how cute are the Puppini Sisters? (also a fuzzy live version).
  

We Need a Little Christmas - Johnny Mathis

• Because though I haven't "grown a little leaner," I have "grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older and I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder..." ("video" of Christmas cards with this song as the background).
  

A' Soalin' - Peter, Paul & Mary

• My high school computer teacher sang this with her husband at our Christmas assembly one year. It's really quite something.
  

The Holly & The Ivy - Mediaeval Baebes

• My favorite Christmas song for some reason.("video")
  

Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming - Sufjan Stevens

• Buy this cd for the packaging. It comes with stickers! ("video")
  

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Sixpence None The Richer

• I'm sure that I first heard this on Grey's Anatomy or some equally embarrassing show. Still a good song. ("video")
  

Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy) - Duke Ellington

• Just perfect. This is what I wanted the Pink Martini Christmas cd to sound like, which it sadly did not.(video of The U.S. Army Blues Band playing it)
  

O Holy Night - Tracy Chapman

• The only recording of this song that hasn't made me want to tear my ears off.(live version here)
  

Christmas Time Is Here - Diana Krall

• I (heart) The Charlie Brown Christmas Special.(I couldn't find Ms. Krall's version on the internets for you, so here's the original)
  

Wintersong - Sarah McLachlan

• This song breaks my heart every time.
  

Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913 - John Denver & The Muppets

• There will be no mocking my love for John Denver. And after almost three decades, the line "and they knew they could not tell whether it were angels or the bright stars were singing" still gives me chills.(this says "lip synch version" but it's the only video of it that I can find)
  

Christmas Card From Hooker In Minneapolis - Tom Waits

• Not strictly Christmas-y, but still awesome. ("video")
  

O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Trio

• Wonderful. But now I want a Christmas tree. here again is the Christmas Special video, with apologies for the ad.
  

My Next Job

• Monkey Deporter (though I am probably more qualified for the Shabash-Wala position)
• Surfer (though this necessitates me learning how to surf)
• Weeki Wachee Mermaid - though, as a rule I am against Florida
• Something that involves having a big yard and a puppy, and not having to leave to do much. What's that? A trophy wife? A trophy wife.
  

To all the girls I've loved before

For some reason, I have had that song in my head all day, and so, I want to stop for a moment, on Thanksgiving, and thank all my exes. All the people I've loved, I've hurt, I've been hurt by, I've dreamed of, I've toyed with, all the people who I've thought of on lonely nights, all the people I've wondered "what if?", all the people I flirt with, all the people who broke my heart, all the people who have made me what I am today.

Thank you , my darlings.

I'm glad they came along, I dedicate this song, &c...

(and I am, of course, thankful for Willie Nelson)