Of course if the whole vet thing does not work out she can always fall back to being an engineer.

 
Maya has a special bond with animals and continues to feel she wants to be a vet when she grows up. I for one won’t be surprised if this is what she becomes.

 
Maya reunited with her dog after four days apart.

 
My mother has created a Japanese inspired garden which occupies most of the grounds surrounding their home. I find beauty here even in the months where most green things have long since disappeared. This suspended rock is helping to train the branch from which it hangs into a more earthward posture.

 
Jeanine and I went for a brisk walk on the grounds of Union College, where I studied for my undergraduate degree in electircal engineering. Nott Memorial is the photographic icon of the school and although I have done so many times over the years I could not walk by without capturing another image of this beautiful structure.

 
There is a lot to be thankful for in the Calabria family and we celebrated our good health and happiness with the fruits of our labor. Failure to remember to bring my tripod prevented me from joining the photo. Also absent are my brother Mark and sister Mayela who celebrated with their families in Minnesota and North Carolina respectively.

 
Maya and cousin Rachel produced the dinner rolls which were very tasty and disappeared quite rapidly.

 
The men in the family also seek to be helpful. Here Kyle, Nico, and cousin Johnny contemplate a bowl of raw potatoes believing that enough time spent in this endeavour will produced the creamy smooth mashed version that will grace our table this evening. In truth, the boys were very helpful and did the lion’s share of clean up duty. My only contribution to the meal was the mashing of said potatoes, the mindless, repetitive task being well suited to my culinary talents.

 
It is not to say that the men in the Calabria family do not cook but on Thanksgiving morning the kitchen is the domain of the women. We are a family of food traditions and with each marriage have integrated a new culinary element into our family feast.

 
Despite the fact that my father has spent more time writing (books, poems, essays and short stories) since his retirement from teaching than anything else, there does not exist a single photo of him in the act. That situation has now been rectified and I have a nice series of him at work in his study. We are in Schenectady for the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents and sister Alissa’s family.

 
Today I arrived home to find pies everywhere. Thanksgiving time finds Jeanine in the kitchen usually cooking with friends and always creating food for the soul.

 
This evening after dinner the kids all gathered around the computer and collaborated on a Garage Band musical composition. The result was outstanding. Even better was the interaction and cooperation they demonstrated while creating their master piece. Every once in a while we get the idea that maybe this parenting business is working out.

 
This morning the Concord United Over 40 soccer team competed for the Division 1 championship. This was my team before moving up to the Over 50 squad last season. I was happy to photograph the match when asked although the 18 degree air temperature with sub zero wind chill added to the challenge. Concord scored first to take the lead mid way through the second half. Acton-Boxborough equalized off a direct kick, pictured here, to force a penalty kick shot out which they won. the full set of photos can be seen here. Kyle was also in action at the same soccer complex tying his first game and winning the second decisively.

 
Jeanine and I were proud of our little dog who studied diligently in preparation and was undaunted by the audience of several hundred town residents.

 
Maya’s team name was the Perfect Puppies. They were perfect through 8 rounds and stumbled on “recitation” finishing in second place.

 
This evening Maya participated in the town wide spelling bee with teammates, Sarrinagh and Lydia.

 
Last night after a nice dinner with fellow board members at a sushi restaurant I drove through Monument Circle on the way back to my hotel. The Indianapolis Power & Light building was lit up in patriotic fashion as is the custom. Next week the lights which are strung from the peak of the war memorial will be illuminated forming the world’s tallest Christmas tree.

 
On the way into my board meeting this morning I drove past our old home in Indianapolis and was able to shoot this image through the window of my car while driving by (not a recommended practice for good photography or accident free driving). Although I love living in Concord, there are many things I miss about this 80 year old classic English Tudor that was our home for 8 years. Heating 9000 square feet of poorly insulated living space is not one of them and the first thought that came to mind on this particularly cold November morning.

 
I worked in Cambridge today and grabbed a 7PM flight for Indianapolis via Chicago. Once a year I participate in an all day strategic planning session for an Indy-based private company called Cine-tal on whose Board of Directors I serve. I believe O’Hare is the only airport in which you will encounter the skeleton of a dinosaur while making connections. Despite more than a hundred visits with this particular fellow, I never cease to be amazed and always pause to enjoy the moment which places me in the good company of most children but few adults.

 
Jeanine returned yesterday from a 5-day trip to Indianapolis. She joined her sisters there to close on the sale of her father’s home and continued the work of finalizing his estate. She was able to take a break and visit with her nephew’s son, Bradley. She also had a chance to connect with dear friend Monica Frost for a dash of fun and relaxation amidst the otherwise work packed visit.

 
With the leaves down, the tree house affords a great view of the pond behind our house from one side and the horse farm on the other.

 
A nice detail of the ladder and proud owner of her first home.

 
Maya requested an elevator bucket so we added a rope hoist to one side.

 
Today Maya and I added a ladder to the treehouse. I am fairly certain that we spent more time on the ladder than the rest of the construction combined. We mortised the rungs into the stretchers at Maya’s request (she described it as digging little holes in the wood). This makes for a very sturdy ladder but quite time consuming to machine the 24 mortises needed. I should add that Maya wanted the rungs angled to match the slope of the ladder so each foot fall would be on a level surface. What Nico is doing flying through the air I have no idea.

 
A rare brother and sister moment.

 
Rainy days always inspire me to take portraits. Today Nicolai is hanging out with his friend Isabella and I coaxed her into the bubushka outfit for this shot.

 
This is the antique carved wooden chandelier that hung in the bedroom of our home in Indianapolis. It has adorned our attic for five years now and it is time for it to find a better home via Craig’s List.

 
Maya and I continue to make progress on the tree house. By the time I get home at night it has been dark for hours. We find an hour to work together each morning at 7AM.

 
Nala in hyperdrive this morning. Jeanine is in Indianapolis for the week attending to the sale of her parent’s home. So far I have managed not to lose any of the children.

 
A view from the bottom reveals the structure of the cantelevered base and angled support members. We used composite decking over pressure treated pine. The floor stands some 14 feet above the ground. The entire structure is supported by four lag bolts. Key joints have been reinforced with steel tape and all the hardware is galvanized steel. I will add safety lashing around the tree to guard against a bolt failure. Ladder design is still under development.

 
Maya’s treehouse is starting to take shape. The main platform and roof supports are in and the roof section is assembled and is ready to hoist into position. Kyle provided invaluable assistance this weekend as we tackled the tricky bit of securing the assembled main platform to the tree. Maya worked on the project for the better part of the day and Nico also pitched in for a while.