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.