In no time the tree is looking fit for the season. A very nice end to a productive weekend. Jeanine took a food preparation safety class followed by the state’s SafeServe exam yesterday. I sectioned off a portion of my wood shop to create a not too shabby photography studio.
Nico and Izze got the tree lights to work while Nala looks on. I wonder what a dog thinks about Christmas tree lights.
This evening we were joined by Izze (I am now spelling it correctly), Chloe, and her mother Rhonda for a nice lasagna dinner. The kids decorated the Christmas tree and we enjoyed the first fire of the season. Jeanine permitted me exactly one photo so that our food would be served hot. It was a long exposure and a few of us moved a little.
I spent the day organizing my workshop and photographing dozens of items to be sold on Craig’s List. It is nice to convert unused items into cash, but it is even more satisfying when I think of it in terms of the recycling benefit. Most items I sold today were priced between $5 and $20 dollars which doesn’t even cover my time for creating the adds but ensures that these items will get put to good use by someone. This miter saw was the one big ticket item and I sold it for two thirds of the original price after more than ten years of use. Not bad.
A very beautiful couple I think.
After the play Chloe and Kyle let me photograph them. I have cleared some space in my workshop to fashion something of a photo studio.
This evening Nicolai participated in a performance of The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever. The production was staged by his his church youth group. Nico demonstrated a real aptitude for acting, no doubt a trait he inherited from his mother. A full set of photos can be found by following this link.
A simple photo of my favorite daughter.
Maya created these confectionary masterpieces for an upcoming cookie exchange. Unless they are hidden until then, it is unlikely that any will remain for the swap.
If you carefully examine this image which could otherwise be an abstract painting you will discover something edible.
Nicolai’s project for French class nears completion. Makes me want to jump on a plane destined for Paris.
Maya and her teammates won their U10 Girls Indoor Soccer League championship this evening. Little Warrior was the name given to Maya by her coach at the end of the season.
In addition to the tree lighting, there is a parade with Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and the Grinch. I ran into many friends as I ran around trying to keep up with the girls who moved through the crowds with the predicatbiity of a butterfly.
Since 1853 the residents of Concord have gathered in the center of town to celebrate the Christmas season. In 1915 an evergreen tree was planted which now stands at least 100 feet tall and is decorated with white lights each year. This evening I took Maya and her friends and Nico and his friends to the annual tree lighting ceremony. It was bitterly cold but spirits were high and local merchants put out the hot chocolate and cookies which sustained the crowds.
This evening, Kyle is taking Chloe to see the Boston Ballet perform the Nutcracker. Chloe recently celebrated her sweet sixteen birthday and this was Kyle’s gift to her. I dropped them off at the Alewife “T” station and they will make the journey downtown by themselves.
Nicolai was hungry this evening and decided to make a batch of brownies with his friend Greg. Several new methods for stirring were investigated. Holding the whisk while spinning the bowl was my favorite. Is there any wonder why I can not lose weight in this house?
One of the stranger photos I have posted over the last 3 years. Nico is wrestling this season with the Sudbury Wrestling Club. During warm ups they engage in some very strange group frog type behavior. Click on the image for a larger view.
I often wonder what my children would think if they knew me when I had hair. At the time of this article my friends concluded that all wrestlers looked alike. Winning this tournament qualified me for a spot on the US team that would face the Russian Junior National team. Also earning a spot on the team was Jeff Blatnick who went on to win Olympic Gold.
Work has been very intense this week with no time for photography which means I need to dip into the archive. Who do you think this stunning young girl is?
Nicoali works on a construction project for his French class. Students must create miniature buildings of different types. They then organize them to create an entire town which forms the basis for numerous class discussions. Nico is building a patisserie (pastry shop). I wonder if he and Jeanine will bake tiny croissants.
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.