As Near As To Heaven As By Sea

My sister Jennifer and her husband Dave scurried off to St. John's this past week. Though off season there (big bugs & humidity), they couldn't have picked a better week. Who would guess what a dull nightmare June has turned out to be in Boston? Supposedly, we'll get some relief this weekend.

Anyway, she went scuba diving everyday, & saw enough lizards to open up her own pet store. Iguanas, geckos, and anoles, I guess. The good thing is, the lizards eat the bugs. (Except iguanas eat leaves). I say eat away, reptiles! I would have freaked to see a gigantic millipede or cockroach.

Under the sea she saw an old sea turtle, a stingray, a puffer fish, a parrot fish, a tarpon, & a needlefish. Cool.

Can you see me now? A needlefish & a six foot tarpon.
By the way, Happy Birthday J.A.T.!

Congratulations M. Kulig!

Yesterday my good friend Melissa Kulig graduated from the Art Institute of Boston, with a M.A. in Art. What a triumph. Not only did she graduate with a fantastic display of work, but she also got special recognition from the faculty as the student most improved throughout the program (a small scholarship).

Melissa's family was present (Mom, Dad, Brother Chris, Aunt Elizabeth, Great Uncle Larry), as was her faithful friends the Baron (me) and Jonathan (a.k.a. Johnnie Darko). I do not have a camera these days, so I have no live pictures. (Lame, I know) But included is a postcard of one of her major works (and my favorite). To check out Melissa's work further, go to her blog: http://www.mixedmediamaven.blogspot.com/

The King of Pop

The recent death of Michael Jackson was shocking to me, & I'm more upset than I imagined I'd be. Even though I always thought something tragic would happen to him eventually, I still find myself sad. Just last week I thought: "Haven't heard much about him lately. He's probably not going to make it much longer."

I've never really been a fan of 'pop' anything. I never owned a Michael Jackson album, glittery glove, or had a poster in my room. But I'm still very saddened, because I realize that Michael Jackson's music has been there my whole life. From his 'ABC' 'I'll Be There' Jackson 5 days, through the 80's and 90's, his music paralleled the milestones and 'eras' of my own life. From the late 60's through the early 90's, those were my growing up years too. It makes me nostalgic.

I didn't like all Michael Jackson's music, but there are a few songs that stand out in concert with events in my life. I remember "Rock With You" at a junior high school dance, and "Beat it" and "Billie Jean" in my second year of college. The 'Thriller" video was my favorite of his, (it's hard to imagine it was made in 1983) & I recall watching it on MTV with my sister. Here's Michael Jackson at his best. One of my favorite songs is "Human Nature."

Michael Jackson - Thriller | Music Videos | SPIKE.com

Michael with Diana Ross

Cleaning Out the Rafters

I helped my friend Steph in her attic yesterday. I painted while she went through boxes and purged. I don't know if I was much help when I kept saying, every 10 minutes, "Oh, you've got to keep that." Two of the items for keeping included the following, a Cordomatic Clothesline Reel from the 50's, 60's, and a Sheffield cigar/flask holder.

We weren't quite sure what the cigar holder was at first. It's clearly marked, "Sheffield, England," and it has a nifty Celtic design on the outer shell. After some research, I determined it's probably made of pewter, and the flask is made for a nip of brandy. In the other compartment you put your jumbo cigar. In comparison to others I saw on EBay and other auction sites, my friend's cigar holder might be worth about 165.00. Many of the cigar holders featured did not have the flask, or the Celtic design.

The Cordomatic Clothesline is certainly something Steph will use everyday, as she will the cigar holder.

Seriously, what I loved about the clothesline was its pristine condition, and its quality. It is made of very solid materials, something you'd never see for a similar item today. It's also this retro turquoise, very 50's.

Mozart's Seranade For Winds

I'm turning to classical music, these days, as a matter of sanity and survival.

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, Each to Each

What would life be without opera and classical music? At least that's what I think. Classical music is the experience that I need to ground myself. It makes me feel there's continuity to life, that the past is present, and that all sentient beings are connected. It makes me feel that I'm not alone in my dreaminess, and that there's something bigger than me that I'm part of. Classical music nears or is perfection. It gives me hope that art can transcend the mundane. Here's "The Flower Duet," from "Lakme," by Delibes. It's a love song between two women.

Couch to 5K

I'm going to attempt to begin running again. Though I am a bit worried about my knees and shin splints, I'm going to try anyway. Here's one of the many plans suggested.

Phase I Walk/Run Month 1 Mostly Walking (Times in minutes per day)
Week	M	T	W	TH	F	S	S	TOTAL
1	Off	25/0	Off	30/0	Off	Off	30/0	85/0
2	Off	27/3	Off	27/3	Off	Off	27/3	81/9
3	Off	24/6	Off	24/6	Off	Off	24/6	72/18
4	Off	27/3	Off	24/6	Off	Off	24/6	75/15
Grand total: 313/42

Phase - II Walk/Run Month 2 Mostly Walking (Times in minutes per day)
Week	M	T	W	TH	F	S	S	TOTAL
1	Off	21/9	Off	21/9	Off	Off	21/9	63/27
2	Off	18/12	Off	18/12	Off	Off	18/12	54/36
3	Off	15/15	Off	15/15	Off	Off	15/15	45/45
4	Off	18/12	Off	15/15	Off	Off	15/15	48/42
Grand Total: 210/150

Phase - III Walk/Run Month 3 Mostly Running (Times in minutes per day)
Week	M	T	W	TH	F	S	S	TOTAL
1	Off	12/18	Off	12/18	Off	Off	12/18	36/54
2	Off	9/21	Off	9/21	Off	Off	9/21	27/63
3	Off	6/24	Off	6/24	Off	Off	6/24	18/72
4	Off	9/21	Off	6/24	Off	Off	6/24	21/69
Grand Total: 102/258

Phase - IV Run Month 4 All Running (Times in minutes per day)
Week	M	T	W	TH	F	S	S	TOTAL
1	Off	15	Off	15	Off	Off	20	50
2	Off	20	Off	20	Off	Off	20	60
3	Off	20	Off	25	Off	Off	25	70
4	Off	25	Off	25	Off	Off	30	80
Grand Total: 260

The Wilds of Stoneham, Ma

I installed a bird feeder on my back porch yesterday. At first no birds were visiting. This morning, however, much to the my delight ( & my cats'), a tufted titmouse and a wren of some kind landed to feed. A squirrel also came along, but was unable to get up on the bird feeder. Supposedly, my bird feeder is squirrel-proof. We'll see.



Some later visitors included a male & female Northern Cardinal.....
Also, a Common Grackle....

My 50 Things

My 50 Things is a fun website, where you list goals and achievements in your lifetime. Here are some of my 'to do' goals, and below is a list of what I achieved. I don't exactly have 50 things altogether, but I'd rather list things I think I realistically will achieve. Seeing the Great Wall of China? I'd love to, but going to China right now seems out of reach. I don't know why.

To see the Grand Canyon
Visit Greenland, Iceland
Own a hybrid or electric car
To visit Western Canada
To hike the Long Trail in Vermont
To do a civil war reenactment in a large venue
take course in Norwegian
read Walden Pond
Teach an adult to read
Run the Boston Marathon
Try dog sledding
Shoot a gun on a shooting range
take a backpacking class
Exercise at least twice a week
Spend one evening a week without watching TV or using a PC
Visit Stonehenge

Do a parachute jump Completed
Plant a tree Completed
Wear a tux Completed
Complete a bookmaking/scrapbooking project Completed
Take a fiddle class or lessons Completed
Buy a condo or townhouse Completed
Visit Kripalu Completed
To complete a second cartoon zine Completed
To go square or contra dancing Completed
To meditate everyday for 21 days Completed
To try Tai Chi Completed
To take a fencing class Completed
Play golf one time Completed
Send mother flowers Completed
get a motorcycle license Completed
put some potted plants on porch Completed
see Grand Canyon Completed
shoot a gun on a shooting range Completed

My Five Favorite Natural Places in New England

My Five Favorite Natural Places in New England
Of course there are many other choices for natural places in New England. There are also many places I haven't been. Still, here are my consistent favorites, and some of the places I've visited many times.
1. The White Mountains, NH
(atop Mt. Carter with my sisters & brother-in-law)

2. Walden Pond, Concord, MA


3. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield, MA

4. Baxter State Park, ME


5. Crane's Beach, Ipswich, MA