the good:

Ari is in great spirits

we had a wonderful time in Boston despite my feeling like *#!*, The Celtics won and we saw Sammy, Z, Joelle, George then My dad and Michael. While Chris and the boys were at the Garden we went to the North End for dinner. A big thing for me was that I was able to appreciate Boston for the wonderful place it was, miss and still know that we are in the right place. this after I was so sad last night about not getting to go out with Karin and Emmy and thought I would feel determined to find a way to move.

the bad:

we came home to a message from the hand surgeon saying that we should not feed Ari breakfast since he is really unsure that we will be able to avoid surgery.

OUCH

when the swelling in Aaron hand did not go down we took him in for an x-ray on Saturday. Turns out he has a broken hand. According to the the person reading the x-ray, a fabulously broken hand ( this IS Aaron ya know). in the above image you can see that he growth plate is completely out of place on his index finger.

Yesterday afternoon was horrible. Chris had to take him into the hospital where they needed to make the decisions to operate or not. At first they were going to operate, Aaron was very nervous (as you can image, so were the rest of us). The doctor, whose name was Chris Bowe ( a good omen?), then decided that it would be better to see the hand specialist first. We meet with him on Monday, he will do a somewhat non-invasive attempt on fixing his hand (they will numb his arm and obstruct his view). if that does not work he will have to have surgery. I hoep this works.

In the big picture, it could be worse.

we are so lucky for all we have. i must know this every moment of life.

hack ack ack

this cold sucks.... didn't' really sleep last night due to this cough.

Poor Aaron. Yesterday he was over a friends house, they were playing basketball in his yard when the wind knocked the basketball stand over, right on Aaron. I am keeping him home today. he got a pretty big bump on his head and his hand is swollen. The doctor said it sounds like he got a mild concussion and we may need to take him today to check his hand. it's not broken but the swelling has not gone down. How will he do origami?!

I had to cancel everything I had going on today because of the bloody cold. i am going t try to rest as much as possible. I am feeling guilty because there is a lot a need to get done here (besides the normal chores), find the missing negative I need for the book, put together curriculum ideas for the east school and so on.

instead I am obsessed with my back yard. the wood chips either need to be replaced or we need to add a ground covering. of course there is always grass, irish moss doesn't' need as much water but I am not sure how much activity it could handle.

my head hurts...back to bed

in the past week I have read two galley's of mystery type book that take place in Portland. I find that strange. One is by John Connolly which is based entirely in Portland and the other by William Martin which takes place in different parts of New England but he spends a good amount of time in the Old Port (in a fictionious antiquarian bookstore). in the John Connolly book the character is friends with Portlander June Fitzpatrick and was hiding out at one point behind Joe's smoke shop. So bizarre... Is there no escape from this city (or "a city in name only" as stated by one of these book)? When are we getting out of here? I also think it's odd that on one hand I complain about how small this place feels and then on the other I am purposely reading these book because of their relationship to Portland.


in other earth shattering news:

- Chris's has had hte same cold for 3 weeks. Now Aidan & I feel sick. hack hack hack
- if things work out I will see Karin, Emmy, Deb & Stephanie on Saturday night.
- Emmy leaves for Italy soon.
- Max's blue bass is on it's way to the shop for some minor repairs
- G had a horrible day last week. I think he is still feeling bad
- Joelle, Sammy and Z are coming on Friday (unless we need to quarantine the house)
- Aaron has turned this week into the week of many play dates
- Mika and Henry are bored of winter

okay...

i'm doing it.

after saying I wasn't going to do this for years and years I have finally decided to do weddings and portraits. what made me change my mind? 1. kids being old enough 2. finding a partner that I would enjoy working with and 3. it really is a good way to make money. Jennifer and I are currently putting together our information. With my schedule and her classes (she is a senior at MECA) we plan on taking just a few jobs at first but will get more aggressive in a few months. We did start a blog and may hang up a few flyer's locally. Not much on it now. Eventually we'll get a web page going too.

for portland families

Chris's friend Alex is having a kids workshop tomorrow from 10-1.
Sounds like lot's of fun. I think they are working on Cornell like peices. The address is 142 High Street.

yahooooooooooo!!!

Hi this is Aidan! Last week I had baseball tryouts and... I MADE IT!!! I am on B&M Beans! The fart team! Sorry couldn't resist! ;) HA HA!!!!!!

car alarms

an invention straight from the depths of hell. do they really stop people from stealing cars? when I hear them I either want the thief to speed it up or to track down the owner of the car and blow a horn in front of their house for a while. last night a car alarm across the street went on for well over an hour. finally at 11:45 I called the police and were able to track down the owner. I am so tired today. not fun.

before this annoying event Chris and I watched this piece on the art theft and search for hte Isabella Stewart Gardner Museums stolen paintings. Very interesting. had the best collection of characters. watch it if you can.

dumb and dumb

in the same weekend I managed to break mycell phone and Max lost his.

if you have recently upgraded yoru phone and are looking to get rid of your old (must be cingular that takes a certain card) one, please let us know.

things are looking up

Here's the plan for our trip: on our way down we will stop and see Jane in Virginia. we will have 3-4 days with Dad and Charlotte. 2 days in Vero Beach. then we are off to Disney. we have rented a cabin. it is a 5 min boat ride from the main entrance. this way, when the kids have the afternoon meltdown (which is a given at disney) we can go back and eat lunch and swim. From there we head up to Georgia to see Gabriel. then home.

plus when the boys and I went to the Y this morning it wasn't' freezing and we are getting a hardware store right up the street.

Deb tells me that she has spotted cardinals. Spring is on it's way!!

Aidan, Aaron and the boys down the street spend most of yesterday walking around the neighborhood with shovels. they made $5.50 each. Their method. they would spot a house with snow and start shoveling. if the person was home, they'd come out and ask if they were doing it out of the goodness of their heart or for $. the boys answered, "we'll do it for free unless you would like to pay us" (and this happened every time) they made a variety of amounts. one guy, $10.00. one lady cookies (yes, we knew her). Too bad they didn't' do this earlier in the year.

I went to a 70's party last night at Zero Station. Was very fun. I don't' have much in the line of 70's style clothing but was able to put something together. My new hair do was what really pulled it off. someone thought it was a wig.

Words from Max:

I went to poker last night. we didn't' play (as usual) but they did have a cake for me. Jesse gave me a toy dog. I also got some cd's victor wooten, primus and les claypool.

words from Aidan:

Hi, I'm Aidan. I am so cool and the red sox are going to go all the way this year. and....I had baseball tryouts last week. I will find out in one week if I made it.

max said I type so well I could be secretary.

because you need to smile

I could show you the whole episode but I will just post this one song.

I posted about this episode before. i really like musicals. Meg, I did see this as a possible jump the shark moment from your post.

Good thing

we postponed our trip. If not, we would have left eary this morning. The weather is horrible and G is throwing up.

Life is funny sometimes.

i know i'm nuts

so there is no need to remind me.

in my desperate need for guidance I decided to do a tarot spread. I am seeing that it looks like there may be good times ahead, change and success at something that may be seemingly stagnant? how can that be? I am not good at reading my own tarot. Especially when I want something new to happen. a bit out of practice on the whole. thoughts? I e-mailed this to Deb who is so good at reading.

* Deb pretty much got the same thing I did. I like how she narrowed the change bit down:

afraid of change, when change is right and natural now. go where your fears are but be adaptable, flexible.

why?

What am I doing that is so important or time consuming that I have not updated my families blog? nothing. nothing at all. I mean we are doing things. lot's of things. good things. bad things. fun things. boring things. but nothing worth writing about really. I feel like i am doing more preparing the way for things.

max was expelled.

Kidding..... just trying to make us sound more interesting then we really are. actually he told me to write that. he also said he hopes your leg falls off.

Happy Birthday Max!!!

The start of the baseball season

boy. there is nothing better than playing baseball in maine. Especially in March. I am not sure what I enjoy more... searing for the white ball in the snow or having to dig out of the hole it created and is now frozen in.

Max and I took turns sitting in the car. Here I am pitching to Aidan

Here I am ducking when he hits the ball towards me. My big issue with baseball is fear of the baseball. Wimp

This morning Aaron joined us on our morning trek to the Y. he was so cute. when I woke at 5:45 he was pacing in the hallway.

scary movie

this was a good/scary kids movie. check out these movie posters. I wonder if Aaron and G will end up in our bed tonight? hmmm...

Max and Sammy 2 years ago.

We are going to postpone our trip a few weeks due to a going on @ the store. The kids are a bit disappointed but fully understand. we may be able to take a bit more time this way.

that's all I have to report. off to get some work done then I'm in the boys school. fun fun :)

My mornign buddy

Aidan and I have begun going to the Y in the morning. He loves getting up and out while the house is still asleep. While i exercise he plays basketball. This morning he had the gym all to himself, when I went to go get him he was running around, shooting hoops with a big smile on his face.
We tried to wake Max, didnt' work out to well... sort of like trying to wake a bear.

boys in snow

On Friday we had another snow day. second of the season. Last time there were barely any cars on the road I let the boys play with our neighbor in the snow banks. they stayed out most of the day creating their own world out of snow our little street. This time there seemed to be more activity on the street so they had to stay in a yard. (they did find a tree to climb in a neighbors yard until she started screaming that it was her tree and she was going to call the police on them. Guess they didnt' understand that when I said yard I meant ours or their friends). They ended up in our yard building this hungry snowman. He was very cute. sorry I didn't take a better photo, that would have involved me getting dressed and that just wasn't happening. Today he is a pile of sticks, olives and stones. poor snowman.

it's very cold again today. I can feel the money seeping out the windows.

It seems so strange that Max is almost 14. 14. 14 years old. CRAZY

Chris has not smoked for 18 days.

sometimes i wish there was an adult in the house

When Chris and I were first married we decided to move to CA. This very large decision was done over a bottle of wine (or two) and the non refundable one way tickets were purchased that evening. We almost moved to Seattle but changed our mind since my mom lived in San Diego. That turned out to be a great experience but one would think that we would have learned to put more thought into decisions. Up until now we have been pretty good about this. Last night we bought tickets and are moving to Cork, Ireland in 3 mos.

kidding... though I would love to do it. seriously.

a week or so ago we decided to take a road trip to FL. It sounded like such a great time that night and the kids are so excited. Now that we are actually putting it into action I realize that it's nuts. this is going to be a whirlwind trip. 1 night here, 1 night there, 2 night here and angry family members who feel they are being slighted.

why? why? why?

plus... the thought of leaving Henry in a kennel was just to disturbing for us so we decided that we were going to take him with us. has anyone ever taken a dog on a road trip?

maybe I should have someone house sit.

this weekend

was a nice end to the school break. Karin came up and she and Max were able to get out to dinner and go to the Dave Eggers and Valentino Achak Deng reading. Yesterday we were to have a day to ourselves but G wasn't feeling well (the night before and in the morning. course was fine by 9am) so our plan was altered a bit. So he joined us for lunch and when Karin took me to get my eyebrows waxed @ Akari. is it strange that I found it incredibly peaceful? Enjoyable even.

I am concerned that G and Max are lactose intolerant. Let me change that, I know G is and think Max is. I am taking away all dairy for a week. Max is miserable, he really loves dairy. I hope for his sake he isn't'. or... I hope he is like Matt and can still eat yogurt and drink that lactose free milk (he HATES soy milk as much as I hate cow milk).

it's almost Max's b'day. 14 years old. Because of Florida and NY he is going to nix the b'day party this year. He has requested I make the dinosaur cake I made him when he was 4. this should be interesting.

We lose out again

Here it is a week after Whole Foods opened here in Portland. I was excited about the money we residents would save from their price wars.... not happening. Now that Whole Foods bought out Wild Oats there will be no price wars... Wild Oats is due to close in 3 mos (what I heard from a employee at local store). So now we have no local store, no price wars, no Trader Joe's.

* Update*

I just read that W.O.'s may stay open for longer than I first heard. Still I am sad that W.F.'s is such a mega corporation. Buying out it's competitors.

scrotum scrotum scrotum scrotum

So the ridiculous ride that The Higher Power of Lucky the 2006 Newberry award winner has been on found it's way into The New York Times (there is follow up dialogue on this in the papers more recent letters. I am a bit late in putting this on the blog....sorry). This is a wonderful book that is being censored by librarians because it uses the word scrotum on the first page. Of course if they read the book beyond the first page their opinions may change. It's a story of a young girl searching for truth.

My family loved the book and Gabriel's reaction to finding out the meaning of the offending word. He fell off his chair laughing.

more confusion

We had a wonderful time in Boston. Karin's event was crowded but great. The museum is beautiful and she looked lovely!
The evening before, Joelle, Karin and I saw a great movie . I know what you are thinking... me seeing a movie while it's still in the theatres. shocking. I really loved the movie but the last scene really bothered me. Karin too. guess it wasn't actually the last scene but how they lingered on the last shot.
The kids had a blast with their cousins. was able to spend some time with Deb. Saw Janice and Emmy for a moment. (hopefully I will see Emmy before she leaves for Italy ). Watched dumb tv with mom and Eva.
I miss them so much. On the drive home to Portland I felt so sad. Aidan asked again, why can't we live closer to family. I play these scenarios over and over in my head.... us trying to pay Boston prices, finding a community with good schools, the over crowded everything, more stores for me to wish I could shop in but can't afford. These are all good reasons for not living there...it just seems to get harder and harder. I love Portland. it is my home. I just miss my other home.

checking out the new store

I finally made it over to the new market in town. We now have a Whole Foods. On the whole I like it but I like the feel of Wild Oats better. It's smaller, nicer colors and the layout is easier to navigate. The store brand is very reasonably priced and they did have lot's of options. I didn't have time to get something from the non-grocery area but will try that soon.
That's my story for the day.

oh my...

this cracks me up...

Batman Sighting Puts Schools on Lockdown


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- To an Arizona middle school, Batman! Three schools in the north Phoenix suburb of Cave Creek were on lockdown for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning after a student at Desert Arroyo Middle School reported seeing a person dressed as Batman run across campus, jump a fence and disappear into the desert, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.
The student described the person as 6 feet 3 inches tall and possibly male.
"We're assuming it was male, although they did have a mask on," Clark said.
Officers combed the desert around the middle school. A nearby elementary school and high school also were on lockdown as officers sought the caped crusader.
The result - no Batman.
"It's just one of those interesting little stories that we looked into but we couldn't find anyone," Clark said.
Nedda Shafir, a spokeswoman for the Cave Creek Unified School District, said putting all the schools on lockdown was a precautionary measure.
"We didn't want to take any chances," Shafir said. "We just don't want to put anyone at risk."

Look what the Valentine BunnyClaus brought us

This weekend Joelle, Sammy and Z were here. So much fun. We are all so crazy in love with them. I am really sad we are not closer. I wish we were around the corner from them and Ethan.

Sammy was obsessed with Ari guitar.

Aidan said that when they are around he feels younger because it reminds him of when Ari and G were babies. I must say that having htem around does give me a new appreciation for how self sufficient my are.

I heart PhotoMarket

They fixed my camera.

I am happy

oh... the sorrow

i know i said I would post happy things but that was before this:

last night I wanted to take some test shots of Ethan for the proposal I am working on and discovered that my camera does not work. I have narrowed it down to a why but not sure if it can be fixed. I will take it in tomorrow. I have heard that if it is possible to fix it could cost between $350-500. Since my the technology of my camera is a bit passe it would not be a good choice. But I cannot afford a new camera. I do not think I can live without a camera. What if I get a job? What if this book happens?


I love my camera. My brother and father bought it for me.

watch this

pretty amazing/sad. I sometimes think we are further ahead than we really are.

Seems I have posting depressing stuff lately. Here is some good news:

- Max is better
- Chris and G did get the flu but it didnt' last long
- My Mom and Ethan are here
- We are going to order a pizza for dinner and make smoothies
- Karin's job seems good

I am sure that there is more good things to report but that's all I can think of right now.

A must have...

I bought this book today.

It grades companies from A to F for their actions on the enviorment, human rights, community involvement, animal protection, corporate crime, discrimination, employee treatment and philanthropy. I am in love with it. Because it takes no stand in politics nor healthiness of the product my kids are so much more interested in learning about these companies. I think they are a bit sick of the "it may taste good but it's bad for you" line I often use. Max is going to write Oreo's a letter in protest of their actions, I need to write to Guinness (if I can never have a Guinness again I just may cry). But there are some surprises that made them happy... Bugles got a B+. Aidan did a happy dance about that. some of sneakers that they like got a B which was a huge surprise. we are guessing the companies must have changed their ways. Aaron brought the book to school today. He wanted to share it with his teacher. They are currently talking about this in class.

some surprising F's: Saturn auto maker, Poland Spring water, Boca meatless products, M&M's (these tasty little treats are made by slave child labor!), wolfgang puck soups.

I read this on the the web site (was something I was wondering):

How is it that companies like Ben & Jerry's and Tom's of Maine still make it on The Ten Best Companies List? Weren't they taken over by larger corporations?

Many mergers and buyouts result in a kind of corporate Borg-like assimilation of the smaller into the bigger. However, there are some cases in which the smaller company is able to maintain the integrity of its operations despite the takeover. I have been watching Ben & Jerry's since the late 80s. Ben Cohen made it a point to negotiate an agreement with Unilever that would allow his company to maintain its business practices. Since the buyout, B&J has continued to win awards for its social and environmental responsibility as well as expand many of its progressive programs. It looks like Tom's of Maine is headed down the same path. They have done great work in the past, and it seems that they have made a similar operating agreement with Colgate. They are worth keeping an eye on, but until the data demonstrates otherwise, they are still one of the best companies on the planet.

will today's surprises ever end?

Could this be our Harry? Do you think Hermione will dump Ron for a much "hunkier" Harry?

I guess all that Quititch (pls ignore my misspellings. Thanks) really payed off.

Now kids all over the world (or at least the few if any who will see this play) will know that under his clothes.... Harry is naked.

waaaahhh

can you hear the cries of parents across this nation.

Max seems to have succumb to the flu. When I called his school this morning I was told that between the number of staff and students out it would have made sense to just cancel school. yuck. I am reading The Last town on Earth which takes place during the 1918 flu epidemic. I have a very uneasy feeling today. Poor Poor Max. I hate this feeling.

This will be my next read Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle. If you haven't' read The Woman Who Walked into Doors I highly recommend it. But beware, it's a tough read. Maybe I should read a lighter book in between... any suggestions? I haven't read What is the What yet (i know I don't' have to link that for you) but I know it's anything buy light.

Yesterday Aidan and a friend spend a few hours @ the Y then walked home alone. A small step towards independence. Sort of crazy when you think of how absent minded he is, I figure if he is with someone who is solidly on earth it should be fine.

heaven is

lying in my big warm bed with all of my boys on one of the coldest nights of the year watching a show on meercats and then treasures of the Smithsonian. Max got bored and ended up talking on the on the phone and playing bass. but it was heavenly. I am loving that Aaron seems as interested in certain aspects of history as I am. would be fun to go down to Washington and visit the museums.


Worked with the kids and photography yesterday. Seemed to go well, I know the teachers and many of the students were pleased. I was feeling too much was made about he actual images rather than the effects of lighting, composition and such. Also, I purposely brought in images that didn't work and I don't' think the kids understood that. I wanted them to pick them apart. discuss why they didn't' work. I am thinking that some were hesitant to do that feeling I would be insulted. here are some of the faulty images I brought in:






boring fact of the day:

even though we take out shoes off upon entering the house there is still a grainy feeling on the floors. not loving that. reminds me of when I lived by a beach. no escape from the sand. I should be taking care of that now...or making blackberry muffins...instead I find myself talking to an unknown audience.

poor Aidan part 2

Aidan's saga continues. Chris took him to his yearly physical this morning. They noticed that his spine looks "off". much like scoliosis. His doctor does not think that it is scoliosis but has developed as a result of the chest contusion (if you dont' remember read here) he had a few weeks ago. We are going to take him to a chiropractor. Swimming should help too. Good thing I joined the Y.

Yesterday the boys and best buddy K were playing in our backyard. The ball went over the fence and rather then go all the way around Aidan decided to climb over. well... the bottom of his snow pants became stuck on the spiky part of the fence. so, Aidan found himself hanging upside down on the other side of the fence. Luckily K was quick to act and while Aaron ran in to get me he attempted free Aidan on our side of fence. Once I made it out back K ran around and held Aidan up so he could free his leg. By the time I got there (more about me working out later)all I had to do was help with the final inch of fabric. Aidan was crying and laughing so hard. his ankle hurt and it was scary but it was also hysterically funny.

how are Max, Aaron and G?? they are doing very well. happy to report that they have not ran into pole or been stuck hanging upside down.

We have been going through food rather quickly lately. seems the like it is eaten while we are unpacking the grocery bags. Max will actually get up from the dinner table and start making more food. I think you can image that this can be both funny and stressful. (Reminds me a lot of the comic strip Zits. I would post a strip but I do not have the time now to look for one.) Though I measured the boys 2 weeks ago I decided to recheck last night and Max has grown an inch and Aidan, Ari and g a half an inch each!!! Makes me exhausted just thinking about it. maybe that's why I spend a good amount of time last night perusing around the web.

I don't' usually marvel over the cover art of Barron's. Can't even say I have ever read the magazine but I do like this cover a lot. I think it is quite a clever way to illustrate the visual effects on wealth/poverty.

saddness

Aidan is going to have to wait a few months (fingers crossed that his current frames can wait) before he gets contacts. He had a really hard time opening up his eye and sticking his finger in. Wonder why? he is disappointed though.

I just spent way too much time preparing for a presentation I am doing on Friday. Start looking at images and the whole morning is gone.

Today Aidan has an appointment for contacts. I really hope they will work out. Life will be so much easier for him.... and me, not worrying about him breaking his glasses will be a big relief.

We joined the Y again. yay for us!! Does this mean I will start getting up early to exercise again? we'll see. Lately it seems I cannot get enough sleep. I think part of it may be due to the Bean hours.... maybe it's winter and I really should be hibernating.

I do plan on taking at least one yoga class.

Imagine

If mens leggings takes off.
Think about all the horrible sights the belly shirts and low rise jeans have given us. Today as you walk around, picture the men you see in leggings. We must ban together and fight this. For the sake of humanity. please

On a brighter note. I finished the Mailer book. Was happy to read the New York Times had the same thoughts I did. not to imply that I am on the same intellectual level and the writers for the Times...please... how obnoxious can i be.

we have heat. ahhh.... now THAT'S the way life should be. The man from the oil company told me that he had 17 calls like mine that morning so I don't' feel like such a dumb ass.

I was hoping to post last nights Scrubs. It was a musical and so funny. I really love musicals. The Man Love song was the best..hmm maybe not... something for me to think about today. When it is available I will post. i know you want to see it.

oh... i am back to reading The Castle in the Forest. I think I just needed to get away from it a bit. thought you'd want to know.

baby it's cold in here

When Chris told me we needed to call for oil I placed it on the back burner. i would get to it. how bad could it be? we just had oil delivered a few weeks ago. oh ya...it's winter in Maine. so... we have no oil and I am sitting her typing in gloves with my ill 6 six year old laying in my bed in his winter gear waiting for the oil to be delivered (and something else has to be done but I don't' remember what it's called) Can't take him out since the delivery is due soon.

I keep thinking that this is how it must have been for past occupants of this house. I am telling myself that they were able to get stuff done in the cold. they had to go on with life and they did not have a dishwasher, washing machine, etc. With my love of books that take place hundreds of years ago one would think that I would use this as a opportunity to further recreate what my favorite authors illustrate in these books. (Actually I just began the new Tracy Chevalier which is set in London in the 1700's. Decided to give up on the Norman Mailer. am interested in reading the reviews. I found it to be an interesting topic and narrative voice but a grueling read)

I am cold and I think the house may smell of oil but cannot tell if it is my imagination.

Thought you may be interested in hearing Slate's commentary on Obama's ad during the football game this weekend.

Course the Bear's game was not the one playing in our house. The Chargers/Patriots game ruled the mood in our house. Had some interesting effects on my boys... I will not go into to describe the wide range of emotions the Chargers losing had on this men folk in this house.

Weird event of the night. Max went to let the cat out and felt something bad enter the house. He said Mica stopped in fear then ran off. The next morning he reported that he felt it leave very early in the am. He woke around 3am and could not get back to sleep. odd.

They are very excited about watching American Idol. I must say the auditions are quite funny. Who knew?

oh... important fact about me... I HATE WINTER. I do not enjoy the crunch of sand/salt and ice under my feet. I will never long for dry dead air of a closed up house. You will not hear me reminisce about he daily harried search for hats/mittens/coats/etc.. (and we do have a place for them. I think they all run off and hide elsewhere in the middle of the night. naughty things that they are)

Something you dont' see everyday

I could see Gabriel doing something like this (not smooch with Lions...read the article)


People in Cali, Colombia, are shocked to see the bond between a large African lion and a woman who saved it from abuse, involving long, affectionate kisses and hugs between the pair.
Ana Julia Torres, who runs the Villa Lorena animal shelter in Cali, fed and nursed Jupiter the African lion back to health years ago after it was found abused and emaciated in a traveling circus.
"It is amazing to see an animal like that be so sweet and affectionate," said Torres. "This hug is the most sincere one that I have received in my life."
Torres, 47, said her work rehabilitating animals began more than a decade ago when a friend gave her an owl that had been kept as a pet.
Later, when she asked her students to bring their pets to school, she realized many families illegally kept wild fauna from Colombia's biologically diverse jungles in their homes.
The number of animals under her care grew, and now Jupiter is among 800 recovering creatures at Villa Lorena, where Torres looks after, among others, burned peacocks, limbless flamengos, blind monkeys and mutilated elephants.
Most of the animals are caged, though some, like iguanas, roam freely around the grounds of the shelter, which are enclosed by a 13-foot wall.
Torres said she relies on donations and her modest teacher's salary to run the shelter.

"We dedicate our lives to the care of these animals without one single peso from the state," Torres said.
Torres said many of the animals were rejected as infants by their parents in the wild or found abandoned on the streets of Cali.
Torres said because she opposes exhibiting animals in circuses, she decided to keep her shelter closed from the public.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Copyright 2007 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and Local6.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The artsy duel to the death is over

and Karin is the victor!

She will start her job as the the community programs manager at the Fuller Craft Musuem in a few weeks.

yay Karin.

max is home sick today...

I am thinking he doesn't look to good. maybe I should call the doctor.

Max is trying to figure out what High School would be best for him. At this point he is thinking private even though he knows he will be happier at PHS. The other school has a great music program, plus it's got a very good academic record. I find it amazing to listen to his thoughts on this. So mature. He has his eyes on colleges and how to get there. No way was I thinking like this when I was 13.

oh...Aidan made the hot shots competition for basketball. very cool but even more stressful. Aaron is playing in a winter baseball league and practicing his calligraphy and origami. G, what can I say about G...he is like living with a cartoon character... but better because we can hug him. Thursday he is going to try out karate. The boys are very into discovery the house. Tonight they are Chris went exploring found some very interesting things in that strange place under the staris... including a bottle of whiskey.


I'm so happy my bean stint is almost over. nice to have some extra cash (like there is such a thing as extra cash) but I am going to do more freelancing and work at the bookstore. Plus I have a few ideas on the backburner that I may put more attention on.

I miss my people

I really do. I want to be out drinking wine with Emmy and Karin. i am now feeling two hours away is just too much.

Today we went down for our final holiday party with my Mom, Joelle, Eva and Paula (and of course husbands and children. guess I could just say the men folk). was wild with all the kids and the football game on but i really miss being with my family.

it would be hard to leave Portland. it's a great little city, I have wonderful friends here and a great community. and most importantly, max, aidan, ari and g are happy.

sigh...

why can I not add a photo?

karin, everytime i go to your blog I admire the painting.

the painting that is MINE.

MINE ALL MINE.

my head hurts from the work I should be doing right now and am instead playing on blogger.

I am writing a forward to the portland book. am almost done but need a break. it's sounds just like this, "blah blah blah"

new years

we had a wonderful new years. Actually it seemed it was one of the best (do I say that every year too?). I think because Ari, Mickey and G are older and play with the older boys and amongst themselves so well it made it an peaceful evening (not as in quiet peaceful.... happy child peaceful). At one point I looked at the dining room table and it was filled with food, wine and had 3 cameras on it. then around the table...my best friends and our children were laughing in the other room. maybe this is my heaven.

Ari playing with fire... not even sure I took this photo.

Chris
Clyde, resting a few moments before midnight... popper in hand

future pro...seriously. she really can take a shot. plus she looks cute while doing it

The mob. :)

movie

i couldn't go to work last night due to allergies (yes allergies...) so Chris as I finally watched the Squid and the Whale. I truly enjoyed it. Hated the parents. Felt especially deep anger towards the father. it was one of the those movies that may need to be viewed twice. there were so many simple visuals that carried a heavy message.

Of course our normal "not before 7am" rule was placed but Ari and G woke @ 2 (fell back asleep) and Max and Aidan woke at 3:15 and the rest of us finally dragged our tired bones down @ 6:30. Reports from those who were there suggest that this may have been the best Christmas yet (though I do believe they say this every year).

christmas party 1

The Saturday before Christmas we headed south for a party @ Karin, Michael and Janice's house. Much fun was had by all. The first half of the night was family then some of Karin's friends showed up and stayed until around 1. Ari, G and I finally headed up for rest but Max and Aidan partied on. we made it back home aroudn the same time Chris came home from work and had a relaxing Christmas eve. Always fun opening the brother gifts. not so much trying to fall asleep.

Twas the night before Christmas

I am SO excited. Ari and G are fast asleep (dreaming of sugarplums?), Aidan and Max are still awake but trying hard to fall asleep.

I feel like I am five. Can't wait for the morning. Can't wait to see the boys open their gifts.

Hope I can fall asleep!

forgot about the gingerbread house

well.... long story short. We ended up with some lovely and yummy decorated gingerbread cookies, a kitchen covered in flour, a broken mixer, 4 boys whose mother sent them from the kitchen to watch tv so they wouldn't hear her swearing like a sailor and learned that not all gingerbread recipes are equal.

da tree

seems i am a week late in most postings. we decorated the tree last week. all of our lights were out so I ran to the store and bought some news ones. the boys thought we shoudl try multi color this year. (okay...that was a lie. I just out and out lied to you. there was only one strand out in the box and it was out. Chris later found the smaller box with all the lights. this is what happens when you a/ take down your lights a few months after the holidays b/ are just gernerally unorganized)














anyway... G was a bit excited

ahem

the brighter side

last weekend we got our tree. this year we cut down our own rather than buy one from a lot. I always thought it sounded like a nightmare but it was actually fun. maybe because G is older. We decorated it last night..was a shockingly sane event. Today we are making a gingerbread house. from scratch... i'll post a photo of the finished product... if the boys dont' eat all the candy first. wish us luck.




















Notice the prices on the sign.... this antique dates back to 1965. sigh....




















Gabriel's heavy load















finally we found the perfect tree









Upon our arrival Chris found his ideal Charlie Brown Tree.

'tis the season

to be sad it seems. or so I thought. While I am feeling very happy and excited about the upcoming holiday's I haven't' been able to shake this deep feeling of sadness. I have been thinking about this for a while. If all is well, why am I sad? then last night as I was reading before I fell asleep, it hit me. I am reading and listening to, two of the saddest books. In the car I am listening to The Woman Who Walked into Walls by Roddy Doyle. then reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Two great books but terrifically sad. what hit me was the last line I read before I closed the book.

(in case you haven't read it, this book is narrated by death and takes place in pre and during WWII Germany, here death is talking about fighting in a war)

" I've seen so many young men

over the years who think they're

running at other young men.

They are not.

They are running at me. "

case closed

the good, the good and the bad

the bad
yesterday at recess Aidan ran into a pole, hard, and fell back onto the pavement. I am not quite sure if he blacked out but he said when he opened his eyes the boy who was chasing him looked white with fear. He started having breathing problems and head pain after that. Did he tell his teacher and go to the nurse? no. but after school (and this is after he played a game of football) he shared this with me. we went right to his doctor and found out that he has suffered a "chest contusion". luckily he did not get a concussion also. I have tried googling it a bit but have read some scary stories so I am going to stop. he is on anti-inflammatory medicine and a muscle relaxer (which is making him loopy as hell).

the good

Aaron's class had their Shakespeare presentations last night. Was so impressive. Aaron's seems so happy !!

more good

Max and Chris went to Portland Highs open house. They loved it. Max said he feels at home there and has all these ideas of what classes he wants to take . He plans on talking to his math teacher today about how insure that he is on the right track. my one complaint is of course.. photography is not offered as an option for art class.

looky what Aaron and G brought home from school today

not sure what to say about The Dead Dog Face but I sure am happy Aaron's favorite is smirnoff's and not night train.

If I were a dog I would have bit her...

The boys, Henry and I took a nice long walk around town this afternoon. Our last stop was the library, the only place Henry was unable to go inside. We were inside for 10 min, as I brought the books to be checked out the boys ran down to be with Henry. well... some %&$# busy body complained that Henry was left out for so long and the librarians were in a tizzy looking for the horrible people that left there dog (with HUGE fur coat) outside. I calmly explained that the poor abused creature was mine, we were here for 10 min. This did not change their attitude. I asked what do people normally do when they have their dog with them and she curtly replied that most people do not bring their dogs when they need to go to the library. i know I am rambling and most likely not making too much sense but I am so damn mad. I know if Henry could speak he would tell that snarky woman that a 10 min wait outside was worth all the fun he had. much better than staying home alone. GRRRR....

on the counter there is a sign staying that we and Books ect are donating 20% to the library. i'd like to give them 20% of Henry's poop instead.

taking a break

i have been editing ALL DAY LONG. I am tired, but need to get it done today.

Here's a photo of Glenn... Leslie and the kids are up there to the left.

we ended up getting to Augusta a bit on the late side but Glenn was able to get us in (much to the dismay of those waiting by the doors). was happy that I was able to grab some photos.

it's cold today. not happy about that. why do I live here??

spaghetti boy

This weekend I shot Max's friend Jesse's bar mitzva. caught this photo of Max dancing. ha ha...i laugh every time I look at it.

it turned out to be a great job and party. i thought it would be strange to take photos of Max's friends but it turned out to be fun. They pretty much ignored me and I was just free to shoot. Plus Jesse is one of the nicest boys (or should I say men) i know.

I was able to hire an assistant and really lucked out there too. She and I are seriously thinking about doing more of this. Something I thought I would NEVER say but we worked really worked well together. pkus she is very nice. i like nice people.

The boys are all doing well. Chris is at work a lot and I am doing the seasonal bean job again. not tons of fun but money is good and I like the people I work with. one woman worked for governor king so there's lot's of good political stories. oh... Glenn is being sworn in tomorrow.

oh...i do have a photo in the photo a gogo auction. here's the link.


all in all things are pretty quite...not getting kicked out of clubs or anything.