12/27/2013

Christmas at the Lake

I left home on Thursday headed north... heading Home for the holidays, if you will... The last time I was at the lake for Christmas was two years ago... 2011... which was the third Christmas since Mom had died... and I had not really figured out how to 'do' Christmas without her... Not that I have it down to an exact science at this point either... It was also the first Christmas that Dad was living with Betty... and it was hard... not because Betty and Jacey were not gracious... but it was hard... not having Mom AND not having anything that felt familiar... didn't inspire me to feel filled with holiday cheer.  I remember at times feeling like I was lost, not in the right place... and had NO idea where I was supposed to be... but it just didn't feel right... so... last year... my goal was to avoid it... and do something else... so I headed to NY to be with Sis and the boys... which was a lot of fun... As this year's Christmas was approaching I was uncertain how things would unfold... Sis and the boys were going to be coming to the lake... a few days after Christmas... which meant it made sense for me to go to the lake for Christmas and stay through Sis's visit... the idea of being at the lake for almost a week caused a variety of feelings... I love my family and time with them... but I also am a person who NEEDS time alone.  And... I really want time at my own place.. I have some projects I want to do and am not going to get to them... I was stressed about sleeping... though Dad bought a mattress, a real mattress, so my air mattress days are in the past. (YAHOO!)  
As it has worked out... it has been a very nice visit.  Sis and the boys will arrive tomorrow and that will be good.  I look forward to the time we can all be together.  
Mother nature did not get in the way of my plans to come north... though had I decided to come earlier she would have been a force to be reckoned with.  The northeast was hit with an ice storm over the weekend and it caused many people (including my aunts) to be without power for far too long.  Despite the damage she did, Mother Nature left a beautiful landscape in her wake.  The trees were encased in glass... I had a hard time driving because I wanted so badly to stop on the highway to take pictures... but I drove safely and decided to see if there were photo opps at a couple of pit stops.  The first stop was at a pharmacy to get some hair gel I had forgotten... and I was happy to find some things that caught my eye.  

The ice was so beautiful... The sky wanted to clear, but the gray clouds were stubborn... but this led to a variety of backdrops for my pictures...

I am not sure what kind of tree this is, but it was covered, berries and all, with ice... quite a thick layer... 


I later stopped at a rest area and just had to keep my camera going... 

The sun was fighting so hard to come through...

So many trees were bent... many into the roadway, from the weight of the ice.  


Each pine needle was in a diamond cocoon. 



The last leg of the trip was the only part on which the roads were bad... the highway was very clear.  The back roads, which I take to get to the lake, were not well groomed.  The road is narrow and it seemed there was a clear path down the center... which was fine, until I met another vehicle.  That made me nervous.  I was relieved to get to the lake... I was solo when I first arrived... and decided to walk outside a bit and take some pictures.  




This is looking across the lake, at the trees... it was amazing to see each tree, each branch articulated by the ice and sun...

Every twig, needle, and branch was frozen...

The gray sky contrasted by the sun shining so brightly on the iced branches... was beautiful... just beautiful... 

I couldn't stop looking up... into the branches...






I love the contrast between the blue sky and the white birch and the ice... I think these are pictures I will need to enlarge and frame for my winter decor!  

 Dad and Betty have a lot of birds and squirrels around the house... the squirrels have tunneled through the snow and ice... this guy paused long enough for a few pics...


I found myself continually stepping outside to take pictures because the light kept changing...

This was Christmas morning ... this picture does not do the scene justice... it was Unbelievable...the ice on the trees and the sunlight... GORGEOUS. 

Christmas Day was nice.  We (Dad, Betty, Jacey, and I) got up and lazed around a bit... then Jacey's grandmother and uncle on her dad's side came over to open a few presents... it was a nice visit... Jacey's grandmother was one of my teachers in high school... It is nice to see her in this capacity.  Then we headed to Betty's parents' house... We took a few vehicles... I wanted my truck so I could leave if I started to feel like I needed air... Jacey took her car so she could make another stop on her way home... and Dad and Betty took Dad's truck... The gathering at Betty's parents' was nice... better than I expected... and I stayed longer than I anticipated.  Then I got to come back to the lake and relax a bit... and this year, unlike 2011, I didn't sit and cry... Not too long after, Dad and Betty came back, then Jacey came home... and that's when we did our gift exchanges... I really liked doing it that way... in the evening.  It was nice.  On the 26th we woke up to snow... pretty snow... and Dad and I went for a walk... he needed to cut back some of the branches on the trees that were hanging into the road, low enough to hit passing cars... Dad helps keep the road plowed and maintained in the winter... I didn't want him to go solo, afraid he would fall... so I went along.  It was nice to get some Dad time.  We cut down some branches... mostly dad... I helped a little... but let's just say I will not be changing my career path to one of a lumberjill! Dad was nice to not mock my lack of ability to saw a branch using a pole with a saw blade attached... I tried... but had to have him finish it... I was able to clip some branches and did haul some of the bigger branches off the road... 
Today Jacey and I decided to have a day away from the lake... and I had been contemplating buying a fake tree... I feel my stomach turn each time I say that... but I dislike the mess from a real tree and this year, I was gone for a few days at a conference and had to worry about it getting watered... so... I decided to give a fake tree a try... Today I found one... normally priced at $267... that I got for $100... I wanted to spend around 70... but... this one... I think.. is worth it... we shall see next year.  After the tree finding we planned to go have lunch somewhere... and as we tried to leave the parking lot... my truck was... stuck... yup... stuck..  
I had parked in an area that was not well plowed... my truck does not have 4 wheel drive... and I managed to drive the front right tire over an icebank... not a snowbank..an icebank... I tried pushing... I bought cat litter and put it under the tires... I pushed again, pulled... (Now my body is hurting from that!)  and eventually we called AAA...and got a bit of a tug... We then went to lunch and returned to the lake... 
So far... soooo good...
I have any more pictures to post... been taking lots and lots... but wanted to share a bit of my adventure thus far...

This Christmas vacation has been very nice so far... I feel much more relaxed than anticipated...

Hope you enjoy the pictures...

12/10/2013

My day... and a project

Today was a pretty good day... I had a meeting at the career technology high school where some of my kids attend... the meeting was a way for me to advocate for a kid to stay in the school, he has not been attending consistently due to multiple suspensions and they wanted to kick him out... They agreed to one more chance... Fingers crossed... 

While I was there I was asked to talk about another student... my 'camper' kid... he had been struggling with another kid and had exchanged some unpleasant comments... he came into the meeting room and was surprised to see me.  He owned his behavior and we made some comparison's for him to help him understand... one of the other adults said something about how if he heard someone say something mean about me he should keep it to himself and not tell me because it may hurt my feelings.  (Trying to get him to understand that his real Friends will not tell him information just to get him riled up, a real Friend is going to try to help keep him calm...)  His response was cute.. he said, Nah... I wouldn't tell you what they said but I would take matters into my own hands... I smiled and thanked him for wanting to protect me, but explained I would not want him to do that.  I told him that he could offer a word on my behalf and that would be fine.  The other adult said, yeah you could just say to that person, she's a good lady.  The student shook his head and said, "Nah... she isn't a good lady...she's a great lady... she do a lot to help me..."  I was speechless for a minute... so nice to know what I do is for a reason... they do, eventually, get it... get why I do what I do... 


In other news...I have been working on a project for myself...I am not a big wine drinker... well, I like moscato, but most people don't consider that 'real' wine... but I do have a few wine glasses for when friends come over and have some margarita glasses... I have not had a great place to display them... I had bought some racks to hang them under my cupboards, but never got around to it... truth is, it's a boy job, a big one... one that would require saws and lumber... due to the way the cabinets are designed... and it didn't happen... also I have limited counter space and think that having glasses hanging from beneath my cupboards would make me feel like I had less counter space... so I have had my stemware on a hutch that I have.. but don't like that they take up the space they do... As a result I looked online for stemware racks that hang on the wall... and found one I thought would work... with a little paint... This is what they (I bought two) looked like when I got them...


Pretty basic... in order to make them fit in with my decor, I painted them black....and put some gloss on them, hoping they would be easier to dust when needed...


After a few coats of paint and a coat of gloss they dried and were ready to hang up... (I hate this part by the way... measuring, planning, leveling, blah blah boy job... but I did it, and hung them up tonight after I got home....)  


Then I put the glasses on the racks... 







I am very pleased! 

Now... to start getting ready for my holiday gathering this weekend...

12/08/2013

On my mind...

Missing Mom like crazy today...

I miss her always... but today even more... maybe its the approaching holiday... or the sentimental movies on tv...

I miss you Mom... always.. &  love you...

12/07/2013

Beantown

I can't go to Boston without thinking about my knee surgery... and all that it entailed... as I walked around part of the city this week I was grateful to be able to have the ability to do so... And think Dr. Brick, again, for being my pvns superhero! 

I have been in Boston for a few days... for purposes nothing to do with my knee... but for a conference with other school folks,, some superintendents, principals, assistant principals, curriculum directors, teachers, and others who use educational techniques in their jobs.  I was very excited about the idea of coming and being with other professionals, outside of my normal circle.  I was also very much looking forward to being at a hotel and 'away' from the daily grind in a city I have not had many chances to explore, despite its proximity to Portland.  (The real Portland!) 

I am blogging from the bus on the way home... here I am ...

Amazing that we can be on a bus and access the internet and take a picture with the device on which I am typing... we are a technological dependent society!  
Anyway.. as I am finishing my trip... I suppose I will fill you in on my adventures... 


I began my journey to Beantown on the bus... because driving in Boston is unappealing to me and because the cost to park overnight is about $50 per day, no thanks.  I was happy to get to the bus station in Boston and looked forward to checking into my hotel room... I stayed at The Park Plaza Hotel and Towers... and had been told it was an old hotel with lots of charm... and that the rooms may be less modern than other hotels... I had signed up online, when I got my reservation confirmation for the e-upgrade option... (Why are things related to the internet referenced as e-things? Internet is I, but I suppose the iCult has the monopoly on everything i related... e...electronic? oh well.)  The e-upgrade option, if it would have been available upon check in, depending upon guest numbers and room availability, would have included: a queen bed (vs. the queen bed I had already signed up for), a larger room,  free wifi, with a newly renovated marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub... the part that appealed to me, not gonna lie, is the deep tub.  As many are aware I am tall... 6'6"... and the idea of being in a tub that was perhaps a bit longer than standard tubs, was exciting... because in most tubs, I cannot sit with legs straight... So I decided that would be worth the extra $25 dollars per night.. if it was available... When I checked into the hotel I was enamored with the lobby... very ... classic... picture 1920's elegance... it was nice... and I gave them my name at the desk, easy process, and was given my room key... 12th floor... As I was in the elevator and looking at the 12th floor button, noticing there really was not a 13th floor in this hotel... I was hopeful that I would get a room with a view of the city... When I walked into the room I was a little... surprised... there was a bed... looked to me like a double bed... there was a window, but looked at a neighboring building with no real view other than bricks... the phone was not even on the nightstand next to the bed because it was too large to fit on the tiny stand... instead it was in a separate part of the room, where one may expect a desk to be, (there wasn't) with no light source... making it difficult to see which numbers to dial to talk to someone at the front desk, which I needed later...  I rolled my new suitcase into the room and began looking around... and was disappointed... THIS is the room where I am going to spend the next few days/nights? Meh.  Upon closer inspection there was a stain on the carpet next to the bureau, the amount of dust in the heater vents would have sent some people into an asthma attack... there were wires hanging from beneath the heater alongside a dirty cup.  I debated in that moment about returning to the front desk and asking for a new room... but hesitated.. the kid at the desk had said all rooms were booked... so I began unpacking... and then noticed the sheets on the bed... were inside out... and then walked into the bathroom and realized I Was in a handicap accessible room.. which is not necessarily a bad thing... but... the mirrors in those rooms are low and are angled to point downward... so when  Itried to look at myself in the mirror... I saw the lower half of me... and it annoyed me... but I figured I could suck it up... I then tried to connect to the internet and saw that there needed to be a code... I called the front desk, (after fumbling to find the right button to push to call them)  and they told me that I should sign in with my name and room number and that I would be able to agree to the fee of $12.50 per day, for internet... e-What? E-xcuse me? That put me over the edge... I took pictures of all the annoyances and marched myself to the front desk... went to the same kid... showed him the pictures and explained I was willing to put up with a lot, but the internet fee put me over the edge... He shrugged and said there was nothing he could do... I asked about another room... nope... and then I asked for the manager.  The manger was attractive.. 6'4" I would say... The icon of tall, dark, and handsome!  He had been informed of my concerns and apologized for the condition of the room... and said something about housekeeping coming up to take care of things... and I asked if there was more he could do... went through the story above... and said that in some ways I felt discriminated against... that in that room my height was a discriminatory factor.. he didn't like the word disciminate... and then when I said the internet fee was the proverbial straw.. suddenly I was given free wifi, a code to use to access it... without having to pay... (really, hotel? Are you already not charging enough for the rooms that you also  need to charge for wifi?) And after some friendly banter the manager changed my room.. and of course I had to give a dramatic sigh about needing to repack my things and move... he offered concierge service, but no concierge guy is gonna help me pack my underwear and then expect a tip!  So I go, repack, and head down three floors to my new room... It was probably three times larger than my original room... KING size bed... Marble bathroom with.... you guessed it... a deep soaking tub!  The room I had agreed to pay $25 nights extra for with the e-upgrade!  the room had a great view... and the soaking tub, while not much longer than a standard tub... was enjoyable!  By the time I had unpacked, for the second time,  it was approaching 8:30.  I was not really in the mood for going too far to eat... I walked a bit to buy some water and snacks for my room then decided to eat at the hotel bar. 

As I approached the bar, there was one end wide open, nobody sitting there... and at the other end... two men with three barstools between them.  Since I had promised myself I would try to be social on this trip.... and 'look up' more...as a friend has reminded me to do... I sat between the two men... both of whom were on their devices and didn't acknowledge me... is this really where we are in society? So tied to our e-devices that we cannot say hello to each other... I was not deterred... when I got my beverage and squeezed the lime, I apologized to said gentlemen in case my lime had squirted them... One of them responded with, Oh you didn't get me... and back to his smartphone... Hmph... social attempt Number one ... complete bust! 

Thursday I got up, after sleeping in my king bed... and attended the conference... In my head I was going to be surrounded by other school administrators, similar in age, mostly male, some  downright sexy... that was in my head... Reality? I am in the younger age bracket compared to most of the people there.... I think there were more women than men... and the men who were there... most were married... and the one man I saw wthout a gold ring... was falling asleep during the session...
The session was good... about the common Core... and through some collaboration at our table I got to know a couple of the women a bit.... and in one of the exercises we did, requiring us to leave our table group, I met another woman... from Vermont... and we ended up having lunch together.  She seems like a nice woman... working with adult learners and with companies to help them learn about better ways to train their workers... interesting... we returned to the session in the afternoon and it was not as good as the morning had been... but we finished around 3:00, so I had some time to explore... I was happy about this... again, not having spent much time in Boston I am not a confident traveler when I am there... I had my map of course and had studied it prior to leaving the hotel... not wanting to appear as being from away... Bosotn confuses me... the way the streets are... I just don't get it... so I tried to align myself with the map, in my mind, figure out a few major streets... Arlington, Charles, Boyleston... and away I went... just walking.. with no real purpose in mind... though I knew there was a Five Napkin Burger Restaurant not too far away, on Huntington Ave., and had loved the one in NYC... so contemplated visiting it for dinner... I walked through Boston Common... it was pretty, Christmas lights looked nice... and it was fun to be out and about in a large city... though I didn't see as much diversity as I hoped for... one of the things  I love so much about NYC...
I didn't end up going to the burger restaurant, because I decided to try something new... I went to The Cheesecake Factory... I had heard good things about it... and who can go wrong with Cheesecake? I was disappointed... it was... generic... comparable to Applebees or Ruby Tuesdays... the cheesecake was good... but overpriced... and the service wasn't stellar... but while I was there... my waiter's lack of punctuality gave me the opportunity to ponder what the evening would hold... I decided to go see a show... I wish there had been something more 'Broadway-ish' playing, but there were a lot of holiday themed things... and I don't want to pay insane prices for A Christmas Story.. but opted to go see 'Shear Madness'.  Shear Madness is a play, a comedy/murder mystery... which includes some improv and at the end, audience participation.  I enjoyed it.  The audience that night was small, but the actors seemed to give it their all... and at times cracked each other up, causing them to take additional time to regroup and keep the show going.  I laughed a lot... and returned to my hotel...to soak in the tub...  Oh.. before the show I stopped at a bar... because I had time to kill... and found, perhaps, Boston's most generic dive bar... the highlight of that place was that I got carded... which has not happened in a long time. ... a LONG time...
(Getting bus sick... pausing until I get home...)

Friday's keynote was good...and then my first session was... well.. a  bit boring... I did however join a man (married)  sitting at a table alone and it was a nice pairing... we had some good conversation... he was close to my age I would guess...and working on his PhD... I met several people who had recently completed or were working to complete their doctorate programs... and yes.. it does make me contemplate going back, to get mine... At lunch I invited myself to join a group of people enjoying their lunch and enjoyed some conversation... (Proud of myself because I tend to sit at a table and then see if people join me... but decided to throw myself into conversations...)  The afternoon session was good... the presenter packed a lot into a short amount of time... and then there was a reception for the conference attendees... which more people attended than I anticipated... I only went because I had run into a woman with whom I had gone through my masters internship... she used to teach in the same district  in which I had been teaching ... and she too, is now an asst. principal... It was nice to see her and get caught up... then I ran into the Vermont lady and we spent more time talking and comparing notes on the conference... I had worn my boots yesterday, my boots that add a couple inches to my height no less, and while I love wearing those, my feet were tired at the end of that... so I went back to my room and soaked them for a bit... I debated on what I wanted to do ... I was tired and didn't feel like doing a whole lot... decided to take a walk.. not sure where I was going to end up... and just as it began to rain I realized I was close to Five Napkin Burger... and decided to go there for dinner... I sat at the bar and while the food was as good as I remember, the female bartenders failed in comparison to the one in NYC with whom I had great conversation!  On my way back to the hotel, I decided I would stop at a place a couple of people insisted I go while staying at the Park Plaza... a desert place called 'finale'... I stepped out of the rain to get something to go, and as I was perusing the dessert case I hear someone say my name... a woman from the conference I had met briefly... she was there, eating alone, and asked if I wanted to join her... I debated, because in my mind I had decided to go back to my spacious room and have a quiet night... but then I thought about my self talk, before the conference, about trying to be more social... so I accepted her invitation, and we st and talked... of course it was all work stuff at the beginning, but then we talked about life outside of work... She shared that it is hard for her to be social outside of work because she (an elementary principal) is exhausted at the end of her days and she often enjoys solitude on the weekends!  Wow could I relate!  She lives in CT... we have exchanged email addresses and phone numbers and have promised to stay in touch and if I get to NYC again, she would like to join me... as a recent divorcee, she finds it challenging to do things on her own, and despite LOVING the theater like I do... she has not gone by herself... and she gets nervous going to NYC solo... so if I go, I would definitely meet up with her there... also invited her to come to Maine at some point... She is smart, has her PhD, and is a go-getter... It was fun to chat with her and perhaps we will become friends.  She joined me this morning at the keynote speaker and said some very complimentary things... It was nice to meet someone new.  She too was disappointed about the lack of single attractive, late 30s-early 40s, men in attendance at the conference! 
Today's session, after the keynote, was good... very engaging..about media... and our need and responsibility to deconstruct it for our students... I think she is right on!  I will be thinking of ways to get my staff to do that! 
I am now home... sitting on my couch, looking at my Christmas tree and am glad to be home... I enjoy conferences and being away form home, but man is it good to return!  After getting a bit bus sick as I was typing... I put my computer away and just looked around.  There was a woman, older, maybe late 60s... alone on the bus... she had white hair, wavy, that framed her gentle face... every once in a while she would reach into her bag, pull out a journal or notebook, jot something down, grin, and return the book to her bag... It made me smile... maybe she is a writer and is observing other people and recording things/ideas that tickle her funny bone... maybe she was writing a grocery list, recording items as they came to mind... maybe she had been on an adventure and  was writing things down that she wanted to remember to share with others... I watched her and thought about her as a writer... and thought about my conference and its almost constant subtext of technology...and wonder if she is a storyteller.... if she would be a blogger if given the opportunity... and thought about my grandfather... he told wonderful stories and did record some of them using paper and pen... and wonder if he would be a blogger or a tweeter... and think about the gap between his school experience and the experience of the students in my school... and think how the responsibilities have changed so much... for students and for adults...
and I think... about my life... compared to the lives of the women in older generations in my family... specifically my grandmothers... and think about my Boston adventure... would either of my grandmothers taken a bus, solo, to Boston? Would they have been treated differently if they had? And I think how much their generation did for my generation... and I worry that we are losing many of their lessons and skills...
Technology is great... but I think we need to go back a bit... to social responsibility and etiquette... put devices away... look up... SEE the people who are around us... and... ENGAGE.. in conversation...
I am tired from the conference and in many ways want to stay home tonight... but this morning I had the idea of meeting a friend for dinner/drinks... and she excitedly accepted my invitation to do so... I thought about canceling... but... instead, I will put down my device... leave my phone in my pocket... look up...talk.. surely share some laughs... and I am sure it will be a lot of fun...
Thanks Boston... for a good 'getaway'... and to the Boston Park Plaza Hotel... I am glad you were able to get a room that was clean and had a mirror in which I could see my whole self...
Enjoy the weekend! 

My Favorite Place

My Favorite Place