Teachable Moments: A Photo Essay

Traveling the world with students is, in my opinion, the greatest reward I'll ever receive from teaching.  To experience culture, history, art, beauty, and er, tragedy through the eyes of a teenager is tremendous.

When in Greece we...

...searched for truth and found an Oracle

climbed to new heights and wondered our world.

We stood alone against a mighty sea,

 

 visited the remains of a day gone by and

 became part of a view to remember .

As our hearts sailed, we danced as queens of the isles -

well, until the sinking ship robbed us of our steps.

Luckily, as the competition sank, our spirits lifted

and as always, a bus driver saved the day.

Hitting the Snooze

I'm tired of hearing axioms such as "there's no right time to have a baby" and "no matter how much you plan, you won't ever be ready" and worst of all, "don't worry about money, it will work itself out".

Obviously, whoever coined those phrases wasn't living and working in New Jersey in 2010.

But I am and so I would like to offer them a few words of my own wisdom:

SHUT UP.

Do you think that was loud enough? Let's hope. If I've learned anything in life, well these three things are pretty clear:

There IS a right time and a wrong time to make life changing decisions

Thoughtful and thorough planning DOES make a huge difference when faced with a massive undertaking

and

If you're not working, money WILL NOT work itself out.

That said, I should've had a baby years ago when I was young and immature and didn't know better because now that I'm established in my marriage, my life, and my career, it's my age and maturity that make this decision so damn hard to make!

One thing we have decided on is that when we do have a bambino, I'm going to stay home with her (it will be a girl because God feels bad for giving me Andy instead of a nice, cute sister just my size). It's important to both of us that I stay home because we don't want the baby commuting on the turnpike and none of our family is going to drive into Hoboken on a daily basis to watch it. That's my job.

But at the moment, if I stay home and we lose my salary, after we pay the mortgage and the rest of our bills (no credit card debt, just standard living expenses) and feed the baby, we'll be broke and won't be able to afford my wine habit.

And I heard that it's impossible to get through the first year without drinking.

(Laugh, people - that was funny!)

Seriously though, call me selfish, call me stupid, call me what you will, but I refuse to take a step backward in order to move forward. I just don't think that our standard of living should suffer if we have a child: I'm 36, not 26 or 16.

Maybe 26 year olds and certainly 16 year olds (word up, Catelynn and Tyler - LOVE YOU!) can justify a major financial or lifestyle setback but I've worked too damn hard to CHOOSE to sacrifice a $15 dinner with a good friend or an afternoon Starbucks run.

Because that is what it would come down to if we have a baby right now.

Like I said above, I don't want our standard of living to suffer; I realize it would change, (farewell to overseas travel, no more after school pick me up trips to Anthro) and I'm cool with an adjustment but not with an complete overhaul: passing up a once a month dinner with friends? Or the luxury of throwing a few magazines into the cart at the checkout counter? Yeah... I don't think so.

If I sound selfish, it's because I am: when I have a baby, I need to be happy, healthy, secure, and most importantly, as stress free as possible. I'm convinced that babies in utero are significantly affected by a mother's stress and I'm a gal who has a lot of stress already; I don't need more. Worrying about money stresses me out. And at this point, I refuse to make my husband financially responsible for three people on his income alone.

I recognize that many couples lovingly sacrifice their worlds to have children; I know that pregnancy comes as a surprise to couples and sacrifice becomes the only option. But I also know that I get to decide what sacrifices I want to make and well, I'm not ready to make such a drastic one right now/

So, I'm hitting the snooze button until the time is right for us and hopefully, when it is, my clock will still be ticking.

Proposals

Tyler's proposal to Catelynn on last night's finale of Teen Moms:

Tyler: I want to be with your for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you. Catelynn, I promise I'll never let you down.









Matt's proposal to me on the waterfront of Hoboken:

Matt: Don't you see what I'm holding? Can you stop talking about the cat for two seconds? I'm trying to propose here. Geesh.

Aw, love.

Eye of An Artist

* beautiful style from flickr member KayLovesVintage 

Is it possible to train one's inner eye?

I am very good at recognizing true beauty when I stumble upon it; however, I'm not good at visualizing what I should look for before setting out to find it.

Which is why instead of creating my own style, I've stolen bits and pieces from those of others.  I'm done pilfering - I want my own.

I want to be an artist and craft a beautiful world in which to live.

I want to turn abstraction into concreteness; I want to toy with the beauty that comes from within instead manipulating that which belongs to others.

*Early 20th Century family quilt




I want to find inspiration rooted in the faded quilts

of my Pennsylvania Deutsche heritage

and

couple it with an Alpine sensibility

inherited from Swiss Anabaptists.

*View from Isle Ornsay, Isle of Skye, Scotland

I want my Scottishness to manifest my ardor for unrestricted views and shades of the sea:
white, green and blue.

Skye is me; I am Skye.

Although one won't find tartan-covered

soft furnishings in my home,

it's obvious its the seat of a devoted clan.

                                                                              

Hope For Haley

A few months ago, Matt came home and told me about his boss' niece, Haley.  While on family vacation, ten year old Haley fell and broke her femur; at the hospital, it was discovered that she has a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma.  


In December, Haley's leg was amputated in an attempt to stop the cancer from spreading.  Since then, she has been undergoing intense treatments that doctors hope will eradicate all of the cancer cells.


It's difficult enough to imagine a ten year old girl facing a life without a leg; what's even more difficult to comprehend is that the family's insurance company refuses to pay for the prosthetic leg, having deemed it cosmetic and therefore not essential.


WTF?  (I'm not in the habit of throwing out the WTF here at La Pointe of It All, which shows how appalled I am).


Do you have any clue how much a prosthetic leg costs? Go ahead and guess - and feel free to make your calculation a bit high, based on the state of the art model you would want your child to have.


What, maybe $25,000? $50,000? $75,000?


Nope, try $100K.  And that's in addition to the expense of making the home handicapped accessible, buying a handicapped accessible van, etc.


When I heard this story, I knew that I wanted to help and decided to focus my efforts on Haley herself.  A ten year old girl stuck in the hospital for months on end needs a bit of light in her life, so I rallied my students together and asked them to help me put together a book of activities she could do.  


Each student designed his or her own page detailing "How To" instructions on a myriad of crafts and activities.  Some kids researched and compiled lists of fun websites, songs, etc.  One girl even donated an softball signed by Olympic Silver Medalist Jennie Finch from her personal collection because she had read that Haley likes softball. 


The coolest part is that for every activity in the book, each student donated the materials necessary to complete the activity ! Two students helped me organize all of the pages (I think there are about 30 ) and volunteered to put the finished product together, including packing all of the materials in individual gift boxes and decorating them.  Everything will be numbered - the pages and the boxes will have corresponding numbers so Haley can flip through the pages of the book, choose an activity, and then have easy access to what she needs to complete it!


We're hoping to deliver the finished project to Haley's uncle next week, who will then deliver it to Haley.
Hopefully, it will put a smile on her face; unfortunately, it won't help with her family's expenses.  


But you can.


In the light of the tragedy in Haiti, I think it's important to reach out to our local community and match our donations.  I mentioned this in a post earlier this week in regard to the Appalachian Fund; I'm doing it again as a shout out for Haley.


Haley lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey - can't get much more local than that.


Please take a moment to check out her website, Hope for Haley, or send a donation to:

Haley Tyrrell
C/O Susan Chester Blattner
500 Blauvelt Avenue
Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey 07423

C'est Moi

Life Should Look Like This

Ok, so I'm about to reveal a big secret, although it's not going to come as a big surprise to those of you who know me:

I want to be a professional blogger.

No duh, right? Well, here's the thing that might surprise you: I don't want to blog about me or my life, I want to blog about design, interiors, fabric, color, and all things Etsy-ish.

So why am I wasting time writing about me then? Why aren't I writing a blog entitled LaPointe of Design? Why isn't my blog full of pictures revealing my creative self?

Well, that's kind of the problem - I don't really have a creative self in terms of design. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty much a mess... by design. I love so many thing that I can never decide which look I love the most.

My friend Johnna and I talk about this all the time - we each bemoan the fact that we don't have one true passion (other than our obsessive love for ourselves, hence LaPointe of It All). What we do have is drive, ambition, and boundless energy; if only I had a singular focus, I could turn it into a mega hit and take over the world, I just know it!

But until then, I'll spend my time drooling over those who have what I lack.

Here are the blogs I'm currently stalking:

This one

And this one...

And finally this one...

Early Action

Tonight is the night my union goes head-to-head with the school board in what will hopefully be the final round of contract negotiations.  As an effort to bring attention to these negotiations,  in our 7th month without a contract, the union staged an awareness action for this morning.

Today is "Work to Contract" day, meaning that as a show of solidarity, we are not to be in the building before 7:16 am or after 2:12 pm.

I got a call last night, reminding me of the details of this morning's action: 1). meet in the parking lot at 7:10 am dressed in black so that 2). at exactly 7:16 am, the union can enter the building in our show of solidarity.

I woke ten minutes early so that I could start my hour commute earlier than normal and be in the parking lot by 7:10 am, dressed in black, to stand in solidarity with my fellow union members.

As I pulled into the parking lot at 7:08, I saw a black mass walking toward the entrance of the building.

As I got out of my car at 7:09, the last few figures were entering the building. I looked around the parking lot and counted at least 14 other people exiting their cars,  at what they thought was on time to join the beginning of the action.

Is the clock in my car registering the wrong time?  I double checked it against my cell phone, which I then triple checked against my watch.

All told the same time.

When I signed the attendance sheet in the main office, the time was 7:11 on the school clock, which I quadruple checked against my clocks. 

All told the same time: 7:11 - one minute after the announced parking lot meeting time and five minutes before the start of the contract.

So much for Work to Contract Day.

So much for solidarity.

Thanks, guys.

Drumming Up Support Here and Beyond

So, today was the launch of my new blog project, Life As We Blog It and I've spent it trying to drum up more support for it through Facebook and Twitter. I even sent out a mass email to my entire address book, which I'm not a fan of doing but hey, it needs the support.

This project is really important to me. I honestly want to pay close attention to the choices I make each day that are making my life more or less frustrating. I'm not leaving New Jersey anytime soon, so I need to find a way to make a go of it here MY way.

I'm not going to fall into the trap of American misery that lately, seems to pervade our culture more than happiness. I'm going to live a life of beauty, friendship, love, thoughtfulness and serenity.

On another note, I haven't donated to Haiti and I feel guilty because a month ago, I had no problem shooting off a text to donate $10 to This American Life and Ira Glass.

I've never been one to actively champion foreign causes. There, I've said it. Why? Well, it started when I watched a documentary on HBO a few years ago about life in Appalachia. Knowing that people in my own country, in my own backyard were struggling to feed and clothe themselves, were living without heat and electricity while I was drinking overpriced martinis and buying Michael Kors handbags made me feel like a big piece of shit and I vowed that from that moment on, if I donated relief funds, it would be to help my fellow Americans.

Don't get me wrong - the crisis in Haiti is devastatingly crucial and I understand the necessity for as many donations as possible but I think that at times like these, in the media frenzy of foreign tragedy, we Americans further remove ourselves from the everyday realities of life in America.

America isn't defined by the wealth of the Tri-State Area; don't forget our fellow Americans who need our help. Perhaps after you donate to Haiti, you could match that donation here.

BLOG LAUNCH !!

Launch 057m
Originally uploaded by p_c_w

Today's the day I've been anticipating just as eagerly as if it's my debut to society... or the day the NY Times announces my book on its best seller list - it's the day my new blog project launches!!

That's right, readers - the Real New Jersey Bloggerwives have launched our new blog so key on over to LifeasWeBlogIt.blogspot.com and become a follower... then post the URL as your Facebook status, Tweet it to the world, email it to all of your friends - whatever it takes to get the word out!

We appreciate each and every reader and each and every comment so don't forget to bookmark the site and make it a part of your daily reading routine!

Go Camp Ali !! Go Team Celine !!

Don't Know What You Got, ('Til It's Gone)

Today's one of those days that I just want to lie down on a rug like this one, with little Angelica Pinkerton curled alongside of me and Matt reclined nearby on the couch.  I want to lie there with the heat cranked up to 72 and waste countless hours watching HGTV while Matt tries to catch me off guard so he can steal back the remote.

But alas, Cablevision stole my HGTV so the scenario above is an unattainable dream.

I hate Cablevision.  Seriously - my hatred for that company runs bone deep; because Verizon can't drill a hole through our building's exterior since we don't own the exterior facing, Vios is not an option.  That makes me feel as though I'm being held hostage by Cablevision, which further fuels my hatred.

Cablevision's selfishness has increased the likeliness that our weekend plans involve contact with the outside world and this weekend is no exception.  So instead of staying inside on this long weekend with nothing to watch but football and images of Haitian amputation (I don't know which one is worse to watch), I made plans for us to trek into the city to join Aunt City Mouse for a quiet dinner at her home.

I'll admit that dinner on Sutton Place is a great alternative to balls and limbs; it would be perfect if it weren't for one tiny detail: we need to drive to the city because we are bringing home two chairs my aunt has lovingly offered us from her collection.

Which means we need to take my car, since it has a hatchback and a fold down rear seat.

Which means I must drive because my adorable husband has only driven a standard shift car once in his life, and it was this three-speed, shift on the column beast:

Which means that because I must drive, I can't enjoy a refreshing cocktail, followed by a lovely glass of wine tonight.

Which means that I should probably blame that on my husband for not knowing how to drive my car.

But I don't blame my husband: I love my husband.  I blame Cablevision.

I've realized that since New Year's Day, most of my less-than-lovely moods, my ever growing frustrations, and my growing hatred of life in New Jersey can all be traced back to that day: the day Cablevision forced itself into my home and made off with my HGTV.

If Cablevision hadn't raped me of my HGTV, no doubt, we would be staying home tonight and the above scenario wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks, Cablevision, you miserable f@*#$, for taking the only thing that gave me true satisfaction, outside of my marriage to Matty and Pinkerton, of course.

And to think that I once took HGTV for granted... why, oh why, didn't I listen when Cinderella spelled it out to me all those years ago?

How I wish, how I wish I were here...

This week, I'm feeling nostalgic and really missing Skye.  Not a day goes by that I don't think of Scotland and my life there.


My life there... wow. That's a pretty strong statement but I feel I can make that statement and say it with true ownership, considering the amount of time I've spent there and the close family ties I have there.


I love my life on the Isle of Skye and it's one of the things I'm most afraid of losing now that I'm married.  When I was single, I would trek back and forth between Skye and London several times a summer and didn't think twice about it - I think I am one of the few people in the world who view it as a convenient base for British and European travel!  


Now that I'm married, I don't want to be away from Matt for longer than two weeks at a time (I know my limits) and although he is committed to returning to Skye with me every year, he can't take off too much time at once and there are so many other places we want to explore.


So I worry, although there's no reason to do so - I know I'll be back on Skye sooner than later and at least once a year.  More than anything, I want to buy a cottage there - that is my most important goal in life - so that I can return with my family and invite all of our friends to join us, year after year.


Friday nights on Skye are my favorite nights because Friday is pub night: it's tradition to head out to either the Ardvasar or the E.I. (pictured above) every Friday night to catch up with friends over drinks and enjoy a few games of pool... or a few bits of gossip, if you're lucky.


It's midnight on Skye as I type this; earlier this evening, my godparents went down to their regular Friday night haunt, the Ardvasar Hotel, and man, I really wish we could have gone with them.  I wonder how busy the pub was, if Richard was running around like a crazy man or if he was able to relax and have a laugh or two.  I wonder if Ann and her beautiful girls stopped by and if so, if Victoria is more beautiful than ever.  Did Effie Ann and John join Bev and Dunc tonight? Is the foursome heading back to one of their lounges to enjoy "one for the road, two for the ditch?"


I love the Isle of Skye. It's who I am. It's where I belong. Someday, I'll have a home there and that's a promise to myself that I will strive to keep. 

The Many Ways to Live A LIfe

Choices
Originally uploaded by bengalsfan1973

If you read my blog regularly, I'm sure it's clear to you that I am not satisfied with how I'm currently living my life. I put a lot of blame on my location but I know that the location is not at fault since I'm the one who moved here ten years ago.

Wasn't it my choice to migrate from Staten Island to Highland Park when my life on the island came to a close? Of course, and it was an easy choice considering life there was far from ideal.

But I never expected to stay in New Jersey. I don't know what I expected but it sure wasn't a decade in the Garden State. I suppose I assumed I would meet someone quickly and together, we would set out to find a place to call home, perhaps abroad or down south.

When Matty and I started dating, I knew that a relationship with him would most likely mean staying in NJ for a considerable amount of time, perhaps forever. I knew that and I accepted it - but in a superficial way.

I suppose I was convinced that my powers of persuasion were so strong that if I really wanted to leave, we would. Matt works for a global company that although small, does have offices in lovely locations that I would be happy to move to in an instance. Moving abroad is something we both would like to do and perhaps if it weren't for the collapse of the economy, we could.

But for now, we are here.

Which is why I'm shifting my focus. Starting Monday, my dear friend Celine and I are going to explore the frustrations of life in New Jersey - frustrations felt, we're sure, not just by the two of us, but by thousands of people living in this state and in others - in order to figure out ways that the two of us can both live the lives we truly want to live.

It's quite ironic, actually - I'm a girl who would do anything to leave this state and Celine is a girl who would do anything to stay.

Yet, because of my situation, I can't leave and because of her situation, she can't stay.

We're both complex, thoughtful thinkers but simple, easy people. Neither of us is asking for the moon, we both just want a life that we control and that doesn't control us - one that celebrates family above all else. Unfortunately, life in New Jersey makes those simple ideals very hard to achieve.

If you're interested in our journeys - which we're going to explore visually and textually in a format that will be very different from this one - then please join us.

We invite you to follow along as we attempt to make the choices best for us and our families.

Please join us on Monday, January 18th, at
LifeAsWeBlogIt.blogspot.com.

Coffee Matters

Dunkin Donuts coffee cup icon
Originally uploaded by benedik rok

Let me begin by saying that I don't drink Starbucks regular coffee; yes, I'm an absolute Starbucks girl but that's because I drink the non-fat grande caramel machiatto (which, by the way, NO ONE can replicate).

Having said that, I just need to whine a bit about how much I HATE Dunkin Donuts coffee. This morning, Strachan texted me to ask if I could pick us up some coffee. She is a regular coffee drinker (not a fancy coffee drinker, like me) so I decided I would stop at DD to get what she likes and instead of then trekking to Starbucks, I would just get myself a hazelnut coffee, black, while I was there: I had milk and creamer packed in my lunch bag since I had intended on making coffee at work.

Why do I always make this mistake? No matter how many times I give it a try, Dunkin Donuts coffee continues to SUCK. I thought that adding my own organic milk and creamer would cancel out the shitty taste but it didn't. Now I hate my coffee and myself for making a bad choice.

NEVER AGAIN.

From now on, world, I only drink regular coffee from my Keurig(s), my mother's Capresso, from the French press at Alltan and from my Aunt Wilma's urnless machine.

I won't be alone for long...

Paris Vélo (or 'About Freedom')
Originally uploaded by hh96

I'm excited about my new blog project - it's going to be nice to blog with someone and to have a structured format. I like structure... when it's of my own design, of course.

Just like the woman on this bike, I need to maintain balance if I want to continue going forward. Writing is one way I bring balance to my life and I think that working with a friend will add another dimension of balance to my life.

This year, I'm all about striking a crucial balance in my life so I can avoid stress, be healthier, and most importantly, be happier. I want to appreciate the moments of my life while they are happening, not after they have come and gone.

New Jersey is a tough state to live in, particularly for one who has experience life in many other places. But we're not going anywhere, anytime soon so I need to find a way to make this experience as harmonious as possible.

I want to feel like I imagine the woman on this bike feels: content, free, and most importantly, enjoying the moment.

Announcement!

this life is curious
Originally uploaded by nardell

Hey gang,

I'm excited to announce that the blog project I've been mentioning has been finalized and will launch on Monday, January 18th !!

I've decided to continue this blog for my personal rants and raves and observations, as the other project has a different purpose.

This week, I'll be prettying up the new blog and working with my co-blogger to develop a format and ideas to take us through the first week.

I'll announce the new blog address later in the week here at La Pointe of It All and on Facebook and will introduce you to my fellow blogger, whom most of you know and love, at that time.

In addition to this new project, there are a few others in the works; I'm excited about each and every one of them, so stay tuned!

Night Out in the 08901

013008_16142.jpg
Originally uploaded by Capt Barleyhops

Last night I gathered a pic-a-mix crew together for a cultural night out in New Brunswick. Instead of just the usual NB players (me and Matty, Tif and Erik), I decided to piece together a varied tribe in an attempt to spend time with as many of my favorite peeps as possible.

The Cleo Mack Dance Project's performance at the Crossroads Theater was the perfect incentive to make the trip from Hoboken to Exit 9: Tif and Erik had already planned on attending before I spoke with them and I figured I could use the Arts to draw everyone else out of their lairs. (Unfortunately, the Kenny-Steins got stuck in conversation while dining in EB and were unable to join up with the rest of us - we missed them!)

Bringing together people who don't all know one another is a hit or miss operation; fortunately, the groups that I've brought together have all met with relative success (oh, how I miss the days in the cottage on Skye), which is a rare. I say this because it seems that the majority of times I've been the odd gal out at a gathering, I've always felt that way: odd, and out.

When the six of us sat down last night for a pre-theater cocktail (and one Diet Coke), here's who was sitting around the table:

Your favorite blogger

A Mormon mother of two young boys/photographer/world traveler

A former professional ballet dancer cum organic supplement wholesale distributor

A 25 year old Romanian optometrist

A self declared anti-socialite mom of three who reads Ulysses for fun

A guy who easily manages to practice polymathy, diplomacy, and chivalry before most of us can remember to brush our teeth in the morning

As the six of us sat there, I worried most about the Romanian because she was the biggest contrast to the rest of us, what with her gorgeous youth and vitality exuding from every one of her small, tight pores. But before I could give it a second thought, we were all laughing and joking as if part of some motley commune. In just moments, every one was striking up conversations with someone new, no one was monopolizing the conversation or holding court in an attempt to unify the group.

That easy dynamic ushered us through the rest of the night, taking us from Christopher's Bar at the Heldrich across the street to the performance and down a block or to Hotoke afterward, where we sat at a family style table, ordering up treats and eating from one another's plates.

So what's the secret? Why haven't I been so lucky in the past when I've been one of the strangers in someone else's group? Is it a matter of luck? Chemistry?

Honestly? I don't think it's either of those two factors; I think it's something much simpler: the friends I've chosen to spend time with in my personal life are quality people. They don't suck. They're not assholes. They're not mean nor are they social climbers.

The people I am closest to and choose to bring together in situations such as last night are unpretentious and genuine. They are funny, authentic and well, they're just plain nice. It's as simple as that.

I haven't thought much about New Year's Resolutions in the past few weeks but perhaps mine is this: continue spending time with those I love. Continue bringing together those I love so they can enjoy one another as much as I enjoy them. Get rid of dead weight in my life. Get rid of anyone and everyone who brings me down.

Fill my hope chest with hope, not with despair.

Need a Photographer?

I want to know - what draws your eye's immediate attention in this pic? Is it the blue of the old fishing boat? Its rust? The lush greenery overwhelming the landscape? The white cottage in the distance?

For me, it was the boat. I love pictures of rusted beauty and focused on that boat the first time I viewed this picture. When I zoomed my focus out and viewed the picture as a whole, that's when I noticed the cottage and realized it was Alltan - home of my godparents!

This picture is one of the reasons I'm so in love with my wedding photographer. In addition to the countless moments she captured between my husband, myself, and all of our friends and loved ones, she took stunning pictures, unprompted, of the places she recognized as dear to me. I am touched to have such a special picture and I have my incredible wedding photographer, Celine Clark, to thank.

One of the advantages of being friends with a photographer is that you can barter with them - a round trip ticket to your destination wedding and five nights of accommodations in exchange for wedding photography. In the days leading up to our August nuptials, Celine not only conferenced with me while still living abroad in Turkey via gmail chat, she also met with me once she was stateside to look at styles of photography and discuss my vision.

Once on Skye, her camera never left her hands as she captured every special moment in the days leading up to the wedding and on the day itself, resulting in over a thousand visual memories. Several times, I had to tell her to go "off duty" because she was so dedicated to preserving that special week that she wasn't in the moment herself!

Although Celine is back to teaching full time and juggling her busy family life, she is available to take stunning pictures of your special events and loved ones; her attention to fine details and relaxed, easy spirit make her the perfect photojournalist. As a budding professional, her work comes at a more affordable price point - at least for now !

Personally, I think Celine does her best work from the shadows, and for the most part, left unprompted. Invite her into your home to capture the candid moments of your life and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. And yes, I have proof... actually, I have many proofs to convince you !!

Ps. I would like to publicly thank her husband Pete for encouraging her to make the journey to our wedding alone and reassuring her that the boys would be just fine. Thanks Pete, for taking on the responsibility of single parenting while Celine was pointing her lens in my direction !

Back and Forth

Ode to Nienie
Originally uploaded by veggirl38

Hey gang,

Just a quick post to let you know that my gal NieNie has a new blog up and running. The idea came from this book (and is, of course, the exact idea I considered using a month or so ago for a new blog of my own - I guess great minds think alike). Each day from Utah, Stephanie will post a pic of her day; a friend of hers who lives in Germany will do the same.

Check it out - so far, it's just lovely and you can read it by clicking from Nie to You.

Holiday in Bloggerville

WE'LL BE BACK SOON
Originally uploaded by insk0r

Hey kids -

Sorry for the dearth of posts the past week; I'm in the middle of talks about a new blog project(s) and am concentrating on figuring out which direction(s) I'll be LaPointe-ing my blogs toward in 2010 !!

I'll give you a few hints:

less words
more pics
less me
more you
less misery
more company

Stay tuned...