title: the last day in january

i had a wonderful day today. the only bad part was when nathan had to leave.
nina, max and i got lunch with my aunt and uncle, then walked across the public gardens and up the esplanade to sweet where we got delicious, heavily icing-ed cupcakes.i always feel stronger after i see them. hopefully that isn't just because i eat more then.

title: home to boston

this is the view from my room on the 11th floor. if you want to appreciate the beauty of a city, 11 stories up is the place.

title: ice and moss

a short break from my fond bloviations on travel.
today was an ice and moss day. the air was fresh, sweet, chilly, and the ground was crunchy. a walk alone through the sourlands left me with this feeling.

title: feb 3

today was pretty much the exact opposite of yesterday. it snowed. in fact, it's still snowing. i didn't have class until 4, so i took the time to ride out to the wonderland t stop on the blue line and visit revere beach. those of you who have seen eternal sunshine of the spotless mind would understand very much why a trip to beach in the snow is such a desiriable thing for me.
so, turns out the movie told the truth: the beach is actually there all year round. it sort of faded into my view through the snowstorm. here's something eternal sunshine didn't convey: the beach is freaking terrifying in the wintertime. i swear all of my organs sank 2 inches in my chest when i saw it. i don't know if anyone else can verify this fact--maybe i'm just crazy.

my photos don't convey the fear--i think it has something to do with the waves moving. in fact, the photos i took today are not my a game. i was so awed and distracted by the beach around me (and the fact that there was SNOW FREEZING ON MY LENS, DEAR GOD WHY). but maybe you will enjoy them simply for their novelty. there is a beach in this photo. there is also snow on said beach. what?!
good photos or not, i still had a great time. and i found some cool snail shells. i think i'm going to go back a lot, just because i can actually get to a beach in a reasonable amount of time FOR TWO DOLLARS. what is this madness?

title: jan 15

i love my car. everybody i know makes fun of it and calls a piece of crap, among other terrible names :{(. when my brother got his license he didn't want to drive my car to school because he thought it was ugly and embarrassing. i guess most chicks don't dig that square silhouette. well, most chicks are boring! i think it's the coolest thing on the road. sure the engine stalls out sometimes, it drips oil everywhere, and it makes some pretty weird smells, but who among us can say that we don't do the same?
for those of you who don't know, i drive a 19-year-old volvo 240. this update is a mini-tribute to my volvosaurus, the car that just won't die.

title: jan 11

these photos on sunday i took are all unintentionally blue themed. i think blue is a good way to describe how the watershed (nature preserve) smelled when i was there. it was at that point where the ice was melting so it was slick and shiny and clear, but it was also so cold that the snow still crunched and the plants were still coated. just relax and think about the winteriest clear january day you can think of. and look, there it is!
i used to have this i spy book with a winter scene in it. everything in the photograph had a golden, late-day light that made the objects hidden in the snow look extra magical. i couldn't believe it when i found that exact lighting!! these treasures were actually little thingies i hid in a fort i built out there during high school. i forgot about them, and a year later they were right there waiting to pose for me! you can see the value of my treasure is entirely sentimental. is that a power ranger coin?

there is this really cool blue pump by the lake that always makes me think of that bob dylan song "subterranean homesick blues". whenever i walk by i say "the pump don't work cause the vandals took the handle." i love that line, in all it's silly rhyming glory.i am still promising some lovely photos from the mercer museum or fonthill manor. just you wait!

title: my christmas break thus far

hi! i have my computer back and that means pictures for you! my mom is sitting behind me on the couch and she keeps trying to get looks at the pictures before i post them. sneaky mom! here they are so you can stop craning your neck. :{)

the first two pictures are the results of my favorite christmas present--a tripod!
this is what i wake up every day in the winter hoping to see. it's my backyard covered in snow, as seen from my bedroom window in the morning!!!! hey weather, let's make with the flakes already!

these next two are not necessarily well-made photos, but i love them!

the first is nathan's present to me. we had christmas with our families (him at home and me in boston) so we celebrated our own mini-xmas on the 23rd. this beautiful arrangement is what greeted me when i walked in his front door!
he made the tree out of papier mâché and painted it those beautiful colors. all of those leaves that have "fallen" off the tree are real--the boy must have been pressing leaves for months! excuse the bed in the background--he was living in his living room. :{O

my dad got my mom the BEST present ever this christmas. she loves to watch "top chef" on bravo, so...she got a top chef apron! it even has her name on it. and, i swear, she wears while she's cooking. yes!!! (i made her pose for this picture. note the sarcastic smile.)

ok, that's it for now! hopefully you'll be hearing from me more frequently now..
p.s. i managed to avoid dick clark and his little monkey sidekick ryan seacrest this year. and guess what--my eve still rocked. can you believe it?! happy new year!

title: dec 13

i was walking through the common at dusk and i couldn't help myself. the white lights they've put in the trees are so beautiful! i only had my little digital camera with me, so the quality is not the best, but these pictures make me feel like winter. when i see them i hear buddy holly's "everyday" in my head. i recommend you listen to it (click here and press play in the corner) while you look at them.i put a tripod on my christmas list, so hopefully some of the fruits of that will show up here over the holidays. in four days i get to go home to new jersey!