Monday, December 31, 2018

4 Takes on 4 Beloved Parts of 2018 - A Family Writing Together

Thea I love Thea because she licks me and plays with me on the ice at the Intervale. Also she likes to cuddle. Thea is the sweetest puppy I know.  When I took Thea for a walk yesterday I had a lot of fun slipping on the ice. Thea chased all of the ice that shattered. It was very cute. Kuba
I like at nighttime when she is just so cuddly and cute. Also whenever I get home she always  is so excited to see me and anyone else she knows.  I love to walk with Thea in the Intervale when there's a lot of ice because it is so fun to slide around and have fun watching her slipping too. Also watching her play with other dogs is always fun to watch.   Anders

Copper dog. Cute. Scared. Outside walks...lots and lots and lots of walks. That’s the best because she is so happy running outside. Her happiness is contagious.  Freedom!...walking with Thea is freedom  for Thea and for me. I often resist...d r a g  myself there...but I am never, ever sorry that I’ve taken her. I went through a phase of her running beside me while I biked...then I got her a harness to reach her skijoring techniques for next winter...gee/haw straight on.  Now I have been taking photos of everything...lots of close ups. Very few of her and they all turnout bad...not the way I think people should see her. Anna

I’ve been adjusting to life with a dog ever since we got Thea.  I’ve been the reluctant one in the family. Everyone else is 100% in.  It’s safe to say though that I’ve grown to love her - though I’m still a little reticent about the chewing, the mess, the need for constant puppy proofing.  Walks with Thea are my favorite part of having a dog.  We take her almost every day for a long walk off leash. The Intervale, the Whale Tails, Red Rocks, always off leash and free.  She’s so darn happy.  She runs and runs.  She sniffs and sniffs.  She comes when you call her. Her favorite thing of all is when there’s another dog to play with.  Then the wild rumpus begins and the hounds are off.  Also - the walks are outside in the beautiful nature that surrounds us. Fields, woods, trails, birds, sky.  Always deeply satisfying.  Judy


Museums We went to MASS MoCA two days ago and there was a lot of cool art. My favorite painting was an abstract landscape. Kuba
The best parts about the museums were the gift stores and all of the exhibits where
you could do something yourself and not just look. Anders

MoMath and Illusions museums were mostly fun because the kids were so happy. And there were the adventures getting there on the subway...going into the wrong stations. We always made it back to Brooklyn somehow though. Best of the best though were MASS MoCA and Storm King. Storm king was cold and wet and windy and miserable in all ways, except that we went and muscled our way through as a family huddled in a tour wagon. Anna

The best part of the year in a way, was realizing (again?) how much we like museums. We’ve sure been to a lot this year...the African American Museum, the National Museum of Mathematics, the Museum of Illusions, the Brooklyn Museum, Mass MoCA, the Fleming, the Montreal Museum of Modern Art, and probably more that I cannot remember at the moment. Although, the best part of the best part of the year was being with the boys and Anna in such big beautiful spaces filled with imagination and creativity.  I LOVE walking through the galleries with them and taking photos of the boys interacting with the environment. Judy

Hamilton Hamilton was fun and cool to see. It was sort of disappointing because it wasn’t the original cast but it was still amazing! Kuba
The thing I loved about Hamilton is singing along and just listening in the car on a long road trip or even just a short one. Then when we got to go see the musical I was a little disappointed it was not the original cast but it was still one of the best things I have ever seen. Anders

I am not throwing away my shot. The sound track of 2017 and 2018!. I miss the music being around as if my family were here for a visit and then  all left. The show was an amazing treat and gift both from Judy and John.   I want to watch it from the front row next time. To see their faces as they sing. Their feelings. It was all around an amazing gift! Anna

Ridiculous right!?  We were gifted tickets to Hamilton for Anna’s fiftieth birthday.  We took the train from Vermont to NY City and even the train ride was spectacular.  The whole experience from start to finish was filled with excitement, anticipation, and thrill.  DELIGHTED to see Hamilton live.  Judy


Grandma I am really glad that grandma moved into “The barn.” Now I can say hi whenever I want. Also at Christmas she could walk right over to our house instead of having to drive all the way here. Kuba
Ever since grandma moved into the barn it is so much easier to just go over and see her whenever we want it has been easier to just go see her almost everyday and I think that is good for us and for her. Anders

Grandma has been my 2:00 coffee date for the past month. She is amazingly positive and always full of compliments and outward appreciation and connection.  I think EWTN catholic channel brings her serenity and generosity! Oh there are some cranky days too and messy days….but mostly Judy and Sandy get to see those. The boys and I get laughter, curiosity, happiness. Anna

I often want to write about Grandma and what it’s like to take care of my mom.  92 years old and still full of life and love and so much emotion.  It’s been everything to me to have her in the barn.  It’s not easy, but it’s also deeply rewarding.  I love her and taking care of her fragile self seems holy in some respects.  Cleaning her body, helping her dress, giving her meals, feeling out her emotional needs, trying to bring opportunities to her so she can take in  the wide breadth of this life she has.  Her appreciation and gratitude for the care she gets is overflowing and constantJudy

Sunday, December 30, 2018

A to Z Gratitudes from 2018

a  Anders, Anna, the Aponas family, acting, Aunts, algebra, art, acupuncture

b  Ben, books, battleship, beaches, blue skies, the barn, baking, Mr. Battaile, Brooklyn, 
        Ms. B, Burlington, the blog, Broadway, brothers, Beulah Jubilee Quartet
    
c Clouds, Charlie, cousins, Cape Cod, Christmas, Christmas stockings, Cathy, 
         the Chayer-Duke family,  a clean house, coffee, creativity
   
d    Our first family Dog, devices, delicious food, dental hygiene, deer tragedy, 
          dala horses

e  Each other, eighth grade, turning eleven, having enough, encouragement 

f  Finley, family, friends, fifth grade, fiftieth birthday party, family Olympics, flossing, 
        flowerboxes 

g   Grandma, Jon Gailmor, gratitude, growth spurts

h   Hamilton, hugs, home, holiday cards, Halloween costumes, Hazel, health, 
         the highline, humor, home office 

i   iPad, IAA, ice, the Intervale

j   Judy, Jamie, Jasper, John Canning

k   Kuba, Kaj, kindness

l   Love, lakes, lemon bars, laughing 

m Matias, Mormor, Morfar, museums(Fleming, Mass MoCA, Illusions, Mathematics, 
         Guggenheim, Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Smithsonians, Storm King)  
          Minecraft, movies, Moosehead lake Maine, music, Mousey, magic woods 

n Netflix, New York City, Nespresso, grandma's art show at Nunyuns

o Oliver, oceans, OWL, orchestra, Obama portraits 

p  taking Photographs, playing Pictionary, Park Safari, Prospect Park Zoo, pools, 
       making pasta, pepparkakor, having patience

q  Quiet

r Rob, reading books aloud together, Risk, rocks, ravioli, Rover.com 

s Sandy, Sam, Swedish relatives, sledding, swimming, ski bus, skiing, snow, sunshine, 
        stuffed shells, singing, sleep, Kuba's first slumber party and first sleepover, support,  

t  Thea, Tiger, technology, being a teenager, turning thirteen, two moms, travel, 
       TIME family art show at Penny Cluse Cafe

u  Uncles

v  Vice president of student council, Very Merry, violins, values, Valentine's day, vacations

w  Walks with Thea, the Whale tails, workbooks, Washington, DC, 

x  SeX ed at UU, chillax, xcountry running + skiing

y  our Yard, 

z Zander, babies- Zoe & Brianna

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Details

 

  

 

Anna has begun exploring photography on her walks with Thea.
She's been taking some fantastic photographs over these past winter weeks. 

Snow Tracks

 


We take Thea out for long walks.
This particular day there was an assortment of beautiful animal tracks.
Mole?  Mouse? Fox? Rabbit?  No idea, but we know we loved them.  



Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!




I almost always post photo's of us getting our Christmas tree and I just had to get this post in.
We went to a new place this year for our tree, it was out in Richmond.  We didn't really love the selection, but we did end up with a nice tree despite the pool we had to choose from.
Thea went along for the fun of it, but didn't help even a little bit with the sawing or carrying.  







Surprise!

 

I surprised the family this holiday week with a trip down to Massachusetts -
an overnight at a sweet hotel - the Porches -  and a day trip to Mass MoCA.
It was a great surprise - we stopped along the way for breakfast and lunch, 
and made a quick stop at the Eileen Fisher outlet in Manchester.  (Anna's favorite clothing line) 
We landed at the hotel at around 5 pm and went swimming outside under a rainy sky in 
a heated pool.  We wore luxurious white bathrobes to and from the pool and took a selfie.  
We spent a long time  swimming in the rain, soaking in the hot tub and enjoying the sauna.  
After a lazy morning - reading and enjoying a continental breakfast at the hotel - 
we found our way to the museum.  It was right across the street.
Them museum was gigantic!  We spent 6 hours winding our way through multiple exhibits - and had so much fun exploring the place.   The buildings were beautiful.  The exhibits were fun.  
Here are some of the best snapshots...






 
   
 


Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Could You Ask for More?




How lucky are we to have so many family members to celebrate with?
Both families gathered for both Christmas eve and Christmas day dinners.
Polish and Swedish traditions. 
Deep and rich and absolutely important.

The Many Faces of Christmas


After a few nights of big holiday dinners (full of way too much dairy and sugar) - 
we ended up playing one hell of a Pictionary game...
which ended up in a wall of images...
which made me think what a great backdrop...
which made me think of Christmas photos...
which made us all get excited to play photoshoot...
so we hammed it up in front of the camera, laughing all the way....
and this is what we got!  

Mormor and Dave 

'
Our family

more of us 

the cousins 

more of the cousins

the boys

more of the boys

Mormor and her adoring grandkids 

more of that 

grandma and the boys 

the girls 

the other whole family 

Amazing what kind of levity there can be after a long day of being together. 
Thank god for family.