Christmas morning in Medway 2008

A few shots from this morning :)

Jelly Ribbons

Flo D'Angelo was a fine cook in the Italian-American tradition. At Christmas time, she would bake a variety of yummy cookies for the family. 

Though Finn James never met his Grandma Flo, he is about to meet her through the yummy experience of tasting a Jelly Ribbon Cookie baked for him by his own Mama, Flo's daughter. (The Jelly Ribbons below were prepared using raspberry jam from Martha's Vineyard.) 

Pictured below (clockwise starting from the bottom) are: Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti (Barb Ryan); Jelly Ribbons (Trish Ryan Dila); Cream Cheese Pastry Cookies (Barb); and Chocolate Chip Cream Puffs (Barb). 

Skip a generation

Un etude des generations.

Modern Art

Following a recent visit to the Museum of Modern art in Manhattan, Finn shot a series of modern photographs. Included here is the set the artist refers to as "My relationship with the color Red" 

Snow-Snow-Snow-Ho-Ho-Ho!

And the snow in New England falls from the Heavens... 

Snowflake

Embracing his first blizzard, Finn is unaware of the gathering form of light behind him. 

Ho-Ho-Ho! 

Big Trees Whisper

Deep in the heart of the vast wilderness known as Manhattan, Finn listens attentively to the sage words given by his Big Tree guide, Poppy. 

Snoopy on the scene

On his trip to New York to see some trees this week, Finn received a gift from his Uncle Gerry: Snoopy. Amazingly, Snoopy doesn't squeal when his ears are pulled! Eat your heart out, Halibut. 

About Change

"Change is not merely necessary to life. It is life." 

--Finn's first Chinese fortune

Good, excellent

Finn experienced fresh snow in Massachusetts for the first time today. 

Stylin' in Quebec

Finn found a niche in Quebec City: A Hef-style apres-douche lounging robe awaited him each evening. Alas, only Mama and Daddie were available for his amusement. 

Bauer Supremes & CCM 652 Super Tacks

Sonny-boy and daddy got new blades today :) 

Our first skate will be at the Frog Pond: http://www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org

Hudson Bay Sleigh Ride

On Thanksgiving night, Finn's cousins, Jack and Chase, showed Finn how to take a Hudson Blanket Sleigh Ride! 

Flying Pigs? Why not??

Basements, especially unfinished, dank, poorly lit ones have a way of etching themselves, their mildew, their sepia, their very essence into our souls when we are children, never to be forgotten and only to be enhanced and magnified as we age.

They draw us into the unknown, the forbidden, the pith of what supports our lives above ground. They reveal Truth to us individually, completely. They become knowledge. 

They might be the place where adults disappear into, sometimes for long periods of time, sometimes to quickly emerge with firewood, folded clothes, or some object never before seen by young eyes. They might be a place where we are left alone to consider the ramifications of our actions. 

They might be the place where we first learn to balance on a bike, or where we first see a really ugly painting, or where we experience real fright for the very first time.

Then and now, they beckon and warn us like foghorns whisper to sailors in dense fog: Come closer; the shoal is near! 

Open It

Finn of County Middlesex enjoys a gift from Poppy. 

Halibut visits his country cousin--Rosie of County Fairfield

Halibut has been living out of a suitcase ever since leaving County Santa Cruz more than five weeks ago. During that time he has stayed in County Middlesex for two weeks, visited County Dukes at Martha's Vineyard for ten days, camped at County Lamoille in Vermont for five days, and most recently he has paid a visit to his country cousin, Rosie of County Fairfield in Connecticut. Rosie has shared her yard, her kibble, and many other possessions freely and with grace, and Halibut is much obliged, gratified, and indebted. He will no doubt aspire to return the hospitality in good time.  

Big Trees

Finn finds freedom in the space between two trees planned by Frederick Law Olmsted in Montreal's Parc Mont Royal. 

Looking East--Shooting Utopia

Finn at East Beach, Chappaquiddick, Dukes, Martha's Vineyard, MA, USA

Chappaquiddick > cheppiaquidne > Chaubaqueduck > Chappaquidgick: "separated island," or "sometimes an island." Possible utopia. 

Finn@eastbeach.utopia: Shadow, silhouette, fully saturated, highly contrasted, emptiness, purple. Wave and particle. Expand. Embody Grace.

New *Shell Phone* technology hits the street

Martha's Vineyard--known chiefly for its beaches, quaint olde towne colonial architecture, and conch and lobster fisheries--exploded onto the international stage today as a potential technology hub or, more appropriately, a "tech island." 

Local fisherman--seeing a massive decline in the local fishery over the same decades that saw the meteoric rise of the Internet and cell usage--have innovated a new communication device, which is gaining traction rapidly, especially with the Gen-Z demographic: Shell Phones (see photos below). 

"We felt it was high tide to crack the nacreous layer off the traditional cellular industry and it's crusty incumbents to expose the pearl within," says shell phone designer, Molly Crustashen. 

The clam-size device packs the same feature sets as traditional cells, but additionally shell phones may be tasted or even eaten by the user or a friend before, during, or after making or receiving calls. 

"The innovation underscores behavioral trends linking obesity and talking, nutrition and communication, and, of course, it also buttresses arguments supporting the theories of Evolution, Relativity, and Heliocentricity," says shell-tech advisor, Clam Baker, of Woods Hole. 

Below, a Gen-Z-er uses a shell phone to make a personal shell call while an older gentleman moans with hunger to try the new technology. 

 (Images provided by the Conch Fishers of Martha's Vineyard)

A big roar in a small package

Sometimes a sound can be quite shocking. In this instance, Finn of County Middlesex hears The Lion Sleeps Tonight through headphones for the first time. He was not a little shocked by the exquisite amplification of the small little ear buds he wanted so much to handle. 

Maui this is not...

Dyck-Dog--

The rents scoped me here to Martha's Vineyard. No sign of Martha yet, but I hear she's cute. 

This much I know: Maui this is not--it's cold and windy here, dude. 

Get the keys to the Golf and let's Jiggy, Braw!! 

Finn-Dog

Dog-to-Dog

Oly-Dog--

Check it out--I snagged my dad's iPhone. I've got you on speed dial, dude. Grab your mom's blackberry and let's Jiggy!!!

Get your chat on, Cuz! 

LaterG8r.

Finn-Dog

Brothers in Arms

Will (aka Willy) Lampert spends time with Finn of County Middlesex, showing him the ropes and a number of "moves" that will hold him in good stead for years to come. 

Is the East Coast worth it? Ask Finn.  

Bono sighting in Hopkinton

The Hopkinton Crier reported that reliable (anonymous) sources had positively identified Bono (leader of the Irish rock band, U2) in the small town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts over the Holiday weekend. 

The Star was first noticed in disguise pushing a small pink baby stroller in the town Center. 

Later, paparazzi squeezed off a close-up of the Rocker as he ate a bowl of clam chowder at a local joint. More on the pink stroller to come...

Try it.

Ah, Gum. Kids love it. Dentists love it. We all love it! A snap here. A crack there. A bubble-pop between the teeth. Hell, even Pulitzer Prize-winning poets write verse about it.  

Today was the day that Finn of County Middlesex had his own first taste of the good stuff. 

Pacific Prayer

Peer into the ocean through a fisheye-boil over the rising tide.

Starry fish scales shimmer through waves breaking. A grain of Lahontan wilderness sparkles for a moment. Or maybe it’s the Finn of a transplanted cousin.

Earth and water embrace Life here.

Let Humility flow through you.

Remember family, past sadness to hopeful future.

Enjoy bread’s sweet smell before tasting it.

Let the sweet pup rest his weary head on your lap before waking him with a stroke.

Watch the sun setting, but do not look directly at it.

Treat people at work with respect and honor, and take pride in their achievements.

Thank yourself for being where you are.

Thank others for being with you.

Give special thanks for little sisters.

Allow a Regal Penguin to fill your mind. Smell its cold, stiff feathers in the spiking wind. Shake a laugh to imagine a Penguin’s love. Now open your eyes and be home.

Embody Grace.

Stars can be thought of as Twinkling Birdies

Finn woke me a few minutes ago with a kind of squeal-shriek. Usual mid-night stuff, but I went in to check anyway. Uncharacteristically for one of his mid-night jolts, he had woken himself up. As soon as he saw my dim shadow in the room he clutched Bear and stood up in his crib. Admiring the novelty, I picked him up and headed downstairs in the dark. At 4 o'clock even Halibut rolls over and goes back to sleep, which is what the dog did until I opened the fridge door. The light jumped out at us into the dark kitchen. Finn's eyes were pretty wide. I rifled around in the crisper and pulled out a carrot. Finn immediately took it from my hand, which startled me, and then swung his arm over my side and said, Ha-blit! The dog was at our side almost instantaneously, and he gingerly removed the carrot from Finn's offering hand. After that we all three went into the front yard. Ha-blit peed over at the side of the house. I looked way up then pointed to get Finn's attention. Stars, I said.

Birdie? he replied.

No. Stars.

Birdie, he confirmed with his extended index.

We went back inside, had a couple gulps of peaches from a jar in the fridge, and went back to bed.

Buv

Finn woke us with a moan from his room at 6:30 AM. It’s Saturday after a week of Flu bug passing first from Finn (last Sunday) to Tricia (Tuesday) and finally to me (Thursday). We all stayed home all week and mostly slept and moaned and groaned and the other things that go with Flu.

But this morning’s moan was more energetic—more bellow than moan.

I’ll take care of him all afternoon if you let me sleep-in, Tricia spoke slowly through her post-Flu grog.

Blaaaghh. OK, I re-snorted.

I brought Finn into bed with us, put him on his tummy between us, and rolled over—back to him—and tried to doze. As my lids fell shut I dimly registered wisps of stirred creamy fog sailing by our bedroom window—a ship moving through an offshore bank, so quiet you could hear a gull wing past the bow.

Bird-ie!

The two opposing syllables rang me from my doze. Silence filled the room. I wondered if it was a dream. Then starkly:

Car!

Finn’s voice was clear, like a stream’s crystal burble in early dawn. It had a high, bird’s note, and a deep ker-plunk.

Wee-lay (Finn’s interpretation of Wheel).

My mind raced, trying to blow the fog from my eyes. I finally caught up:

Truck! I said solidly.

Car, he countered quickly.

Wheel. (I said it properly and, in the ensuing pregnant pause I could tell he was smiling because he knows I think it’s funny when he says it.)

Go-dur! (Yogurt.)

Halibut!

Mamma!

Hair!

Noze!

Scratch!

He scratched his nail on the pillow near my ear.

Scatch, he tried. Then a cascade:

Ha-blit! Duggie (the generic term for things like Halibut)! Nanna (banana)! The tempo told me we were on our way to having a complete discussion, in full non sequitur, consisting of Finn’s entire vocabulary, strung together, mind, by phonetic emphasis, humor, and a shared inner picture of the context and whole meaning of each concept.

Apple (I remembered Frost’s pane of glass melting and shattering an orchard of bare apple trees, and I smelled a stiff East Coast October morning and felt cold apple-sticky fingers and hard hands).

Fishie (he jerked me back).

Light (I jerked him back with the first word he ever spoke).

Jackie (the name of the UCSC student who has taught Finn some words).

Book.

Sox! Shuze! Car! Fishie!

It was a request: Breakfast on the Wharf and a viewing of the fisherman and the Sea Lions.

Love, I said.

Silence on his end. Then:

Buv? He asked quietly for a repeat of the new word.

Yes. Love.

Engine 891 Santa Cruz FD

Finn of County Santa Cruz became the very proud owner of a new Hook & Ladder engine truck, which he sports below on the local cul-de-sac. The gift is from his brother-in-arms Liam of Toronto-The-Goode.

Bananas and Pat-a-cake

Finn of County Santa Cruz spends quality time with his ailing father who is "staying home from work" today. The young lad passed the germs of his own cold to his father several days earlier (likely a ploy to lay him low and keep him home from work...). Sharing a banana between rounds of Pat-a-cake the pair rests up before singing I Am The Lord of the Dance before a nap.

First Mate

Finn of County Santa Cruz recently signed up with a cutter outa Capitola Harbor. Here, the young lad has donned his pirate apparel and is engaged in a stare-down with a fellow mate.

County Middlesex

Finn of County Santa Cruz awaits news from the seller of a new house in Massachusetts.

The Housing Squeeze

Finn of County Santa Cruz is currently at large in County Middlesex of Massachusetts, visiting relatives on the Ryan side of the family tree. Word has it he is considering a move East to be near the family roots. Feeling the considerable pressures a transcontinental move can create, Finn looked in the mirror and realized he needed to de-compress.

Sunday Gardening

Today our hero, Finn of County Santa Cruz, demonstrates various gardening techniques employed on the far West Coast of North America. It's a wet job, but someone must do it.

Shadows

In a transcendental reflective moment between dream and waking, Finn of County Santa Cruz has a lucid shadow of an insight into what life might have been like before his birth.

Hey, Mack, I need a shave

An un-identified companion poses with Finn of County Santa Cruz as the duo prepares for a shave.

Experience-based wisdom

Finn of County Santa Cruz, impelled to achieve wisdom beyond his years through experience-based learning, pauses to consider a bend in the undergrowth.

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Monsieur Georges qui vien de France

It's important for a young lad to have a wide view of the world--to see it through the eyes of others who have seen things both far and wide. Finn was fortunate enough to encounter Georges this weeks, who was in town to see his own daughter and his new grandson, Peter. Georges is a painter (mostly of nude women it would seem), and in this shot he is exposing Finn of County Santa Cruz to some of the finer points. Finn will have to thank Georges later, once he has mastered more than "mama" and "dada."

If the slipper fits...

Pop--

Sabbatical has offered many amazing opportunities to me to spend time with Finn. This morning the two of us went outside the front gate to see what was happening. We were both still in pajamas with bed-head, but he had his elephant slippers on. At first we kind of hung around the flower beds in front of the house, but after a few minutes, he lit off toward the park with me in tow. The sun was bright and hot and the dirt-stone trail was warm and dusty and smelled of drying cedar wood and cypress needles. I stayed two steps behind Finny Boy, and he led us on a trail-walk for 45 minutes. Without exception he always took the less-trodden trail--ones where the flower-stalks were so high they towered over him like giant trees. The more we walked the more worked-in the slippers became, until finally I believe they became truly worn-in (see attached). It was a good morning.

From the Sea

Finn of County Santa Cruz got up-close and watery with an orange jelly and a furry otter today at Monterey Bay Aquarium. A young observer of Nature in the making, it was a big day.

Inside Joke

In this shot, our Heros, Halibut and Finn of County Santa Cruz, share an inside laugh as they meander home after a long walk along West Cliff.

Colombian Gold

There's no time like the present for a young lad to learn something about coffee. Today, Finn of County Santa Cruz learns how to taste and cool hot Jo.

Farmers' Market

The Capitola Farmers' Market is a famous hangout of Finn of County Santa Cruz. In these shots, he can be spied mingling among the other peasants in search of the makings of a simple yet tasty meal.

Finn meets Ray Barbee and G Bones

Finn of County Santa Cruz inherited a family heirloom today: Now the proud custodian of a Ray Barbee (Powell/Peralta) deck, he's ready to skate the West Side.

The setup: Ray Barbee (Powell/Peralta) Rag Doll re-issue deck (Canadian maple); a pair of Independent 149s; and a set of G Bones (re-issue--97 A), packed with Bones Swiss bearings.

Hara-Sippy

Reminiscent of the elegant Japanese hara-kiri motion, Finn of County Santa Cruz demonstrates the signal of end-of-breakfast with a swift downward motion of an inverted sippy cup while bellowing the triumph of warriors. Note the characteristic intensity of focus denoted by the riveting eye-contact.

Daily Shot #1: Finn of County Santa Cruz

See Finn of County Santa Cruz manipulate his shiny Teleporter. He is speaking in the the tongue of the foreign land from where he has just returned.