UkeOke: Auld Lang Syne

Posted on 2016/01/01 by circuskitchen

AULD LANG SYNE – Chords & Lyrics  #Ukulele

AULD LANG SYNE

 

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Magic in the Mess

Posted on 2015/12/31 by circuskitchen

New Year 2016

For the New Year -and always- my aims include this:

Make the Ordinary Come Alive

 

That is my hope with this blog in celebrating “Sacred in the Mundane.”

After all:

Magic in the Mess

Amen.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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The Time that Land Forgot

Posted on 2015/12/31 by circuskitchen

Or something like that.

between XMas & New Years

December 26th – 31st 2015

I’ve no idea what we’ve been doing.  But here are some clues:

Daddy

Daddy

 

Daddy

Daddy

 

Kitten

Kitten

 

Kitten

Kitten

 

Somewhere in there we had brunch with Pops before he headed back to Minnesota:

Bruch with the Family

(Not shown: Pops)

 

Also my mom, Auntie & sister went to the Nutcracker:

Nutcracker Night

Nutcracker Night

 

My dear Auntie is still in town, though I have hardly seen her, partly because I have been home with this:

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Supervised Nap

 

ClaraJane has been fighting a most-tenacious cold, with her indomitable spirit and awesome powers of SLEEP:

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Darth Snowflake Supervises, Peter Parker Demonstrates

 

She did rally at one point to make me belated birthday cupcakes in her new silicone baking cups:

H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A.

H-A-P-P-Y-B-I-R-T-H-D-A.

 

We even set up a party, but no one came.

Happy No-Man's Land!

Happy Whatever!

(Between doctors appointments and transportation breakdowns my mom and Auntie have been having a rough go.)

 

In the meantime we’re on PUPPY WATCH, as my sister-in-law’s gorgeous Golden Retriever  -seen here blanketing a matching cat-  does not know she is expecting about TEN PUPPIES!

Lucy & part of Charlie

Lucy & Charlie

 

So it’s New Year’s Eve Day.  We’re doing legos (& blogging) while Daddy & I try to figure out what to do with the rug rats tonight.

Lego Time

Lego Time

 

I have about one hour before turning into a pumpkin for my First Night gig.

But I have one thought and one wish for the new year:

#Bernie2016

#Bernie2016!

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Zachary on Stage at ImprovBoston

Posted on 2015/12/26 by circuskitchen

Saturday, December 26th 2015

Here is my nephew Zachary during his appearance on stage as a volunteer at ImprovBoston on my Birthday.

2015-12-25 Zachary @BostonImprov:

 

 

GREAT JOB ZACHARY!!!

 

 

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My (45th) Birthday

Posted on 2015/12/26 by circuskitchen

Saturday, December 26th 2015 – 45th Birthday

After all were in bed in Plymouth Christmas night, Dear Hubsand builds me a fire:

 

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Christmas Birthday Fire

 

After nearly tropical temperatures leading up to Christmas, the cold front finally arrives in a single instant when the wind changes direction, bringing a sudden chill.  We have to move our chairs to the other side of the fire pit and EVERYTHING.

In the morning on the pullout couch I awake pinned between Dear Hubsand and one of my kids WHILE being crushed by the most spectacularly obese cat  -Henry-  of whom I paradoxically can NOT get enough.

Here is Hubsand vaguely approximating my condition later the same day:

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“DLove almost looks small compared to these guys”  

[caption by Gavin]

 

I love my birthday because nobody ever has plans the day AFTER Christmas.   It’s just about the most low-pressure, unstructured day of the year.  As such, there was time for Jenga with the kids:

 

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“Cheese”

 

I mean, Jenga with all THESE kids:

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Kids and Birthday Jenga

 

This year was a grand break in tradition in that I actually tried -and partially succeeded- in wrangling family together for something.  Here we are gathered for one split second in the pub:

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Me, Aunt Jane Ann, CJ, Amanda, James, Paul, Miles, Pops, [Zachary], Gavin, Liz, Mom

Then to Boston Improv!

Zachary on Stage at Boston Improv

Zachary on Stage at Boston Improv

 

Then back home where Paul prepared a spectacular Sushi Feast:

Spectacular Sushi Feast

❤

 

Unfortunately Mom couldn’t make it, but everyone else loved it, including these two kindred spirits here:

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Really?!

 

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You don’t SAY!

 

Thanks everyone, especially DLove, for my wonderful (ahem…45th) Birthday!!!

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Dreams of Icarus

Posted on 2015/12/26 by circuskitchen

Flight.  Incroyable.

Les Reves d’Icare [26 mins, 43 secs]:

 

From October 2015:

Le deuxième plus important événement aéronautique de France après le Salon du Bourget est un fabuleux délire organisé chaque année depuis bientôt un demi-siècle par la communauté du vol libre, et niché en bordure de falaise vertigineuse dans le massif de la Chartreuse, non loin de Grenoble: la Coupe Icare. Cette année, malgré un temps maussade, prés de 100.000 spectateurs, dont 10.000 pilotes de deltas, parapentes, paramoteurs, montgolfières, mais aussi ULM, planeurs, autogyres, et même avions!
La Coupe Icare, c’est le Carnaval de Rio de l’internationale des gens qui volent… Y compris la musique, le rire, les rencontres, et une énorme dose de délire maîtrisé. Car c’est de l’aviation pure.

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Christmas 2015

Posted on 2015/12/26 by circuskitchen

December 25th 2015

image

After the Sister Christmas Eve Extravaganza, before going to bed we set out treats for Santa and reindeer.

image

Darth Snowflake helps himself.

So you wanna be Santa:

image

Christmas morning we are joined by Bubble Wow and we’re off:

image

Hello Elsa:

image

Wonderful books from Grandma Sue:

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Bubble Wow reads to ClaraJane & Gavin -in zombie hat- opens his *Leatherman.*

image

Then Paul feeds us homemade grav lox with toasted bagels,  cream cheese, capers,  hard boiled eggs and onion chopped so fine by the elegance of a true chef.  AND coffee.  Lots of coffee.

THEN we’re off to join the gang of family in Plymouth.   And my stepmom Anita reports this from the incomparable “hills” of what I affectionately call the Secret Unicorn section of Oakland, California:

image

“Merry Christmas from Skyline.”

I talked to my dad and he was home alone there with some BLT’s.  The older we’re all getting, the more uncomfortable it’s feeling to always have this whole continent between us.   Growing up I guess it was no big deal to bounce back and forth between coasts to bridge the continental divide between the parents.  But doing that with “grownup” responsibilities and a family-of-four proves a bit more prohibitive.

So as I write, it’s the day after Christmas and coincidentally the one on which I was born,  so I get to indulge myself and wax sentimental if I want to.

Later a honking pile of us are headed to an Improv Comedy show.  I bet it’s gonna rock. (o:

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2015 Christmas Eve

Posted on 2015/12/24 by circuskitchen

December 24th 2015

Porch Fairy

 

Christmas Eve at HEJAM’s:

 

2015 XMAS EVE @HEJAMS [1 min, 53 secs]:

 

 

Thank you Heather (and E & J & A & M) for another wonderful year!

 

2015-12-24 20.41.21

 

 

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The Rebel from Slytherin

 

 

Cute. Giggles. Stop it.

Cute. Giggles. Stop it.

 

 

 

2015-12-24 19.06.32

 

Loved it and (Kardashian voice grind), love you guys.

 

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Merry Kids – Unfiltered

Posted on 2015/12/24 by circuskitchen

December 24th 2015

Offered without apology, this pre-Christmas Gem:

2015-12-24 Merry… Kids [35 seconds]:

 

#Merry #ShutUp #MerryShutUp

I said; #Merry Shut Up, lol

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Gingerbread Cousins

Posted on 2015/12/19 by circuskitchen

Saturday, December 19th 2015

 

Aunt Elizabeth organized a Gingerbread House party for all the kid cousins!

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Then, TO THE CANDY!

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We hope there’s *enough*

 

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One way to find out…

 

 

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Cute Girl Overload

 

 

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Twinsies

 

 

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Cute Boy Overload

 

 

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(Swiss) “Cheese!”

 

Now what to do with the sugar high?

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Trampoline Time

 

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High Five

 

Gavin’s legs are so skinny that when Aunt Elizabeth spins him around they almost disappear:

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The Elusive BOY Hug

 

After the high, the fall:

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Miles’ Sugar Crash is fast and furious

 

[More pix to come,  so check back in future for posterity.]

But ClaraJane is *not* tired on the ride home.

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“I’m not tired.”

 

 

 

Finally it was home to holiday cards, wine and watching Bernie give ’em hell in the Democratic Debate.

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What a lovely combo

 

Let there be Peace on Earth and #Sanders2016!

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