Open Minded

The Undiscriminating Rubber Duck, by Florentijn Hofman

So many lessons. Apparently the rubber duck is undiscriminating and appropriate for all ages, as well as being able to define and heal mondial tension. Meanwhile, why has this not sailed into City Dock? Also, all I want to do it put the tree back up! Even for another few days, it would be completely worth the effort, and it must be getting even more moisturized and back in fighting form outside in the rain right now. Should I?

Tree Hugging

Tree in Newport

Today is Epiphany, and also... the beginning of Mardi Pardi season! Christmas is over, but that only means it's time to change the tree.

Typical Mardi Tree

Not very many things make me sadder than people who rush Christmas to be over, and am currently sitting in the living room with my (still Christmas) tree letting it know how much it's loved. Don't laugh.

White Christmas

I love the usual Christmas songs, and "White Christmas" is always beautiful, but these are a little more upbeat (mostly); anyway, my favorite of the more "recent" Christmas songs. Also, it is snowing to the north and to the south (Virginia?) but not here in Annapolis! It does make me a little sad

1. Wham - Last Christmas
2. Transiberian Orchestra - Christmas/Sarajevo
3. The Waitresses - Wrapping Paper
4. The Pretenders - 2000 Miles
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks - Christmas Song
6. *Nsync - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
7. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus and Lucy
8. The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song
9. Faith Hill - Where are you Christmas
10. Lyndsay Buckingham - Holiday Road (From National Lampoon!)

Parade of Lights

Last week was the Parade of Lights, but I didn't take any pictures. Here are some courtesy of AYC. My favorite (besides the martini) was the Polar Express tug boat, which was kindof hilarious; the many santas on board wanted to be on the side facing the shore so they could wave, and that train was definitely listing it's way towards capsizing, which you can see a little bit here. The second to last pic here was also a hoot; I'm pretty sure the guys on board made their way over from Davis' to the boat just in time to find out they were somehow in a parade. They looked a little confused as to how they ended up in front of thousands of people, but they went with it clearly!

Santas Ain't Light

Didn't get to see all them together when this happened, but love it in retrospect

Uhhh parade?

Priorities

On another note, I've had this from Korres forever, but have been farrr too lazy to do a mask lately. I'm using it right now, and I've forgotten how good it smells. Definitely going back into rotation; way too effective to keep in the medicine cabinet. I love how my skin looks when I finally do take the time to use it, and rosewater as a toner after is perfect.

Wisdom

"What is it you really want then?" "Real estate."

Windows

"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
                                                           -George Bernard Shaw

Newport

One of Many Trees at Viking

Finally home. Newport was beautiful, but it was too short and another week would have been so nice. I'm such a nomad, staying in one place for even a few months gets old so it's always nice to get away from home. And Annapolis is so beautiful at Christmas, but for some reason the Garden Club hasn't done the usual full-scale decorating downtown yet, so comparatively Newport was a wonderland. There was a long North Sails talk on the Volvo to sit through (which was awesome, but I was rightttt under the AC and I felt like I could relate to how cold it can get out there completely) a dinner party after, and we went to Bristol to visit IYRS which was really interesting. Laforge went all out with lights, and sitting there for dinner the first night felt like being under a tree (for some reason my favorite spot ever since I was little) and I would easily camp out there a la Night at the Museum if I could.
This morning we drove out along Ocean Drive, and it is so different from here. We have water, but you never see quite such a large expanse of it as you do off the cliff, and it feels so much wilder there than here. Even with the mansions, cliff walk feels completely untamed if you look out from town and down at the breakers.

Laforge