Updates, Info, and Other Stuff

Saturday Snapshot: A Few from NYC

/ drbethnolan / 7 Comments

As you know, we LOVE NYC. It was particularly packed there this holiday season. Here are a few shots from some of our visits.

Here is St. Patrick’s – finally done with being “in restauro”. It looks fabulous. They were having a caroling singalong while we were there. Of course I embarrassed my children by joining in.

Also below is the tree from Rockefeller Center.

 

Above are a few shots — the one on the left was the view from the Freedom Tower (basically there was no view that day!). The other three were from Madame Tussaud’s. The lines were horrific but it was fun.

We hope you had a nice holiday season.

Wishing everyone the best for 2016!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at westmetromommyreads.com

See her site for participation details.

Saturday Snapshot – Some Favorite Ornaments

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I have been collecting Christmas ornaments since I was a little girl. I took pictures of a few to share here.

We love to get an ornament each time we travel somewhere. Also my children have lots of special ornaments that they’ve gotten over the years, too.

One of our favorites is this Charlie Brown Christmas tree one — you can press a button and hear Linus speaking about the true meaning of Christmas.  
If you know us, you know that Disney is one of our favorite places!!


Above (l to r): Tiffany bulb from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Joan Walsh Anglund one I’ve had since I was young, Empire State Building globe that lights up, and an Irish cross we got on our honeymoon.

Eiffel Tower from Paris (another favorite place!), “Beth” – one of my four Little Women ornaments, Disney (again!) and the Disney Cruise ship, and Hershey Kiss Carolers from Hershey Park.

Tree on the left is the children’s tree (artificial) filled with all their ornaments. Tree on the right is the (real) family tree.

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate and Best Wishes for 2016!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted at westmetromommyreads.com.

Please see her site for full participation details.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever — John Matteson’s Annotated Little Women

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While Keats didn’t have this book in  mind when he wrote that line, he certainly could have! This is a beautiful edition of annotated work – a true labor of love. John is an incredible friend of Orchard House, an Alcott scholar, and Pulitzer Prize winner. This book will be treasured for many years to come.


 I got mine at Orchard House – signed by John. You can find it there, at the Concord Bookshop and other indies, and online.

Saturday Snapshot: US Open Tennis

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Before we met, my husband attended the US Open every year. Things have been a bit trickier since getting married and having children, but this year all four of us went with friends. It was a great day!

Because we bought our tickets far in advance, we didn’t know who we would be seeing. I think we lucked out!

We saw Venus Williams play and win:

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We saw Djokovic play and win,too:

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We also had fun playing “virtual tennis” against Maria Sharapova:

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It was a fun day!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at westmetromommyreads.com. See her site for participation details and lots of other fun Saturday Snapshot moments!

Saturday Snapshot: The Bolton Geranium

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Just wanted to share my “Bolton Geranium” with readers today!

I LOVE the history of this unique flower. In the late 1880’s, a young man, Arthur Miner, brought a cutting home from a conservatory to his wife Aurilla. She propagated it and shared it with friends and neighbors. It became known as “the Bolton Geranium” as so many people here in Bolton (MA) had it. Then in 1970, there was only one surviving plant left. Florence Sawyer (a true mainstay of this town) saved it and along with Esther Whitcomb they kept it going and producing. The plant is sold each year by the historical society in town and I was so happy to get two this year! No two petals are alike!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at http://www.westmetromommyreads.com.  See her site for participation details!

Saturday Snapshot: Authors at the Concord Bookshop!

/ drbethnolan / 8 Comments


 What a great evening at the Concord Bookshop this Thursday!  Sarah McCoy  and Erika Robuck were there to promote their new releases THE MAPMAKER’S CHILDREN and THE HOUSE OF HAWTHORNE. It was a fun “chatty” evening with lots of laughs and interesting info on their writing processes. I loved both these books (they came out 5/5) and reviewed them this week on my blog – here https://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/review-the-mapmakers-children-by-sarah-mccoy/ and here https://drbethnolan.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/review-the-house-of-hawthorne-by-erika-robuck/

In the pictures Sarah and Erika chat with bookshop owner Dawn (on left) and also pose together (Sarah on left).

I have to say it — Sarah’s cowboy boots were the cutest thing ever!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at http://www.westmetromommyreads.com. Check her site for participation details!